In order to disseminate information on X (formerly Twitter) and reach many people (increase impressions and engagement), the time of posting is as important as the content of the post. In this article, we will explain how to find the optimal posting time to suit your target audience and operational points to maximize engagement.
Why is posting time important?
Although X’s timeline is optimized by an algorithm, the initial response immediately after posting (the number of likes and reposts) greatly influences the subsequent growth in impressions. In other words, the first step to creating buzz is to post when your followers are most actively viewing their timelines and get instant responses.
Typical “active hours”
Among Japanese users, the following three time periods are said to generally increase the active rate.
- Morning commute/school time (7:00-8:00): Content that people want to input at the beginning of the day, such as news and summaries of useful information, is preferred.
- Lunch break time (12:00-13:00): This is a time when you can relax while eating, so it’s easy to watch entertainment videos and funny jokes.
- Night prime time (20:00-22:00): The time of the day when there are the most users. Long posts (threaded posts) that require careful reading and deep themes that provoke debate are suitable.
How to find the “optimal time” according to your target group
The general theory above is just a guideline, and the correct answer will vary depending on who your account is sending to.
- BtoB (for business people): Aim for weekday mornings, lunch breaks, and after work between 6:00 PM and 7:00 PM. Access tends to be extremely low on Saturdays and Sundays.
- For housewives and child-rearing groups: People tend to be more active in the morning after dropping off their children at school (10:00-11:00) and late at night (after 10:00 p.m.) when housework has calmed down.
- For students: Strong activity can be seen in the evening after school (16:00-18:00) and late at night.
The best way to identify the best time is to use X’s analytics features or an external tool (such as SocialDog) to analyze (A/B test) the times when your past posts had high engagement.
Additional ideas to increase engagement
Once you’ve optimized your posting time, keep the following in mind:
- Utilize images: Posts with attached images (diagrams and photos) take up more space on the timeline than posts with only text, resulting in higher click rates and likes.
- Communication through replies: By quickly replying to replies (comments) immediately after posting, the algorithm will more likely determine that the post is a good post with active conversation.
Summary
“When to post” is an important factor in maximizing the potential of your content. First, imagine your target’s lifestyle, formulate a hypothesis, and post at various times. Then, analyze the data and find the “golden time” for your account.