Social Media Optimal Posting Times Simplified Diagram

While searching for the optimal times for posting to social media sites (Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Pinterest, Instagram), several excellent posts on the subject were discovered; however, I really needed a simplified diagram to compile the information. The diagram in this post was created to address the need for a quick reference on the best times to post to social media sites.

Keep in mind the time of day is in reference to the time zone being targeted. If you’re in Denver and want to target social media users on the east coast (New York, Atlanta, Miami), then remember the actual posting time (Mountain Time) will be two hours earlier. Conversely, optimal west coast times (Los Angeles, San Francisco, Pacific Time) will be one hour later than Denver time.

You may be reading this article and thinking, “There are optimal times to post to social media?” Of course there are. Certain days of the week have very low traffic on social media and certain hours of the day are akin to rush hour traffic on I-285 in Atlanta. Previously, I have posted articles on Mondays and Tuesdays and wondered “Why the heck am I not getting any traffic?” Well, those are low traffic days on the information super highway. Long holiday weekends, such as Labor Day weekend, are very low traffic periods — starting with Friday. While hard numbers aren’t available at the time of this writing, traffic to articles I’ve posted did increase after following the guidelines in this diagram. Your mileage may vary.

For more detailed information on this subject, check out the sources I used to compile the diagram:  The Best Times to Post on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn & Other Social Media Sites by Lindsay Kolowich, The Best Times to Post on Social Media on shortstack.com, and The Best (And Worst) Times to Post on Social Media by Rachel Gillett.