As a marketer, you understand how much precision goes into a simple status update. From the wording that is used to the time of day that it is posted, these small details can have a profound effect on how many people see and interact with the post. With Facebook’s ever-changing algorithm, we have no choice but to be savvy with our posts so that they continue to gain visibility and engagement.
To shed light on how marketers can get more engagement, TrackMaven analyzed more than 5,000 Facebook pages and 1.6 million posts. Through this data, the company found that engagement was highest on weekends and after hours, which is surprising since businesses are most active during normal business hours, Monday through Friday. According to the data, this is not the most effective time to post on Facebook.
Sundays See the Most Activity
Looking closer at the research, TrackMaven found that posts published on Sundays experienced the most engagement, with 2.72 interactions per post. According to these numbers, Sundays see 25 percent more engagement than a typical weekday post.
After Hours Get More Engagement
It’s not just the day that makes a difference, but the time, too. The majority of the pages that TrackMaven looked at were posted between the hours of 8 am to 5 pm, but engagement was highest after hours, between 5 pm and 1 am. There were 2.49 interactions per post during the after hours window compared to 2.24 interactions per post during the workday hours.
When is the Best Time for YOUR Business to Post?
All of this information gives marketers a better understanding as to how people are using Facebook, and perhaps you can relate, too. Maybe you hop onto the social site when crawling into bed to get a recap for the day or connect with family and friends. But how can your business become a part of this experience with your own fans and followers?
The best approach is to start by using Facebook Insights to determine when your audience is on the site. If you find that your followers are using Facebook more during the weekends and after hours, you’ll need to build a marketing strategy around this. Using hashtags, one-on-one engagement and incentives can all be helpful in capturing your audience and encouraging them to interact with your brand.
The benefit to using Facebook is that you can measure, experiment and learn without losing anything in the process. Building on TrackMaven’s research and using Facebook Insights, you can craft engaging campaigns that put your status updates in the right hands at the right time.
