Are people engaging more with your tweets at lunchtime? Here's how to use analytics data in your social distribution strategy
The level of engagement for stories shared on social platforms is influenced by many factors, such as the time of day or whether a network's algorithms prioritise a particular media format over another.
You might have noticed your readers are more likely to retweet your stories in the morning or share your Facebook posts in the evening, but is it an exact science or just a coincidence?
Paul Bradshaw, a lecturer for the MA in online journalism at Birmingham City University, has put together a step-by-step guide to using your analytics data from Facebook and Twitter to determine what the best days or times are for posting on social media.
Bradshaw's tutorial explains how to download the data and how to calculate the average engagement rate for posts shared at particular times of the day.
If you like our news and feature articles, you can sign up to receive our free daily (Mon-Fri) email newsletter (mobile friendly).
Sign up to receive job alerts of your choice by email, or manage your subscription
Featured recruiter: click to view its vacancies
The Tarbell Fellowship provides early career journalists interested in covering artificial intelligence with nine-month placements at major news outlets such as Bloomberg, The Guardian, TIME, and more
Subscribe to our newsletter for latest news, tips, jobs and more
End that deadline stress today and find help in our freelance directory
Personal trainer James Hilton has launched a podcast 'Jim's Gym - Inspiring Movement'. James, a specialist in biomechanics and injury recovery from the Cotswolds, runs Jim's Gym, a virtual online space supporting people over 55 to be more active
Our 35th Newsrewired conference will be held 13 May 2025, News UK, London.
Our community of experts gives a heads-up on the most important shifts your newsroom needs to prepare for this year
Conferences and study weeks are fantastic opportunities to get the latest updates on the industry and network with your peers
If you find your social feeds a tad too heavy on men's voices, follow and connect with these fantastic women experts on indie media
How do you move print readers to digital? Are there other ways to hold on to subscribers besides a last-ditch deal?
