How Often Should You Post? Your Instagram Posting Schedule, Explained

One of the most common questions I get from clients is, “how often should I be posting on Instagram?” If you’ve been trying to figure out your Instagram posting schedule and coming up blank – I’m here to help. In today’s post we’re going to be diving into basic content strategy and deciding how often to post.

But the honest answer?

It depends.

How to Choose an Instagram Posting Schedule That Works For You

This is the truth that a lot of people won’t honestly share with you. There is no magic number for how often to show up on Instagram that will get you [insert desired result here] – because that number is going to look different for each and every business owner. It’s going to vary based on your goals, lifestyle, content capacity and honestly your season of business.

Blanket rules like “post a reel a day!” or “post 5x a week to grow!” simply aren’t true. They might work for your business – or, they might not.

So do I have to post every day?

In almost every single situation – no. Posting content every day if you’re a busy business owner and you don’t have a team to help you with social media marketing is going to burn. you. out. While a sheer overload of content does increase your potential to grow, it doesn’t guarantee it. It especially doesn’t guarantee the right kind of growth.

The other thing posting every day often leads to is an overemphasis on content while ignoring the importance of engagement. For more on why I believe you can’t have a strong Instagram strategy without both, check out this blog post.

Creating Your Ideal Instagram Posting Schedule

I find a lot of entrepreneurs hit a sweet spot of 3-4 posts per week + a couple days of showing up on stories. Here are a few ways this could work out for you:

Option 1

• 1 reel
• 1 carousel/educational post
• 1 photo
• 2 days of story content

Option 2

• 2 reels
• 1-2 carousel posts
• 2 days of story content

Option 3

• 1 photo
• 1 graphic/shareable post
• 1 carousel
• 2-3 days of story content

These are just a few of the many posting schedules you could decide on. If you have a lot of time to create content, you might opt for more reels to increase your reach. Maybe you’re heading into a launch, so you prioritize stories and post almost every day to connect with your community. Or you’re super busy, you might focus on static content that you can pre-schedule so your Instagram runs in the background.

There isn’t a wrong answer when it comes to how often you should post on Instagram. It’s about what will work best for you, your business and your goals.

Want more where this came from?

Check out these related blog posts:

• How to Be Consistent on Instagram Without Burning Out
• How to Plan A Month of Instagram Content
• Realistic Expectations for Instagram

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