Facebook Posts: There is No Ideal Time

When Facebook started to be a tool for digital marketers, there was a whole slew of data that came out about ideal posting times. Each digital marketing consulting company had a different time of day and day of the week that they designated the “ideal posting time.”

These were supposed to be the times when your Facebook posts would be seen by the most people and when the most people would engage with your content. The concept of hacking Facebook to make it work best for marketers was alluring and most digital marketers fell into the trap of “ideal posting.”

It didn’t take long for Facebook to figure out that people were trying to figure out their algorithm. Truth is, there is no ideal time to post on Facebook. At least, there is no universal best time to post on Facebook.

You have to figure out when is the best time for your brand to post on Facebook. Hacking the Facebook algorithm changes from brand to brand and there are a few ways you can do that. Here is how to figure out the best time for your company to post on Facebook.

Lean into the data

 More specifically, lean into your data. If you haven’t had a chance to dive into Facebook Insights yet, you should make a point to do that soon. Facebook spent a lot of time developing tools for digital marketers to make Facebook’s data work for them.

Lean into the data

Facebook Insights give you access to a lot of information, including the demographics of your audience, how much engagement each of your posts gets, and even the day and time of day your posts perform the best.

While it can be tempting to take Facebook’s data at face value, you should cross reference it with another service. If you are using an outside social media management tool, chances are that platform has its own data. Check that data with the Facebook data and you will know for sure that you have ideal posting times.

Do not be afraid to use the data Facebook gives you to your advantage. They provide it to help you be a better digital marketer, use it.

When it is relevant

While less scientific than data, relevancy is powerful when it comes to optimal Facebook posting. Embrace in the moment posts. If something big happens like a celebrity death, significant world event, or pop culture craze, being the first brand to post about it creatively can be a big deal.

When it is relevant

Posting when it’s relevant requires that you are always up to date on what it going on in the world and have a fast moving creative team behind you to get things done. Moving fast and efficiently is of the essence. You want to be the first people to say something.

Stay in your niche when it comes to pop culture posting. You know your audience. If they don’t care that this country star or that giraffe had her baby, don’t post about it. Stay on track with what you know and relevancy postings will work for you.

Content over timing

 At the end of the day, businesses win Facebook because their content is great not because they had the best timing. Content is king in the digital marketing landscape. If you want success on Facebook, have great content.

Content over timing

While timing does have a slight impact on the performance of your Facebook content, the content that you are pushing out has the most impact. If you want your Facebook content to perform, put out great content. Then you will start to see the results you want.

Curious about learning more about Facebook timing and content, check out my done-for-you-system