Are you a business owner wanting to advertise, increase brand recognition, improve sales, and eventually expand your business? Or a content creator who wants to reach as many people as possible, eventually translating into views and monetization? Maybe you belong to a political or religious organization or non-profit aiming to spread their opinions, raise awareness, or ask for donations.
Instagram, by Meta, is one of the most popular social media applications to date, with billions of active monthly users. It is undisputed that for a modern establishment, having a good presence on Instagram is quintessential, regardless of the overall purpose.
Regardless of the kind of account you are running, managing an Instagram presence for any entity is an arduous task. Whether it be creating appropriate content, or making the same compliant with SEO (Search Engine Optimization) is not easy. Managing an Instagram presence is both an art and a science.
A major factor that influences a post’s reach is the time it is posted. Let’s take a look at some of the best times to post on Instagram in PST. This article is primarily intended for content creators following the Pacific Standard Time [UTC -08:00]
The Best Times to Post on Instagram – The Basics
Two creators, with the same number of followers and content might get still get different results. This is simply because they are uploading at different times. While there is no ‘perfect’ time set in stone, you can probably find a slot that works best for you through some trial and error.
Understand your audience
The first thing that any creator should do is understand their audience. This can easily be done through the Instagram app on your phone:
Step 1:
Log in to your Instagram page and go to your profile tab
Step 2:
On the top-right corner, tap on the 3 Horizontal lines
Step 3:
Tap on “Insights”: Note- you need a professional or a creator account to do this
Step 4:
Under Overview, tap on the “total followers” category
Once you click on this, you will come across a range of metrics, including the gender, age group of audiences, and the time at which they are engaging with the content that is published. Armed with this knowledge, you can publish content when your audience is most active.
For example, if I was a content creator who specializes in creating new dinner recipes, and my metrics indicate that the content that I publish is most viewed between the time of 6 p.m. to 9 p.m., I can maximize my view count by uploading my content at 5:45 p.m.
Following this approach may help in boosting your engagement metrics, and after a few weeks, you may be able to find the “best time” for you to post your content.
Note: This Instagram Account was created to explain the process on an iPhone. There may be subtle variations while using an Android.
Advanced Permutations and Combinations
Once the basic aspects are covered, you should consider more advanced factors to maintain your current engagement, as well as increase your wider audience base.
You may also want to target two different sets of audiences, and they may be active at different times. Here, it’s best to create a dynamic and evolving upload schedule based on insights and audience feedback.
Uploading as per Pacific Standard Time
Let’s take a look at some of the best times to post on Instagram in PST:
Catering to Domestic Audiences
If your audience is primarily high school students, it’s probably not the best idea to publish content at 8 am. This is because your entire audience will in school attending classes. However, public schools are required to offer a lunch break between 10 am and 2 pm in the United States. This is a time when most students may scroll through Instagram and consume content.
On the other hand, if you make beauty and makeup content, 5 pm may be a good time to upload. This is when employees and students all return to their homes and may spend some time scrolling on Instagram.
If you are publishing comedy or drama clips that appeal to all age groups, that content may garner more views if uploaded at 9 pm. Some people may consume content before sleeping, and then again at midnight, when a majority of high school, college, and young professionals spend their time on Instagram.
Identifying your target audience will give you better insights into their schedules and habits. This makes it easier for you to identify an ideal time for posting, resulting in increased views for your account.
Catering to International Audiences
After a certain point, you have to start catering to a global audience to grow your Instagram presence. Your domestic considerations could potentially limit your reach. The need for the same can be evidenced by the following graph, showcasing, in millions, the total Instagram users:
Given these intricate and differing circumstances, a content creator has to do four basic things, being
1) Study
2) Experiment
3) Adapt
4) Evolve
Your content will most likely do well if these 4 steps are repeated. This will help you achieve organic growth.
Conclusion
Posting during the above mentioned best times to post on Instagram in PST do not guarantee success. Every content creator on this platform faces challenges in reaching their goals. Eventually, you will be able to identify time frames that work best for your content.
Several tools can be used to ensure that your content stands out. Predis.ai is a fantastic tool that allows creators to easily create and schedule Instagram posts and videos. This unique tool will save you time and effort while ensuring you get quality content. Sign up for your free account today!
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