--- title: "Social Media Best Practices: How Often Should You Post?" description: Using social media best practices is a great way to guide your social media marketing strategy, but finding what works best for your brand is key. image: https://resources.cmglocalsolutions.com/hubfs/Blog_Post_Images/socialmedia_220831.jpg --- [855-594-0010](tel:855-594-0010) # [![CMG Local Solutions](https://cmglocalsolutions.com/wp-content/themes/cmg-local-solutions/assets/image/logo.svg)](https://cmglocalsolutions.com/) - Solutions - [Cox Targeted Display](https://cmglocalsolutions.com/solutions/cox-targeted-display/) - [Cox Connected Video](https://cmglocalsolutions.com/solutions/cox-connected-video/) - [Cox OneSearch](https://cmglocalsolutions.com/solutions/cox-onesearch/) - [Cox Analytics](https://cmglocalsolutions.com/solutions/cox-analytics/) - Industries - [Automotive](https://cmglocalsolutions.com/industries/automotive/) - [Financial Services](https://cmglocalsolutions.com/industries/financial-services/) - [Healthcare](https://www.coxhealthmarketing.com/) - [Higher Education](https://cmglocalsolutions.com/industries/higher-education/) - [Home Services](https://cmglocalsolutions.com/industries/home-services/) - [Legal Services](https://cmglocalsolutions.com/industries/legal-services/) - [Restaurant/QSR](https://cmglocalsolutions.com/industries/restaurants/) - Approach - [Our Strategy](https://cmglocalsolutions.com/approach/strategy/) - [How We Do It](https://cmglocalsolutions.com/approach/how-we-do-it/) - Clients - [Success Stories](https://cmglocalsolutions.com/clients/success-stories/) - [Creative Showcase](http://www.cmgadvertising.com/) - About - [Who We Are](https://cmglocalsolutions.com/about/who-we-are/) - [Careers](http://cmglocalsolutions.com/about/careers/) - Markets - [Athens](https://cmglocalsolutions.com/athens/) - [Atlanta](https://cmglocalsolutions.com/atlanta/) - [Boston](https://cmglocalsolutions.com/boston/) - [Charlotte](https://cmglocalsolutions.com/charlotte/) - [Dayton](https://cmglocalsolutions.com/dayton/) - [Houston](https://cmglocalsolutions.com/houston/) - [Jacksonville](https://cmglocalsolutions.com/jacksonville/) - [Long Island](https://cmglocalsolutions.com/long-island/) - [Memphis](https://cmglocalsolutions.com/memphis/) - [Miami](https://cmglocalsolutions.com/miami/) - [Orlando](https://cmglocalsolutions.com/orlando/) - [Pittsburgh](https://cmglocalsolutions.com/pittsburgh/) - [San Antonio](https://cmglocalsolutions.com/san-antonio/) - [Seattle](https://cmglocalsolutions.com/seattle/) - [Tampa](https://cmglocalsolutions.com/tampa/) - [Tulsa](https://cmglocalsolutions.com/tulsa/) - Resources - [Blog](https://blog.cmglocalsolutions.com/) - [Resources](https://blog.cmglocalsolutions.com/online-marketing-resources) - [Contact Us](https://cmglocalsolutions.com/contact-us/) # Digital Marketing Solved Blog ## [Social Media Best Practices: How Often Should You Post?](https://resources.cmglocalsolutions.com/social-media-best-practices-how-often-should-you-post) Posted by [Alyson Phillips](https://resources.cmglocalsolutions.com/author/alyson-phillips) on January 19, 2016 at 10:04 AM - [Tweet](https://twitter.com/share) ![Social media best practices](https://resources.cmglocalsolutions.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Blog_Post_Images/socialmedia_220831.jpg?width=330&name=socialmedia_220831.jpg "Social media best practices")Conventional wisdom says that [social media](https://resources.cmglocalsolutions.com/3-tips-to-scale-your-social-media-marketing-efforts) best practices, such as posting frequently, boosting interaction and using advanced audience reach tactics like A/B split testing, are essential for engaging your audience and growing your brand. But recent data indicates that perhaps this formula is not as cut-and-dried as marketers once thought. As more research is conducted regarding consumer habits, it's becoming clear that the social landscape is fairly complex and that post timing, post frequency and overall trends can change drastically depending on the brand and channel involved. #### When to Post Although most marketers agree that posting multiple times a day to your social networking accounts is essential, *when* you post may actually be just as important as what you post. A report from [Microsoft Enterprise](http://www.microsoft.com/enterprise/marketing-at-microsoft-blog/blog/connect-with-your-audience.aspx#fbid=ulq1i14DpEY) shows that the best days and times to post vary by social media platform. For example, Thursday and Friday are the best days to post to Facebook, while Monday through Friday is best for Twitter. Facebook users are most active between 1 and 3 p.m., while the best posting times for Twitter are noon, 5 p.m. and 6 p.m. in the time zone where the greatest percentage of your users are based. #### How Often to Post While following usage trends to plot your posting schedule is clearly helpful, there's less agreement about proper posting frequency. As [Fast Company](http://www.fastcompany.com/3029019/work-smart/the-social-media-frequency-guide-how-often-to-post-to-facebook-twitter-linkedin-a) highlights, you need to strike a happy balance between making sure the word gets out about your business and annoying your consumers with too-frequent contact. To avoid alienating customers, you'll want to start small with only a post or two a day and then build your posting schedule gradually over time, comparing engagement, reach and reception as more posts are added. Audit these metrics on a monthly basis, and then tweak your post frequency accordingly. If you notice a spike in unfollows or negative comments, you might be posting too often. #### When to Buck Trends Broad trends and social media best practices are certainly great to consider when planning your social strategy, but sometimes you just need to buck the trends and do what works for you. For example, Microsoft Enterprise shows that Instagram users are less active on the weekends. But if you're promoting a local brewing company that has a special weekend happy hour, you may find that posting to Instagram on Saturdays and Sundays is the best way to reach your target audience — those looking for something to do on the weekends. While it goes against trend, it makes sense for your business and connects with your users, which is your primary goal, after all. While making the most of current data is great, keep in mind that there's always room for tweaking your social media schedule and honing your marketing strategy to find what's best for you. **Related Articles** [What Baseball and Social Media Have in Common](http://blog.cmglocalsolutions.com/what-baseball-and-social-media-marketing-have-in-common) [What Growth in Social Media Advertising Means for Small Businesses](http://blog.cmglocalsolutions.com/what-growth-in-social-media-advertising-means-for-small-businesses) [5 Ways to Tailor Your Social Media Strategy to Millennials](http://blog.cmglocalsolutions.com/5-ways-to-tailor-your-social-media-strategy-to-millennials) [![Download our FREE eBook now!](https://no-cache.hubspot.com/cta/default/356930/39b2081b-acf2-46ca-86ee-90e54fd8d6ab.png)](https://cta-redirect.hubspot.com/cta/redirect/356930/39b2081b-acf2-46ca-86ee-90e54fd8d6ab) Topics: [Social Media Marketing](https://resources.cmglocalsolutions.com/topic/social-media-marketing) ### Stay Connected ### Subscribe to Email Updates ### Posts by Topic - [Digital Marketing Strategy (145)](https://resources.cmglocalsolutions.com/topic/digital-marketing-strategy) - [Social Media Marketing (74)](https://resources.cmglocalsolutions.com/topic/social-media-marketing) - [Integrated Marketing (70)](https://resources.cmglocalsolutions.com/topic/integrated-marketing) - [Video Advertising (66)](https://resources.cmglocalsolutions.com/topic/video-advertising) - [Search Engine Optimization (SEO) (63)](https://resources.cmglocalsolutions.com/topic/search-engine-optimization-seo) - [Paid Search Engine Marketing (60)](https://resources.cmglocalsolutions.com/topic/paid-search-engine-marketing) - [Mobile Optimization and Advertising (46)](https://resources.cmglocalsolutions.com/topic/mobile-optimization-and-advertising) - [Premium Display and Banner Ads (42)](https://resources.cmglocalsolutions.com/topic/premium-display-and-banner-ads) - [Content Marketing (41)](https://resources.cmglocalsolutions.com/topic/content-marketing) - [Website Design & Development (30)](https://resources.cmglocalsolutions.com/topic/website-design-development) - [Analytics (23)](https://resources.cmglocalsolutions.com/topic/analytics) - [Retargeting and Remarketing (23)](https://resources.cmglocalsolutions.com/topic/retargeting-and-remarketing) - [Reach Extension and Targeting (21)](https://resources.cmglocalsolutions.com/topic/reach-extension-and-targeting) - [Interactive Design & Creative (20)](https://resources.cmglocalsolutions.com/topic/interactive-design-creative) - [Native Advertising (18)](https://resources.cmglocalsolutions.com/topic/native-advertising) - [Automotive (12)](https://resources.cmglocalsolutions.com/topic/automotive) - [Marketing Strategy (12)](https://resources.cmglocalsolutions.com/topic/marketing-strategy) - [digital advertising (11)](https://resources.cmglocalsolutions.com/topic/digital-advertising) - [social media (11)](https://resources.cmglocalsolutions.com/topic/social-media) - [Local Listings Management (10)](https://resources.cmglocalsolutions.com/topic/local-listings-management) - [Food & Beverage (8)](https://resources.cmglocalsolutions.com/topic/food-beverage) - [Home Services (8)](https://resources.cmglocalsolutions.com/topic/home-services) - [target audience (7)](https://resources.cmglocalsolutions.com/topic/target-audience) - [Responsive Design (6)](https://resources.cmglocalsolutions.com/topic/responsive-design) - [local business (6)](https://resources.cmglocalsolutions.com/topic/local-business) - [Digital Success Series (5)](https://resources.cmglocalsolutions.com/topic/digital-success-series) - [Google (5)](https://resources.cmglocalsolutions.com/topic/google) - [Retail (5)](https://resources.cmglocalsolutions.com/topic/retail) - [Seasonal Marketing (5)](https://resources.cmglocalsolutions.com/topic/seasonal-marketing) - [small business (5)](https://resources.cmglocalsolutions.com/topic/small-business) - [Ask the Experts (4)](https://resources.cmglocalsolutions.com/topic/ask-the-experts) - [Google Analytics (4)](https://resources.cmglocalsolutions.com/topic/google-analytics) - [Professional Services (4)](https://resources.cmglocalsolutions.com/topic/professional-services) - [ROI (4)](https://resources.cmglocalsolutions.com/topic/roi) - [Voice Search (4)](https://resources.cmglocalsolutions.com/topic/voice-search) - [facebook (4)](https://resources.cmglocalsolutions.com/topic/facebook) - [video marketing (4)](https://resources.cmglocalsolutions.com/topic/video-marketing) - [Email Marketing (3)](https://resources.cmglocalsolutions.com/topic/email-marketing) - [Healthcare (3)](https://resources.cmglocalsolutions.com/topic/healthcare) - [Higher Education (3)](https://resources.cmglocalsolutions.com/topic/higher-education) - [branding (3)](https://resources.cmglocalsolutions.com/topic/branding) - [customer journey (3)](https://resources.cmglocalsolutions.com/topic/customer-journey) - [lead-gen (3)](https://resources.cmglocalsolutions.com/topic/lead-gen) - [location data (3)](https://resources.cmglocalsolutions.com/topic/location-data) - [online video (3)](https://resources.cmglocalsolutions.com/topic/online-video) - [targeted display advertising (3)](https://resources.cmglocalsolutions.com/topic/targeted-display-advertising) - [A/B Testing (2)](https://resources.cmglocalsolutions.com/topic/a-b-testing) - [Amazon (2)](https://resources.cmglocalsolutions.com/topic/amazon) - [Google Ads (2)](https://resources.cmglocalsolutions.com/topic/google-ads) - [data (2)](https://resources.cmglocalsolutions.com/topic/data) - [geo-targeting (2)](https://resources.cmglocalsolutions.com/topic/geo-targeting) - [marketing resources (2)](https://resources.cmglocalsolutions.com/topic/marketing-resources) - [ppc (2)](https://resources.cmglocalsolutions.com/topic/ppc) - [social media images (2)](https://resources.cmglocalsolutions.com/topic/social-media-images) - [traditional media (2)](https://resources.cmglocalsolutions.com/topic/traditional-media) - [visual content (2)](https://resources.cmglocalsolutions.com/topic/visual-content) - [B2B (1)](https://resources.cmglocalsolutions.com/topic/b2b) - [Cox OneSearch (1)](https://resources.cmglocalsolutions.com/topic/cox-onesearch) - [Customer Retention (1)](https://resources.cmglocalsolutions.com/topic/customer-retention) - [Instagram ads (1)](https://resources.cmglocalsolutions.com/topic/instagram-ads) - [Magid (1)](https://resources.cmglocalsolutions.com/topic/magid) - [SEO for Beginners (1)](https://resources.cmglocalsolutions.com/topic/seo-for-beginners) - [audio (1)](https://resources.cmglocalsolutions.com/topic/audio) - [boosted posts (1)](https://resources.cmglocalsolutions.com/topic/boosted-posts) - [brand guidelines (1)](https://resources.cmglocalsolutions.com/topic/brand-guidelines) - [job search (1)](https://resources.cmglocalsolutions.com/topic/job-search) - [memes (1)](https://resources.cmglocalsolutions.com/topic/memes) - [multi-location advertising (1)](https://resources.cmglocalsolutions.com/topic/multi-location-advertising) - [omnichannel marketing (1)](https://resources.cmglocalsolutions.com/topic/omnichannel-marketing) - [retail marketing (1)](https://resources.cmglocalsolutions.com/topic/retail-marketing) - [zero-click searches (1)](https://resources.cmglocalsolutions.com/topic/zero-click-searches) ## Free Resources Click [here](http://blog.cmglocalsolutions.com/online-marketing-resources) to visit our archive of free eBooks and White Papers   Search this site: Search ## Our *Partners* & Publishers ![Google Partner](https://cmglocalsolutions.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/google_partner_c.png) ![](https://cmglocalsolutions.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/04_bng_c.png) ![Tag Registered](https://cmglocalsolutions.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/tag_c.png) ![](https://cmglocalsolutions.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/digital_content_next_c.png) ![](https://cmglocalsolutions.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/http___pluspng.com_img-png_facebook-logo-png-1722-200x42.png) ![](https://cmglocalsolutions.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/09_iab_c.jpg) ![](https://cmglocalsolutions.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/doubleclick_c.png) ![](https://cmglocalsolutions.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/iStock-621141822-1024x683.jpg) ### Get started with Local Solutions today [Contact Us](https://cmglocalsolutions.com/contact-us/) **Cox Media Group** 6205 Peachtree Dunwoody Rd. Atlanta, GA 30328 © 2018 Cox Media Group, LLC. All Rights Reserved. - [Privacy Policy](https://cmglocalsolutions.com/privacy-policy/)