You‘ve worked for days to craft an incredible new blog post. You‘re thrilled to finally hit "publish" and set it free for the world to see. But soon doubt starts seeping in — what if no one reads this because I‘ve picked the wrong time to post it?
It’s a question every blogger faces: when’s the best time to publish my blog content?
Unfortunately there’s no universal perfect publishing date or hour that’s ideal for every site. The “best time” depends on factors unique to your blog like:
- Your audience demographics
- Your blogging goals
- The type of content you create
In this epic guide, we’ll break down key considerations for determining your optimal publishing times.
You’ll learn:
- Why there’s no one-size-fits-all “best time”
- Expert insights on strategic timing
- How to align timing with your audience and goals
- The power of consistent promotion
- How to analyze performance by publish times
- Tips to refresh evergreen content
Let’s dive in!
Table of Contents
- Why There‘s No Single Best Time
- Expert-Backed Strategic Publishing Times
- Consistent Publishing Over One-Time Wins
- Avoid Peak Traffic Competition
- Leverage Promotion, Not Just Publish Times
- Aligning Best Times With Your Audience
- Catering Content Type to Publishing Times
- Getting Granular With Your Analytics
- Refreshing Evergreen Content
- Summarizing Key Takeaways
Why There‘s No Single "Best Time"
The world of blogging is overflowing with studies and advice columns preaching "X is the best time/day to publish your posts for maximum results!"
But it‘s an oversimplification to think there‘s one universal best time that tops them all.
As Brian Dean of Backlinko puts it:
"So even though I just shared a bunch of studies on the ‘best’ time to publish a blog post… take ALL of those recommendations with a grain of salt. Every audience is different."
The time that resonates most depends on components special to your blog:
Your Target Audience
Age, location, job roles, lifestyle factors, and more about your readership impact when they‘ll be most receptive.
For example, posting at 3pm EST may be completely ineffective if 100% of your fans are based in New Zealand.
Your Blogging Goals
If affiliate revenue is the main goal, aligning timing with prime shopping hours could lift sales.
Or if brand partnerships are key, target times your social following is most active.
Your Content Formats
Quick skimmable posts suit midday productivity lulls better than in-depth analytical pieces optimal for evenings/weekends.
In this guide, we‘ll explore how each of those variables plays into finding your best posting times.
But first, let‘s see what the broader expert consensus says.
Expert-Backed Strategic Publishing Times
While your distinct audience should ultimately guide decisions, there are some best practice windows recognized across blogging experts.
Afternoons & Evenings for Social Shares
You want maximum social shares? Publishers typically see greater pickup mid-afternoons through early evening.
For example, TrackMaven analyzed 150,000+ articles and found posts published around 3pm EST performed best on social channels like Facebook and Twitter.
Stats via TrackMaven
So why do late afternoon and evenings tend to win for social media?
- It‘s when office workers start winding down and browsing more recreationally.
- Commute times also lend themselves to skimming updates.
- Parents are checking networks while kids wrap up after-school activities.
There‘s more downtime to catch up on blogs and share intriguing posts before bed.
HubSpot CEO Brian Halligan follows this approach with his own blogging strategy:
"I have a very simple blogging strategy: write posts over the weekend and publish them every day at around 3 PM Eastern."
Mornings for Influencers
What about for influencer content working with sponsors? Sarah Williams, influencer strategist at AMRA, suggests waking hours tend to work best.
"Most bloggers catch up on feeds first thing after waking up while drinking their coffee. If an interesting influencer post catches their eye early on, it leaves lots of potential sharing time left in the day," Williams says.
Analysis of over 100 top blogs showed influencer posts generally see initial traction building around 10am.
Publishing in the mornings allows visibility while all the major players are actively scanning their feeds. If momentum builds quickly, it unlocks exponential sharing potential throughout the day.
Anytime for Evergreens
For evergreen non-time sensitive posts, publish timing matters much less.
For example, an in-depth tutorial on "How to Start a Podcast" stays relevant for extended periods. Whenever it goes live neither significantly propels nor hinders its success.
Focus timing experiments more on content related to events, news or limited-time offers. Evergreen how-tos and listicles will drive value regardless of publish date.
Consistent Publishing Over One-Time Wins
Debating over the perfect publish minute misses the bigger priority: consistency itself.
Software company HubSpot looked at over 200 customer blogs and how content volume correlated to overall traffic.
Companies publishing 16+ blog articles per month saw a 3.5x traffic boost versus those with just 0-4 posts.
Consistent publishing shows readers you’re a reliable value-add resource. And compounding value month over month earns loyal followings returning habitually.
Recurring publishing cadences also help set expectations. Readers come to expect new posts Tuesdays knowing that‘s when you consistently publish.
So rather than fixating on one perfect window, focus first on nailing down a regular production and promotion system you can sustain month over month.
Then within the framework of consistency, experiment with strategic timing.
Avoid Peak Traffic Competition
It’s logical to target publishing around peak traffic periods. More potential eyes could mean higher readership and engagement, right?
But there’s a catch.
Popular times also mean masses of other sites compete for the same reader attention. If everyone’s publishing content at Tuesday 3pm, your post must break through sheer noise.
Stats via Sumo
It‘s why TrackMaven’s analysis on best content timing found:
“Sunday was the best day to publish blog content with regard to social shares… Since it’s the day that the fewest blog posts are typically published.”
Counterintuitively, off-peak publicity windows often boost odds of standing out.
Leverage Promotion, Not Just Publish Times
Obsessing over publish days and hours risks overlooking more impactful traffic drivers:
Your promotion activities.
Unlike a fixed publishing point, you continually push content multiple ways:
| Promotion Channel | Tactics |
|---|---|
| Signup incentives, re-engagement campaigns, loyalty rewards | |
| Social Media | Content updates across networks, paid amplification |
| SEO | Backlinks, keyword targeting, content expansions |
| Paid Ads | FB/Instagram ads, Retargeting, Content discovery |
| Partnerships | Republishing, backlinks, influencers |
These exponential sharing methods expose posts to new sets of eyes daily, regardless of initial publishing time.
Take evergreens for example. A YouTube tutorial from 3 years back, refreshed with new info and promoted on Instagram Reels, catches fire with fresh audiences.
The key is stacking distribution channels both at publish time AND in ongoing follow-on promotions.
Assigning best "day/time" horse blinders severely limits ongoing discovery potential.
Now let‘s explore how to customize timing based on your audience and content.
Aligning Best Times With Your Audience
Your readers – their locations, lifestyles, preferences – should guide strategic time decisions.
Analytics tools like Google Analytics reveal user behavior patterns:
Study geographic and demographic dimensions like:
Localization
What countries/time zones is your readership in?
Peak times to reach Australians will differ greatly from audiences in Canada for instance.
If you attract global visitors, target multiple regions:
- Share UK-friendly afternoon posts
- Then replay content at North American prime times
Demographics
How do age and lifestage tie into online availability?
- Teens have far more browsing freedom than say parents of toddlers
- Retirees tend to follow looser daily schedules with more flexibility
Build user personas and consider their constraints when identifying promotional windows.
Funnel analysis through the lens of your distinct crowd – not generalized best practices.
Catering Content Type to Publishing Times
Step back and objectively audit your blog. Analyze the types of posts you create and typical format lengths.
Publishing times often depend heavily on content format and intent.
Long-Form
Reflective in-depth analyses or guides land best during extended down periods.
For example, 2,500-word gear review posts shine on weekends when readers have ample free time to slow down and soak up every detail.
Short-Form
Brief "coffee break" reads suit mid-week midday lulls perfectly. 300-500 words tackling one tactical tip allows busy professionals to consume fast during brief windows back at their desks.
| Content Format | Word Count | Ideal Publishing Time | Why It Works |
|---|---|---|---|
| Long-form, in-depth analyses | 2,000+ words | Weekend mornings & evenings | People have more availability to read and digest details |
| "Coffee break" quick tips | 300-500 words | Weekday late mornings | Easy to skim fast during short work breaks |
Mix long-form value pieces for extended weekend reading with short-form quick hits for busy weekday productivity recharges.
Evergreen
As mentioned for evergreen how-tos, tutorials, etc. the calendar matters little. However, align relevant evergreens to current events or seasonal interests when possible.
For example, annually refreshing evergreen “Thanksgiving Leftover Recipes” articles in November will likely drive spikes versus April.
Timely & News Based
Posts on recent events often hinge on hitting as rapidly as possible.
For example, publishing focused reactions to last night’s ad debut seconds after it aired before chatter dies down.
Strive for <60 minute windows from news drop to your post for highly time-sensitive analysis.
Getting Granular With Your Analytics
Rather than presume theoretical best timing, let real user actions guide you.
Dive into post-level analytics across factors like:
- Day of week published
- Hour of day posted
- Peak traffic days/hours
- Social media clicks by network
- Goal conversions by publish date
Tools like Google Analytics make this segmentation easy. Apply date and time filters to see clear patterns around seasonality and hourly effectiveness.
Uncover the tangible evidence on your best (and worst) timing down to specifics like 43% higher email signups on posts published Wednesdays between 11-12pm.
Then double down on what works based on real visitor actions rather than hunches.
Refreshing Evergreen Content
For overperforming evergreen posts, don’t just set-and-forget. Re-promote them regularly with refreshed spins.
Give existing evergreens new life across channels:
| Channel | Refresh Tactics |
|---|---|
| Email newsletters | Feature as “Posts You May Have Missed” |
| Social media | Share again as “In Case You Missed It” posts |
| Homepage/archives | Pin dynamic “Most Popular” badges |
| SEO expansions | Update info with additional sections |
This constant resurfacing exposes evergreen gems to new groups of potential fans. The more eyes you can put on evergreen winners regularly, the better.
Summarizing Key Takeaways
There‘s certainly no single universal best publishing time that tops them all. But core learnings can guide your strategic timing experiments:
Match times to audience types/locations. Review analytics for patterns on their active windows. Consider geographic and demographic factors for who they are and when they browse.
Support different content formats. Long-form analyses suit weekends; short bursts match weekday productivity lulls.
Consistency rules all. Regular publishing cadences outweigh any one-time "perfect" timing attempt.
Keep promoting and refreshing. Evergreen posts can drive value for months and years if continually kept front and center.
Customize your efforts based on trends unique to your readers and content. There are no defined formulas that apply perfectly across the board.
By continually testing new posting times while reviewing performance data, you’ll sharpen publishing instincts over the long haul. Use this guide as framework for experimentation.
Then adapt approaches based on the engagement and outcomes specific to your site. Analyzing real patterns by continually trying new ideas will unveil what moves the needle with your particular crowd.
What publishing times have you found work best? Or what other questions do you have on strategic timing? Share your thoughts in the comments below!
