[author: Noreen Fishman]

All social media posting is not created equal. The content of your posts, the makeup of your audience, and other factors – like timing – can make a big difference in your online awareness and engagement. Data has shown that posting at certain times is better than others. Here’s what legal marketers need to know about the best social media posting times for law firms. 

HubSpot completed a survey of over 300 marketers in their network, across a variety of industries and platforms. The findings showed that 6 pm – 9 pm and 3 pm – 6 pm were the most successful windows for social media posting. Depending on the platform, weekends tended to be the best days for posting. In addition to these general insights, we pulled some key findings for specific social media platforms. 

The Best Social Media Posting Times for Law Firms

The Best Time to Post on Instagram 

When it comes to Instagram, the majority of marketers said the best time to post was between 6 and 9 pm. Secondarily, between 3 and 6 pm and from 9 am to 12 pm showed positive engagement rates. The study shared that the best day to post was Saturday, with the lowest performance rates on Monday. It’s important to note the differences between B2B and B2C performance. However, B2B brands alone said Friday was their best day for social media posting. In general, the worst times to post were 6 – 9 am, 12 – 3 pm, and from 9 pm – 12 am. 

The Best Time to Post on Facebook

Perhaps not surprisingly, respondents to the survey shared results that were similar on Facebook and Instagram. Again, the majority of posters cited the 6 to 9 pm time slot as their most successful. Mid to late afternoon is also a great window for posting to this platform, with 3 – 6 pm performing second best and 9 am to 12 pm coming in third. Again, the best days to post are Saturdays and the worst are Mondays. Some industries had success posting in the morning, but the data shows that legal marketers aren’t likely to perform well posting from 6 – 9 am or at night, from 9 pm to 12 am. 

The Best Time to Post on Twitter

Traditionally, Twitter was thought to draw more early morning users who start their day by scrolling for the latest news. For the same reason, they also tend to draw more late-night users than other platforms. Even with this common belief, Twitter posts performed the best in the afternoon, generally between noon and 9 pm. Most marketers said their posts did the best between 6 – 9 pm. This window was followed by 3 – 6 pm and noon to 3 pm. Marketers also reported that Friday was the best day to post on the platform. Somewhat surprisingly, the worst times to post were reported to be 6 am – 12 pm. This goes against some of the common advice regarding a Twitter schedule, so it’s worth testing and observing your own results on the platform. 

The Best Time to Post on LinkedIn

LinkedIn is worth paying particular attention to since it’s such a lead generator for the legal industry. With its focus on a business environment, it’s no surprise that weekday posts can experience higher engagement than some other platforms. Wednesdays tend to have the highest performance, followed by Saturdays and Sundays. The lowest-performing days were reported to be Mondays and Fridays. The data shows that you should aim to post on LinkedIn between 6 and 9 pm, 3 – 6 pm, and 12 – 3 pm. 

The Best Time to Post on YouTube

According to data from a Pew research study, over 80% of adults use YouTube. With video content becoming more important, we can expect that reach to grow. Similar to the other platforms, the best times to post fall between noon and 9 pm, with the windows ranking in this order: 6 – 9 pm; 3 – 6 pm; 12 – 3 pm. The majority of respondents shared the highest success rates on Saturdays, followed by Fridays. Monday – Wednesday tended to perform the worst. They also shared that the lowest-performing time slot was from 6 – 9 am. 

The Best Time to Post on TikTok

TikTok has become the go-to platform for short-form video content. Particularly among Gen Z and millennial users, TikTok has become quite popular with its reach expected to expand. Marketers who use the platform share that the ideal times to post are from 6 to 9 pm, 3 to 6 pm, and 12 to 3 pm. B2B brands had the most success on Saturdays and Thursdays. Most marketers don’t recommend posting in the morning (from 6 – 9 am) or on Tuesdays or Mondays. 

Takeaway: 

Although data can point toward smart tactics on each social media platform, results are going to vary based on your own audience and other factors. It’s important when researching the best social media posting times for law firms to tailor your approach to the social media users who follow and engage with your firm. If you haven’t collected your own data yet, begin by posting regularly and then reviewing your performance across each platform over time. You may find that certain content types perform better at certain times, and other nuanced insights can help you to optimize your strategy.