Retail marketers that post random social media messages are missing out on key opportunities to convert customers.
Sprout Social is a company that provides social media analytics. It recently published a report called “2023 best times to post on Social Media,” which outlines both the best and worst time to post. The report also includes industry-specific information for retailers to consider when planning their social media strategies on platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, or TikTok.
Sprout Social derived their insights on the optimal time to post on social from a vast dataset which included inputs from 2,000 brands, entrepreneurs and businesses of different sizes that leveraged Amazon’s global retail platform.
The data was collected from Dec.1, 2022 to Jan.3, 2023. It included an analysis on nearly 2 billion social engagements and usage patterns of 400,000 profiles across social media.
This research gives insights on adapting retail strategies to the ever-growing Amazon empire. Rachael Gout, Director of Social Media at Sprout, says that the report highlights two important takeaways for brand:
- Digital landscapes are evolving rapidly.
- Each platform provides distinct benefits based on a brand’s goals, the type of content, and its audience.
The E-Commerce Times reported that “understanding this evolution and adapting for it is critical for marketers to connect successfully with their target audience.”
Know When to Post on Social Networks
Most engagement occurs between 9am and noon on Tuesdays. According to the research, midweek mornings also perform well across all social platforms.
This is true for Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. Pinterest and TikTok have higher engagement afternoons.
Goulet warns that the stats are not without nuance. Engagement levels vary from one social network to another throughout the day and week. Furthermore, various industries like consumer goods experience unique peak engagement periods.
“The bottom-line is that the social media is where customers’ entire journey unfolds, and there is a growing expectation from brands to meet their needs.” “The brands that are prepared on social will be able to offer competitive experiences”, she said.
When planning social media strategy for 2023 or beyond, marketers should consider both these insights and the brand’s social data.
The peak of social engagement shifts to business hours
The report shows that peak times have changed across platforms in comparison to previous years.
The best times to engage are now between 8 am and early afternoon on Mondays through Thursdays. Twitter also saw a change in engagement, compared to previous reports. Peak hours were weekdays between late mornings and midday.
This pattern is exemplified by the consumer goods industry. The number of social media interactions has increased consistently each day. Facebook, for instance, sees steady activity starting at 7 a.m., while Instagram peaks at specific times — Thursdays at 2 p.m. and Tuesdays at 10 a.m.
“It’s clear that consumers aren’t just using social media to relax after work or for entertainment anymore. They are actively engaged at peak business times. Goulet said that this shift was due to consumer trends of increased use of social commerce, brand connection, and discovery on social.
Researchers have also observed a shift in the consumer’s behavior on social media as a result of changing work schedules. Peak engagement hours now closely match business hours.
Goulet says that this trend is most evident on Facebook. Although Facebook is still the platform of choice for the vast majority, the peak hours now coincide with normal business hours. This may be due to the fact that it can be used as a business tool during business days.
She said that the findings “further solidify social media’s position as a preferred and primary communication medium for brands to connect to consumers and for consumers get in touch with them.”
New factors for social commerce success
The media landscape is expanding, and the economy is changing. Marketers must therefore understand consumer behavior in order to optimize their marketing strategies. It is essential to a business’s success.
Knowing when to NOT post will help marketers make data driven decisions in order to engage and reach their target audiences at the right time. Goulet noted that brands could drive more sales despite economic constraints by using more effective data-driven marketing strategies.
Retailers of e-commerce must also take into account how the current economic climate impacts specific industries. The consumer goods industry is a great example of a strategy that works.
Consumer spending has recovered in that sector. The U.S. consumer spent 18% higher in March 2022 compared to the previous two years.
This report highlights that as consumer spending habits increase, so has social media engagement. This gave marketers new ways to combat economic conditions.
Goulet remarked that the recent survey results also support this notion, and social media is an important channel for marketers to engage with consumers and to connect to them. This is especially true in response to higher spending.
Marketing today is dependent on social data. As platforms change, so will the way brands and consumers interact on social media.
Marketers must be aware of these changes to reach out to their audiences in new ways. Goulet advised that marketers should be focused on discovering new segments and platforms as well as personas.
Businesses that combine this report’s information with their social media analysis will have a greater understanding of the behavior of their target audience. This approach allows them to develop content that is tailored for their audience across all social networks.
She continued, “These rich connections social media provides enhances the ability of businesses to compete and win.”
Trends Shaping Profitable E-Retail
The Sprout Report provides additional insights into the trends used by successful retailers.
Unexpectedly, despite economic difficulties, 89% Amazon sellers were able to maintain profitability. 37% reported increased profits over the past year.
Amazon and other ecosystems are attractive to e-commerce retailers. The half of sellers intend to explore global marketplaces and new ecommerce platforms, underlining the importance of having an omnichannel existence. Amazon sellers are increasingly focusing on multichannel exposure, as 61% sold on at least one channel in the past year. This is up from 58% a year earlier.
More than half of the companies plan to expand to new global marketplaces and e-commerce platforms this year.
A second trend that is important is the growing popularity of social media marketing. Fourty-one per cent of sellers use social media to market their products, a 15-percent increase from last year.
Pay-per-click ads on e-commerce platforms remain the most popular marketing strategy. But many sellers use social media as a way to market their products. TikTok Snapchat and YouTube are the platforms with the highest growth.
Amazon marketplace sellers should be aware of two trends that are a good indicator for their future direction: increasing social engagement, and connecting globally via multichannel messaging.
The industry is moving away from organic growth to strategic consolidation. One third of sellers plan to buy other ecommerce brands in this year. This shows the overall confidence that is shown in the future of the industry.
The Sprout Social website has more information about the best time to post on social media. report.
