It’s a question that haunts every growing Instagram channel. How often should you post on Instagram? Fortunately, there is a strategy, or a formula if you will, but it’s not a magic “fix-all” type of solution.
59% of American adults use Instagram every day, and 38% of those are logging on a few times a day. You want to make sure you’re reaching them, as they could all be a part of your potential audience.
But how often is too often to post on Instagram? How do you know when to post and how much to do it? It can definitely feel overwhelming. We’ve put together a handy guide to help you out.
Breaking Down the Technicalities
It’s an easy formula, right? The more you post, the greater your reach will be. Plus, the more you post, the higher your likes and comments are going to be. This is great for engagement. But what does that mean? What is reach and what is engagement? And why is it important?
Essentially, your reach rate is the number of unique accounts your post reaches divided by the number of followers. This is a great formula for working out your brand’s exposure in relation to its potential growth.
An engagement rate is how many comments, likes, and shares you get per post divided by the number of followers. This is ideal for figuring out your audience’s impact and community value. In an ideal situation, you want your reach and engagement to be as high as possible, while still posting often enough that you’re making an impact.
You should also consider finding ways to boost your likes if you’re struggling to hit those initial engagements. Check out this page for more information on that!
Key Stats to Keep In Mind
There are a lot of people on Instagram. And we mean a lot! Instagram is also changing all the time, and it can get difficult to keep track of what’s up and what’s down.
That’s why it’s important to keep track of the stats on Instagram. This helps you stay relevant and keep your finger on the pulse of the social media current. It is also super helpful to see where people are spending their time.
- Instagram has over 2 billion active monthly users
- 6/10 users visit Instagram daily
- Carousel posts have the highest engagement rate
- 91% of active users watch weekly videos
- 50% of users visit a website after seeing it online
- 90% of users follow a brand
That last one is especially important. You want your brand to be one of the ones people are following! How do you do that? You make sure they’re seeing you and you make sure they remember who you are. This all comes down to when and how often you post.
If you haven’t already, we would also recommend getting an Instagram business account. It’s free, but it lets you see how your Instagram posts are engaging and give you the option to promote or advertise your content.
So How Often Should You Post on Instagram?
You should consider how often your potential audience actually wants to hear from you. You don’t want to bombard them, but you want to work to a rhythm. There’s something so satisfying about routine, and your audience will appreciate it. Most people recommend you post to your feed 2-3 times per week, and no more than once per day.
However, there is some space for flexibility here. For example, the size of your account will determine how often you actually need to post. Knowing how often to post on Instagram depends entirely on your goals. If your goal is to find new audiences, then post more frequently and pair your strategy with efficient hashtags.
If you want to know how to get engagement on Instagram, post more often and slow it down after you hit around a thousand followers.
The Best Times to Post on Instagram
This is a topic up for debate by many people, and it depends on where you are in the world. Our advice follows American times, but double-check your area and see if they line up.
For the most part, the best times to post to Instagram are:
- Monday – 11 a.m.
- Tuesday and Wednesday – 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
- Thursdays and Fridays – 10 a.m to noon
The best days are Tuesdays and Wednesdays, since you have a broader scope of time, and the worst day is arguably Sunday. This is because people tend to be out and about or completely switched off from their tech.
However, if your brand supports the sale of consumer goods, Sundays may actually be one of the best days to post, especially if you post between 3 and 4 p.m. Why is this? Consider a lazy Sunday afternoon. You’ve had a good lunch, gotten some housework done and now you’re just lazing about doing some online shopping.
Be sure to factor in your industry when considering when the best times to post are, since different industries have different needs and goals, and people are more willing to engage with certain content and different times.
Boost Your Engagement With the Right Posts
As you can see, it’s not always about how often should you post on Instagram, but about what and when you’re posting, too. Obviously, frequency is a big player in growth, but you also want to make sure you’re sharing content that is engaging and worthwhile.
Try out some of these new strategies and see what happens to your growth! Make notes as you go and always keep your ear to the ground for new and interesting ways to engage.
If you enjoyed this, then be sure to check out some of our other articles.
