According to a new report from Dan Zarrella, the weekend is the best time to post content on Facebook as articles posted then are shared the most. One explanation for the phenomenon was that more than half of companies block Facebook. While I’ve noticed that Twitter is the exact opposite, this report definitely sheds some light on Facebook user behavior.
Unfortunately we have no way of knowing how accurate this report is. The primary reason is that no information was shared about the sampling data. How were articles selected when testing sharing volume? Was an arbitrary data set selected for testing against Facebook’s share analytics tools? Whatever the model is, it’s definitely interesting.
I also would imagine that many Facebook users turn to their mobile devices to monitor content while on the go during the weekend. Then again, the same users who are blocked from accessing Facebook at work may be visiting their friends’ activity while in transit to and from work each day. Unfortunately this basic glimpse in to Facebook user behavior is nothing more than that: a basic glimpse.
I’d be interested to see other statistics on Facebook sharing. Do notice that your friends share more information on the weekends or is there more activity during the weekdays?
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Thanks for the link and the mention!
If you're curious about my methodology, I have detailed it in a post linked to from the post you got this graph from.
Comment by Dan Zarrella — March 10, 2010 @ 6:56 am
mmmm graphage. I am going to try this!
Comment by Jana — March 10, 2010 @ 6:59 am
I see more activity during the workdays as a habit. Weekend activity corresponds to how good or bad the weather is, IMO. Sunny and warm? Low activity. I live in Wisconsin where the weather is pathetic 50% of the year.
Comment by Carol — March 10, 2010 @ 7:01 am
Friday afternoon seems to be slower, not as much weekend traffic until Sunday evening. Of course, this is all purely anecdotal as well.
Comment by Dennis Burke — March 10, 2010 @ 7:08 am
I don't find that to be true. There is traffic on the weekend and the congestion isn't as bad, but if you're writing relevant content you get read.
Best times for me are during the week – just after lunch, right after work, and just before bed.
Comment by Bill Browning — March 10, 2010 @ 12:08 pm
Awesome !
And now i know why I get so much traffic on weekends and not on weekdays !
Thanks for this analysis !!
Cheers
Ankit
Comment by Ankit — March 10, 2010 @ 12:30 pm
Bill, that's the difference between anecdotal evidence and empirical.
Comment by Dan Zarrella — March 10, 2010 @ 12:42 pm
I've noticed that more fans are generated on the weekends and evening hours.
Comment by katie stensberg — March 10, 2010 @ 1:16 pm
I agree with Bill – I think the weekends are really quiet on Facebook. I think the best overall time is 1pm EST. East Coast is at lunch, West Coast is finally awake, and the UK is ending the workday.
Comment by Kim Woodbridge — March 10, 2010 @ 1:47 pm
I believe Saturday and Sunday are my best traffic generating days. During the week I remain transparent engaging in and facilitating conversations.
Comment by Teasastips — March 11, 2010 @ 6:37 am
It depends on the demographics you're trying to reach, too. With college students I've noticed it's best to share at around 10 or 11 at night, except for Fridays and Saturdays, when traffic falls significantly, in my experience.
Comment by Karina Tweedell — March 11, 2010 @ 7:21 am
I agree with Bill here. Our company gets the most people to reply during the following times during the week:
11.45 – 15.30 – 18.30 and 20.30
During the weekend the most hits to our stories come around 11.30 on saturday BUT these people are drunk etc. and wont buy nor read anything.
Comment by Jouni Juhola — March 11, 2010 @ 7:32 am
I think Bill is right about this and it is fascinating that the exact opposite is true for Twitter. Personally, I am on FB less on the weekends but that is because I work in the social media sphere and take a little vacation from the socialsphere on Sundays.
Comment by Michael Feldkamp — March 12, 2010 @ 6:05 am
I somehow don't find this right. Most sites experience a fall in traffic during weekends, except a few. Facebook is no exception. Although people dont get access to facebook through offices or colleges, they somehow manage to kee track during late evening or night. Weekends are preferred for outings.
Comment by Salil — July 12, 2010 @ 12:24 am
It should certainly depend on the demographics as well as the type of content. It would be interesting to see which hours of the day gets the most interaction.
Comment by Verragio — July 27, 2010 @ 12:04 pm
I think it's because less people are posting – they're out doing things, but come Sunday they're ready to check back in and see what they missed out on – which isn't much since no one else is posting either. My theory post on a Sunday and you will get noticed.
Comment by bayouelle — October 22, 2010 @ 1:47 pm
[...] If you’re looking for sheer volume in terms of posts on top Facebook pages, Thursday is your day, but if interaction is your game, then start working for the weekend. [...]
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