As an Instagram marketer, one of the most common questions you likely ask is: How often should I post to maximize reach and engagement?
You want to share enough content to stay top-of-mind and attract new followers, but not so much that you overwhelm your existing audience. It‘s a delicate balance that can make or break your Instagram success.
The truth is, there‘s no universally "right" answer to the question of how many Instagram posts per day is optimal. It will vary based on your specific niche, audience size, engagement levels, content themes, and marketing goals.
However, by analyzing the latest Instagram data and insights, we can establish some solid guidelines and best practices to inform your posting strategy.
In this comprehensive guide, we‘ll dive into:
- The most up-to-date research on optimal Instagram posting frequency
- Factors that impact your ideal posting schedule and cadence
- Proven tactics to find your individual frequency sweet spot
- Common pitfalls and mistakes to avoid when planning your posting calendar
- Tools and templates to efficiently manage your content pipeline
Whether you‘re just starting out on Instagram or looking to fine-tune a well-established brand presence, this advice will help you determine your optimal posting frequency for maximum ROI. Let‘s get into it!
What the Data Says: Average Instagram Posts Per Day in 2023
First, let‘s look at some of the most recent and relevant Instagram stats around posting volume and cadence:
| Metric | Data |
|---|---|
| Average posts per day | 1.7 for businesses (Buffer, 2022) |
| Average posts per week | 3-4, or 0.49/day (Rival IQ, 2022) |
| Median posts per day | 1 (Sprout Social, 2022) |
| Maximum recommended posts per day | 2 feed posts, 3-5 Stories, 1-2 Reels (Hootsuite, 2023) |
| Accounts posting more than once per day | 19% (Social Insider, 2022) |
As you can see, while results vary slightly, most data indicates that the average brand shares somewhere between 0.5 to 1.7 Instagram feed posts per day , equating to about 3-12 posts per week.
However, these benchmarks are just a starting point. Your business‘s ideal frequency will depend on several key factors.
Factors That Impact Your Optimal Instagram Posting Schedule
While it‘s helpful to know the average posting frequency across brands, replicating those numbers won‘t necessarily guarantee success for your specific account. That‘s because the best Instagram cadence is highly dependent on variables like:
1. Audience Size and Engagement
Generally, the more followers you have, the more frequently you can post without overwhelming your audience. Accounts with larger, more engaged audiences tend to have more leeway to post multiple times per day while maintaining high engagement rates.
On the flip side, accounts that are just starting out may want to stick to posting just a few times a week, so they don‘t come off as spammy or annoying to their small but mighty followings.
2. Business Niche and Industry
The type of industry and niche your brand falls into also plays a big role in your ideal posting volume.
For example, news and media brands tend to post much more frequently, with an average of 12+ posts per week, to keep up with the fast pace of current events and trending topics.
Meanwhile, nonprofits may only post a couple of times per week, focusing on highly targeted campaigns and fundraising initiatives.
Here‘s a breakdown of the average number of Instagram posts per week by industry, according to Rival IQ:
Of course, these are just averages—the right cadence for your brand depends on your unique offering, audience, and goals. But looking at the norms for your industry can provide helpful context for establishing your own publishing calendar.
3. Content Themes and Pillars
Another key consideration for your Instagram posting rhythm is the type of content you tend to share. For instance:
- If you post a lot of user-generated content (UGC), like customer photos and testimonials, you‘ll likely have a larger volume of quality content to pull from, enabling you to post more often.
- If you focus mostly on high-production branded photos and videos, you may need to limit your posting frequency to ensure each post is polished.
- If your content is largely centered around timely topics like news, product releases or special promotions, posting more frequently can help you capitalize on buzz.
- If you share a lot of evergreen educational content, tutorials, and resources, you can get away with posting less often, since the content has a longer shelf life.
Take some time to analyze your content mix and the resources you have available to create each type of post. Then, prioritize a regular cadence for your most important content pillars.
4. Marketing Goals and Objectives
Ultimately, the primary purpose behind your Instagram marketing strategy should dictate how often you need to post to achieve those goals.
For example, let‘s say your main objective is to drive traffic to your website and generate leads. In that case, you‘ll want to post frequently enough to consistently put your brand and its offerings in front of your target audience.
On the other hand, if your goal is more focused on serving and delighting your existing community through high-value, insider content, you may want to keep your posting volume on the lower end to avoid bombarding them.
Ask yourself what you really want to achieve with Instagram, and use your answer as a guiding light when setting your posting parameters.
How to Find Your Instagram Posting Sweet Spot
Okay, so now you have a general idea of how your audience size, industry norms, content mix, and objectives might influence your posting frequency. But how can you pinpoint the right number and cadence for your specific account?
Here are a few tactics to help you zero in on your ideal rhythm:
1. Analyze Your Audience Insights
One of the best ways to determine when and how often to post is to peek inside your Instagram Insights. This native analytics tool shows you tons of valuable data about your followers‘ demographics, locations, and online behavior.
Specifically, look at your Insights to see:
- Which days of the week your followers are most active
- What times of day your followers are most engaged
You can find this info by going to your profile, tapping the Insights button, and scrolling down to the Followers section.
Use this data to inform when you schedule your posts to maximize reach and visibility.
2. Measure Your Key Metrics
Another way to gauge the effectiveness of your current posting schedule is to consistently track your most important Instagram KPIs and see how they correlate with your posting volume.
Some key metrics to monitor include:
- Reach rate: The percentage of your followers who saw your post
- Engagement rate: Interactions (likes, comments, shares, saves) divided by impressions or reach
- Follower growth rate: The rate at which you‘re attracting new followers
- Website clicks: The number of people who clicked through to your website from your Instagram content
- Profile activity: Profile visits, website taps, email button taps, etc.
Use a tool like Keyhole or Sprout Social to track these metrics over time and analyze how different posting frequencies impact your results.
3. Conduct Split Tests
To really see how posting more or less impacts your bottom line, try conducting some split tests. For a designated period of time (say 3-4 weeks), try posting at a higher volume than usual. Then, scale back your frequency for the next testing period.
Compare your key metrics from each phase of the test to see which posting cadence generated the best results.
Just be sure to keep all other variables (type of content, format, times posted, etc.) as consistent as possible so you can attribute any changes directly to your posting volume.
4. Ask Your Audience
When in doubt, go straight to the source and ask your followers how they feel about your Instagram presence. You can use tools like question stickers in Stories or set up an Instagram poll to gather input.
Try posting a Story that says something like: "Quick feedback: How do you feel about the amount of content we share? Not enough, just right, or too much? Tap to vote!"
Getting direct input from your audience is a great way to ensure you‘re meeting their wants and needs with your content rhythm.
Mistakes to Avoid When Scheduling Your Instagram Posts
Figuring out your ideal Instagram posting schedule isn‘t an exact science. It requires ongoing analysis, testing, and adaptation as your account grows and goals evolve.
That said, there are a few common pitfalls to watch out for as you get into your posting groove:
1. Prioritizing Quantity Over Quality
In the quest to post more often and be ever-present in the feed, don‘t lose sight of the most important thing: Quality content that resonates with your target audience.
If you sacrifice the caliber of your captions and creative just to hit an arbitrary quota, you‘ll likely see a dropoff in engagement and followers. Focus first on delivering value; worry about frequency next.
2. Not Leaving Enough Breathing Room
When you post too frequently and don‘t allow enough space between content, you can unknowingly cause your posts to compete against each other and cannibalize engagement.
As a general rule of thumb, try to leave at least a few hours (if not a full day) between feed posts to give each one a chance to gain traction before it gets buried by the next.
3. Ignoring Your Analytics
Your Instagram Insights are a goldmine of valuable data about what content resonates with your audience and when. Don‘t just rely on generic best practices and benchmarks—dig into your own account‘s analytics to uncover key posting optimization opportunities.
For example, if you notice that your engagement rates are highest on Thursdays, consider adding an extra post that day to capitalize on the boost.
4. Posting at Inopportune Times
The most beautifully crafted content won‘t perform to its full potential if it‘s posted when your target audience isn‘t online to see it.
Before you finalize any posting slots, cross-reference the days and times with your followers‘ most active hours. Ensuring your content is going out when your audience is most likely to be scrolling will maximize your reach and engagement.
5. Forgetting About Off-Peak Posting Opportunities
While posting at peak activity times is generally a best practice, don‘t be afraid to experiment with "off-hours" as well. With so many brands fighting for limited real estate during busy periods, sharing content during lower-activity windows can actually help your posts stand out and beat the algorithm.
Tools to Streamline Your Instagram Scheduling Workflow
Keeping up with a consistent, optimized posting schedule is no easy feat. But luckily, there are several tools and apps you can use to automate the process and keep your content calendar on track.
Here are a few of the best Instagram scheduling platforms to consider:
- Later: Plan and schedule feed posts, Stories, and Reels in advance, with easy drag-and-drop functionality and user-generated content curation.
- Buffer: Manage and plan your posting schedule across multiple social networks, with helpful analytics and audience insights built-in.
- Hootsuite: Schedule, measure, and optimize your Instagram content within an all-in-one social media management platform.
- Sprout Social: Plan and publish content, measure results, and engage with your audience across multiple channels in a single platform.
Using one of these tools will not only save you a ton of time and brainpower when it comes to planning your posts, but also help you maintain a steady posting rhythm to keep your audience engaged.
FAQs About Instagram Posting Frequency
Still have lingering questions about finding your optimal rhythm? Here are a few common queries and expert tips:
Is it bad to post on Instagram every day?
For some brands, posting to Instagram daily can help maintain a consistent presence and keep your audience engaged. However, if posting on a daily cadence leads to lower-quality content or causes you to burn out, it may do more harm than good.
Daily posting is certainly not a requirement for Instagram success. It‘s much more important to focus on sharing content that aligns with your brand pillars, provides value to your followers, and supports your marketing objectives.
As long as you maintain a steady, intentional rhythm (even if that means posting a few times per week instead of every single day), you can achieve great results.
How many Instagram posts per day is too many?
While there‘s no hard and fast rule, posting more than 2-3 feed posts per day (not including Stories and Reels) can make your account seem spammy and overwhelming to followers.
When you post too often, you risk annoying your audience and causing them to mute or unfollow your account altogether. You may also see a decrease in engagement rates as your posts compete for limited space in the feed.
Even Instagram recommends keeping feed posts to 2 per day max, and supplementing with more frequent Stories and Reels if you have a lot to share.
How many Instagram posts per week should I aim for?
According to research, the average brand shares 3 feed posts, 8 Stories, and 4 Reels per week. However, this cadence may or may not be ideal for your specific account.
A good rule of thumb is to aim for no fewer than 3 and no more than 14 feed posts per week, adjusting based on your audience and engagement rates. Use Stories and Reels more liberally to fill in the gaps and keep your account active between feed posts.
Does posting more increase engagement?
Not necessarily. If your follower count is small, posting too often may make your content seem repetitive or irrelevant. On the flip side, if you have a large following, posting more frequently can increase the total volume of engagement you receive (even if the engagement rate per post decreases a bit).
The key is to pay attention to your individual post and aggregate engagement rates as you test different frequencies. If you notice engagement dropping off sharply when you increase your volume, scale back to find the right balance.
Key Takeaways: Finding Your Ideal Instagram Posting Schedule
With so many variables and data points to consider, finding your unique best practices for Instagram posting frequency can feel overwhelming. But breaking it down into a few key action items can help:
- Use industry benchmarks and account size guidelines as a starting point for your posting cadence
- Analyze your specific account insights to determine peak days and times for your audience
- Track your most important metrics to assess how posting volume impacts your KPIs
- Don‘t be afraid to test, iterate, and adapt your approach as you grow
- Prioritize quality and consistency over hitting an arbitrary posting quota
At the end of the day, there‘s no universally perfect answer to "how many Instagram posts per day." It all depends on your unique brand, audience, and objectives.
By staying attuned to your own analytics and engagement rates, you can find the right rhythm that keeps your audience engaged and your account growing. It may take some trial and error, but with these tips and tools in your arsenal, you‘ll be well on your way to Instagram success.
Remember, Instagram is constantly evolving, so your approach to posting should, too. Keep experimenting, testing, and fine-tuning to ensure your content is always optimized for maximum impact. Happy gramming!
