Just like a well-timed conversation in the workplace can capture attention and lead to fruitful discussions, posting on LinkedIn at optimal times can elevate your content’s reach.

That’s why it’s important to identify the best time to post on LinkedIn each day and the best posting days each week for maximum visibility, engagement, and impact.

In this guide, I explore various studies on the best times to post on LinkedIn. I’ll discuss days and timefra.m.es when LinkedIn users are most active.

You’ll learn how to use these optimal posting times to amplify your content's reach and build an engaged community of like-minded professionals.

Are you ready to optimize your LinkedIn posting strategy? Read on.

Disclosure: This content may contain a few affiliate links, which means if you click on them, I will get a commission (without any extra cost to you).

Quick Answer – TL;DR (Too Long; Didn’t Read)

  • The best time to post on LinkedIn is on Tuesdays and Wednesdays, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
  • The best times to post on LinkedIn vary depending on your industry and the behaviors of your target audience

The Best Times to Post on LinkedIn on Different Days

The best days to post on LinkedIn are Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays during the following hours:

  • Mornings, 7:30 a.m.–9:30 a.m.: Many professionals check out their LinkedIn feeds as part of their morning routine before starting their work day.
  • Lunch breaks, 12:00 p.m.–1:00 p.m.: During lunch breaks, professionals might browse LinkedIn, making this a good time for content visibility. 
  • Late afternoons, 4:00 –6:00 p.m.: Towards the end of the work day, professionals often check out LinkedIn for updates before leaving the office.

Take a look at this diagram. from a study by Sprout Social. It shows how posts published on Tuesdays and Wednesdays, between 9 a.m. and 2 p.m. get higher engagement as people settle into their workweeks.

HubSpot asked marketers when they got the highest engagement on their LinkedIn posts.

Based on their interview data, Mondays, Tuesdays, and Wednesdays between 9:00 a.m. and 6:00 p.m. are the best times to post on LinkedIn.

Pro Tip: Test different posting times and analyze your post's performance to determine what works best for your audience. LinkedIn provides analytics to track engagement on your posts to help you understand when your audience is most active.

You can use tools like Sprout Social or LinkedIn’s built-in scheduler to schedule your posts in advance for optimal posting times.

Why Posting at the Right Time Matters on LinkedIn

LinkedIn is a professional networking platform with over 61 million listed companies. The chances of making connections that could elevate your career are higher on the platform than on any other social media.

The stakes are high, therefore, it's essential to consider the everyday workday schedule and habits of professionals when determining the optimal times for posting.

Here are some key reasons why you should time your posts on LinkedIn:

  • Visibility: Posting at optimal times ensures that your content is visible to a more significant portion of your target audience. Your post is more likely to appear in their feed, increasing the potential reach and exposure.
  • Engagement rates: Posting when your audience is most active increases the likelihood of getting likes, comments, shares, and reposts. Higher engagement rates can boost your possibility of making connections and generating leads.
  • Competing for attention: Timing your posts strategically helps you compete for attention in a busy news feed. If you post when many others are active, your content may get lost or pushed down quickly. Choosing less congested times means your posts have a higher chance of standing out and being noticed.
  • Time zone considerations: If your audience is spread across different time zones, posting at strategic times will help you reach your international audience.
  • Algorithm: LinkedIn's algorithm considers the engagement a post receives shortly after it's published. Posts that generate early engagement are likely to be shown to a broader audience. Posting at the right time can help you gather initial engagement and boost the algorithmic reach of your content.

Posting time on LinkedIn directly impacts your posts' visibility, engagement, and effectiveness. Understand when your target audience is most active and tailor your posting schedule accordingly.

What Are the Best Times to Post on LinkedIn by Industry?

Audiences from different industries engage differently on LinkedIn. You must consider your industry when determining the best time to post for higher engagement.

The table below shows the best times to post on LinkedIn for different industries.

IndustryBest Times and Days to Post on LinkedIn
TechnologyTuesday and Thursday
9 a.m.-1 p.m.
HealthcareTuesday and Wednesday
10 a.m., 2 p.m.-6 p.m.
NonprofitWednesday
12 p.m.
FinanceTuesday and Thursday
10 a.m.-2 p.m.
HospitalityMonday, 10 a.m.-1 p.m.
Friday, 4 p.m.
EducationWednesday, 8 a.m.
Thursday, 2 p.m.
RestaurantsTuesday to Friday
11 a.m.-2 p.m.

How to Find the Best Times to Post on Your LinkedIn Account Using Different Tools

Determining the best times to post on LinkedIn involves analyzing your target audience's engagement patterns and tailoring your posting schedule accordingly. 

Several tools can help you gather this data and optimize your posting schedule. Let's discuss the tools that can help and how to use them to find your best times to post on LinkedIn.

1. LinkedIn Analytics

As mentioned earlier, LinkedIn provides a built-in analytics feature to measure the performance of your posts. Here's how to use it to determine the best posting times for your LinkedIn account:

  1. Go to your LinkedIn Profile and click “Analytics” in the top navigation menu.
linkedin analytics
  1. Explore your post impressions data to see how your content is performing.
linkedin content performance analytics
  1. You should compare impressions received on posts published on different days and times of the week. This will help you identify your best posting times.

    For example, posting on Tuesdays works best for my LinkedIn account.
linkedin analytics - post impressions
linkedin analytics - post impressions

2. Sprout Social

Sprout Social is a social media management tool that includes features to analyze audience engagement and publishing behavior, among other essential metrics.

Here's how to use it to find the best posting times for your LinkedIn account:

  1. Log in to your Sprout Social account and go to the “Reports” section.
  2. Go to the “LinkedIn” profile you want to analyze.
  3. Analyze when your posts get the most engagement on LinkedIn.
  4. Use this data to identify the optimal posting times for your content.
linkedin publishing behavior report by sprout social
Source

You can also schedule your next batch of LinkedIn posts, directly from the Sprout Social dashboard.

3. SocialPilot

SocialPilot is a social media scheduling and analytics tool that can help you optimize your posting schedule on LinkedIn. Here's how to use it effectively:

  1. Access “Audience Insights” by logging in to your SocialPilot account and going to the “Analytics” section.
  2. Select the “LinkedIn profile” you want to analyze this data for. Then, click “Analyze.”
  3. Navigate data like impressions, likes, clicks, and audience engagement to identify the posting times that get maximum exposure for your content on LinkedIn.
linkedin in analytics by social pilot
Source

4. Buffer

Buffer is a popular social media management tool with analytics and scheduling capabilities. Follow these steps to find your best posting times on LinkedIn using Buffer:

  1. Log in to your Buffer account and navigate to the “Analytics” section.
  2. Go to the LinkedIn profile you want to analyze this data for.
  3. You can check out the data on your post performance to identify days when your content received more engagement.
buffer linkedin post performance analytics
  1. Click on the “Answers” tab to identify the best day to post on LinkedIn for your account along with your best type of post and best posting frequency.
best posting days on linkedin using buffer analytics
Source

Fine-tuning your LinkedIn posting schedule will help you maximize engagement on your posts, resulting in higher conversions and stronger brand building.

8 Tips for Finding Your Best Time to Post on LinkedIn

Finding the best time to post on LinkedIn requires a strategic approach that considers your target audience, their behavior, and the nature of your content.

Here are some tips to help you identify the best posting times for your LinkedIn content:

  • Know your target audience: Understand their demographics, industries, and geographic locations. Different audiences have varying online behaviors and browsing schedules.
  • Leverage LinkedIn Analytics: Use LinkedIn's built-in analytics to track when your followers interact with your content the most. You can do this by exploring “Post impressions” on different days of the week.
  • Experiment with posting times: Conduct experiments by posting at different times and days of the week. Monitor likes, comments, and shares on your posts to identify patterns of higher interaction.
  • Consider audience time zones: If your audience is spread across multiple time zones, schedule posts to align with the major time zones of your target demographic.
  • Align posting times with the type of content: Tailor your posting time to match the content type. For example, sharing tech industry news makes the most sense during typical work hours, while inspirational or educational content will most likely do well during the evenings.
  • Analyze competitor behavior: Observe when your competitors post and analyze their engagement levels. Doing this can provide insights into effective posting times within your industry.
  • Engage with your audience: Responding promptly to comments and messages increases your posts' visibility and engagement. It also helps you build relationships with professionals in your industry.
  • Use scheduling tools: Use social media management tools like Buffer, Sprout Social, and Vista Social to schedule posts at specific times based on your analysis and insights.

Remember, finding the best posting times is an ongoing process.

You need to experiment with posting times and analyze your content’s performance regularly. Revisit and adjust your LinkedIn posting schedule from time to time based on changes in your audience behavior, industry trends, or LinkedIn algorithm updates.

Be Flexible with Your LinkedIn Posting Strategy

Most social media engagement reports agree that Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays are the best days to post on LinkedIn because they align with a professional’s active workweek.

Furthermore, peak engagement windows open during mornings, lunch breaks, and late afternoons. These posting times are an opportunity to capture your audience’s attention and generate engagement.

The timing of your LinkedIn posts impacts their reach, engagement, and effectiveness in connecting with your audience.

You should use tools like built-in LinkedIn Analytics, Sprout Social, Buffer, and Vista Social to gain insights into your audience's most active hours on the platform. Schedule your posts to align with those hours for maximum impact.

Stay flexible, adapt to changing trends, and optimize your posting schedule to reach your LinkedIn audience effectively. Happy LinkedIn-ing!

FAQs

What is the best and worst day to post on LinkedIn?

The best days to post on LinkedIn are Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays. During these days, professionals are usually more active and engaged.

The worst days to post on LinkedIn are the weekends—Saturdays and Sundays. Professionals are most likely away from work and less active on LinkedIn during this time.

What time of day is LinkedIn most active?

The LinkedIn audience is most active during these hours:

9 a.m.-10 a.m.: Many professionals check LinkedIn during their morning routines, making this a prime time for posting.

12 p.m.-2 p.m.: Professionals often browse LinkedIn during their lunch breaks, presenting another opportunity for high engagement.

4 p.m.-6 p.m.: Towards the end of the workday, professionals often check LinkedIn for updates before leaving their offices.

Is 5 p.m. a good time to post on LinkedIn?

Posting at 5 p.m. could be effective, especially on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, or Thursdays.

Professionals might be wrapping up their work and checking LinkedIn before leaving for the day. However, remember that engagement might vary based on your specific audience and industry.

Is 4 p.m. a good time to post on LinkedIn?

Posting at 4 p.m. is effective, particularly from Tuesdays to Thursdays. Professionals might still be active and engaged on LinkedIn during this time as they wind up their workdays and catch up on updates.

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