We’d all love a clear-cut answer to the modern-age social media question: When is the best time to post your Instagram content?
The answer might not be as simple as an X on a calendar - but it doesn’t need to be impossible to find out, either. The absolute perfect time to post depends on the audience you have, the audience you want to reach, and their online habits.
Getting that information requires some deep-diving into the numbers and analytics of a UK-based audience. But even before that happens, having a general idea of the best times is helpful to know how to optimise your Instagram strategy.
Table of Contents:
Important Instagram Posting Insights
The Best Time to Post on a Monday
The Best Time to Post on a Tuesday
The Best Time to Post on a Wednesday
The Best Time to Post on a Thursday
The Best Time to Post on a Friday
The Best Time to Post on a Saturday
The Best Time to Post on a Sunday
Looking at Habits of Your UK Audience on Instagram
Identifying the Best Time to Post to Your Specific UK Audience
1. Important Instagram Posting Insights
If you’re running an account in the UK, and you’re posting to UK-based followers, these best practice statistics will help you get optimal reach and results from your content:
The best time to post on Instagram in the UK
As a general rule, the best times to post are in the morning, either before or during lunchtime. However, the ideal time to post for each day is slightly different:
Monday: 11h00 - 12h00
Tuesday: 09h00 - 10h00
Wednesday: 11h00
Thursday: 11h00 - 12h00
Friday: 16h00
Saturday: 09h00
Sunday: 19h00
The least effective time of day to post
Posting late at night (any time after 23h00) generates the least traffic and engagement. This is especially true over the weekend. People are either sleeping or socialising, and are not engaging attentively online.
The best day of the week to post
Instagram users in the UK are most active on Tuesday and Thursday.
The worst day of the week to post
Instagram engagement is at its lowest over the weekend - Sunday is statistically the worst day for posting.
2. The Best Time to Post on a Monday in the UK
In the UK, most users start the week by waking up, browsing their social platforms, and then getting ready to begin their work week. With this in mind, Instagram content performs best early in the morning, around 06h00, and then again between 11h00 and 12h00. Online engagement peaks around the lunch break. Posts scheduled for the night, even as late as 21h00, will perform better than other weekdays as users tend to work later on a Monday.
3. The Best Time to Post on a Tuesday in the UK
Tuesday engagement is highest around 09h00 and throughout the morning. After 18h00 is also a good time for content, as users are winding down after their work day.
4. The Best Time to Post on a Wednesday in the UK
Instagram content performs similarly on Wednesdays as it does on Mondays, as people work through their tasks for the week. Posting around 11h00 and noon gets the most traffic.
5. The Best Time to Post on a Thursday in the UK
Statistically, the best time for Thursday content is late morning, closely followed by early morning. Posts published after 19h00 also perform well.
6. The Best Time to Post on a Friday in the UK
Friday is unusual, with engagement highest in the afternoon. The prime time to post is at 16h00 as people are either getting home or are commuting back from work. Early and late evening posts don’t tend to perform well.
7. The Best Time to Post on a Saturday in the UK
Many users sleep in on a Saturday or wake up for a specific activity, so early morning posts don’t generate significant engagement. Around 11h00 on a Saturday is the perfect time to schedule posts.
8. The Best Time to Post on a Sunday in the UK
Sunday evening used to be the best time overall to post on social media, not only in the UK but across the world. However, online behaviour has changed, and posts scheduled for the late morning generate afternoon traffic and engagement as people gear up for the week ahead.
9. Looking at Habits of Your UK Audience on Instagram
While it’s essential to know the overall best times to post for your scheduling and strategy, it’s equally important to pay attention to your audience and their online behaviours.
For example, if you’re looking to target an audience that typically commutes to work, look to capitalise on peak bus and train times so that they see your content while travelling to and from work. If your audience is more likely to get around by car, it’s better to avoid posting while they are likely driving and won’t be engaging online.
But remember: for every rule, you’ll find the exception. While Sundays are generally the lowest performing day for engagement, if the content is relevant (such as an account run by a church or an event) then the audience will be looking out to engage on Sundays. Don’t be afraid to break from the norm where it will work better for you!
The more knowledge you have of your UK Instagram audience, the easier it will be to identify the very best time for you to post.
10. Identifying the Best Time to Post to Your Specific UK Audience
The best way to increase reach and fully maximise Instagram potential: use social media management tools to help analyse and identify the browsing habits of your target audience.
Meltwater’s social media management suite will help you increase engagement and get the most out of your content to enhance your digital content strategy.
Get in touch with us for a free platform demo.
