Best Time to Post on Social Media (Updated 2025)

The best time to post on social media in 2025 is more important than ever. Algorithms now prioritize recency and relevance, boosting posts that hit peak audience activity and burying those that don’t. With users scrolling past 300+ posts daily, even strong content gets ignored if it’s posted at the wrong time.

Platforms like TikTok, Instagram, and LinkedIn reward early engagement. If you miss that interaction window, your visibility will drop sharply. Real-time content fatigue, tighter algorithm windows, and time zone fragmentation have raised the stakes for timing.

As SocialBu notes, “the best time to post on social media is when your audience is most active and likely to engage.” So, in 2025, precision posting isn’t optional; it’s a must.

This guide breaks down platform-specific best times to post, based on real engagement data and SocialBu’s latest insights.

Why Timing Matters in 2025

In 2025, social media algorithms prioritize recency and immediate engagement, making post timing crucial for visibility. Publishing during peak user activity ensures your content reaches and resonates with your audience effectively.

Engagement and Global Timing

Modern social feeds prioritize recency and rapid social media engagement time, with evolving algorithms favoring posts gaining quick likes/comments. So, using social media timing tools and staying updated with social media trends 2025 are crucial to boost visibility. 

Preparing your post schedules for different time zones and posting times for global social media audiences ensures content reaches followers at peak hours, enhancing engagement rates and overall content effectiveness.

Weekend vs Weekday

Midweek (Tue–Thu) often sees vigorous activity, while weekends can dip on professional networks. Notably, casual platforms like TikTok and Instagram may still get high weekend use (e.g., Saturday TikTok peaks). A balanced schedule mixes weekday and weekend posts based on platform norms.

How your audience behaves on weekdays versus weekends can vary significantly, so customizing your posting time strategy for social media ensures you’re showing up when they’re most likely to engage.

A Quick Summary for the Best Time to Post on Social Media

Before discussing everything in detail, here is a quick summary of the best time to post on each social media platform, with the best tips to maximize your engagement.

Want to schedule posts at these exact times with zero manual effort? Use SocialBu’s AI-powered scheduler to publish at peak times, no matter where your audience is.

Best Time to Post on Social Media: A Quick Guide

Optimal posting times vary across platforms, but mid-morning and early afternoons on weekdays generally attract higher engagement. Understanding these timeframes can help maximize your content’s reach and interaction.

Refer to our recommendations on determining the optimal time to post on social media by analyzing content engagement metrics and past post performance analytics. This guide also addresses whether posting time affects reach on social media in 2025, ensuring a comprehensive social media posting schedule.

1. Facebook: Weekday mornings are strongest, e.g., 9–11 AM Monday through Friday. (Sundays have the lowest engagement.)
2. Instagram: Weekdays mid-morning to early afternoon (roughly 10 AM–3 PM on Mon–Thu) see the highest engagement.
3. LinkedIn: The professional audience peaks midweek mornings, typically 9–11 AM on Tuesday and Wednesday (during business hours).
4. Twitter /X: Late-morning to early-afternoon on weekdays – roughly 9 AM–2 PM on Tue–Thu. (Tues–Thu afternoons especially.)
5. TikTok: On weekdays, it’s afternoon or early evening, about 12 PM–5 PM, with Wednesday 2–5 PM often topping engagement.
6. Pinterest: Midday pins perform best – posted around 1 PM (any day). Weekdays generally see higher activity than weekends.
7. YouTube: Early afternoon launch times (≈1 PM) are ideal. (Thursday has two peaks at 10 AM and 1 PM.)
8. Threads: The highest interaction occurs early Tuesday morning (≈8 AM). (Threads are still evolving, so continue monitoring trends.)

Platform-by-Platform Guide to the Best Time to Post on Social Media in 2025

Each social media platform has unique user behavior patterns; tailoring your posting schedule accordingly enhances engagement. This guide provides specific insights to help you align your content with platform-specific peak times.

Facebook

Facebook engagement peaks on weekday mornings and early afternoons. Aim for late-morning to midday: roughly 9 AM–1 PM on weekdays yields the best results. Wednesday and Thursday show exceptionally high activity. Weekend engagement is lower overall, but posting on Saturday/Sunday around lunch (11 AM–1 PM) can still reach people browsing at home.

Analyzing the best posting times for B2B vs B2C audiences for brands on Facebook can inform ad placement and organic content timing, maximizing reach across different audience types.

You can use the Facebook posting time 2025 recommendations to enhance your content visibility and engagement.

• Monday: 9:00 AM–12:00 PM (users easing into the week)
• Tuesday: 9:00 AM–1:00 PM (steady mid-morning traffic)
• Wednesday: 10:00 AM–1:00 PM (peak mid-week engagement)
• Thursday: 11:00 AM–2:00 PM (users ramping up for the weekend)
• Friday: 9:00 AM–12:00 PM (afternoon fun posts perform well)
• Saturday: 11:00 AM–2:00 PM (weekend browsing starts late)
• Sunday: 12:00 PM–1:00 PM (weekend wind-down scroll)

Pro Tip: Video and image posts have their sweet spots. For example, Facebook videos perform best during lunch (12–2 PM) and evenings (7–9 PM), while photos get extra attention mid-morning and late afternoon. Align content type with these sub-windows for maximum reach.

Consider using the Facebook posting time 2025 recommendations to enhance your content visibility and social media engagement. Experiment with different Facebook posting time 2025 strategies to better understand audience behaviour and adjust your social media posting time strategy accordingly.

Instagram

Instagram’s algorithm-driven feed rewards posts when followers are active. In many cases, the prime posting slots for each day are early morning, midday, and late evening. 

With ongoing algorithm changes and industry-specific posting trends, using the best time to post on social media is essential to optimizing engagement rates, reach, and impressions.

In practice, post when people take breaks or before bedtime: e.g., Monday at 7 AM, 11 AM, 3 PM, and 10 PM. Mid-week and Thursday mornings are especially effective. This method aligns with the best times to post on Instagram 2025 and supports a solid posting time strategy for social media.

• Monday: 7:00 AM, 11:00 AM, 3:00 PM, 10:00 PM
• Tuesday: 10:00 AM–3:00 PM (peak window), plus 4:00 PM, 9:00 PM
• Wednesday: 9:00 AM, 11:00 AM, 3:00 PM
• Thursday: 9:00 AM, 1:00 PM, 2:00 PM, 4:00 PM
• Friday: 11:00 AM, 2:00 PM, 4:00 PM
• Saturday: 2:00 PM, 3:00 PM, 6:00 PM
• Sunday: 12:00 PM, 5:00 PM, 6:00 PM

Pro Tip: Instagram Stories and Reels may have slightly different peaks. Stories often see high views in the morning (8–10 AM) and evening (8–10 PM), while Reels can draw attention anytime people scroll (use the above hours as a guide). 

If you’re targeting an international audience, ensure your Instagram strategy includes awareness of time zones and posting times for global social media audiences to avoid missing key engagement periods.

Twitter/X

Twitter (X) moves quickly and has a short content half-life, so timing is critical. SocialBu’s research shows that weekday mid-mornings are optimal for reach. 

For example, applying Twitter/X best post times, like Monday from 9–11 AM and on Thursday from 9 AM–12 PM can improve your social media engagement and help answer the question of what is the best time to post on social media for maximum engagement in 2025, considering weekday vs. weekend posting times.

Twitter/X Best Post Times

• Monday: 9:00 AM–11:00 AM
• Tuesday: 10:00 AM–12:00 PM
• Wednesday: 11:00 AM–1:00 PM
• Thursday: 9:00 AM–12:00 PM
• Friday: 10:00 AM–12:00 PM
• Saturday: 11:00 AM–1:00 PM
• Sunday: 12:00 PM–2:00 PM

Pro Tip: Tweets published during these windows are more likely to be seen during morning commutes and work breaks. Remember that high-frequency posting is common on X, so consider spacing out tweets every 1–2 hours within your peak window to stay visible.

LinkedIn

A structured LinkedIn posting schedule is important for determining the most effective times to post. LinkedIn’s professional audience peaks during workweek business hours. The best posting schedule is Tuesday–Friday mornings around 9–11 AM.

A structured LinkedIn posting schedule is vital for determining the most effective times to post on Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, and LinkedIn. It even guides you on the best time to post on social media by platform in 2025.

For example, aim for Monday 8–10 AM (an early burst after the weekend) or Wednesday 10 AM–12 PM, when engagement is highest. Avoid late evenings and weekends on LinkedIn because activity drops sharply outside work hours.

• Monday: 8:00 AM–10:00 AM
• Tuesday: 9:00 AM–12:00 PM
• Wednesday: 10:00 AM–12:00 PM
• Thursday: 9:00 AM–11:00 AM
• Friday: 9:00 AM–12:00 PM
• Saturday: 10:00 AM, 1:00 PM (lighter engagement)
• Sunday: 9:00 AM–12:00 PM (minimal activity)

Pro Tip: As a B2B-focused network, LinkedIn favors midweek posts. The best posting times for B2B vs B2C audiences are posting towards the end of Friday, which can still capture short-lunch browsing. Because LinkedIn lets you schedule posts, use SocialBu or LinkedIn’s scheduler to post right at 9–10 AM to align with users logging in.

TikTok

TikTok’s young, on-the-go audience peaks at different hours than B2B platforms. SocialBu found that TikTok best posting time 2025 is Monday, with key time slots at 6 AM, 10 AM, and 10 PM. Other top daily ranges include late mornings and afternoons (for example, Wednesday 7–11 AM, Thursday around 12 PM). Aim to post during high-activity windows, like mid-morning and evening, each day, to ride TikTok’s fast-moving feed.

• Monday: 6:00 AM, 10:00 AM, 10:00 PM
• Tuesday: 9:00 AM, 2:00 PM, 4:00 PM
• Wednesday: 7:00 AM, 8:00 AM, 11:00 PM
• Thursday: 12:00 PM, 7:00 PM, 9:00 PM
• Friday: 5:00 AM, 1:00 PM, 3:00 PM
• Saturday: 11:00 AM, 7:00 PM, 8:00 PM
• Sunday: 7:00 AM, 8:00 AM, 4:00 PM

Pro Tip: TikTok’s algorithm surfaces new content aggressively. Hence, delivering videos during these peak slots (when users scroll most) maximizes likes and shares and can help you get more views on TikTok. It is a promising posting time strategy for social media.

Experiment with posting just before typical breaks (like 10 AM or early evening) to capture people at the start of scrolling sessions. These tips answer questions like the best time to post on social media for maximum engagement in 2025.

Pinterest

Pinterest browsing spikes when people plan projects and gather inspiration, often in the evenings and weekends. SocialBu data shows that the optimal time to post on social media is Sunday and Saturday evenings (8–11 PM) as the best times to pin. Weekday evenings are also strong. 

For example, Monday 8–10 PM and Tuesday 8–9 PM see above-average engagement. The aim is to publish new pins in the late afternoon or evening.

• Sunday: 8:00 PM–11:00 PM
• Monday: 8:00 PM–10:00 PM
• Tuesday: 8:00 PM–9:00 PM
• Wednesday: 2:00 PM–4:00 PM (mid-afternoon spike)
• Thursday: 6:00 PM–8:00 PM
• Friday: 12:00 PM–3:00 PM (early afternoon)
• Saturday: 8:00 PM–11:00 PM

Pro Tip: Because Pinterest users plan for future activities, weekends (when people browse leisurely) are prime time. Use Pinterest Analytics or SocialBu to double-check if your specific niche (e.g., DIY, fashion) follows similar patterns. Still, these evening slots are a great starting point for your Pinterest marketing strategy.

YouTube

YouTube viewership surges in the evenings. Analysis of top creators shows that posting between 6 PM and 9 PM consistently yields the most views. SocialBu’s breakdown by day finds target slots like Monday at 3 PM, 5 PM, 11 PM, or Tuesday at 11 AM, 2 PM, and 8 PM, which are also the best times for small businesses to post on social media. In practice, publishing videos around late afternoon/early evening (to hit that 6–9 PM sweet spot) is key.

• Monday: 3:00 PM, 5:00 PM, 11:00 PM
• Tuesday: 11:00 AM, 2:00 PM, 8:00 PM
• Wednesday: 9:00 AM, 2:00 PM, 5:00 PM
• Thursday: 9:00 AM, 3:00 PM, 6:00 PM
• Friday: 11:00 AM, 4:00 PM, 9:00 PM
• Saturday: 11:00 AM, 4:00 PM, 5:00 PM
• Sunday: 11:00 AM, 2:00 PM, 3:00 PM

Pro Tip: Upload a few hours before these peak viewing windows. For example, posting a video at 4 PM on a weekday ensures it’s freshly live during the prime 6–9 PM viewing period. Track YouTube Analytics to fine-tune for your channel, but these times are drawn from data on leading global channels.

Threads

Threads is a newer text-based platform, so timing norms are still emerging. Early insights (by analogy to Facebook/Instagram) suggest weekday mornings through lunchtime are strong. Experts recommend posting on Tuesday or Wednesday mornings (around 8–12 PM) to catch users as they start their workday.

Sunday evening (7–9 PM) can also be effective, as people unwind before the week. In short, align Threads posts with known Meta peak times (weekday AM) and use Sunday evenings for engagement.

Keeping pace with emerging platforms means regularly tracking shifting social media trends in 2025 and using advanced timing tools to stay ahead. Threads’ real-time vs. scheduled posts analysis further helps understand audience activity patterns and refine platform-specific engagement.

How Often Should One Post per Platform per Week in 2025?

Posting at the optimal time is essential, and maintaining a consistent posting frequency is equally crucial for maximizing engagement and reach. Here’s a platform-specific guide for 2025:

These guidelines are based on current platform algorithms and user engagement trends. However, it is essential to monitor your analytics and adjust your posting frequency based on your audience’s response.

Best Times to Post by Location

User activity peaks differ by region due to varying time zones and cultural habits. Adapting your posting schedule to local peak hours ensures better audience engagement globally.

Global regions sync to local lunch or after-work hours:

Applying time zones and posting times for global social media audiences is also important to improve your social media posting schedule. You can use the automated scheduling tools with precise time zone targeting for increased reach and impressions.

Is There an Overall Best Time to Post on Social Media?

While general trends suggest that mid-week mornings are optimal, the best posting time depends on your specific audience. Will posting time affect social media reach in 2025?

You can get an idea by weighing detailed engagement rates alongside overall audience behaviour. A strong social media posting time strategy combines these insights with a regular review of publishing frequency.

General Peak Periods

A vast amount of industry data suggests mid-week late morning to early afternoon as a broad sweet spot.

For example, Sprout Social finds Mondays–Thursdays 10 AM–1 PM as the overall engagement peak. Similarly, recent studies (e.g., Hootsuite’s 2025 analysis) highlight Wednesday at 8:00 AM as an optimal global time.

Pros of Universal Timing

• Simple to implement, as it uses general user behavior patterns.
• Provides a solid baseline engagement lift for brands starting from scratch.
• Offers a quick guideline when you don’t yet have platform‑specific data.

Cons

• Overlooks your unique audience’s habits and niche preferences.
• A generic window (e.g., midday) may miss peak times in different time zones.
• Fails to account for industry‑specific posting trends and behavioral nuances.
• Treating universal peaks as direction can limit your optimization opportunities.

Pro Tip: Combine broad insights with platform—and industry-specific adjustments. You can also combine general insights with network-specific and industry-specific engagement times and continually test your schedule. 

To use these insights with SocialBu, let’s discuss how to find the best times to post.

How to Find Your Own Best Times to Post on Socialbu

SocialBu is an all‑in‑one social media management platform designed to help individuals, teams, and businesses efficiently manage and automate their online presence across multiple channels. It combines content scheduling, engagement automation, real‑time monitoring, and in‑depth analytics into a single dashboard, so you can plan, publish, and analyze all your posts without jumping to multiple tools.

The analytics tools help identify when your audience is most active, allowing for data-driven scheduling. You can optimize your posting times for maximum impact by monitoring engagement trends.

Use SocialBu Analytics

Check SocialBu’s analytics dashboard to see when your posts get the most engagement. The platform can highlight trends in likes, comments, and reach by time of day. SocialBu even offers tools that identify the best times to post based on engagement trends, so utilize those insights.

Schedule and A/B test

Use SocialBu’s scheduler to post similar content at different times/days (e.g., repeat a post at 10 AM vs. 7 PM). Compare performance via SocialBu reports. Over time, this A/B testing will reveal your unique audience rhythms.

Use Personas/Data

Align posting times with your buyer personas’ lifestyles. For example, an intern persona might scroll during midday breaks, whereas a marketer persona may check feeds in the morning. If available, use SocialBu’s demographic filters. 

Iterate

Regularly review metrics (likes, comments, shares, reach). Adjusting the calendar with SocialBu’s recurring posts feature. It can automate posting at refined times once you identify them. Ensure you continuously refine your scheduling strategy based on new data.

Bringing it all together, once you’ve chosen your ideal time slots and refined your calendar through ongoing iteration, the next step is to put them on automation.

Best Time to Post on Social Media by Region

Adjusting your social media posting schedule to the habits of local audiences ensures your content lands when people are most receptive.

North America (EST/PST)

• Overall engagement peaks mid-week in the United States and Canada, with Mondays through Thursdays from 10 AM to 1 PM often yielding the highest reach and interaction.
• Using this timeframe as a baseline can lift your baseline engagement, after which you can refine further by platform or audience segment.

United Kingdom (GMT)

• UK audiences tend to be most active in the evenings, especially Monday from 5 PM to 10 PM, Tuesday from 4 PM to 8 PM, and Thursday from 4 PM to 11 PM.
• Weekend engagement in the UK also spikes later in the day, with Saturdays around 5 PM–6 PM and Sundays 8 PM–10 PM offering solid opportunities for brands.

Pakistan (PKT)

• 12 PM–2 PM local time, aligning with lunchtime browsing habits.
• 6 PM–9 PM, when users check feeds after work and school.

Australia (AEST)

• In Australia’s central regions (e.g., Darwin), peak social browsing occurs from 6 PM to 9 PM, when users unwind after the workday.

Southeast Asia (Various Time Zones)

• Across Southeast Asia, engagement often aligns with lunch hours (12 PM–2 PM), early evening (6 PM–9 PM), and late‑night browsing.
• Using a tool like SocialBu to monitor regional engagement heatmaps can help you pinpoint the optimal time to post on social media in each market.

You can drive stronger reach and impressions globally by mapping these regional habits into your social media posting schedule. Continuous testing and adjustment through social media insights and real‑time vs. scheduled posts will align your strategy with evolving audience behaviour and algorithm changes.

Audience and Content Considerations

Understanding your audience’s demographics and preferences is key to crafting compelling content. Tailoring your posts to align with their interests and online habits increases the likelihood of engagement.

B2B vs B2C

Business audiences (B2B) usually engage during typical work hours (mid-morning to afternoon, Monday through Friday). Consumer-focused (B2C) brands often see spikes on evenings and weekends. For example, tweets for B2B firms perform best Monday through Friday, whereas B2C tweets usually peak on weekends.

Industry-Specific Trends

Some sectors have unique patterns. For example, entertainment or media brands might see late-night engagement, while retail peaks when people shop online. Use your own analytics to detect if your industry deviates from general advice.

Platform Culture

Align content with how people use each platform.

• LinkedIn = professional weekly updates
• Instagram = lifestyle visuals whenever someone scrolls
• TikTok = short-form surprises often outside 9–5; etc. 
• Cross-post intelligently: a piece of content might work on Instagram at 11 AM and Facebook at 10 AM (adjust captions/format as needed).

Conclusion

After a detailed explanation on the best times to post on social media, we can conclude that prioritizing it is more critical than before. The best time to post on social media in 2025 varies by platform, audience, and geography. 

However, aligning your content with peak hours ensures maximum audience behaviour alignment. Use the abovementioned times to post on Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, and LinkedIn as a starting point, then refine using post performance analytics and social media insights.

Your content will achieve the highest reach and impact with a data-driven social media posting schedule. If you also want better engagement, use SocialBu to analyze your best post times, schedule content, and automate A/B testing across platforms.

Key Takeaways

• Best Days: Midweek (Monday–Thursday) shows the highest engagement across most platforms.
• Best Times: Late mornings and early afternoons (10 AM–1 PM) are universally strong.
• Platform Behavior: Customize your strategy for each channel. What suits LinkedIn may not be suitable for TikTok.
• Global Timing: Consider time zones. The peak times in the U.S. may differ from those in India or Southeast Asia.
• Posting Frequency: Aim for 3–5 posts/week on Instagram and TikTok; 1–2 posts/day on Facebook and X (Twitter).
• Automation Tools: Use tools like SocialBu for timezone-sensitive scheduling to streamline your posting strategy.

Frequently Asked Questions

What are the best times to post on each social media platform in 2025?

1. Facebook: Evenings between 5 PM and 7 PM consistently drive the highest engagement on posts.
2. Instagram: Aim for peak views on weekdays at 3 AM, 11 AM, and 12 PM EST.
3. LinkedIn: The best engagement occurs between 8 AM and 10 AM on Tuesdays and Thursdays and around 10 AM and 12 PM midweek.
4. TikTok: Top slots are 6 AM, 10 AM, 3 PM, and 10 PM (based on Monday’s pattern, with similar peaks on other days). 

Does posting time still matter with algorithms?

Yes, it is emphasized that social media algorithms reward recency and early engagement, so publishing during peak hours ensures your posts are surfaced more prominently in feeds.

How do I find the best time to post for my specific audience?

You can use SocialBu’s built-in analytics dashboard to track when your followers like, comment, and share the most. These engagement metrics let you pinpoint your optimal time to post on social media.

What tools help identify optimal social media posting times?

Some of the best analytics and scheduling platforms are SocialBu’s engagement heatmaps and AI-scheduler, Hootsuite’s “Best Time to Publish” report, Buffer’s Optimal Timing Tool, and Sprout Social’s Optimal Send Times. You can also use your account’s historical performance to recommend the ideal slots.

Is it better to post during peak hours or off-peak hours?

Peak hours (e.g., weekday mornings) maximize reach and immediate engagement. Off-peak hours reduce competition, allowing posts to stand out, particularly on LinkedIn and X.

Do B2B and B2C brands have different optimal posting times?

Yes. B2B posts on LinkedIn and Facebook perform best during weekday business hours (8 AM–11 AM), whereas B2C content on platforms like TikTok and Instagram often sees higher engagement in evenings and weekends.

How do time zones affect social media post engagement in 2025?

Time zones matter greatly. Global brands should stagger posts (e.g., 10 AM EST for U.S. audiences, then align to local lunchtime or evening in other regions) so that each segment hits its personal peak hours.