Timing is Everything

It’s the age-old question: What’s the best way to get more exposure on social media?

Okay, maybe not age-old considering the birth of social media as we know it only occurred roughly a decade ago. (Although, for many of us, it’s hard to remember a time before we could virtually follow people and like things with the click of a button.)

Let’s take a trip down social media memory lane. (Yes, that’s what we have Facebook timeline for, but we’re doing this the old school way.)

Friendster (remember that?) launched in 2002, followed by LinkedIn and MySpace in 2003. The whole game changed the following year when Facebook hit the web, initially allowing classmates at Harvard to connect online. 140 became ‘the’ number in 2006 when Twitter was created, and four years later, pinning was added to our vocabulary following the birth of Pinterest. 

But having all of these platforms seems relatively pointless unless we know how to effectively use them. So, I’ve been on a hunt, wrangling together information regarding effective social media practices so that you can get the most out of your online presence. (Shall we say, bang for your post?) The first step – knowing when it’s worth your while, and when you’re better off remaining silent.

Here’s the breakdown:

Facebook

Best: 1 pm – 4pm

Worst: 8 pm – 8 am

Twitter

Best: 1 pm – 3 pm

Worst: 8 pm – 9 am

LinkedIn

Best: 7 am – 9 am & 5 pm – 6 pm

Worst: 10 pm – 6 am

Pinterest

Best: 2 pm – 4 pm & 8 pm – 1 am

Worst: 5 pm – 7 pm

Stay calm…we didn’t forget about Instagram (née 2010). Nothing is very conclusive, but it appears that photos are most effective when uploaded in the middle of the day and in mid to late evening.

Remember, these are averages, so there’s never a guarantee that they will be the best practices for your specific purposes. Post at different times, keep an eye on your interaction and learn what works best for you!

A little tip: Print out the chart above and hang it in your workspace so you can refer to it easily. Pretty soon, you’ll get the hang and will be able to take off the training wheels, so to speak.

By Emily Cleary, MDPR Social Media Director