What’s the most common question that you ask someone you’ve just met and would like to connect with more in the future? For me, it’s, “Hey! Are you on Instagram?” I’m sure most of you are nodding along. Because, hey, everyone is on Instagram, aren’t they?
It is safe to say that we are obsessed with the social platform. While for some people it’s just a matter of posting the dailies of life. For others, it has emerged as a professional choice – content creation. So for content creators, the most common question is not “are you on it?” That’s a given. It’s “how often do you post on Instagram?”
Game-changing insights on how often should you post on Instagram
The common misconception that surrounds content creation is that good content alone guarantees success as a creator. Unfortunately, that is far from the truth.
The timing and frequency of posts are just as crucial to the performance. And now thanks to Later, we finally have the answer to the crucial question.
The platform analysed over 81M posts and 917K unique accounts on Instagram to assess the impact that the frequency of posting had on reach and engagement. It covered the following user groups:
- Under 1K followers
- 1K-250K followers
- 250K plus followers
The rule of thumb
Overall reach increases as your frequency of posting increases, irrespective of how many followers you have.
Under 1K category
Post 14 times a week and your engagement rate and reach rate will be the best.
1K-250K category
Post 14-20 times a week if you want the highest reach rate. But if you want the most engagement on each post, stick to one content piece every week.
250K plus category
Post once per week to the highest reach rate and engagement rate.
Why the difference in how often should they post on Instagram?
Nano-influencers or creators rely on new audiences that they attract through the use of hashtags, to interact with their content. While the other two, rely on the existing audience. So, they can get away with posting quality content at a lower frequency.
Moreover, bigger creators use more Instagram Stories to engage with their audience. And since their audience is more established than budding accounts, it works to keep the engagement high.
Impact of the number of posts shared per week on the follower count
Intuitively, there is a very high and positive correlation between the number of posts shared per week and the number of followers. The more you share, the better your visibility, the higher your followers.
So, how often should you post on Instagram?
The answer to this question is a function of your goal.
- If your goal is to maximise your reach rate:
- Publish 14 posts a week if you have under 1K followers.
- Publish 14 to 20 posts a week if you have 1K-250K followers.
- Publish once per week if your follower count is greater than 250K.
- If your goal is to maximise your engagement rate:
- Publish 14 times per week if your follower count is under 1K.
- Publish once a week if your follower count is over 250K.
The final words on Instagram posting frequency
As we said before, more posts = more engagement. But this rule is meant for professional accounts and people who are full-time content creators. The numbers may differ for those who keep content creation as a side hustle.
Also keep in mind that the study was not conducted on Instagram accounts in India, so the numbers may differ slightly.
That said, our advice is to find a number and stick to it. Say, 12 posts a week or if you’re just starting out 7 posts a week. Consistency will take you a long way. Couple it with the right hashtags (and the right way to use them) and your reach and engagement will go through the roof.
