Social media is iterative, which means it is constantly changing. If you want to be any good at social marketing, you have to consistently do your homework. It’s not an exact science but when the formula is right, you’ll see spikes in engagement, brand loyalty, and return on investment.
EpicMediaInc
In order to formulate a successful social media marketing strategy, a brand must be informed on a few things. This begins by looking at the following:
- Who the audience is and what they want.
- Where they congregate.
- The times they are the most active.
- The most popular social media platforms.
- The best times to post.
- Quality content that creates value.
Even the popularity of platforms can change monthly. If a big social brand has a major flub, they may not be the best platform to post in this quarter. Especially if the user rate is down. The social media market is never stable but if you pay attention, you can a gain major competitive edge against businesses twice your size.
The Social Media Market
There are currently over a thousand social media networks scattered across the web, and by the year 2021, there will be 3.02 billion monthly active social media users. That’s a third of the world’s population. Although China and India rule the market for number of users, the United States has the region with the highest penetration rate for social networks. Of course, all of that can change in six months.
Young adults are heavy users of social platforms like Snapchat and Instagram, while Facebook and YouTube score higher in the older demographic (73% and 68% respectively). That’s why it’s critical to understand your audience before you try to market to them online. Here are a few more interesting stats about the current market:
- 42% is the average global penetration for social media.
- Facebook is the most popular social network in the world, with 2 million monthly active users.
- YouTube is the second most popular social media platform in the world, with 5 million monthly active users.
- Approximately 2 billion internet users are on social media.
The reason people choose social networks—and their usage behavior— is vastly diverse across the web. Facebook and Google+ are highly focused on networking with friends and family. LinkedIn is strictly business and platforms like Twitter are all about microblogging.
Evolution Digital
Therefore, it’s tough to pinpoint one study that shows the absolute best times to post what, where. However, there are some industry benchmarks that have proven success. A recent study by CoSchedule aggregated over 23 different industry studies from major producers to calculate the best average. Here’s what they came up with for the most popular platforms:
Lauded as the father of all social media, Facebook is the market leader with a 15% increase in growth year after year. People spend more time on Facebook than any other social media site on the web. The purpose of the platform is generally for family and friends to share and connect. It’s also used by small business owners to engage and grow their audience.
When to Post
The peak traffic on Facebook occurs between 1 and 3 p.m. and the engagement rate is the highest on Saturdays and Sundays. 32% higher to be exact. Posting at 1 p.m. will get you the most shares and posting at 3 p.m. should give you the most clicks. 9 a.m. is also an ideal time to post. Especially Monday thru Friday as this is when people are getting to work.
Upbeat content does really well on Fridays as people are generally in a good mood. If you are still unsure of where your audience is, social listening tools like Google Alerts or Awario can help guide the way. Whatever you choose, just make sure your content is consistent.
Owned by Facebook, the Instagram platform is one of the best places for visual content online. In fact, 1 billion people use the site every month and 63% of users log in once a day. In addition to daily posts, people can choose to place content on the Instagram Stories features. These short videos only last 24 hours and are meant to create a sense of urgency when viewing.
When to Post
Choosing when to post on Instagram simply depends on what you want to do. For increased engagement and likes, the best time to post on Instagram overall is on Sundays, between 3 p.m. and 9 p.m. CDT. This is right before the work week starts and when people are super scanning the feeds for a sense of relief. It’s like one last dose of escape before the workweek starts.
Twitter is a microblogging site that allows users to send and receive a short message (280 characters max) known as a “tweet.” The platform has over 750 million users and at 37%, boasts the largest demographic of young adults between the ages of 18 and 29. Businesses use Twitter to promote links back to their site and other social platforms. For optimal engagement, a minimum of three tweets a day is recommended, and there is no maximum.
When to Post
The prime time to tweet is between 12-3 p.m. with the peak time at 5 p.m. This is when people are just getting off of work. The work week is generally the best time to tweet, although it can also depend on the industry. For example, niche industries like event planning may find their target audience most active on the weekends.
B2B companies perform 16% better during business hours, while B2Cs find just the opposite. They peak at 17% on the weekends. Wednesday at noon and the hours during a user’s commute are the prime times to grab attention. If you are still unsure when to post, use programs like Google Analytics to track your Twitter followers and see when they are the most active.
LinkedIn was specifically designed for the business community. That’s why it is a tad harder to connect with people unless you know someone in their network. With over 347 million users, it has the highest rate of conversions out of any other platform. Just one post during the weekday can reach 60% of a brand’s audience. LinkedIn is the most popular among an older demographic, with 61% of users falling between the ages of 30 and 64. 50% of users are college graduates and earn a higher income than a typical young professional.
When to Post
Since the platform is almost strictly business, it makes sense that the best time to post is during the work week. Midweek posts are optimal, and the prime time is right when people are getting off work; between 5 and 6 p.m. The middle of the week is also the best time to post, meaning Tuesday through Thursday. People are busy adjusting on Mondays, and some cut out early on Fridays, so these metrics make sense.
The easiest way to think about when to post on LinkedIn is to consider that all the timing is based on the business work week. So, mornings between 7 and 8 a.m. and 12 p.m. (lunchtime) are also great times to get your content out there. This is essentially when people are commuting or taking a break from their workday to catch up with the news or speak with family and friends.
It should be noted that Mondays and Fridays have been known to produce even lower engagement than the weekend. So, if you post on those days, you better make it your high-quality content. At least you know there won’t be a lot of competition.
Other Factors
It’s also important to consider time zones when posting. Your audience may not be in the same one as your brand, so it’s critical you pay attention to when people are around and engaged. 80% of the U.S population is in the Central and Eastern time zones, and 50% is in eastern alone. So, if you are posting on a Pacific Standard Time schedule, starting in the morning, it’s already lunchtime on the east coast. You’ve literally shaved off half the day.
Kissmetrics
Social scheduling tools like Hootsuite or Buffer can help you curb the time zone conundrum. Especially if you are also posting for international audiences. There is simply no way one person in a business can run round the clock. Thankfully, automation can take care of that. After studying your audience and creating a schedule on the best times to post, all you have to do is create quality content to load into a scheduling tool. The rest will be handled for you.
It’s important to remember that automation shouldn’t be doing everything. Social media marketing is most effective when the audience feels engaged with a brand. This can rarely be faked and must come from a place of authenticity. Companies have to show they care. That’s why social efforts and philanthropy are valued so highly by modern consumers.
A brand that is effective pays attention to the details. They know what their audience is talking about, when they are displeased, where they are congregating, what time they are engaging, etc. It’s about awareness and understanding the critical social data that drives successful digital marketing. The closer you come to meeting people on their own terms, the more loyal customers you will have. And when they become true brand advocates, your marketing will run itself.