Are you looking to maximize your reach on Instagram? If so, I have good news for you; understanding when the best time is to post Reels can help you grow your followers. The truth is knowing when to post will help you get optimal engagement and visibility for your content.
So, when is the best time to post Reels on Instagram? Generally, the best time to post Reels on Instagram is 9 AM and 12 PM Eastern Time (ET), Monday through Thursday. Reels are the new way to share short, engaging videos on Instagram; strategically timing your reels is one of the best ways to increase engagement and visibility.
Read on to learn more about the optimal time to post reels on Instagram and how you can figure out the best times for your account.
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Why You Should Know When To Post?
Knowing when the best time is for you to post will help ensure that as many people see your content as possible. This is because understanding when most of your followers are online can help you increase views and engagement for your posts. I also believe timing can play a role in whether or not people see your content in their feeds.
If you post at peak hours, there is a bigger chance that people will see your posts because more people are scrolling through their feeds at that time.
On the other hand, if you post during off-peak hours, I believe there is a higher chance that fewer people will see it because they may have already scrolled past it while they were offline.
How To Find The Best Time For Your Account?
The key to figuring out what time works best for posting Reels on Instagram is experimentation. I suggest you try different days of the week and times of day until you find what works well with your audience and content strategy.
I also encourage you to check out some analytics tools like Sprout Social or Iconosquare, which can give you insights into when most of your followers are active on Instagram.
In addition, I suggest you use hashtags related to what type of content you want to post can be helpful in determining the best times for posting Reels as well since hashtags generally show when certain topics are trending on social media platforms like Instagram.
Day of the Week And Time of Day
Reel posts have a better chance of being seen if they are posted during peak posting times. Generally speaking, the best days and times for posting reels on Instagram are Tuesday through Friday, 9 AM and 12 PM EST.
However, depending on your target audience’s demographics, I suggest you experiment and adjust accordingly. For example, if your target audience is teenagers and young adults, I encourage you to consider scheduling your Reels for after 6 pm from Monday through Thursday. And, if your target audience is older adults or business professionals, I recommend you consider scheduling your reels before 4 pm from Monday through Thursday.
The key is experimenting with different scheduling times depending on your time zone and target audience.
In addition to timing your posts throughout the week, I encourage you to pay attention to what day of the week you post; generally speaking, Tuesdays are the most popular day for Reel posts. This could be because it is right in the middle of the work week when people have a little bit more free time than usual or because it’s just far enough away from weekends (which can be unpredictable).
I found Tuesdays to be an ideal day for posting Reels as there tends to be increased engagement and more viewers overall.
The table below shows the times of the day to post on Instagram Reels:
| Day | Time in EST |
| Monday | – 6 AM – 10 AM – 10 PM |
| Tuesday | – 2 AM – 4 AM – 9 AM |
| Wednesday | – 7 AM – 8 AM – 11 PM |
| Thursday | – 9 AM – 12 AM – 7 PM |
| Friday | – 5 AM – 1 PM – 3 PM |
| Saturday | – 11 AM – 7 PM – 8 PM |
| Sunday | – 7 AM – 8 AM – 4 PM |
Your Location Matters Too
Another thing to consider when looking to maximize your Instagram engagement is where you post from when scheduling reel posts, as your location matters too. If you are targeting a local audience or want more localized engagement with your content, I suggest you consider scheduling reel posts for specific locations such as cities or states (e.g., posting at 8 am in New York City would mean 8 am EST).
By scheduling reel posts for specific locations, you can ensure that your reel posts will reach awake and active people at that specific time in that particular location, which will help you increase engagement and visibility even further.
What to read next:
- What is an Instagram Brand Ambassador? And How to Be One.
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- 7 Easiest Ways to Make Money on Instagram without Selling Anything.
Wrapping Up
Generally, the timing of your Instagram posts is key when it comes to getting maximum visibility for reel posts on Instagram.
By understanding which days and times are most popular among viewers and which locations offer increased engagement opportunities based on timezone differences, I believe you can maximize viewership and exponentially increase likes, comments, and shares.
In addition, knowing when most of your followers are active will help ensure that more people see your content in their feeds and helps increase views and likes as well. I believe experimentation is key here, so I encourage you to try different days of the week and times of day until you find what works well with your audience and content strategy.
With these helpful tips in mind, start planning and optimizing your future reel posts today.