Semrush Newsroom logo
  • Features
  • Pricing
  • Resourcesarrow icon

    • Blog

      Read the industry's latest thoughts on digital marketing, content strategy, SEO, PPC, social media and more.

    • Help Center

      Learn how to use Semrush with user manuals, how-to’s, videos and more!

    • What's New

      Keep track of the newest Semrush features and improvements.

    • Webinars

      Register and take part in educational webinars conducted by the best digital marketing experts.

    • Ebooks

      A range of downloadable guides in PDF format that can help you broaden your knowledge and improve your skills.

    • Hire a Trusted Agency

      Pressed for time? Need rare skills? Get help from a trusted agency. Our experts work with marketing projects of all kinds and budgets.

    • Academy

      Get vital SEO skills, learn how to use our toolkits and get official certificates of your proficiency in SEO and Semrush.

    • Top Websites

      Discover the most visited websites. Analyze their traffic and search rankings. Choose country or industry to find out who currently leads the market.

  • Companyarrow icon

    • About Us
    • Newsroom
    • Careers
    • Success Stories
    • Data Studies
    • Affiliate Program
    • For Investors
    • Partner Integrations
    • Contacts
    • Stats and Facts
  • Marketplace
Menumenu icon
user icon
menu icon
  • News
  • Data & Insights
  • Company News
  • Product News
  • Press Kit
Search icon
  • Features
  • Pricing
  • Resourcesarrow icon

    • Blog
    • Help Center
    • What's New
    • Webinars
    • Ebooks
    • Hire a Trusted Agency
    • Academy
    • Top Websites
  • Companyarrow icon

    • About Us
    • Newsroom
    • Careers
    • Success Stories
    • Data Studies
    • Affiliate Program
    • For Investors
    • Partner Integrations
    • Contacts
    • Stats and Facts
  • Marketplace
Semrush Newsroom logo
  • News
  • Data & Insights
  • Company News
  • Product News
  • Press Kit
✕
Main page /Data & Insights

Social Media Deep Dive: What and When to Post on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook

July 25, 2023
Social Media Deep Dive: What and When to Post on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook
To help you sharpen your social strategy, Semrush analyzed a year’s worth of social media content on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook from the biggest tech companies.
According to the study:
· The content types with the highest engagement did not align with the types most frequently posted by tech companies
· Content type had a larger impact on engagement than posting date or time
· The most popular time and day to post was mid-week (Tuesday through Thursday) between 9am and 3pm ET—during the work day
· When viewed together, posting day and time did not have a significant impact on engagement
The top social media content on each platform. On Twitter and Facebook, links were the most frequently shared, and photos got the highest engagement. On Instagram, Reels were most frequently used, and carousels got the highest engagement.
For this study, we focused specifically on content from official brand accounts throughout 2022. So, more recent seismic shifts—like the introduction of Threads—were not included in the data set. And because we focused specifically on tech brands, our findings may not be representative of other industries.

What Tech Brands Love to Post And What Their Audiences Actually Want

According to Semrush analysis, content type had a significant impact on post engagement. However, the most popular post types did not align with what tech companies most often posted.
A breakdown of the highest-engaged content types on each platform. On Instagram, carousels were the highest, followed by video posts. On Twitter, photos were the most successful, followed by text posts. And on Facebook, photos were the most successful, followed by links.
On Instagram, carousel albums received the highest engagement—possibly due to the platform’s origins as an image sharing platform.
Despite their high performance, carousels were the least popular type of post, comprising only 21.1% of content. Videos were the most frequent with 41.7%, followed by single images (37.1%).
Photo posts had the highest engagement rate on both Twitter and Facebook, suggesting that audiences gravitate toward visual content regardless of platform.
But on both platforms, links were the most popular post type with tech brands, representing 45% of all tweets and 57.5% of all Facebook posts in 2022. This could be because links enable brands to create a clear CTA, and draw attention to or repurpose external content.
The most popular content to post from the brand's perspective. On Instagram, brands posted videos most often, with carousels (the highest engagement) coming in last place. On Facebook and Twitter, brands posted links the most frequently.
To maximize your social media impact, pay close attention to what your audience actually reacts to.

Posting Time Has Less Impact on Engagement

Overall, the most popular times to post (based on number of posts) was during the work day, between 9am and 3pm ET, Tuesday through Thursday.
Average engagement on each platform by day and hour. During the work week, Tuesday through Thursday were strongest. By hour, most engagement happened midday between 9am and 3pm ET.
But Semrush research found that posting day and hour had no statistically significant impact on engagement.
This may be due to the prevalence of ranking algorithms and post recommendations across all social platforms—because posts are often shown non-chronologically, time of day have less of an impact.
Instead of relying on general trends in your space, use your own analytics to identify the best time and day for your brand.

The Best Social Media Data Is Your Own

It may be tempting to rely on the broader trends within your space, but all audiences are not created equal. Your own followers have unique schedules and content preferences.
Semrush’s Social Media Toolkit can help you analyze, create, and schedule your content, and make a bigger impact with your audience—so you can rely on data specific to your brand, rather than relying on broader trends.
SMM-Data-Study-Product-Banner-03.png

Download as

PDF
DOCX

Share

Relevant news

Google’s AI Overviews Reach Up to 17% of Search Results in Europe, But Germany Barely Breaks 1%, Semrush Finds

Portugal and Belgium emerge as leaders in AI integration on SERPs, while Germany and Switzerland remain cautious.
Data & Insights
May 6, 2025

Breaking Barriers: What Search Data Reveals About Women’s Equity

As we gear up for International Women's Day (IWD) on March 8, 2025, this year’s theme, 'Accelerate Action,' is more than just a message – it’s a movement. It’s about celebrating and championing the advancement of women worldwide. Semrush data reveals surging online engag...
Data & Insights
March 7, 2025

Valentine's Day: A Data-Driven Love Story of Trends, Searches, and Online Dating

Valentine’s Day has long been a celebration of love, but beyond the chocolates and roses, it’s also a season of surging search trends and online dating booms. With billions of searches and millions engaging with dating platforms, data paints a compelling picture of how p...
Data & Insights
February 11, 2025
twitter iconfacebook iconlinkedin iconinstagram iconyoutube iconpinterest icon

location iconUSA, 800 Boylston Street, Suite 2475, Boston, MA 02199

mail iconContact us
USA, 800 Boylston Street, Suite 2475, Boston, MA 02199

or see our plans & pricing

Semrush
  • Features
  • Pricing
  • Success Stories
  • Stats and Facts
  • Insights
  • News
  • Custom Report
Help
  • Knowledge Base
  • Academy
  • Semrush API

Community
  • Semrush Blog
  • Webinars
More Tools
  • Analytics Reports
  • Projects
  • Content Marketplace
  • Agency Partners
  • Affiliate Program
  • SEOquake
  • Sensor
  • Prowly
  • Kompyte
  • App Center
Company
  • About Us
  • Newsroom
  • Careers
  • Partners
  • Legal Info
  • Privacy Policy
  • Security Info
  • Do not sell my personal info
  • For Investors
  • Contact us
Follow Us
  • menu icon
    Twitter
  • menu icon
    Facebook
  • menu icon
    LinkedIn
  • menu icon
    Instagram
  • menu icon
    YouTube
  • menu icon
    Pinterest
Language
  • English
  • Español
  • Deutsch
  • Français
  • Italiano
  • Português (Brasil)
  • Русский
  • 中文
  • 日本語
© 2008 - 2023 Semrush. All rights reserved.