You’ve done the hard work, you’ve researched, you’ve done the thinking, the work has been through your process, it’s pure gold, packed with valuable insight that you know your audience has been looking for (because you listen to them) and what your followers have come to expect of you and the quality of your work. But no one knows it exists.
Choosing the optimal time to post your content on social media is just as important as the content itself. Like the old proverb, “If a tree falls in the forest and no one is around to hear it, will it make a sound?”. If your work is not seen, or your audience and even potential audience doesn’t know about it, then it will not exist until stumbled upon at a later stage. The work is by no means squandered, it’s still as valuable as it was before it was uploaded online. But no one knows it’s there.
The content will speak for itself, it’s the quality that matters. Reach out to your followers, get to know their needs and what they want from you, how can you provide value to them. When you start from the beginning, you will have a small amount of followers, and that’s ok, we all have to start somewhere. It may take some time for your posts to gain traction. But maybe you’re doing something wrong?
You’re doing your work and your followers a disservice by posting at sporadic times and inconsistent times. Post on a social media platform at a specific time, all the time. It must be instilled in your followers that this is the time that you post, and will always be the time, unless you say otherwise. It must happen from the start, from the very get-go, new followers must be inundated and brought onboard with the time that your content goes live. Instil it in the minds of your followers / viewers / readers from the very start.
This builds consistency which leads to trust with your brand.
The following times are considered the most optimal times for posting your content online, through various social media platforms. Statistics gathered from TrackMaven;
Facebook – The most effective day to post on Facebook is Sunday. In the evening, interaction rates skyrocket.
Twitter – The most effective day to post on Twitter is Sunday. With most retweets occurring late at night between 9pm – 1am.
Blog – The most effective day to publish a blog is Saturday. Preferably in the evening.
Instagram – The most effective day to post on Instagram is Monday.
Email – The most effective day to send out a newsletter is Wednesday or Thursday, between 2pm – 5pm.
Remember that, with these times, doesn’t mean you are guaranteed to grow your audience simply by posting your content on a social media platform. These times are just an indicator of the highest point of interactions through each platform. So utilise it as best you can, direct your audience to your content using these times. Human beings are not robots.
You have a unique opportunity here. By being an independent artist / movie-maker / photographer etc. you control the times you want to post your content to your audience, you will quickly get to know the times when your content is being consumed by your followers, whether day or night, whatever field your pursuit may be in, because you will know what your audience wants and comes to expect off you, if not, you should.
[…] You can read it here. […]