When to publish in order to have maximum visibility - What? Everyone is asking this question on LinkedIn. Timing plays a key role in the scope of a post. That said, it may be difficult to define it precisely, but there is no universal answer. What day to publish? About what time? Here is what you need to know about the best times to post on LinkedIn and reach as many people as possible. ⏰
Why is a good publication timing important?
In contrast to Instagram or TikTok, LinkedIn is not a social network where you just scrolate to have fun. Here, users come with a specific objective:
✔️ Keep informed ✔️ Developing their network ✔️ Seeking professional opportunities
👉 A good timing can make the difference between a post viral and an ignored post.
But be careful! There is no absolute rule.
The "ideal time" usually depends on your audience, your sector and your goals. That said, here are a few general trends who can guide you.
Understanding user behaviour on LinkedIn
Unlike other more entertainment-oriented social networks, LinkedIn is a professional network. Users are mainly active during their working hours, with specific peaks of activity:
📌 Morning (7-9 a.m.) Many people consult LinkedIn before starting their day. 📌 Lunch break (12h-13h30) Many take a break and consult LinkedIn. So this is the perfect time to get their attention. 📌 Late afternoon (5-6.30 p.m.) Some end their day by going through LinkedIn. They reconnect to see the updates before leaving the office.
⚠️ Weekends, activity is down, except for certain sectors such as Entrepreneurship or Freelance.
Best days to post during the week 📅
When it comes to publish on LinkedIn, it is often thought that Monday rhymes with workload and organization of the week. Users are connected, but less committed to networks. Better then. prioritise other days for your most strategic posts.
🔹 Monday : users are often overwhelmed by their workload. Avoid this day for strategic posts.
🔹 Tuesday : this is the best day! Best slots: 7h-8h30 / 10h-12h / 17h-18h
🔹 Wednesday Another key day. Best slots : 7h-12h / 17h-18h
🔹 Thursday : very effective in the morning and early afternoon. Best slots: 7h-8h30 / 9h / 13h-14h / 17h-18h
🔹 Friday Even if it's at the end of the week, it's still relevant to post content. Best slots : 7h-8h30 / 12h
Avoid weekends 🚨
Weekends, in particular Saturday and Sunday, are generally less effective at publishing on LinkedIn.
The activity of users decreases considerably during these days. However, professionals use them to publish staggered content like memes, etc.
What if you have international targets?
For companies that have subscribers spread over multiple time zones, there is not a single ideal time to publish. It is often recommended that: publish at several times of the day to reach different segments of your audience.
For example, publishing in the morning for users in Europe and early afternoon for those in North America can maximize engagement.
🕘 The peak hours for LinkedIn engagement are generally between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. local time. However, these hours must be adjusted according to the time zone of your target audience.
Best times to publish according to your industry
TheMetricool study of 2024 analyzed more than 41,000 pages of companies and nearly 1.6 million publications over 122 days to determine the best times to publish on LinkedIn by industry. Highlights of their findings include:
- Professional services: Tuesday at 10:00 a.m.
- Industrial production: Thursday at 10 am.
- Technology, Information and Communication: Tuesday at 10:00 a.m.
- Education: Wednesday at 10 a.m.
- Consumer Services: Wednesday at 11 a.m.
- Administrative and Auxiliary Services: Monday at 1 p.m.
- Construction: Thursday at 11 a.m.
- Financial Services: Thursday at 10 a.m.
- Accommodation services: Thursday at 10 a.m.
- Entertainment suppliers: Wednesday at 10:00 a.m.
- Real estate services and equipment rental: Tuesday at 12 p.m.
- Hospitals and Health Care: Tuesday at 11 a.m.
- Retail: Tuesday at 4 p.m.
- Transportation, logistics and distribution chain: Tuesday at 1 p.m.
- Public administration: Thursday at 9 a.m.
- Wholesale: Friday at noon.
- Agriculture, Livestock and Forestry: Tuesday at 9 a.m.
- Oil, gas and mining: Tuesday at 5 p.m.
- Utilities: Tuesday at 10:00 a.m.
These data provide a good starting point to adapt your LinkedIn content strategy to your specific business line.
But be careful, your audience is unique!
If these trends are good starting point, They're not an exact science. Your audience may have different habits. For example:
- If you target freelances or digital nomads, they may be more active outside of normal office hours.
- If you are speaking to senior managers, they may consult LinkedIn early in the morning or late in the evening.
Test and analyze. LinkedIn offers statistics for each publication (if you have a professional account). Observe when your posts have the most commitment, and adjust your strategy accordingly.
CONCLUSION
You now have a good basis to situate your best time of publication in the context of your LinkedIn networking strategy. That said, you are always advised toexperimenting with different times of publication, different types of content and different frequency of publication to find what works best for your unique audience.