Discover The Best Time to Post Reels on Instagram

updated November 7, 2023
Reading time7 minutes
Jaqueline Corradi
Jaqueline Corradi
Content Manager

Do you know the best time to post reels on Instagram? The short video format has conquered this social network and become a type of content that several brands and digital influencers are making to engage with their audience. 

But, to increase the chances of having your reels seen by more people, it's important to have timing. Knowing when to post it can make a huge difference in the number of views. Check the article to discover more about it!

Is the Best Time to Post Reels on Instagram the Same for Every Profile?

Three smartphone screens showing Instagram reels images

The best time to post reels on Instagram will vary depending on the audience you are aiming at, and your location as well. It's important to know the overall recommendable time to post because, if you still don't have any data about your target audience, it gives you an indication of how to start. 

Besides, you will have more chances to be seen than if you publish the reels at a random hour. As you post more content and your profile grows, you will be able to analyze if the schedule needs to be improved. 

Best Time to Post Reels on Instagram Overall

Hootsuite analyzed more than 30,000 Instagram posts from different brand profiles from all sizes to be able to define the universal best time to post on Instagram. According to them, 11 am on Wednesdays is the best time to post reels and other types of content on Instagram. The research was made in the USA, so the time zone is US Pacific Time.

Hoost suite schedule with the best times to post on Instagram

Source: Hootsuite

Best Time to Post Reels on Instagram by Days of the Week

Monday

Monday mornings are commonly used to plan the week ahead and organize the routine at work, aren't they? So, the best time to post reels on Instagram on Monday is 12 pm. It's lunchtime, a break that many people enjoy to check their social media and see the latest reels as well. 

Tuesday

On Tuesdays, as the Hootsuite research revealed, people tend to check their Instagram earlier. Between 8:00 and 10:00 am there is a high engagement rate on this social media, but the best time to post reels on Instagram is 9:00 am.

Wednesday

The day of the week with the highest engagement rate on Instagram is Wednesday. So, if you won't post every day, it's advisable to plan yourself and arrange with your team to post the reels on Instagram at 11:00 am, on Wednesday.

Thursday

11:00 am to 2:00 pm is the best period to post reels on Instagram on Thursdays, but 12:00 pm is the most indicated one. Once more, it's a time around lunch break, when people can take their smartphones and scroll down their social media feed to update themselves. 

Friday

From morning to lunch hour, 7:00 am to 2:00 pm, the engagement rate on Friday is very satisfactory according to Hootsuite research. You have a wide period to enjoy, but the actual best hour is 2:00 pm.

Saturday

Going out with friends, getting together with the family, enjoying the leisure time, and getting off the screens: many people use weekends to do that. If you aren't posting every day, Saturdays probably won't offer you the best engagement rates. But, if you post on Saturday, the best time is 9:00 am. 

Sunday

Many people love to enjoy the end of Sunday to lay in bed and just relax, don't they? While doing that they get their smartphones and go to social media. The Sunday afternoon and evening are recommendable periods to post reels on Instagram, from 12:00 to 8:00 am, with the best time being 7:00 pm. 

How to Improve Your Number of Views and Engagement 

The best time to post reels on Instagram isn't the only thing that will affect the number of views, likes, shares, and comments you get. Far from that, it's important to understand the Instagram reels algorithm and develop strategies based on your goals and your target audience's behavior.

Know Your Audience

The best time to post reels on Instagram serves as a guide to help you start, but it's fundamental to understand that each audience has different behavior. Study the profile of your potential audience, identify where they are located, what their age range is, and what their main hobbies and preferences are. 

You can do that by researching the behavior of the followers on Instagram you already have, and also by studying market report analysis from your sector. Once you discover more information about your target audience, define their demands, and how your content can help solve them. 

Produce High-Quality Content

Thousands of Instagram profiles may be making reels wanting to reach the same people that you wish to engage with your content as well. The competition is really high, beyond choosing the best time to post, you need to invest in delivering high-quality content through your reels.

Discover the latest trends in your niche, such as challenges and hot topics. You can even launch your own challenges and invite the viewers to participate, and post their videos. Use the type of language, images, and edition that is appealing to them, and always keep up-to-date with the changes on Instagram reels' algorithm. 

Analyze Your Instagram Data

If you have a professional Instagram account, check the Insights page, which will show you the reels that have the best performance, the number of likes, and interactions, demographic data, and much more.

You will be able to discover the best time to post reels on Instagram according to your audience profile, creating more personalized strategies, which will help you to enhance your performance and achieve your goals.

Instagram insights screen

Source: Later

Data analysis is a task that must be done continuously, enabling you to adapt as you see the need. As new updates and features are added to Instagram, users' behavior changes, and so does the type of content you need to insert in your reels, and the best time to publish them. 

Use the Right Hashtags

The image shows Instagram logo and it's written hashtags on the right side of the logo.

Hashtags can help you appear on the explorer and reels pages of your target audience. Research the best hashtags that are aligned with the type of content on your reels and add them. 

Both of these Instagram sections are great assets to reach people who aren't following you yet. It's an opportunity to increase brand awareness, for instance. The hashtags are useful to show what the content is about and help the reels' algorithm to show the content to the users you are aiming at. 

Post regularly

Instagram's algorithms take into account the regularity that you publish to show your reels. It's very important to create a schedule and post every week. The best would be to post on Instagram at least once a day, but if not possible, try to publish content 3 times a week. 

Plan the reels, stories, pictures, lives, and every content you will post during each month, and make a schedule with the topics, formats, and the hour to publish. This will help you organize the content production, and avoid losing timing. 

But, keep in mind that the schedule can and must change if you see the need by analyzing the Instagram data, or if a new trend that you can enjoy the engagement emerges. 

Grow Your Audience With the Best Time to Post Reels on Instagram

Now that you know the overall best time to post reels on Instagram, enjoy it to plan your content and try it out on your profile to check the results.

As your profile grows, you will be able to perfect the timing and develop even better reels. The most important is to take the first step and enjoy the possibilities that Instagram has to offer to conquer more visibility, gain customers, sell more, and increase your profit.

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