The internet is inundated with millions of blog postings each day. So much content is competing for an audience's attention; it can be challenging to sift through and pinpoint what's worth reading. 

As content creators, when is the best time to publish a blog post?

Let's start by setting the scene. You've written a fantastic blog post. It's well-sourced, timely, and relevant to your readers. You've optimized it, polished it over for any grammatical errors, and you're ready to share it with the world. But before you click the "publish" button, you stop yourself. 

Is it the right time of the day? The proper day of the week? When is the best time for my target audience to read this particular blog post?

These are all excellent questions, because blog timing is important. We'll break down what the data tells us so you can make a smart posting decision.

Begin With the Question "What Are My Goals?"

Ultimately, the best times to post an article may vary depending on your audience and when they're most likely to be online. (NeilPatel)

Before we can figure out what the best time for you to post is, let's go over some deciding factors and general guidelines 

1) Do I Want Maximum Traffic?

If you're aiming for high traffic in your posts, the best time to post is on Monday in the late morning, around 11 am. It's usually the time people are looking for something enjoyable to read midday at work.  

2) Am I Looking For Engagement Through Comments?

If your goal is more engagement through comments, research will tell you peak blogging hours are Saturday morning, around 9 am. People are more likely to engage with your post when they're relaxed on a weekend morning.

3) Am I Hoping to Build Links?

If you want more inbound links to your blog post and website, early morning publishing (7 am) on Monday and Thursday are great days for this.  

Posting Time Pros and Cons 

There's a delicate science to correctly timing when you publish your posts, and CoSchedule provides an excellent breakdown of the pros and cons of posting times. Here's a list of them and why they may or may not work for you. 

1) Posting during high-activity hours (day time)

• Pros: more visitors, comments, and engagement
• Cons: Content gets buried under other posts and loses prominence. Your content gets lost in the noise.

2) Posting during low-activity hours (night time)

• Pros: More prominence, less noise, and a more substantial chance for front page visibility.
• Cons: Fewer visitors, comments, and engagement

Take a look at some more data visuals on day/time posting, courtesy of KISSMetrics via CoSchedule.

Identifying the Best Times For Your Blog

The graphics and research above offer you more insight into potential posting goals and times. However, it's important not to adopt them without further analyzing your specific business needs. There is no magic formula that works for any and every blog. 

It's best to establish your short-term goals for your blog (more traffic, comments, links) and use the data as a guiding tool to help you decide what strategy would work best for you. It's important to heavily consider your target audience, their lifestyles, and what times they're most likely to be active and interact with your content. Study your past posts and their analytics to aid your continuing strategy. (Chloe Digital)

How Often You Should Publish?

When you hit that publish button is essential, but it's not the end-all factor to the success of your blog post. Frequency is just as important.

So how often should you publish?

According to 2018 data, sites that publish 16 or more articles monthly drove more traffic that published four or fewer monthly posts (Hubspot). So publish frequently--depending on your needs and audience--around every other day or so. 

Fortunately, blog posts have the longest lifespan of popular content mediums. This medium is easy to update and re-purpose, making them a smart investment in your overall content strategy. 

Need Help Developing a Solid Inbound Strategy? Work with Rizen Today!

Rizen Inbound offers customized solutions to build an optimal blog strategy. In fact, we can help you assemble a winning formula for any of your marketing challenges. Rizen considers all of its clients partners and takes their success personally. 

Their team is devoted to working alongside you every step of the way! Partner with them today for guaranteed business growth (Rizen).