There is no shortage of advice for the best times to post to various social networks, and this infographic by Microsoft I've included, below, is another one to add to the list. And while I think the recommendations (Mondays and Wednesdays are best for Instagram!) are somewhat useful, I'm not sure there's an exact science to any of it.
What I do know is that when the bloggers, vloggers, and Instagrammers that I follow devotedly post content, I get to it no matter what the time. If a video goes up at 1am, I'll watch it the next morning. I'll scroll through to my favorite Instagrammer even if his post was from early this morning. The science of timing probably doesn't really matter when it comes to the following you already have.
But if you want to work on building a following, sure, timing matters. But perhaps consistency matters more. Adhere to a schedule that works for you, not a phantom audience you're trying to pin down via these infographics. If you post content regularly, not only will your SEO rankings rise, but your potential followers will come to expect you. Brand awareness comes from consistency, not necessarily a secret code for timing.
That said, it's worth taking a look at these statistics, and registering that it's okay to take weekends off from Twitter, that LinkedIn users love those mid-week posts, and that when all other networks are dead on Friday, Facebook is your reprieve. Each network has it's own rhythm, and the sooner you discover that rhythm, the sooner it will feel automatic and internal to know when to post what where.
What I love most about this infographic, however, is that it stresses two principles I believe to be crucial to understanding social media:
The first is that strategy is fluid. To say that there is one way to do anything on social is to misunderstand the very nature of social. The very best marketers plan, execute, measure results, and adjust. And they do it constantly. This field we're in changes so much and so fast, and if you stick with one way of doing things for too long you risk becoming the dinosaur in the room. If you want to crack the code of social, the best trick is to stay agile.
The second is that social is about context. Yes, you must think about the best times to post to each network, but there are so many other things to consider as well: what kind of content you're posting, what your goals are, what's happening in current events, and what your brand voice is are just a few. And if you thought about each of those contextual elements in a scientific way, you'd be a robot. Therefore, the best advice I can give is to study each network by regularly participating in them, and then your knowledge of how to use them will be internalized and authentic.
And with that long disclaimer/endorsement, enjoy!