by Allison Hester, allison@ecleanmag.com
If you’re wondering when the best time to post on your Facebook business page is, you’re not alone. Unfortunately, there is no generic answer because every audience is different. However, there are a few general guidelines that can help you take an educated guess:
1. Remember, about 50% of your audience will see your post within 30 minutes of when you post it. So posting at 3 a.m. is probably not the ideal time to schedule your daily post.
2. Facebook is checked more often on phones than on computers.
3. About 80% of 18 to 44 year olds check their Smart Phones when they first get up. (Note this month’s eClean article on Ed Pharris’ success with Facebook. Before using a scheduler, he was up posting ever morning at 5:30 a.m.)
4. A lot of smart phone users check their phones around mealtime.
5. About 80% of smart phone users check their phones while watching TV in the evenings. However, this is also a heavy traffic time, so you’re going to be up against a lot of completion. You might be better off posting after about 8 p.m.
6. Weekends are risky because schedules are off. People may check Facebook more often, but it’s harder to predict exactly when to post. You’re probably better off posting those big specials during the week.
7. About 50% of Facebook users do not check Facebook during work hours, so that’s not a good time either.
8. While not a safe practice, a lot of people check their phones during the morning and afternoon commutes, so those are generally a good time to post as well.
Again, it’s going to depend on your specific target. Like all marketing, you need to test different times and different types of posts. For more guidance on how to post, visit this month’s issue of eClean Magazine.
