When to Tweet
You have a Twitter account and plenty to say, but when should you say it? In a perfect world, your messages could be sent out when it’s convenient for you and be received and shared without regard to time zones, peak traffic times or days of the week. In the digital world, though, all these things must be examined if you want to make the most of your time on Twitter. Following are statistics on the best days and times to tweet along with recommendations regarding how to gain insight on your particular audience.
What Day of the Week?
According to an infographic developed by Fusework Studios, engagement is 17 percent higher on Saturday and Sunday, but only 19 percent of brands post tweets on the weekends. Wednesdays and Thursdays have the lowest rates of engagement. Twitter is a global network that operates on a 24/7 basis. Odds are, there’s someone on at any given time that will receive your message. If your posts are geographically related, tweet according to the appropriate time zone for that location during its peak times.
What Time of Day?
For all days, the best time to tweet is from 8 a.m. – 7 p.m. across time zones. Those who tweet during this time have a 30 percent increase in their rate of participation than those who don’t. While 64 percent of brands tweet during this time, it is likely due to the fact that they’re tweeting during normal business hours. Raka Creative’s research shows that, to get the most clickthroughs, the ideal time to post is 1 p.m. – 3 p.m. EST. The lowest rate of clickthroughs occurs after 8 p.m. EST on any weeknight and after 3 p.m. on Fridays.
Twitter gets the most traffic from 9 a.m. – 3 p.m. Monday through Thursday. Keep in mind, however, that posting during peak times means that you’ll have more competition for your followers’ attention. Radium One found that the 9 a.m. time period offers the highest rate of sharing while 1 p.m. is better if your goal is to get people to click through your links. Social media researcher Dan Zarrella tells us that most retweets occur between 12 p.m. and 5 p.m., with a peak occurring from 4 p.m. to 5 p.m.
Where in the World?
Examine your audience. What time zones are most of your followers in? Even if you’re in the Eastern time zone, if your brand or business is concerned with surfing, your audience may be primarily on the west coast. You should try to get more tweets in during the optimal times that are relevant to your audience’s time zone, not yours. Ask your followers where they’re from. Take note of when your posts are retweeted and responded to. Also take note of your clickthrough rate to determine when your links get the most clicks.
Your Data
Services like Tweriod and SocialBro can analyze data from your Twitter account and that of your followers to help you determine the best time to post your tweets. While statistics provide some insight into good and bad times to tweet, your situation is unique. Trial and error will go a long way in helping you determine which days and times are best. Start with the days and times recommended here and note when you get the most replies, retweets, and favorites. That will give you a better idea of when your specific audience will respond than general statistics will.
If you’re looking for in depth analysis and advice based on your Twitter profile and followers, the team atInfintech Designscan help. Their experts know Twitter inside and out and can help you to maximize your appeal, return on investment and success.
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