Facebook 102: Timing & Frequency

In our last article, Facebook 101, we learned all about what Facebook means for businesses and how to use it as an effective (and free!) marketing tool for your dental practice. We broke down the 60/20/20 Rule as a guide for what type of content you should be posting, and in Part 2 of our Facebook series, Facebook 102, we will discuss when and how often you should post to get the most engagement, the largest reach, and make the most out of your Facebook page.

When are the best times to post?

While the exact answer to this question may vary a bit depending on who you ask and who your target demographic is, there is a general consensus we can use to help you optimize Facebook engagement. When you think about, it’s pretty simple, really.

The best time to post is when the most people are on Facebook, and the most people are on Facebook when they’re either not at work, or don’t want to be at work – it’s just science.

Weekend posts tend to get 32% more engagement than work week posts, and Thursday and Friday posts tend to get 18% higher engagement than their early/mid-week counterparts. As a general rule, you should always post between the hours of 7 am – 9 pm, but specifically the best times to post on any given day are 9 am, 1 pm (for the most shares) and 3 pm (for the most clicks).

Research shows the best days and times to post on Facebook are:

• Thursday & Friday 1-3 pm
• Saturday & Sunday 12-1 pm

Another thing to keep in mind when posting to Facebook is the “happiness index.” People tend to be happier on Friday (I can’t imagine why), so funny or upbeat content will resonate well on that day. On the contrary, your audience may not find that same content as amusing on say, a Monday.

How often should I post?

We all know that one person who abuses Facebook and posts far too often – we’ll call him Tyler. What do you think about Tyler? Do you think he has way too much time on his hands, and should be spending his time doing more productive things than posting on Facebook? Do you think he’s a little annoying? Don’t be like Tyler.

We also know that one person who almost never posts on Facebook – we’ll call her Rachel. What do you think about Rachel? Do you even think about her at all? Or do you forget she exists entirely until she posts something? Don’t be like Rachel.

The key to a successful social media reputation is to find that sweet spot that keeps your followers entertained and informed, without being pushy or obnoxious.

Our most successful clients post to Facebook 2-3 times per week.

Facebook Analytics

If you’d like to see more specific data on your particular audience and how they are engaging with your content, Facebook Analytics is an incredibly useful (and complimentary) tool that allows you to see what type of posts your fans enjoy, and what times of day and days of the week they enjoy it the most. To find your post analytics, go to your Facebook page and click the Insights tab, and click Posts. Here you’ll find a ton of information that will help you fine-tune your Facebook machine.

That’s it for Part 2 of our Facebook series, stay tuned for more great insight on how to effectively use Facebook to market your dental practice and connect with your patients. In Parts 3 and 4 we’ll learn how to increase engagement, dig deeper into Facebook’s new Services feature, and learn more about Facebook ads and whether or not they’re worth your time (and dollars).