The Best Time to Post on Facebook in 2024 Explained
Strategically posting at the time your audience is most likely to engage with your content is one of the easiest wins social media managers can take advantage of.
And, while timing isn’t everything, it isn’t nothing, either. Let’s break down the best time and days to post on Facebook to get the results you’re looking for.
P.S. Looking for more posting recommendations on Meta platforms? Learn the best times to post on Instagram here.
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Why does timing matter when posting on Facebook?
Think of planning your post times like planning an event. If you plan the event in the middle of the night, you’re going to have a smaller guest list than if you choose a time in the day or evening where more people are likely to be awake and engaged.
Similarly, engagement on your social channels is determined by the activity of your target audience. If they aren’t online, they can’t interact with your brand.
So, when is the best time to post on Facebook? In theory, it’s a simple answer: The best day and time to post on Facebook is when more of your followers are likely to be online.
This is when your audience is most likely to see your content and engage, which sends important signals to the Facebook algorithm to extend the reach of your posts.
In practice, it’s a little more complicated, since your audience is not necessarily the most active online at the same time as anyone else’s. Add in time zones and different social behaviors during weekdays and weekends, and things get a little tricky.
Here are some important factors to consider:
* Facebook is the most popular social network in the world.
* The average Facebook Page posts 5 times a day.
* Users spend almost 20 hours a month on Facebook.
* Millennials make up almost half of Facebook’s audience.
* Only 19% of teens use Facebook daily.
Fortunately, there are some great tools to help you learn the best day and time to post on Facebook for your specific Facebook Page. We’ll get into those in the last section of this post. For now, here are some general guidelines to use when planning your Facebook posting strategy.
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The best time to post on Facebook in 2024
We analyzed thousands of social media posts, and dug deep into industry data to determine…
The best time to post on Facebook is 7:00 AM PST on Tuesdays.
Of course, you’ll need to think about the time zones in which your audience lives when planning these posting times.
For example, the Hootsuite social team likes to post at times that work for both the Eastern and Pacific time zones in North America, since that’s where many of Hootsuite’s Facebook followers are based.
That means 6:15 AM PST, 9:15 AM PST and 12-12:30 PM PST are usually the best posting times for this audience. That first slot may seem awfully early for followers on the West Coast, but remember — it’s already 9:15 AM in the major centers of Toronto and New York by then. So, it’s the perfect time to reach Eastern time zone followers as they sip their first workday coffee. It also catches audiences in the UK and Europe while they’re still at work, reaching them mid-afternoon.
“We are aware that our audience is global,” says Eileen Kwok, Hootsuite’s Social Marketing Coordinator. “So we try to schedule posts at different time marks to increase our chances of our posts getting viewed by a variety of followers.”
The best time to post on Facebook by day of the week
In addition to the best time of day, you need to think about which days of the week make the most sense for publishing your content.
For example, the Hootsuite social team finds that Mondays through Wednesdays are the most effective days to post on Facebook. That doesn’t mean Hootsuite only posts Mondays through Wednesdays. You just have to think strategically about ways to boost relevance and engagement on those non-peak days.
Hootsuite’s Social Media Marketing Coordinator, Eileen Kwok, adds that you can help boost engagement on non-peak days with specific copywriting techniques:
“Writing copy that is relevant to the day of the week can help boost engagement,” Kwok says. “For example, on Friday mid-morning, posting something like, PSA: Remember to schedule your posts for the weekend would be a helpful reminder to our audience.”
With all that said, here are the peak times to post on Facebook day by day, based on a Facebook heatmap of when Hootsuite fans are online. (Find your own custom Facebook heatmap with Hootsuite’s best time to post tool).
The best time to post on Facebook on Monday
The best time to post on Facebook on Monday is 8 AM PST. Most Facebook’ers are just getting back into the swing of the week at this time, and are likely sipping their morning coffee getting a final scroll in before the work bell rings.
The best time to post on Facebook on Tuesday
The best time to post on Facebook on Tuesday is 7 AM PST. According to our analysis, Tuesdays also see the highest Facebook engagement of any day of the week.
The best time to post on Facebook on Wednesday
The best time to post on Facebook on Wednesday is 7 AM PST. Noticing a trend here? Facebook is most popular during the early morning scroll, especially on the West Coast.
The best time to post on Facebook on Thursday
The best time to post on Facebook on Thursday is 8 AM PST. When was the last time you got your coffee/scroll combo on?
The best time to post on Facebook on Friday
The best time to post on Facebook on Friday is 7 AM PST. This one was surprising, because generally, engagement starts to dip closer to the weekend. But, Facebook users are consistent, and mornings continue to be high performers on this platform.
The best time to post on Facebook on Saturday
The best time to post on Facebook on Saturday is 10 AM PST. Of course, like most social networks, posting on the weekends tends to turn up the least engagement. That said, you might have less competition for eyeballs on these days. It never hurts to try.
The best time to post on Facebook on Sunday
The best time to post on Facebook on Sunday is 11 AM PST. Sleeping in on Sundays? Your audience probably is, too. Wait to post until late morning to give your audience a chance to wake up and settle in.
What affects the best time to post on Facebook?
Every business will see different peaks and dips regarding the best time to post a Facebook post. Here are a few things to keep in mind when planning your posting cadence.
Your unique audience
Audience behavior is one of the biggest determiners of your best time of day to post on Facebook. Does your audience work a standard 9-5 Monday to Friday schedule? Then they might be more active at night.
Or, maybe they are stay-at-home parents who check Facebook throughout the day. Understanding when your audience is online can help you time your posts for maximum engagement.
Consider the following when planning your Facebook posts:
* Age: Different age groups use Facebook differently. Millennials make up almost half of Facebook’s audience, but middle- or lower-income teens are more likely to use Facebook than teens from higher-earning families.
* Work: Professionals might check Facebook during commute times, lunch breaks, or in the evenings. Those with flexible or non-traditional work hours might be active at different times throughout the day.
* Location: Location matters. Posting at times that align with your audience’s location ensures your content reaches them when they’re online. If your audience is global, consider posting at times that can catch multiple time zones.
Your industry
Different industries have different peak times for engagement. So, how do you go about finding out when your audience is online? Well, tapping into competitor data is a good place to start.
Start by conducting a social media competitor analysis. This involves looking at your competitors’ posting schedules and engagement rates to identify patterns and opportunities.
Here’s how to do it:
* Identify key competitors: Choose competitors who have a similar audience and product offering.
* Track their posting times: Note the times of day and days of the week they post.
* Measure engagement: Observe the likes, comments, shares, and other engagement metrics their posts receive.
* Identify patterns: Look for trends in their posting and engagement. Are there certain times of day or days of the week when their posts consistently perform well?
Pro Tip: Use Hootsuite’s industry benchmarking tool to see when competitors in your field are posting and getting high engagement. This can provide valuable insights into the best times to schedule your own posts.
Updates to the Facebook algorithm
Over the years, Facebook has continuously refined its algorithm, tweaking and updating ranking signals to ensure users see content that matters most to them.
Understanding how the algorithm works can help you use it to your advantage. And, time your Facebook posts to get more engagement.
As of 2024, the Facebook algorithm operates on four primary ranking signals:
* Source of the post: The algorithm prioritizes content from sources with which you frequently interact. This includes posts from friends, pages you follow, and businesses your audience engages with regularly.
* Type of content: Your interaction history determines the type of content your audience sees more of. If you engage more with videos, your feed will feature more videos. Likewise, if you interact with photos or text updates, those will appear more frequently.
* Likelihood of engagement: The algorithm predicts how likely users are to engage with a particular post. Factors such as previous interactions (likes, comments, shares), post type, and content relevance influence this prediction. Posts with higher predicted engagement are prioritized in your feed.
* Potential for meaningful interactions: Facebook aims to foster meaningful social interactions. Therefore, posts that are expected to generate valuable interactions among users — such as comments, shares, and replies — are ranked higher. This ensures that content sparking conversations and connections takes precedence.
Pro Tip: Stay updated with Meta’s algorithm changes on the Hootsuite blog.
Geographical trends and events
Geographical trends and events can have a big impact on when your audience is online and how they engage with your posts. Local holidays, events, and even weather conditions can influence when people use Facebook.
For example, if there’s a major local event like a football game or a music festival, your audience might be online more frequently to share their experiences and connect with friends. Or, during the month of Ramadan, food-related posts might do better or worse depending on the time of day.
Holidays can also play a significant role. During the holiday season, people might be more active online looking for gift ideas, shopping deals, or holiday recipes. On the flip side, they might also be spending more time with family and less time on social media.
Pro Tip: Keep an eye on local and global events that might affect your audience’s online habits with Hootsuite’s complete list of social media holidays. Adjust your posting schedule accordingly to take advantage of increased activity during these times.
How to find your unique best time to post on Facebook with Hootsuite
Figuring out the best times to post on Facebook can make a big difference in how many people see and engage with your content. Hootsuite has some handy tools — Best Time to Publish and Recommended Times in Composer — that make this whole process a lot easier.
Best Time to Publish
Hootsuite’s Best Time to Publish feature simplifies scheduling by analyzing your past performance and audience engagement patterns. Based on this data, it suggests the best times for you to post on Facebook.
Here’s how to use Best Time to Publish:
Open your Hootsuite dashboard and go to Analytics.
Choose Best Time to Publish from the left-hand menu.
Select Facebook pages from the dropdown menu. Then, choose the page you want to see data for.
Now, Best Time to Post will show you custom-made heatmaps of the times your audience is most likely to be online. Plus, recommendations on the best days and times to post on Facebook.
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Recommended Times in Composer
When drafting a post, Hootsuite’s Recommended times in Composer shows you the perfect time to post on Facebook, based on audience and industry data, plus global trends.
Here’s how to use Recommended Times in Composer:
While drafting your post in Composer, check out the Schedule for later button in the bottom right of your screen.
Select the date you want to post, and Hootsuite will show you a variety of recommended times, based on your audience data and engagement.
Choose a recommended time, or select a custom time that suits your social media strategy.
Always remember to review your social media analytics regularly to see how different times and days affect engagement.
Get personalized recommendations for the best time to post on every network and manage your Facebook presence alongside other social channels with Hootsuite. From a single dashboard, you can schedule and publish posts, engage the audience, and measure performance. Try it free today.
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The post The Best Time to Post on Facebook in 2024 Explained appeared first on Social Media Marketing & Management Dashboard.
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