To say social media is overly saturated is an understatement. Our feeds are constantly filled with algorithm after algorithm with content that has a diminishing shelf life.
In fact, the lifespan of your social media content at most lasts 48 hours! That’s right, if we are talking about the powerhouse giants – Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and TikTok, your posts will fade after 2 days and it’ll be swallowed by the black whole of the internet.
We aren’t stating that what you publish online disappears, we are stating that there is a peak window in which your posts excel the best and then quickly decline.
Our Digital McAllen advertising agency explains how!
How Long Does Your Social Media Posts Last?
Now this chart does not take into account magical unicorn posts. Those posts that are randomly picked up by influencers 2 or 3 weeks later ( or even years) then it reignites people to follow and engage.
Instagram – 21 to 48 Hours
Instagram is in a weird limbo trying to mimic TikTok’s strategies yet still having a Facebook mentality. Here’s what is known:
- There are no real insight as to how many times you should post on Instagram.
- The key to posting but believed to be anywhere from 1-3 times a day.
- According to a study by Wiselytics, Your Instagram posts peaks at 21 hours.
In fact, this study found that most posts received 75% of their total comments within the first 48 hours.
Facebook – 5 Hours
The most problematic when it comes to social media shelf life is Facebook. When you think about the 1.960 billion daily users who are looking for content its a no brainier that Facebook is consistently rotating content getting it in front of as many eyes as possible.
Wiselytics also reported that 75% of the engagement you’ll receive on Facebook occurs within the first 5 hours after its posted.
Twitter – 15 to 20 Minutes
Now, Twitter has long held the crown of immediate news updates. With that, it’s no surprise that Tweets wouldn’t last long. According to Moz, Twitter has one of the shortest shelf life for content with 15 to 20 minutes.
TikTok – 2 to 5 minutes
Favored by U.S. teens, TikTok still has a large audience of 20+ adults. But its content shelf life?
It’s HORRIBLE. Swipe. Swipe. Swipe. More than 1 billion videos get viewed each DAY on TikTok.
If you’re video didn’t pick up within the first couple of minutes – then its not going to go very far. With TikTok being the newest social media platform to bust onto the scene, keep an eye out for updates to their algorithm and their long form content.
How Many A Times Should You Post on Social Media?
The best place to start is to remember this rule – Post as consistently as you can while offering quality content.
But for a breakdown – keep reading!
- Instagram is 1 – 3 posts a day.
- Facebook is 1 – 3 posts a day.
- Twitter varies from 10 – 51 times a day!
- TikTok is up to 3 videos per day.
These are posting schedules that have been successful for our clients. Take a look at our portfolio of clients here!
How You Can Keep Content Online for Longer?
There are other strategies to explore other than just social media. Your website and blogs are just a few long-form content-strategies that have an average span of 2 years online. We haven’t even mentioned your Youtube or Google My Business Content!
Our Digital McAllen Advertising Content Creators
At Imagine It Studios we live and breath social media. We understand how many times to post and at what times.
If you’re interested in social media or want to discuss how our digital McAllen Advertising team can grow your business online – get into contact with us here!