With more people spending time on their phones and computers while home during the Coronavirus pandemic, social channels are seeing more people on the platforms engaging with content at a higher than usual rate.
In fact, Kantar reported that social channels such as Facebook, Instagram, and Whatsapp are seeing a 40% increase in usage globally.
Sprout Social analyzed engagement trends over March and April to see how social usage has changed throughout COVID-19 and identify any new specific times of day with high engagement. Not only are more people on social media more often throughout the day, but Sprout Social reported that during the pandemic, there has been a shift in when users are engaging with content most on every social channel.
Although all of these reported times are recorded in the Central Time Zone (CST), we suggest taking a look at your audience’s location to determine the best times to post. Influencer Marketing Hub states that “The wider the geographical spread of your audience, the less critical set posting times become. However, if your target audience is in one location, make sure you use that time zone as the basis for setting your Instagram posting times, even if it isn’t your own time zone.”
You can use this information combined with ShopStyle Collective’s trend insights (check out our latest edition of Something To Blog About!) and your own post insights (available to you on each social platform) to learn how audiences are adapting during the pandemic and create an informed content strategy.
ShopStyle Collective Pro Tip: Facebook has seen a 50% increase in messaging across their platforms including Facebook Messenger, Whatsapp, and Instagram in many countries around the world. Use this time to connect with your audience on various platforms by answering questions, having conversations, and offering words of support.
Best Times To Post On: Facebook
- Sprout Social reported that Monday, Wednesday, Friday from 10am-11am sees the highest level of engagement
- Engagement is highest at 11am every day
- Weekdays have higher activity than weekends
Best Times To Post On: Instagram
- Best times to post include Mondays, Tuesdays, and Fridays at 11am and Tuesdays at 2pm
- Hubspot also reports that posts see high engagement between 2pm-3pm daily
- More people are on Instagram during working hours from 9am-5pm than before. Posting during these hours will provide consistent engagement.
- As people typically check their phones first thing in the morning when they wake up, you may also see higher engagement in the early hours of the morning
- Weekends are also seeing an increase in activity as people spend more time on their phones
- Sprout Social reported a drop off in activity around 6pm every day
- Aim to post multiple times during the week both on your feed and in Stories to see the most engagement
Best Times To Post On: Twitter
- Sprout Social recorded that Fridays between 7am-9am were highest on Twitter
- People are using this platform to consume news and helpful information throughout the day
- Twitter usage patterns have remained the most consistent of all platforms
Additional COVID resources from ShopStyle Collective:
Image via @MackJeanBlog
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