When is the best time to use Social Media?

So you've got the Facebook Page and the Twitter Account, but you are still having trouble managing your Social Media? We've covered the Why you should use it, and the How you should use it, but what about the When? Is there an optimal time to be utilizing your social media? 

It seems that there is.

Most social media sites seem like they never slow down. It's true that because they're global sites and people around the world use them consistently throughout a 24-hour day it would seem that there's no wrong time, but depending on your target market there might just be one for you. If you're a local business aiming at individuals who operate on roughly the same schedule as you, then tweeting Monday to Friday after work hours will most likely be ideal. 

But did you know that weekdays actually aren't the ideal time to tweet? That's right, because Twitter and Facebook marketing engagements increase over 17% on weekends! That means that there is a whole group of people who are trying to keep their day-to-day lives social-media-free. 

Many offices don't allow access to social media sites or use of private phones during work hours. Others are bound by strict technology rules and are only allowed to utilize social media for work-related purposes. Furthermore, many people find social media altogether too time consuming or regular use makes it too difficult for them to focus on their task at hand. 

8AM - 7PM Sunday through Saturday sees a 30% increase in engagement vs. outside hours. So although there are many people tuning themselves out during work hours, throughout the week there is still an opportunity to engage, it should just be within standard operating hours. 

Also, Did you know that shorter tweets and content on facebook often see higher engagement? Even YouTube videos all have a click-off rate based on when people stop watching. If you don't catch people's attention within the first 100 ch. or 30 secs you're not likely to at all. 

So what do we know then? 

• Tweeting / Facebooking on Weekends is ideal to Weekdays

• Overall the best hours to Tweet/FB are 8AM - 7PM daily

• Using 1 or 2 #hashtags in your tweet increases your overall engagement by 12

• Using MORE than 2 #hashtags DECREASES your engagement #overkill

The key to accurate and efficient content marketing in social media is first knowing how to do it, but secondarily knowing when to action it! Good luck!