Best Time to Post on Social Media in 2025

Social media changes fast. What worked last year might not work now. Posting at the right time helps you reach more people and get more likes, shares, and comments. But the best time to post isn’t the same for every platform. It also depends on your audience, location, and goals. In this guide, you’ll learn the best times to post on social media in 2025. You’ll also learn how to find your own best times using tools like Sprout Social.

Best Times to Post on Social Media

In general, weekdays perform better than weekends. Early mornings and lunch hours get more engagement. But each platform has its own pattern. Let’s break it down.

Best Times to Post on Facebook

Best Days: Tuesday to Thursday
Best Time: 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. (Central Time)

People scroll Facebook during work breaks. Avoid late nights and weekends. Facebook’s reach has dropped over time, but it still matters. Use short posts with strong images. Try polls, links, and questions to get clicks and comments. Posting midweek gives you the best shot. For more insights on social trends and user habits, see The Future of Social Media.

Best Times to Post on Instagram

Best Days: Tuesday and Wednesday
Best Time: 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Instagram is all about visuals. Users are active during breaks or lunch. Avoid early mornings and evenings. Stories and reels do well around noon. If your audience is younger, late-night posts might still work. But for most, stick to mid-day. You can also explore our guide on Best Time to Post on Social Media in 2025 to plan your posts better.

Best Times to Post on LinkedIn

Best Days: Tuesday to Thursday
Best Time: 9 a.m. to 12 p.m.

LinkedIn is used by professionals. People check it during work hours. Avoid weekends and late evenings. Post early in the day for more reach. Share tips, job updates, or short success stories. Keep it helpful and clear.

Best Times to Post on Pinterest

Best Days: Friday and Saturday
Best Time: 8 p.m. to 11 p.m.

Pinterest is big for late-night planners. People pin during down time. Recipes, home tips, and style ideas work best. Try weekends and evenings. Pins last longer than posts on other sites, so timing isn’t as strict—but evening hours win.

Best Times to Post on TikTok

Best Days: Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday
Best Time: 1 p.m. to 4 p.m.

TikTok is full of short, fun clips. Posts blow up fast if timed right. Early afternoons are peak. Teens and young adults scroll after school. Use trends and sounds to boost views. Test different days to find your best fit. If you’re also curious about how Snapchat ranks friendships, check out our post on Red Heart on Snapchat – What It Means and How to Get It.

Best Times to Post on X (Twitter)

Best Days: Monday to Wednesday
Best Time: 9 a.m. to 12 p.m.

X, once Twitter, is about real-time posts. News and hot takes do well in the morning. Post short updates during work hours. Avoid weekends unless you’re covering live events. Retweets peak early in the day.

Best Times to Post on YouTube

Best Days: Thursday and Friday
Best Time: 12 p.m. to 4 p.m.

YouTube videos get views later in the day. People watch after work or school. Upload before 4 p.m. to catch prime viewing time. Try to post before the weekend starts. Videos take time to gain views, so plan ahead.

How to Find Your Own Best Times to Post on Social Media

General advice helps. But your audience might be different. The best way to post smart is to track your own data. Look at when your followers are online. See what times get more likes, clicks, or comments. Then, post during those hours.

Use your platform’s built-in tools. Instagram, Facebook, and TikTok have insights. LinkedIn and YouTube also show data. Watch your best posts and see what time they went live.

How to Find Your Own Best Times to Post With Sprout Social

Sprout Social makes this easy. It tracks when your followers are active. It shows you what times work best. You don’t need to guess. It also suggests smart posting times. You can plan your content ahead and post when it matters most.

Sprout’s tools cover all major platforms. It collects data from your posts. Then it shows what worked. This helps you get better reach with less effort.

How Sprout Gathered the Data

Sprout Social analyzed over 2 billion posts. The posts came from 400,000 profiles. They looked at likes, comments, shares, and views. Then, they found patterns. This is how they found the best posting times. The data covers industries like retail, tech, health, and more.

They used Central Time (CT) for all reports. If you’re in another zone, adjust your times. For example, if you’re in New York, add one hour. In California, subtract two.

Take the Guesswork Out of Posting Times With Sprout

Posting at random doesn’t work. If you want better results, use data. Sprout helps you stop guessing. It tells you what time your audience is online. Then you can schedule posts at those times. This saves you time and boosts results.

You can also test different times. Then use the data to see what works. Sprout helps you get clear answers without the hassle.

Additional Resources for Best Times to Post on Social Media

Want to go deeper? Sprout offers guides, reports, and free tools. Check their blog for fresh tips. Use their reports to plan smarter. There are also content calendar templates. These help you stay on track and post on time.

Best Times to Post on Social Media 2025 (Each Platform)

• Facebook: Tue–Thu, 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.
• Instagram: Tue–Wed, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
• LinkedIn: Tue–Thu, 9 a.m. to 12 p.m.
• Pinterest: Fri–Sat, 8 p.m. to 11 p.m.
• TikTok: Tue, Thu, Fri, 1 p.m. to 4 p.m.
• X (Twitter): Mon–Wed, 9 a.m. to 12 p.m.
• YouTube: Thu–Fri, 12 p.m. to 4 p.m.

When Is the Best Time to Post on Social Media?

It depends on your platform and audience. Still, the best overall times are mid-morning to early afternoon. Weekdays beat weekends. The best time to post is when your audience is online. Use your insights to make the best choice.

Best Time to Post on Social Media by Day

Monday

People start the week slow. Mid-morning is safe. Try 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. on Facebook, X, and LinkedIn.

Tuesday

This is one of the best days. Post between 9 a.m. and 2 p.m. across most platforms.

Wednesday

Another strong day. Good times are 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. for Instagram and X.

Thursday

YouTube and TikTok shine here. Post between 12 p.m. and 4 p.m. to catch after-school traffic.

Friday

Great for YouTube and Pinterest. Post before people log off. Try 12 p.m. to 3 p.m. or late evening on Pinterest.

Saturday

Slower day for LinkedIn and X. But Pinterest and Instagram may work late night. Post after 8 p.m.

Sunday

Not ideal for most platforms. If you post, try evenings after 7 p.m.

Executive Summary: The New Best Times to Post on Social Media in 2025

The best posting times change every year. In 2025, the top windows are:

• Midweek (Tue–Thu)
• Mid-morning to early afternoon
• Evenings for Pinterest and weekends

Use platform data to confirm these times. Social media is crowded. Posting when users are active makes all the difference.

Historical Best Times to Post Research & Reference

Past research showed similar trends:

• Facebook used to perform better in the afternoon.
• Instagram’s sweet spot moved from 9 a.m. to later in the day.
• LinkedIn remains strong in the morning.
• YouTube used to favor Saturday. Now, weekday afternoons do better.
• X (Twitter) always favored morning news.

Sprout Social has tracked these shifts over years. That’s why their reports are trusted.

FAQs

Final Thoughts

Posting at the right time isn’t hard. Use the tools you have. Watch your data. Then test, adjust, and post smart. Don’t guess. Use what works. Whether you’re running a business or a blog, timing your posts right helps you get more value from your content. Let the data guide you, and you’ll get better results with less stress.