You might be using Instagram to entertain your friends and family—or you could be using the platform to promote your brand or business.

Either way, if you’re regularly posting on Instagram, you should ask yourself a few questions. What is the best time to post on Instagram? Are you using a calendar to schedule your posts on the right day and at the right time? Are your videos and imagery up to scratch? And are you fully engaging with your audience?

With one billion monthly active users, Instagram boasts a treasure trove of potential prospects for those that take a strategic approach to their content, campaigns, and activities. When it comes to squeezing every last drop of marketing value, knowing what content is most likely to resonate with your audience and when they’re likely to engage is vital.

Here we look at the best time to post on Instagram as well as practical tips you can use to ensure your IG posts stand out from the crowd and really capture your audience’s attention, whether you’re a personal or business user.

Read on to level up your IG strategy.

Does it matter when you post on Instagram?

The times and days you post on Instagram make all the difference. By choosing the right times to schedule and publish content, you’re far more likely to maximize post engagement and reach.

By boosting content engagement and reach, you will earn a healthy return on investment (ROI) for your IG marketing efforts, accelerating the growth of your audience, improving brand awareness, and closing more conversions in the process.

So, when is the best time to post on Instagram? Well, this varies slightly according to your niche and industry or the day of the week. But, you can still find an Instagram posting sweet spot.

What time are people most on Instagram?

The general time for posting content on Instagram—the period that suggest most people are using the platform—is:

• Wednesday at 11am
• Friday between 10am and 11am

What’s the worst day to post on Instagram?

In addition to knowing the best time to post on Instagram, it’s also worth discovering the most wasteful day or time to publish content. Armed with this information, you can ensure that your valuable and precious posts aren’t floating around in social media space, consumed by no one. So, without further ado, here’s the worst day to post on Instagram:

• Sunday, all day (according to a variety of studies, people are minimally engaged for the entire day. It’s probably because people are disconnecting from social and spending quality time with friends and family. Or resting)

Also Read Best time to post on Facebook and other social media.

Best time to post on Instagram by day of the week

Now we’re going to break things down a little by telling you the best times to post content by day of the week.

While there are best and worst days to post content on Instagram, it’s not always possible to stick to these time slots stringently (doing so will also make your marketing efforts appear a little unbalanced)—fortunately, there is a publishing sweet spot during almost every weekday.

Let’s take a look.

Best time to post on Monday

The best time to post on Monday is 11am to midday.

Best time to post on Tuesday

The best time to post on Tuesday is 11am to midday.

Best time to post on Wednesday

The best time to post on Wednesday is 11am to midday.

Best time to post on Thursday

The best time to post on Thursday is at midday.

Best time to post on Friday

The best time to post on Friday is 11am to midday.

Best time to post on Saturday

The best time to post on Saturday is 10am to 1pm.

Best time to post on Sunday

If you really need to post content on a Sunday, the best time to strike is between 9am and 4pm.

What are the best practices for posting on Instagram?

Finally, let’s talk through some of the best practices for posting on Instagram:

• Keep your captions short. You’ll want to make sure that you’re using them in a very concise manner to deliver your message.
• Don’t use more than three hashtags in your captions. Using more than that will detract from your brand message and come across as inauthentic and spammy.
• The images you post should all have a strong focal point. This will drive instant engagement and develop a solid brand image.
• Use filters to change the mood of an image. This can potentially lead to more likes and comments.
• Use photography that showcases your brand logo clearly in product imagery. This is a powerful tool for brand recognition and connection.
• Post video content and visual carousels that are visually appealing and beautiful. You should also aim to tell a story in an unexpected way.
• Use Instagram’s sister apps, such as Layout and Boomerang. Doing so will create visual interest and show knowledge of the platform.
• Use social influencers to promote your content and expand your reach. Working with influencers will build trust while giving you a significant boost to your followership.
• Add emojis to your captions to demonstrate authenticity. This is especially important as Instagram is a mobile-based platform and emojis are widely used.
• Always include a call-to-action in your post. That way users will know what to do with the information you’re providing.
• Keep your content and posting schedule consistent. This approach will give your followers something to look forward to regularly.