If you are posting positively marvelous content on Instagram but you’re still getting no results, the solution to the problem may be simpler than you think.
Platforms like Facebook, Tumblr and Twitter operate so that a post can essentially never die. All it takes is a retweet, reblog or even a simple like to stick any old post right back on someone’s dashboard. Instagram, on the other hand, is a little trickier with its one-and-done news feed system. Once a photo is posted, it falls in line behind every other post made that day and eventually trickles into social media oblivion.
While it’s certainly possible (and ideal) that people will also go directly to your page and poke around, your best bet of gaining maximum activity is based entirely on how many people are scrolling their news feeds when you post, making the time of day that you post crucial to how many likes you’ll be racking up and, as a result, how much buzz your business will get. Answering these questions will pull you right out of that Instagram rut you’ve been in:
Have you done your research?
Recently analytics teams determined that Wednesdays at 5pm, for whatever reason, is the best time to post on Instagram on average. Keep in mind though that this will not be true for everyone, and it’s never a bad idea to run some analyses of your own. Try free analysis programs like Iconosquare which will give you a spreadsheet outlining when your community members are most active on Instagram, letting you know exactly what that hotspot time of day is for your followers. But keep in mind that while statistics are helpful, the key is in how you interpret them by thinking critically.
Where are your consumers located?
Never underestimate the nuisance of time zones. If your products or services stretch nationwide or even worldwide, be aware that your 5pm is someone’s 2pm and 8pm and 4am. Knowing that the prime Instagram hour is 6pm on Wednesdays is great, but not if you are posting during your customers’ 3pm.
What is the age demographic of your consumers?
If your target audience is high school kids who are in school from 8am to 3pm, don’t post until the bell rings and their phones are back in their hands. This time frame is generally applicable for anyone working a standard work week as well, so overall you’re usually better off posting around dinnertime when families are settling into their nightly activities. But that being said, online shopping is likely the only truly fascinating thing about third-period history, so don’t assume that your high school age target audience is taking diligent notes throughout the day. We certainly can’t condone this, but that doesn’t mean you can’t reap the very few benefits of your tax dollars going to waste.
Does your product correlate with a specific time of day?
Advertising a food item? Try posting during that long stretch of mid-afternoon between lunch and dinner when consumers will be the most susceptible to that mouth-watering cupcake display. Selling a remedy for insomnia? Go ahead and post during the odd hours of the night when sleep is elusive, not mid-morning after the second cup of coffee has kicked in. You know your audience, so show off your product during that time of day they might need it the most.
Are you having trouble remembering to post in the first place?
This solution is perhaps the easiest of all. Much like Tumblr’s queue feature, programs like Hootsuite, for example, allow you to set up multiple posts at once and schedule them to post automatically on the exact date and time of your choosing. Once you’ve determined the right time of day for you, set up your posts far in advance and don’t give it a second thought.
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