It’s the question that launched a thousand sleepless nights: “How often should I post on social media?”
Of course, like anything worth knowing, there’s no simple answer to this question. Social media platforms are constantly updating their algorithms, adding new features, and changing the rules of engagement. What worked last year may not work this year, and what works today might become obsolete tomorrow.
We dug into the research and grilled our social media team, and some outside experts, for insights to discover the ideal number of times a day (or week) to post for each platform. Here’s a quick summary of what we found, but read on for more in-depth details:
- Instagram: Post between 3 and 5 times per week.
- Instagram Stories: Post 2 times per day.
- Twitter: Post between 2 and 3 times per day.
- Facebook: Post between 1 to 2 times per day.
- LinkedIn: Post between 1 to 2 times per day.
- TikTok: Post between 3 and 5 times per week.
- Pinterest: Post at least 1 time per week.
- Google My Business: Post at least 1 time per week.
Bonus: Download our free, customizable social media calendar template to easily plan and schedule all your content in advance.
How often to post on Instagram
Post 3-5 times per week on Instagram.
Our experts recommend creating at minimum, three posts per week on Instagram. Ideally, these are mixed media posts (carousels, reels, static posts, etc.) Using different social media content types is especially important if you post more than three times per week.
Instagram Stories can be used more frequently, though Instagram’s own Adam Mosseri recommends 2 Stories per day.
Posting frequently on Instagram increases your chances of showing up in the Explore feed, being featured on another account, or appearing in the top search results for keywords you commonly use. Posting regularly is also a great way to test out what resonates with your audience.
If you think that an algorithmically controlled timeline means post-timing doesn’t matter, think again. Our experiments have proven that post timing does have an impact on Instagram engagement.
Key Instagram statistics to keep in mind when posting:
View all the latest Instagram statistics here, and details on Instagram demographics here.
How often to post on TikTok
Post 3-5 times per week. Or, as much as you can.
While TikTok actually recommends posting 1-4 times per day, that may not be realistic for everyone. If you’re just getting started, 3-5 times per week is a great place to start.
According to Hootsuite’s own Brayden Cohen, Manager of Social Media, “TikTok is the place to test content and see what sticks or flops.”
The TikTok algorithm is tricky, but the more you post on a regular basis, the more likely you are to get in front of a larger audience and see what works well. Aim to post 3-5 times per week so that you’re consistently staying in front of your followers. With each post, track the video views, engagement, and amount of time a viewer spends watching your video to get a better idea of how effective it is.
@hootsuite Angela Bassett really did the thing! #BAFTA
Using hashtags on each post can also help your content get discovered by potential customers. Be sure to analyze the performance of each post and refine your posting strategy based on what resonates best with your audience.
As well, timing matters on TikTok. Tap into the best times to post on TikTok to ensure your content reaches the most users.
Key TikTok statistics to keep in mind when posting:
Find the latest TikTok statistics here and learn more about TikTok for business here.
How often to post on Facebook
Post 1-2 times per day on Facebook.
Organic reach is down everywhere, but Facebook seems to be the hardest hit. Currently, the average Facebook page post engagement rate sits around 0.07%. These numbers aren’t expected to perk up anytime soon.
Our experts recommend posting 1-2 times per day on Facebook. This should help you stay present in the minds of your audience, but not go so far as to overwhelm their feeds.
“Daily posting will grow followers 4x faster than posting less than once a week. Makes sense: more visibility,” says Brayden Cohen, Manager, Social Marketing at Hootsuite.
To keep that regular content coming, it’s a good idea to create a content calendar to stay organized. Try out our free content calendar template, or play around with scheduling tools like Hootsuite.
Key Facebook statistics to keep in mind when posting:
Get some more fascinating numbers in our breakdown of the latest Facebook statistics and Facebook demographics.
How often to post on Twitter
Post 2-3 times per day on Twitter.
Things move fast on Twitter. This news-centric platform means Tweets have a short lifespan. So, you’ll need to post a little more often than you do on other channels.
Brayden says, “This is probably the only channel I would say that quantity over quality matters.” The more you post, the more likely you are to show up in the constantly growing feed.
There are plenty of power users out there. Some accounts are posting 50 or 100 times a day. If you’ve got the time, we’re certainly not going to stop you. But, to keep your brand’s presence active and engaged on Twitter, you really don’t need to drop everything and commit to a full-time gig Tweeting.
In fact, for the general @Hootsuite channel (where the audience is followers, customers, and prospects), the Hootsuite team posts 2-3 times per day.
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❤️ The writer, designer, producer, strategist, planner, and project manager behind the company’s branded accounts— Hootsuite ? (@hootsuite) February 14, 2023
Remember that, however frequently you’re posting, the best practice is to follow the rule of thirds:
- ⅓ of tweets promote your business
- ⅓ share personal stories
- ⅓ are informative insights from experts or influencers
Keep in mind, engaging with your audience or other community partners is a big play with posting frequency too!
Find more Twitter marketing wisdom over here.
Key Twitter statistics to keep in mind when posting:
Check out our complete list of updated Twitter statistics (and explore our guide to Twitter demographics while you’re at it!)
How often to post on LinkedIn
Post 1-2 times per day on LinkedIn.
LinkedIn itself says companies that post weekly see a 2x life in content engagement. They also recommend posting at least once a day, even on weekends. Oh, and they say scheduling your posts with [amazing] partners like Hootsuite is the way to go. Hey, that’s not a promo, it’s literally in their documentation. You can’t argue the facts!
Keep in mind, LinkedIn content can live in user feeds for a long, long time. This is because when someone engages with your post, it will begin to show up in their connections’ news feeds. Additionally, users can filter the feed by “top” and “recent” content, which could increase the longevity of your posts if they go viral.
Quality over quantity matters here, so it’s important to craft interesting, engaging content that is timely and relevant. Right now, LinkedIn feed filters are changing and you’ll soon be able to filter your feed for topics like “video-specific content.”
Hootsuite’s LinkedIn account tends to fall on the more-frequent end of the posting spectrum. We generally post 2-3 times per day, and sometimes up to five depending on campaigns and events.
Don’t forget: Hootsuite Analytics can help ensure your posting strategy is aligned with your engagement goals.
Key LinkedIn statistics to keep in mind when posting:
Here’s the full list of updated LinkedIn statistics (and LinkedIn demographics, too). Plus, explore ideas for building your LinkedIn brand with our LinkedIn marketing guide.
How often to post on Pinterest
Post at least 1 time per week on Pinterest.
According to Pinterest, “Quality and relevance matter more than frequency on Pinterest. So while you can determine the best schedule for you, posting on a weekly basis is a good rule of thumb.”
Unlike platforms like Instagram and TikTok, virality isn’t the goal on Pinterest.
Content on Pinterest has a long shelf life. One post can be viewed and shared for weeks or even months after it’s been posted. That’s why creating content with high engagement and relevance is more important than going viral.
To optimize your posts, make sure to follow the creative best practices such as:
Depending on your goals, you may want to post multiple times each week. How frequently you post will depend on the type of content you’re sharing and the size of your audience. Your Pin stats is a great place to review Pin performance and see how your audience is interacting with certain content types.
Hootsuite Analytics and Impact can also help draw lines between how Pinterest content is affecting web traffic, or how an uptick in followers translates to views on other platforms.
Key Pinterest statistics to keep in mind when posting:
Check out the latest Pinterest statistics for business and Pinterest demographics to inform your Pinning strategy.
How often to post on Google My Business
Post at least 1 time per week on Google My Business.
Google My Business posts might not be the first thing that comes to mind when you think about social media for business. But, this platform can be surprisingly effective at helping your local SEO and boosting customer engagement.
Google My Business posts used to expire after 7 days. But, in 2021, Google changed this feature and you’ll now see the last 10 published posts. Google does note that posts are archived after 6 months unless otherwise specified.
Posts on Google My Business need to be incredibly timely. Generally, your audience is looking for something they can do, see, or eat, right now. So, posts should focus on current offers or events.
The ideal frequency for posts depends on the type of post, but generally, it’s recommended to post at least once per week. You can also break up your posts into different times of day and days of the week based on when your target audience is online.
Current offers, images of your business location or space, and new product announcements tend to do well on this platform.
Key Google My Business statistics to keep in mind when posting:
Learn how to get more customers with Google My Business and how to write great Google My Business posts today.
How to know the best posting frequency for social media
Knowing the best posting frequency for social media requires some trial and error. What’s good for some brands may not work for others.
Enterprise teams will be able to post more frequently than individual entrepreneurs. As well, individual traits like audience size, community loyalty, geographic location, and content type can drastically impact the performance of your posts.
Brayden Cohen says, “To see what is best for you, try testing different posts at different times and different quantities to see what drives the best performance for your content and channel. Continue to test, learn, and pivot.”
Always remember: the quality of content matters more than frequency. While posting more content may help to some extent, the more relevant and useful your content is to the audience, the better your social channels will perform.
How to schedule social media posts
Hootsuite lets you schedule social media posts in advance, so you can post with the right frequency on every channel. With Hootsuite Planner, you can create a post calendar that clearly shows when to post and what content to share. In the Composer, you can also set up bulk scheduling for posts. This allows you to quickly and easily schedule multiple posts at once.
Get started with our complete guide to scheduling your social media posts.
Use Hootsuite to schedule and publish all of your social media posts at the best times, engage with your followers, and track the success of your efforts. Sign up for a free trial today.
Do it better with Hootsuite, the all-in-one social media tool. Stay on top of things, grow, and beat the competition.
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