Timing is important on Instagram to gain maximum engagement on your posts or reels. The best posting time for reels will allow you to reach a larger audience. Today we will be discussing what is the best time to post reels on Instagram.
Quick Answer:
On weekdays the best time to post reels on Instagram would be 7 am to 9 am. And at lunchtime, it's 12 pm to 1 pm. In the evening, the time is 7 pm to 9 pm. If you are wondering the timing for weekends then that would be 9 am to 11 am. In the afternoon, the time is 3 pm to 5 pm. And in the evening it's the same 7 pm to 9 pm as before.
Also, remember you be consistent, in order to get much faster results since the timing could also differ based on your niche.
In this guide, we will help you decide which is the best time to post reels. Each time is different for each day. People are usually at work from 9 am to 5 pm, so some are available at 7 pm. Other than that there are several other factors. Let’s talk about it in detail.
Why Timing Matters for Instagram Reels?
Timing matters because it can bring a lot of followers and views to the table for you. You sure don’t want to post at a time when people are sleeping or inactive. So here is why the timing matters so much:
Maximize Audience Reach
When you post your reel at a perfect time, it helps to boost your reach on Insta. Your likelihood of reaching a bigger audience increases. So schedule your post at a time when everybody is active.
To become visible and get people to engage with you, you need to find out the best time when your audience is online. Because if you post at a random time, your audience may miss out on your post.
Boosts Engagement Rate
Your engagement rate increases when you post at a specific time when your audience is online. So posting at a good time will make your post appear in their feed. This way when the reach is strong, the comments will also come strong.
A high engagement rate will help you enhance your visibility and get algorithmic favours. So timing does matter when it comes to getting more engagement that involves likes, comments, and shares.
Stay Ahead of Competitors
Timing helps you stay ahead of your competitors. So identifying the best posting time adds more value to your business. You can quite literally beat the competition by considering a good time.
Instagram reels are short videos that are made because everybody has a short attention span. So tell your short story and post it at a time when your audience is already scrolling through Instagram.
Read: When is the Best Time to Post on Instagram?
How to Determine the Best Time to Post Reels on Instagram?
Let’s find out how to determine the perfect time to post your Instagram reel. Here are the 4 different ways to do so.
Analyze Instagram Insights
Analyzing Instagram insights is a great way to understand your audience’s behaviour. It is a built-in Instagram tool through which you can gain a lot of valuable insights. The metrics you see on the analytics tool will allow you to access a wide range of information about your audience.
It will help you decide the best time to post. You can further analyze your audience’s activity and engagement pattern to make a decision specific to your needs.
Experiment with Posting Times
You should conduct research by posting at different times to see the impact. It will better give you an idea of which time works best. Post Reels at different times throughout the day. And also at weekends.
All this experimenting will give you an idea of your audience’s behaviour and overall pattern of engagement.
Consider Time Zones
Make sure to look into the different time zones of your target audience. This time zone idea will help you ensure that your reel is posted when most of your followers are active. You can use the scheduling option to keep up with the timing.
Scheduling your posts will be a great assistance when it comes to gaining attention from your audience. So schedule away to keep every time zone individual hooked to your Insta reels.
Know Your Audience’s Daily Routine
Find out what your audience does and what could be their daily routine. This kind of research can get you ready for a bigger opportunity to attract your target audience. When you know what they love and when they will be free, you’ll be able to easily hook them up.
If their habits align with your Reel posting time then you are good to go. Research your way through when your audience is most active. Consider things like lunch break, dinner, and evening extracurricular activities.
Also, look into what age of people do what. You must know that a certain age of individual must be going to work daily. And at what time they scroll through their Insta feed.
SEO-Optimized Best Times to Post Reels on Instagram
Based on our research and insights from different industries. Here are the times that may be suitable for you to post your reel on Instagram:
Weekdays
- Early mornings (7:00 AM – 9:00 AM)
- Lunchtime (12:00 PM – 1:00 PM)
- Late afternoons (7:00 PM – 9:00 PM)
Weekends
- Saturday mornings (9:00 AM – 11:00 AM)
- Saturday evenings (7:00 PM – 9:00 PM)
- Sunday afternoons (3:00 PM – 5:00 PM)
Always remember that these timings will serve as a starting point. Researching your target audience well is important to get far better results. Because every brand’s audience is different. So monitor the insights carefully and adjust your posting schedule according to it.
By strategically timing your Reels posts on Instagram, you can maximize audience engagement, expand your reach, and enhance the overall effectiveness of your content strategy.
Stay proactive, experiment with different posting times, and leverage data-driven insights to unlock the full potential of your Instagram Reels.
Read: What is the Best Time to Post on Instagram?
Best Time to Post A Reel Based on Your Niche
Every niche has a unique timing. So one must post at the best time based on your niche to get more effective results. This way you will be able to keep your product or brand in the limelight longer to stand out in the digital marketplace.
Food
First, we have a food niche. So if you are posting food reels then always consider the timing as well. There are times when people are hungry and there are times when people are not. For example, during lunchtime, dinner time, and breakfast time, people usually look for something to eat.
Even late at night, people are craving for something good to eat. So on average the best time to post a food reel is:
- 6 am or 4 pm on Tuesdays. And 6 am or 8 pm on Thursdays.
Fashion
If you are someone targeting a fashion audience then you should post fashion reels on workweek and weekends. Because that is the time when most people are shopping and browsing online websites to buy their favourite fashion items.
On Wednesdays, you should post at either 10 am or 6 pm. And on Fridays, you should post at 10 am. So when you post at these specific times, you are most likely to attract their attention while they are browsing and scrolling through the feed.
Music
A music reel must also have a special time when music artists and listeners are online. Showcasing your music reel by connecting with your music lovers is the best way to get popular in this niche.
Based on experimentation you should post at about 5 pm or 9 pm on Fridays. And at 12 pm on Wednesdays for real growth impact on your Instagram music reels.
Beauty
In this niche, you should post when people are looking to buy a beauty product. There is a lot of scope in it, so posting at the perfect time will be a cherry on top.
Consider posting the beauty reel in the morning hours when people wake up and in the evenings when they come home from work or not at work.
So the best time would be 7 pm on Thursdays, 5 pm on Fridays, and 9 am or 2 pm on Saturdays. This timing could get you to target your beauty niche audience easily.
Gaming
Gamers are the most active and usually late at night. So you must opt for posting gaming videos at night to grab the most audience for your reel. Gamers are everywhere, and if you are targeting gamers of your specific country then do a post at the following time:
- On Fridays, post at 8 pm or 10 pm. On other times you can post from 11 pm to 1 am.
DIY And Craft Reels
It is an interesting niche and something that can grab anyone’s attention. However, you must have the best timing in mind to target your audience. This niche is all about inspiration and educating your audience. So here are the best times to post DIY Reels on Instagram:
On Saturdays, you should post at 9 am or 11 am, and on Fridays post at 7 pm. This timing will surely boost your presence within your niche.
Read: 16 Best Unfollow Apps for Instagram in 2024 (Free & Paid)
Animals or Your Pet
If you are posting for animal lovers then post on Wednesdays at 1 pm or 3 pm. And on Thursdays, post at 11 am.
These are the times when your pet and animal lover audience takes a break from work and scrolls through their Instagram feed. Animal lovers visit their IG feed when they are free, so do follow the above timing to see the results.
Health
If your Instagram channel is all about health content and reels then posting at workweeks can help. You can reach a larger audience for your reels by posting at 11 am Wednesday and 10 am on Thursday.
These timings are the best for individuals in your niche to scroll through the IG feed.
Sports
Sports reels add an entertainment factor to the reels. Individuals who want to stay fit and active all watches sports reels. They also have a set time when they are mostly free. Sports reels can be viewed by people who are free after work and mostly at weekends.
- So the best time to post would be 5 pm on Fridays and 4 pm on Tuesdays.
Business
If your IG account is all about business and the target audience is businessmen then it is the best idea to post in the morning. People with a business mindset are usually awake at the peak morning time. So your reels can be seen by many business people.
Posting on Mondays at 7 am or 8 am and 8 pm on Wednesdays is a great idea. They usually check their feed at either work or after work.
Technology
Tech enthusiasts are everywhere and it is a big niche. Tech individuals love the techy reels. They can be found scrolling through the IG feed at night. They scroll a lot before working and after finishing work. Their attention span is also not very high so reels can be a great way to attract.
The best time to post a tech reel for the technology enthusiasts is at 8 pm or 9 pm on Wednesdays and on Thursdays, it is 10 pm.
Parenting
Parenting is another popular niche. Every new parent is scrolling through Facebook, Instagram, and Google. Especially when their grown children are off to school, they get the free time to browse the internet and IG.
So in the morning and afternoon, they are usually free. At that time you can target this audience and get a lot of views.
The best time to be specific is 10 am to 2 pm on Wednesdays and on Fridays, it is 1 pm. So make sure to post at this time to attract the most parents available at this time.
Home Decor
Home decor reels are interesting and can be inspiring to people looking to decorate their room in a certain way. During the peak morning times, you can expect the people in this niche to show up on your reel. There are many people in this niche who would want their living space to look dreamy and beautiful.
So post at 11 am or 1 pm on Thursdays and 10 am on Fridays. To grab the attention of people wanting to decorate their home space.
I hope you get an idea of when to post to get more attention based on your niche. These timings are generic considerations and need to verify the perfect time. Because people can be unpredictable, however, these times are great to get you the attention you are looking for in your niche.
I work at Likes Geek as a marketing researcher and journalist with over 5 years of experience in media and content marketing. With a demonstrated history of working in the international news and financial technology publishing industries. I manage content and the editorial team at Likes Geek.