Best Time to Post on Facebook in 2021 (by Day & Industry)
Ah, Facebook, the platform that sparked so many controversies.
Love it or hate it, Facebook has to be a part of your social media strategy since this is your chance to reach a multi-billion audience. That is if you know the right time to upload your post.
Your Facebook marketing success depends a lot on how you schedule social media content which requires you to know the exact day and time when your audience is most active.
Where can you find this information?
We’ve collected the data from various resources to answer this question and help you find the best time to post on Facebook.
Table of contents:
Is There a Best Time to Post on Facebook?
The best time to post on Facebook is 9 a.m. The best days to upload your Facebook posts are Tuesday and Wednesday.
This is the generalized data coming from numerous studies. Let’s take a quick look at them.
- HubSpot. The digital marketing giant says the best time to post on Facebook is 9 a.m. since it’s when most people start work. You can also upload to Facebook at 11 a.m. and 12 p.m. – lunch break time. Also, opt for the end of the week to make your posts – Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays are the best days to be active on Facebook.
- Sprout Social. Sprout Social is unanimous with HubSpot, claiming the best posting times are from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. But unlike HubSpot, Sprout Social says that Saturday is the worst day to post on Facebook, favoring Tuesday, Wednesday, and Friday instead.
- CoSchedule. 9 a.m. is also the best time to post on Facebook, according to CoSchedule. There’s no specific data about the best days for the posts, but CoSchedule encourages to make all news-related uploads in the morning.
- Buffer. Buffer’s data differs from HubSpot’s. They report that the best time of the day to post on Facebook is between 1 p.m. and 3 p.m. during the week. Posts uploaded on Thursdays and Fridays have been observed to deliver 18% higher engagement.
So, it’s three studies against one confirming that 9 a.m. is the most suitable time for Facebook posts. Apart from that, prioritize weekdays for all your Facebook activity – most studies mentioned above advise marketers to avoid posting on Saturday and Sunday.
Who can benefit from this data?
Obviously, if you’re just starting on Facebook and don’t have any followers yet, you can use the data from these studies as a starting point.
For all social media newbies, Facebook is a great option to start your social media marketing journey. It remains the most used social media platform, so it has all the potential for you to grow your audience.
Nevertheless, don’t rely on this data for too long. Once your Facebook profile gets more active users, rely on Page Insights to determine the best time to post on Facebook.
It’s also worth mentioning that all the data collected by the above-mentioned sources was recorded according to the U.S. Central Time. It means that if you post at 9 a.m. or earlier, you’ll still be able to reach a global audience. But if you choose to post later, your posts might not get the same attention.
Long story short – focus on your audience. Generalized data from studies is valuable, but it doesn’t cater to everyone’s needs. So, prioritize your audience’s activity when choosing the best time to post on Facebook.
Best Time to Post on Facebook by Day
As you already know, Facebook has a pretty active audience. So, all days of the week can potentially bring your posts at least some engagement.
But is there a specific time every day that brings consistent engagement?
Let’s investigate the studies by Sprout Social and Hootsuite to answer this question.
1. Monday
According to Sprout Social’s data, the best time to post on Facebook on Monday is from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. However, the activity starts growing at 6 a.m. and remains high almost until 8 p.m.
Similarly, Hootsuite says that the ideal time for a post is 8 a.m. through 12 p.m. Then, the activity starts decreasing gradually.
Make sure to avoid the time slot between 9 p.m. and 1 a.m. Then, at 2 a.m., based on Sprout Social’s data, the activity starts rising, most likely because Facebook’s audience comes from different time zones.
2. Tuesday
The data on audience activity on Tuesdays doesn’t differ much from Mondays. Sprout Social reports the peak of activity at 9 a.m. However, on Tuesdays, it lasts longer – till 1 p.m. on average.
From 2 p.m., Facebook activity is average and gradually fades but still remains pretty solid up until 9 p.m. The worst time to make Facebook posts on Tuesday is between 11 p.m. and 2 a.m. and drops again at 6 a.m.
3. Wednesday
As you might remember from the previous section, Wednesday is one of the most active days. Social Sprout’s data says that the best time to post on Facebook on Wednesday starts around 7 a.m., reaches its peak at 9, and remains high until 5 p.m. Hootsuite’s data reflects the same trend.
At 6 p.m., the activity starts dropping but remains relatively high until 9 p.m. And, as before, the worst time of the day to post is between 10 p.m. and 2 a.m. and at 5 a.m.
So, if you have important news, choose Wednesday to share your message with the followers. The peak times last for five hours, so you’ll definitely have enough time to reach your target audience.
4. Thursday
Although some sources we’ve mentioned claimed that Thursday is the perfect day to post on Facebook, it’s not entirely true.
According to Sprout Social, the Facebook audience is the most active at 11 a.m. on Thursdays. Before that, the activity gradually increases starting at 8 a.m. but still remains relatively low. The situation is the same between 12 p.m. and 4 p.m. – you still have a big chance to engage a decent number of people with your post, but far less than on Tuesday or Wednesday.
The worst activity on Thursdays is at 1 a.m. Then, it increases a bit and remains relatively high until 4 a.m. and drops again at 5 a.m.
5. Friday
Friday is a busy day, even though it signals the end of the week. Sprout Social reports the rise of Facebook activity to the same levels as on Tuesday and Wednesday.
Reportedly, the Facebook audience is already pretty active at 7 a.m. on Friday, with the activity reaching its peak between 9 a.m. and 1 p.m. Then, it starts dropping and reaches its low at 9 p.m.
It’s not a good idea to post anything between 10 p.m. and 1 a.m. on Fridays. Even if you have urgent news to share, consider postponing it until Monday.
In general, Friday is a great day for more relaxed posts. Friday is also the best time to post videos on Facebook. It’s your opportunity to engage your audience with some informational pieces and light reading to let your followers blow off steam after a tough work week.
6. Saturday
It’s not a good idea to include Saturdays in your posting schedule on Facebook. Saturdays are very slow, and Facebook audience activity reflects that.
Based on Sprout Social’s data, the only time you could post on Facebook is between 8 a.m. and 10 a.m., but even then, your chances of reaching your target audience are low.
The worse time to post on Saturday is between 2 p.m. and 5 a.m., even though Sprout Social indicates a slight increase in activity at 3 p.m. That’s why avoid posting on Saturdays unless you have an urgent piece of news you can’t put off.
7. Sunday
You might think that Sundays are also off-limits when it comes to posting on Facebook, but it’s not entirely so.
Sprout Social reports some active spots, especially between 7 a.m. and 1 p.m., with the peak at 9 and 10 a.m. Then, the activity drops and remains very low from 2 p.m. till 6 a.m.
So, what’s the bottom line?
The best days to post on Facebook are Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Fridays. Monday is also a solid option, although the overall activity is lower.
The worst days to upload your posts are Thursdays, Saturdays, and Sundays. You still can reach enough people on Thursdays, but try not to schedule any posts during the weekend.
Best Time to Post on Facebook by Industry
Day of the week is not the only factor at play if you want to figure out the best time to post on Facebook. Engagement rates within each industry also matter for social media management.
So, let’s explore the best time to post on Facebook by industry. We’ll be using research by Sprout Social and CoSchedule to support our points with some facts.
1. Consumer goods
Best time – 9-10 a.m.; 12-1 p.m.; 5-6 p.m.
Best day – Monday through Friday
Worst day – Saturday, Sunday
The B2C industry relies heavily on social networks, and Facebook is not an exception. Social media platforms are a way for B2C companies to attract potential buyers and nurture existing customers. That’s why it is super important for them to upload Facebook content at the right time.
According to CoSchedule, the best time for the consumer goods industry to post on Facebook is between 9 and 10 a.m., though you can also catch the consumers’ attention later in the day. Luckily, you can choose any day of the week to share updates with consumers, but, naturally, weekends are off-limits.
2. Media
Best time – 6-9 a.m.
Best day – Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday
Worst day – Saturday
Media companies and agencies can’t dismiss the changes in Facebook activity throughout the day. Otherwise, they risk losing engagement even around the most viral stories.
According to Sprout Social, the best time for media businesses to make successful posts on Facebook is between 6 and 9 a.m. The reason is simple – most people wake up and check their news feeds around that time.
CoSchedule has similar data, pointing out 7 and 11 a.m. as the best hours to share posts on Facebook. Additionally, the source suggests media companies upload their Facebook content around 6 p.m. since it’s the time when people commute back home and are more likely to check their social accounts.
3. Education
Best time – between 8 and 10 a.m.
Best day – Tuesday, Wednesday
Worst day – Saturday, Sunday
Educational establishments can enjoy posting on Facebook throughout the day until the evening. According to Sprout Social, schools, colleges and universities can upload to Facebook anytime, but preferably in the morning – around 9 or 10 a.m.
CoShedule’s data reports are the same – the best time to post on Facebook for higher education institutions is 8 a.m., 12, and 3 p.m. So, if you have several posts, you can disperse them evenly to keep the updates coming consistently.
4. Nonprofits
Best time – between 10 a.m. and 5 p.m.
Best day – Wednesday
Worst day – Saturday
Nonprofits rely heavily on social media platforms, which can be quite helpful in raising awareness, promoting social causes, and encouraging donations. Naturally, if a nonprofit schedules a post at the right time, it will get high engagement and, consequently, more attention.
According to Sprout Social, nonprofits can post on Facebook throughout the day from 10 in the morning till 5 in the afternoon. This way, they can reach a more diverse audience.
As for the best day for a post, Wednesday is the best choice as per Sprout Social’s research. That being said, it is better to avoid posting on weekends when the activity is low.
5. Tech
Best time – between 3 and 4 p.m.
Best day – Tuesday and Thursday
Worst day – Saturday and Sunday
Tech giants mainly belong to the B2B industry, which largely benefits from social media and Facebook, in particular. Social media help tech companies inform consumers about upcoming products, and that’s why they need to know when to schedule a post.
According to Sprout Social, the best time for a tech company to upload a Facebook post is on Tuesday and Thursday between 3 and 4 o’clock in the afternoon. Most likely, this is the time when most consumers do their research on the latest technologies.
CoSchedule agrees with Sprout Social’s data, saying that the best time for software businesses to post on Facebook is between 3 and 5 p.m. The source also adds 9 a.m. as an option since many people check their feed before starting their workday.
6. Healthcare
Best time – until 11 a.m.
Best day – Monday through Friday
Worst day – Sunday
2020 has proven how important it is for the healthcare industry to be present online. Since the start of the pandemic, many people have expressed the need for fresh healthcare updates, and the easiest way to get them is through social media.
Sprout Social reports that the best time for healthcare institutions to post on Facebook is at 11 a.m. CoSchedule’s study suggests the entire morning starting from 6 a.m. as an appropriate time for Facebook activity.
As for the day of the week, Sprout Social suggests Tuesday as the best option but highlights that healthcare institutions don’t have to pick one specific day and can post on Facebook throughout the week.
7. Finance
Best time – 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Best day – Wednesday
Worst day – Sunday
Facebook, along with LinkedIn, is the best social media platform for the finance industry. With Facebook’s diverse international audience, it’s easy to reach and keep in touch with every customer around the world.
According to Sprout Social, there are several opportunities for the finance industry to engage as many Facebook users as possible. The best day is Wednesday between 9 a.m. and 1 p.m. You can also choose Monday at 5 p.m. and Friday at 11 a.m. to engage with your audience.
As usual, try not to schedule any posts during the weekends unless you need to share something urgent.
How to Find the Best Time to Post on Facebook: Step-by-Step Process
The data that we covered in the previous section is reliable and can come in handy if you don’t have a big audience and, consequently, no activity.
However, once you start getting more followers, you’ll get access to Facebook Page Insights, which will be your primary tool to track and find the best time to make a Facebook post.
Don’t worry – it’s a piece of cake. Here’s what you need to do.
Step #1: Select Insights on your Facebook Business page
The Facebook algorithm collects all social media data and structures it on the Insights page. So first, you need to go to your Facebook Business account and find Insights in the Manage Page menu on the left:
When you click on Insights, you’ll see a lot of data, which might confuse you at first – Likes, Reach, Page Views, People, demographics, etc. You’ll also find analytics tools like Business Suite and Creator Studio. All this information can be very helpful to bring better engagement to your Facebook page.
Step #2: Choose the posts tab
When you go to Insights, select Posts in the menu to the left. You will see the page with all your posts and the audience activity graph:
This graph is what we need to determine the best time to post on Facebook. But you can also track the activity on your posts, which you may find useful when creating a content plan.
Step #3: Analyze the audience activity graph
On the graph, you will see the peaks and drops in activity. You can use it to track how many of your followers are active at every hour of the day. On the graph below, the peak is in the early morning, but the activity starts growing from 2 a.m.:
Then, you can see a significant drop and rise after 9 p.m. Such behavior is possible if most followers come from a time zone different from the one where a business is located.
If you want to analyze the day-by-day activity, you can click on each of the blue squares above the graph and how daily activity changes compared to the average numbers below:
In the graph below, you can see that, on Monday, there are two spikes in activity (3 a.m. and 7 a.m.) compared to only one peak shown in average activity.
That’s it! Facebook collects all this data for you automatically. All you have to do is check with it once in a while to adjust your schedule if necessary.
Now Over to You
It might seem that finding the best time to post on Facebook is tricky and challenging. But, as you can see, it’s very easy – all you have to do is keep up with Facebook Insights and track your audience’s activity.
But, as some of the studies recommend, take into account the post-by-post activity as well. After all, Facebook insights show only the average activity per week, and you need more specific data to create an efficient posting schedule.
If you find it challenging to keep track of your Facebook audience’s activity, you can rely on Postoplan. We offer all the scheduling tools to anyone who wants to level up their Facebook marketing game.
What can you do with Postoplan?
Our tool allows you to connect Facebook accounts and automatically post at whatever time is best for your audience. You’ll also get access to a content editor and tons of fresh content ideas for every day.
The best part is that you can use Postoplan for free Sign up today and enjoy better organic reach and engagement on Facebook.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Still got some questions? Here are the answers you might find helpful.
What is the best time to post on Facebook for maximum exposure?
According to research, Wednesday is the best day to make a Facebook post. As for the time, try to schedule your posts between 9 a.m. and 12 p.m.
When is the worst time to post on Facebook?
Some sources (Sprout Social and Buffer) say that the worst time to upload Facebook posts is between 9 p.m. and 2 a.m. The worst days are Saturday and Sunday.
When is the best time to post on Sunday?
Sunday is not the best day to post on Facebook. But if you absolutely have to, make your post between 8 and 11 a.m. (based on Sprout Social’s data).
What is the best time to post on Facebook in 2021?
On average, the best time to upload your post is still between 9 a.m. and 12 p.m. (according to Sprout Social). However, prioritize the data provided in your Facebook Insights since every business targets a different audience.
Is there a best time to post on Facebook for likes?
Posts between 1 and 4 p.m. on weekdays, including Wednesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays, have proven to deliver more likes and engagement, in general.
Is it better to post on Facebook Thursday or Friday?
According to most sources, Friday is a better option for Facebook posts based on audience activity. The best time to post on Friday is around noon and between 9 and 11 a.m. on Thursdays.
