LinkedIn has become an essential platform for businesses looking to establish their professional brand, connect with clients, drive website traffic, and attract top talent. With over 740 million members worldwide, LinkedIn is the world’s largest professional network and continues to grow at a rapid pace.
Determining the best times to post content on LinkedIn is crucial for businesses who want to maximize their reach and engagement. LinkedIn’s algorithm favors content published during peak activity periods when members are most active on the platform. Posting at the right times allows your content to gain more visibility in the feed and helps build your follower base organically over time.
In this comprehensive guide, we will examine the factors that influence ideal posting times on LinkedIn and provide data-backed recommendations on the best times to publish different types of content.
When Are LinkedIn Members Most Active?
To understand when to post on LinkedIn, we first need to look at when members are most active on the platform. LinkedIn activity patterns closely correlate with people’s working schedules and downtime.
Here are some key facts on when engagement peaks on LinkedIn:
- Morning hours from 8 AM to 10 AM tend to see higher sharing and engagement.
- Traffic dips during lunch hours between 12 PM to 1 PM.
- Engagement rises again in the afternoon between 1 PM to 3 PM.
- The hours after work from 5 PM to 6 PM see increased sharing as people check LinkedIn on their commute or during downtime.
- Engagement drops significantly after working hours from 8 PM onwards.
Weekdays, especially Tuesdays and Wednesdays, tend to see more LinkedIn activity as compared to weekends or Mondays. The most active days on LinkedIn tend to be mid-week when the work week is in full swing.
This data indicates that the working hours from 8 AM to 6 PM are generally the best times to post content on LinkedIn when engagement is likely to be higher. Mid-morning and mid-afternoon in particular should be targeted.
Best Times to Post by Content Type
However, optimal posting times can also vary according to the type of content you are publishing. Certain content performs better at different times of day based on what your audience is most likely to engage with during specific periods.
Here is an overview of the best times to post different types of content:
Industry News
Sharing the latest news and developments relevant to your industry tends to perform well in the morning when people are getting started for the day. 8 AM to 10 AM is an ideal window for industry-related news as it catches viewers during a time when they are actively consuming information.
Thought Leadership Articles
In-depth thought leadership pieces and long-form content do well when published between 10 AM to 12 PM when engagement is still relatively high but dropping off from the morning peak. Readers are more likely to click on detailed articles and analysis during these mid-morning hours.
Blog Content
Blog-style posts with tips, how-tos, and other useful information gain traction between 1 PM to 3 PM when engagement picks up again after lunch lulls. Your audience is receptive to digestible blog content in the early afternoon.
Infographics
Visual content like infographics tends to be most popular from 3 PM to 5 PM in the late afternoon as people look for bite-sized content to consume. Infographics are quick and easy to view, which makes them ideal for the hours right before close of business.
Behind-the-Scenes
Give your followers a peek behind the scenes by sharing photos, videos, and stories about your business. This type of fun, interactive content performs well from 3 PM to 6 PM when engagement starts to increase but work focus drops off.
Job Postings
If your goal is to attract applicants, post new job openings in the mornings from 8 AM to 11 AM or later in the evenings after 7 PM. Job hunters tend to browse openings before or after working hours when they have free time to consider opportunities.
Promotional Content
Self-promotional content highlighting your products, services, and special offers gains the most exposure between 12 PM to 2 PM around lunchtime when engagement dips slightly. Your promotional posts are more likely to stand out against less clutter in the feed.
Follower Engagement
Interact with your connections by responding to comments, asking questions, and crowdsourcing ideas. You will get more responses between 9 AM to 12 PM when your followers are actively checking notifications.
Tips for Posting at the Right Times on LinkedIn
Beyond just considering the time of day, here are some additional tips to make sure your posts hit at the right times for maximum impact:
- Monitor your audience’s activity levels and adjust your timing accordingly. Look at when your followers are most responsive.
- Test different posting times and analyze the engagement on each to identify ideal hours.
- Schedule posts at least a week in advance so you can select specific high-traffic times.
- Avoid posting important content on weekends, Fridays, or Mondays when fewer people are active.
- Post multiple times per day, spacing out content between high, medium, and low engagement times.
- Develop a consistent posting schedule but remain flexible to find times that work.
- Consider time zones if you have an international audience on LinkedIn.
The Best Days to Post on LinkedIn
In addition to posting at peak hours, you also need to pay attention to which days tend to see the highest LinkedIn usage and engagement.
Here is an overview of the best days to post content on LinkedIn:
Tuesday
Tuesdays are the top days for engagement on LinkedIn. With the work week in full gear, LinkedIn members are active online. Publish your most important content on Tuesdays to maximize reach.
Wednesday
Wednesdays are nearly as strong as Tuesdays in terms of engagement. The mid-week position keeps LinkedIn traffic elevated. Use Wednesdays to post content you want to gain visibility.
Thursday
Thursdays see the third highest engagement levels after Tuesday and Wednesday. Member activity starts to slow heading into the end of the week. Thursday is still a worthwhile day to post.
Monday
Mondays are weaker for engagement as people get busy with meetings and catching up after the weekend. Still post on Mondays but focus on lower priority updates.
Friday
Fridays are one of the lowest traffic days on LinkedIn with engagement declining ahead of the weekend. Avoid posting content you want maximum views on Fridays.
Saturday & Sunday
Weekend engagement on LinkedIn drops significantly with minimal posting or viewing activity. Limit weekend posting to only necessary updates or community management.
How to Use LinkedIn Analytics for Insights
LinkedIn Analytics provides valuable data on your audience demographics, content performance, and the best posting times for your unique followers. Accessing your LinkedIn Analytics can help refine your strategy.
Here are some ways to leverage LinkedIn Analytics:
- View follower demographics like locations, job roles, and industries to understand your key audiences.
- Check your top performing posts to identify content types and topics that engage your followers.
- Analyze weekly and hourly posting data to reveal when your followers are most active.
- Compare posting times to see which days and hours result in the highest reach and engagement.
- Review audience growth and engagement rates over time to spot positive or negative trends.
- Track your audience’s devices to optimize content for mobile vs. desktop.
Regularly monitoring your LinkedIn Analytics provides the insights you need to determine the best times to post. The data will be specific to your followers rather than broader averages.
Tools to Schedule and Plan LinkedIn Posts
Posting consistently at the ideal times takes effort. Social media tools can help schedule and plan your LinkedIn content:
LinkedIn Post Scheduler
LinkedIn’s built-in post scheduler allows you to easily plan posts in advance. You can select the exact date and time for the post to go live.
Hootsuite
This social media management platform makes it easy to schedule multiple LinkedIn posts with the best times optimized. View key analytics.
Sprout Social
Sprout Social’s LinkedIn integration allows you to manage and schedule posts. Analyze performance to find the best times.
Sendible
With Sendible you can plan, schedule, and publish LinkedIn posts for one or multiple accounts all in one dashboard.
Loomly
Loomly is a visual social media planner with a calendar view to schedule and visually organize your LinkedIn content.
The right tools take the guesswork out of determining peak posting times and when your audience is most engaged. Automating your LinkedIn posting makes it easier to be consistent.
Key Takeaways on the Best Times to Post on LinkedIn
Posting on LinkedIn at the right times is critical for increasing engagement and driving results from your content. Here are the key takeaways:
- Aim to post during working hours from 8 AM to 6 PM when LinkedIn activity peaks.
- Prioritize morning and mid-afternoon for highest visibility based on content type.
- Schedule industry news for 8-10 AM, thought leadership for 10 AM-12 PM, and visuals for 3-5 PM.
- Post on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays for optimal engagement.
- Use LinkedIn Analytics to identify the best times and days for your audience.
- Plan and schedule posts in advance using social media tools.
Conclusion
Your LinkedIn content strategy has a much greater chance of succeeding if you are intentional about posting during the best times. Analyze when your audience is most active online and adjust your posting cadence accordingly.
Targeting the right days and hours leads to higher reach, more engagement, and increased site traffic. By following the recommendations in this guide, you can make sure your LinkedIn efforts hit the mark to achieve your business goals. With a strategic approach, it is possible to maximize your LinkedIn content success.
