Good Time to Post on Instagram in 2025: A Guide to Maximizing Engagement
Timing your Instagram post to go live will directly affect the number of people that are reached and those who interact. The Instagram algorithm that is based on the engagement of your posts within the first 15 minutes is known to be rewarding. If the content trend becomes apparent quickly, Instagram would push it up in the user’s feed, thus the post is shown to a bigger audience and is therefore more likely to be engaged by the users.
It is necessary to continually look for ways of engagement, such as using hashtags, talking to followers, and ads boosting, nevertheless, none of these will work well if you target is offline at the time of the post. This is the reason why determining the best time to post on Instagram is so important.
General Best Times to Post on Instagram
Early Morning: 7 AM is common on weekdays, while 4 AM is popular on weekends.
Mid-Morning to Late Afternoon: Posting between 9 AM and 4 PM on weekdays captures work breaks and lunchtime scrolling.
Evening: 4 PM to 8 PM is often a peak time as users wind down for the day.
Weekends: Engagement tends to be lower as people spend more time offline with family and friends.
Best Times to Post by Day
Monday: 7 AM, 11 AM – 2 PM, 4 PM, and 8 PM
Tuesday: 7 AM, 10 AM – 4 PM, 6 PM
Wednesday: 7 AM – 8 AM, 9 AM – 4 PM, 6 PM
Thursday: 7 AM – 1 PM, 2 PM – 4 PM, 8 PM
Friday: 7 AM – 8 AM, 11 AM, 2 PM, 4 PM, 8 PM – 9 PM
Saturday: 4 AM, 7 AM, 9 AM – 3 PM, 4 PM – 8 PM
Sunday: 4 AM – 5 AM, 6 PM, 7 PM, 9 PM
Best Time to Post Different Types of Content
Instagram Reels
Early morning: 6 AM – 9 AM
Afternoon: 2 PM – 4 PM
Evening: 6 PM – 9 PM
Best Days: Tuesday to Thursday
Instagram Stories
Best engagement: 6 PM – 9 PM
For B2B brands: 11 AM – 1 PM
Best Times to Post by Industry
| Industry | Best Posting Times |
|---|---|
| Healthcare | Mon – Fri: 10 AM – 3 PM |
| Restaurants | Mon – Fri: 10 AM – 2 PM |
| Education | Wed: 2 PM – 4 PM, 9 PM |
| Travel & Tourism | Weekdays: 10 AM – 12 PM, 7 PM – 9 PM Weekends: 9 AM – 11 AM, 4 PM – 6 PM |
| Fashion & Apparel | Weekdays: 12 PM – 2 PM, 7 PM – 9 PM Weekends: 9 AM – 11 AM, 5 PM – 7 PM (Sunday best) |
| Fitness & Wellness | Weekdays: 6 AM – 8 AM, 5 PM – 7 PM Weekends: 8 AM – 10 AM, 4 PM – 6 PM |
| Food & Beverage | Weekdays: 12 PM – 2 PM (Friday best) Weekends: 5 PM – 7 PM |
| Digital Marketing | Mon – Thu: 9 AM – 11 AM, 1 PM – 3 PM Weekends: 10 AM – 12 PM |
| IT & Tech | Tue – Thu: 10 AM – 12 PM Weekends: 1 PM – 3 PM |
| Finance | Sunday: 9 PM – 12 AM |
| Retail | Sunday: 3 PM – 6 PM |
| E-commerce | Saturday: 9 PM – 12 AM |
How to Find Your Best Time to Post on Instagram
Since every audience behaves differently, relying on general recommendations isn’t enough. Here’s how to pinpoint your ideal posting times:
Use Instagram Insights
If you have a business or creator account, Instagram provides analytics on your followers’ activity:
Go to Settings > Insights.
1
Navigate to Total Followers.
2
Find when your audience is most active.
3
Analyze Engagement Patterns
Monitor your posts over time to see which ones perform best. Check what times you posted your top-performing content and use that data to refine your strategy.
Experiment with Posting Times
Alternatively, various posting time slots should be explored during the trial period of a few weeks, and then, the results should be tracked. For instance, categorize similar types of activities such as likes, comments and shares to pinpoint your most popular engagement period.
Consider Time Zones
If your audience is spread across multiple time zones, schedule your posts to align with when the majority of your followers are active.
Final Thoughts
There’s no universal best time to post on Instagram it depends on your audience, industry, and content type. By leveraging Instagram Insights and testing different posting times, you can refine your strategy and maximize engagement.
Want to take your Instagram strategy to the next level? Start experimenting with different posting times today and watch your engagement grow!
