When Should I post?
Deciding when to post is just as important as deciding what to post. Fortunately, this is much simpler than the last section. In general, it’s best to post to Instagram on Mondays and Thursdays at any time except 3:00 – 4:00 p.m.
This is mostly because Instagram’s user demographic is so young. 3:00 is often when school lets out for the day, and 4:00 is when everyone’s back at home and settling into the evening. It’s a little less clear why Mondays and Thursdays are so special, but it’s possible that many Instagram users enjoy Instagram on Mondays to ease the transition from the weekend into the work and school week.
It’s also possible that Thursday is close enough to the weekend for users to start getting excited, but it’s not a time when they’re out doing things with their friends.
In other words, Mondays are for catching up on the weekend, and
Instagram Best Practices
First, Instagram photos get 2x the engagement of Instagram videos. That may sound counterintuitive, but Instagram was designed to share images — not videos. So even though Instagram has trekked into uncharted territory with videos, images still perform better with its users.
Next, images with faces earn 38% more likes. If you have the opportunity, use a face in as many photos as you can. Just like with behind-the-scenes photos, this will humanize your brand — but it’ll also help you interact with followers.
Third, images with negative space earn 29% more likes. That means you never want to use an image that’s only foreground. Every photo should have a background or negative space to help it “breathe.” That makes it easier for people to look at and enjoy since they’re not constantly looking for the focus of an image.
Last, blue images recieve 24% more likes than red. While the reason for this isn’t quite clear, it could be because blue is easier to look at for long periods of time than red. Red is well-known to be a powerful color, especially when it comes to getting attention. But when it comes to Instagram users, blue is apparently better.
