The best time to post on instagram thursday can double your reach without changing anything else. You do not need better photos. You do not need more followers. You just need to post when your audience is actually online and scrolling.
This guide gives you everything. The exact hours. The best time for Reels, Stories, and Carousels. The right time for your time zone including Pakistan (PKT). And a full breakdown by industry. No fluff, no filler — just the data you need.
Table of Contents
- Why Posting Time Matters on Instagram
- Is Thursday a Good Day to Post on Instagram?
- Best Time to Post on Instagram on Thursday
- Best Time to Post Instagram Reels on Thursday
- Best Time to Post Instagram Stories on Thursday
- Best Time to Post Instagram Carousels on Thursday
- Best Time to Post on Instagram Thursday by Time Zone
- Best Thursday Posting Times by Industry
- Thursday vs. Other Days — How Does It Compare?
- Thursday Hashtag Strategy (Content Gap — Not Covered by Competitors)
- Best Type of Content to Post on Thursday
- How to Find Your Own Best Time to Post on Thursday
- Best Tools to Schedule Instagram Posts on Thursday
- Tips to Maximize Thursday Instagram Engagement
- Frequently Asked Questions
Why Posting Time Matters on Instagram
Instagram posting time is one of the most important factors in how many people see your content.
Here is why. Instagram does not show your post to everyone at once. The algorithm first shows your post to a small group of your followers. If they like it, comment on it, or share it quickly, the algorithm pushes it to more people. If they do not engage fast, your post dies quietly.
This is why posting when your audience is most active matters so much. If you post at 3 AM when everyone is sleeping, nobody sees it. Nobody engages. The algorithm thinks the content is weak. Your reach drops.
But if you post when your followers are awake, scrolling, and ready to engage, the first wave of engagement is strong. The algorithm reads that as a signal to push your post to more people. Your reach grows fast.
Studies show that posts published at the right time get up to 3x more engagement than the same post published at the wrong time. That is a huge difference for zero extra effort.
The key factors that affect your Instagram reach are:
- When your followers are most active online
- How quickly your post gets engagement after publishing
- The type of content you post (Reels, Stories, Carousels)
- Your industry and niche
- Your audience time zone
All of these come together when you understand the best time to post for your specific account. But first, let us look at why Thursday is one of the best days of the week.
Is Thursday a Good Day to Post on Instagram?
Thursday is one of the best days to post on Instagram. Multiple studies from Later, Hootsuite, Sprout Social, and SocialPilot all confirm this. Thursday consistently ranks in the top 3 days for Instagram engagement across nearly all industries.
Here is why Thursday works so well:
People are mentally “checking out” of the work week by Thursday. They are winding down, looking forward to the weekend, and spending more time scrolling social media. Their mindset is relaxed, open, and receptive to content.
Monday and Tuesday can be high-focus, low-scroll days. People are catching up on work. But by Thursday, scroll behavior increases significantly. Users spend more time on Instagram on Thursday evenings than on Monday evenings.
Also, there is less competition on Thursday than on Monday and Wednesday. Many brands schedule their big posts for the start of the week. This means your Thursday content has less competition in the feed.
Sprinklr data specifically highlights that B2B and consulting brands see their highest engagement on Thursdays. Food and lifestyle content also performs very well on Thursday evenings.
Bottom line: Thursday gives you high audience activity, a relaxed mindset audience, and less competition in the feed. It is a great day to post.
Best Time to Post on Instagram on Thursday
The best time to post on Instagram on Thursday is between 9 AM and 11 AM (local time) and again at 6 PM to 8 PM. However, different studies give slightly different answers. Here is a clear breakdown:
| Source | Best Time on Thursday |
|---|---|
| Later.com | 4 AM – 5 AM EST |
| Hootsuite | 4 PM – 5 PM (audience-dependent) |
| Sprout Social | 1 PM – 3 PM |
| SocialPilot | 7 AM – 9 AM |
| Sprinklr | 10 AM – 1 PM and 6 PM – 8 PM |
| Brand24 | 3 PM – 7 PM |
| Agorapulse | 7 AM – 9 AM midweek window |
Why do the numbers differ? Because every audience is different. A fashion blogger with a young female audience in New York will have a different peak time than a B2B software company targeting managers in London. The data above is based on averages across millions of accounts.
The safest, most consistent Thursday windows that work across most niches are:
Thursday Morning Window: 9 AM to 11 AM
This is when most people check Instagram after their morning routine. Coffee in hand, commute done, and first scroll of the day begins. Engagement is high and the algorithm rewards early-morning activity because it gets strong signals before the rest of your day’s content drowns it out.
Thursday Afternoon Window: 12 PM to 2 PM
Lunchtime scrolling is real. People take a break from work and pick up their phones. This is a consistent engagement window across almost every industry and audience type.
Thursday Evening Window: 6 PM to 9 PM
This is the golden window. After work, after dinner, before bed — people are relaxed and scrolling heavily. Thursday evenings have some of the highest engagement rates of the entire week. If you can only post once on Thursday, post between 7 PM and 8 PM.
Thursday Morning vs. Thursday Afternoon vs. Thursday Evening
| Time Window | Best For | Engagement Level |
|---|---|---|
| 9 AM – 11 AM | Business accounts, B2B, news | Medium-High |
| 12 PM – 2 PM | General audience, food, lifestyle | High |
| 6 PM – 9 PM | Lifestyle, fashion, entertainment | Very High |
| Late night (10 PM+) | Young adults, entertainment niches | Medium |
Best Time to Post Instagram Reels on Thursday
The best time to post Instagram Reels on Thursday is 6 PM to 9 PM. Reels get boosted by the algorithm to non-followers, which means they behave differently from regular feed posts.
Reels are shown on the Explore page and the dedicated Reels tab. This means they can reach new audiences at any time — but the initial spike in views still happens fastest when posted during peak scroll hours.
For Reels specifically on Thursday:
- Morning Reels (9 AM – 11 AM): Good for educational content, tutorials, “day in my life” style videos
- Afternoon Reels (12 PM – 2 PM): Good for food content, product showcases, quick tips
- Evening Reels (6 PM – 9 PM): Best for entertainment, trending audio, lifestyle, humor, and viral-style content
The evening window works best for Reels because people watch more video content when they are relaxed at home compared to during a busy workday.
Thursday Reels tip: Post your Reels with trending audio. Thursday evening audiences are more likely to discover content through trending sounds. Check the Instagram audio library before posting and pick a sound that has already gained traction this week.
Best Time to Post Instagram Stories on Thursday
The best time to post Instagram Stories on Thursday is 10 AM to 12 PM and 7 PM to 9 PM.
Stories work differently from feed posts. They disappear after 24 hours and they appear at the top of the feed. The newest Stories appear first for your followers who have not muted you. This means timing matters a lot for Stories.
If you post a Story at 2 AM, most of your followers will never see it because by the time they wake up and open Instagram, newer Stories from other accounts will have pushed yours down or out of view.
| Story Type | Best Thursday Time |
|---|---|
| Behind-the-scenes / casual | 9 AM – 11 AM |
| Polls and questions | 12 PM – 2 PM |
| Promotional Stories | 6 PM – 8 PM |
| Entertainment / fun Stories | 7 PM – 9 PM |
Pro tip for Thursday Stories: Use the poll sticker or the question sticker on Thursday evenings. People are in a relaxed, interactive mood by Thursday evening and are more likely to respond to interactive Story elements. This boosts your account’s engagement signal with the Instagram algorithm.
Best Time to Post Instagram Carousels on Thursday
The best time to post Instagram Carousels on Thursday is 12 PM to 2 PM or 7 PM to 9 PM.
Carousels are the highest-engagement format on Instagram right now. When someone swipes through a carousel, each swipe counts as an interaction. The more swipes, the more engagement signals sent to the algorithm.
Carousels also benefit from re-sharing. People save carousels more than any other format. This means the timing of a carousel can matter slightly less than a Story, because saved carousels are revisited later. But the initial posting window still determines how much momentum your carousel builds.
Thursday lunch (12 PM – 2 PM) is great for educational carousels and how-to guides. People have time to read and swipe during lunch breaks. Thursday evening (7 PM – 9 PM) is better for inspirational, lifestyle, or entertainment-based carousels.
Best Time to Post on Instagram Thursday by Time Zone
Most guides only cover US time zones. This section covers all major time zones including Pakistan — a gap that almost no competitor fills.
| Time Zone | Morning Window | Evening Window |
|---|---|---|
| EST (New York, USA) | 9 AM – 11 AM | 7 PM – 9 PM |
| PST (Los Angeles, USA) | 9 AM – 11 AM | 7 PM – 9 PM |
| GMT (London, UK) | 9 AM – 11 AM | 6 PM – 8 PM |
| CET (Paris, Berlin) | 9 AM – 11 AM | 7 PM – 9 PM |
| IST (India) | 9 AM – 11 AM | 7 PM – 9 PM |
| PKT (Pakistan — Karachi, Lahore, Islamabad) | 9 AM – 11 AM | 8 PM – 10 PM |
| GST (Dubai, UAE) | 9 AM – 11 AM | 8 PM – 10 PM |
| AEST (Sydney, Australia) | 8 AM – 10 AM | 7 PM – 9 PM |
Best Time to Post on Instagram Thursday in Pakistan (PKT)
If your audience is based in Pakistan, the best time to post on Instagram on Thursday is 9 AM to 11 AM PKT or 8 PM to 10 PM PKT.
Pakistani users are highly active on Instagram in the evenings. Pakistan’s social media usage spikes heavily after Maghrib prayer time (around 7 PM – 8 PM depending on the season). By 8 PM to 10 PM, most people are at home, relaxed, and on their phones.
Thursday is especially good in Pakistan because Friday is a lighter workday for many and people often stay up later Thursday night. This means your Thursday 9 PM post gets strong engagement Thursday night and carries strong momentum into Friday morning.
If you are a Pakistani business, creator, or brand targeting a local South Asian audience, Thursday evening between 8 PM and 10 PM PKT is your best window of the entire week.
Best Thursday Posting Times by Industry
Different industries have different audiences with different daily schedules. Here is a full breakdown:
| Industry / Niche | Best Thursday Time |
|---|---|
| Food and Restaurants | 12 PM – 2 PM and 6 PM – 8 PM |
| Fashion and Beauty | 7 PM – 9 PM |
| Fitness and Health | 6 AM – 8 AM and 5 PM – 7 PM |
| Travel and Tourism | 12 PM – 2 PM and 7 PM – 9 PM |
| Business and B2B | 9 AM – 11 AM and 12 PM – 1 PM |
| Education and Coaching | 9 AM – 11 AM |
| E-Commerce and Retail | 12 PM – 2 PM and 7 PM – 9 PM |
| Entertainment | 6 PM – 10 PM |
| Tech and Software | 9 AM – 11 AM |
| Real Estate | 10 AM – 12 PM |
| Finance | 9 AM – 11 AM |
| Lifestyle and Personal Brands | 7 PM – 9 PM |
Why does industry matter? Because your audience’s daily routine depends on what they do for work and when they use their phone. A fitness account’s followers are likely to scroll early in the morning before their workout. A restaurant account’s followers are most active around lunch and dinner times. Match your post time to your audience’s daily rhythm.
Thursday vs. Other Days — How Does It Compare?
Here is a full-week comparison to show you where Thursday stands:
| Day | Average Engagement Level | Best For |
|---|---|---|
| Monday | Medium | B2B, news, motivation content |
| Tuesday | Medium-High | Education, tips, how-to content |
| Wednesday | High | General brands, product posts |
| Thursday | Very High | All niches — especially lifestyle, B2B, food |
| Friday | High (drops after 3 PM) | Entertainment, casual content |
| Saturday | Medium | Personal accounts, travel |
| Sunday | Low-Medium | Inspirational content |
Thursday consistently outperforms Monday, Saturday, and Sunday in most studies. It rivals Wednesday and sometimes beats it depending on the niche. Thursday is the most underrated posting day because most brands focus on Monday and Wednesday.
Thursday Hashtag Strategy (What Competitors Are Missing)
This is a content gap. Almost no competitor covers this. Using the right hashtags specifically on Thursday can multiply your reach.
Thursday has its own built-in trending hashtags that get millions of views every week. These are Thursday-specific hashtags that real users search and follow:
Top Thursday Hashtags to Use:
- #ThrowbackThursday — one of the most used hashtags on Instagram globally
- #TBT — the short version of Throwback Thursday
- #ThursdayThoughts — used heavily by business and motivational accounts
- #ThursdayMotivation — great for fitness, coaching, and lifestyle brands
- #ThursdayVibes — casual, works for lifestyle and personal accounts
- #ThursdayPost — general Thursday content tag
- #ThursdayMood — works for fashion, beauty, and lifestyle
- #ThursdayInspiration — education and coaching niche
- #TGIThursday — “Thank God It’s Thursday” — fun, casual content
How to use these hashtags: Do not just dump all of them in every post. Pick 2 to 3 Thursday-specific hashtags that match your content. Combine them with your regular niche hashtags. A fashion post might use #ThursdayVibes + #ThursdayMood + 5 fashion-specific hashtags.
#ThrowbackThursday / #TBT strategy: This is the most powerful one. If you are a brand or personal account, post a throwback photo or a “then vs. now” comparison every Thursday. This format gets extremely high engagement because it is nostalgic, personal, and it invites comments. The TBT format works in almost every niche.
Best Type of Content to Post on Thursday
This is another content gap competitors do not cover fully. Not all content types perform equally on Thursday. Here is what works best:
Thursday Morning (9 AM – 12 PM): Carousels with tips, how-to guides, or educational content work very well. Your audience is in “learning mode” in the morning. Give them value and they will save and share your post.
Thursday Afternoon (12 PM – 3 PM): Product posts, food photos, and lifestyle images do well here. Short Reels (under 30 seconds) also perform strongly during lunch breaks.
Thursday Evening (6 PM – 9 PM): This is the time for entertainment-focused Reels, before-and-after posts, inspirational quotes with strong visuals, and TBT (throwback) content. Stories with polls and questions also perform very well at this time.
| Content Type | Best Thursday Time | Why It Works |
|---|---|---|
| Educational Carousel | 9 AM – 11 AM | Morning learning mindset |
| Short Reels (under 30 sec) | 12 PM – 2 PM | Lunchtime quick content |
| TBT / Throwback Posts | 6 PM – 9 PM | Nostalgic, comment-friendly |
| Entertainment Reels | 7 PM – 9 PM | Relaxed evening audience |
| Story Polls | 7 PM – 9 PM | Interactive evening mood |
| Product Showcase | 12 PM – 2 PM | Lunch browsing behavior |
How to Find Your Own Best Time to Post on Thursday
The data above is based on averages. Your actual best time depends on your own audience. Here is how to find it:
Step 1: Open Instagram Insights
Go to your Instagram profile. Tap the three lines (menu) in the top right. Tap “Insights.” Then tap “Your audience.” Scroll down to “Most active times.”
This shows you exactly when your followers are most active, broken down by hour and by day. Look specifically at the Thursday data.
Step 2: Run a Thursday experiment
For 4 weeks in a row, post on Thursday at a different time each week. Week 1: 9 AM. Week 2: 12 PM. Week 3: 6 PM. Week 4: 9 PM. Compare the engagement results. The time with the highest likes, comments, saves, and reach in the first 2 hours is your best Thursday time.
Step 3: Track your results
Use Instagram Insights or a third-party tool (see below) to track each post’s reach, impressions, saves, and shares. After a month of Thursday testing, patterns will become clear.
Step 4: Stick to what works and iterate
Once you find your best Thursday window, post consistently at that time for 4 to 6 weeks. Then test again. Audience behavior changes with seasons, trending topics, and algorithm updates.
Best Tools to Schedule Instagram Posts on Thursday
You do not need to be online at 8 PM every Thursday to post manually. Use scheduling tools to automate your Thursday posts.
| Tool | Best Feature | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Later | Visual content calendar, auto-publish | Free plan available |
| Hootsuite | Best time suggestions, analytics | Paid plans |
| Buffer | Simple scheduling, easy to use | Free plan available |
| Sprout Social | Deep analytics + scheduling | Paid plans |
| SocialPilot | Budget-friendly, team features | Affordable paid plans |
| Meta Business Suite | Free, directly from Meta | Completely free |
Best free option: Meta Business Suite (formerly Facebook Creator Studio) is completely free and lets you schedule Instagram posts and Stories for any time you want. If you are on a tight budget, this is all you need.
Best paid option: Later gives you a visual content calendar and even suggests the best posting time based on your account’s data. This is the closest thing to a personalized best-time recommendation.
Tips to Maximize Thursday Instagram Engagement
Knowing the best time is step one. Here are the extra steps that make the difference between a good post and a viral post:
Post consistently every Thursday. The algorithm rewards accounts that post on a regular schedule. If you post every Thursday at 7 PM for 4 weeks in a row, Instagram learns your pattern and starts showing your content to more followers at that time.
Reply to comments within the first 30 minutes. The first 30 minutes after posting are critical. Reply to every comment quickly. This keeps the engagement signal strong and tells the algorithm that people are actively interested in your post.
Use 5 to 10 relevant hashtags. Instagram reduced the recommended hashtag count from 30 to 5–10 for best results. Choose hashtags that are a mix of large (500K+ posts), medium (50K–500K posts), and small (under 50K posts).
Write a caption that asks a question. Posts with captions that include a question get significantly more comments than posts without one. For Thursday, ask something related to the weekend: “What are your plans this weekend?” or “What’s your Friday tradition?”
Post Stories right before your feed post. Posting a Story 15 to 30 minutes before your feed post primes your followers. They see your Story, they engage with it, and they are more likely to notice and engage with your feed post when it appears.
Tag a location. Location tags increase post discovery. Even if you tag a major city near you, your post becomes visible to anyone browsing that location on Instagram.
Share your feed post to Stories. After you publish your Thursday feed post, immediately share it to your Stories using the “Add post to Story” feature. This gives you a second wave of visibility to followers who did not see the feed post.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the best time to post on Instagram on Thursday?
The best time to post on Instagram on Thursday is between 9 AM and 11 AM or between 7 PM and 9 PM in your local time zone. The evening window tends to perform better for lifestyle, fashion, and entertainment. The morning window works better for business and educational content.
Is Thursday a good day to post on Instagram?
Yes. Thursday is one of the top 3 best days to post on Instagram, along with Tuesday and Wednesday. Studies from Hootsuite, Later, and Sprout Social all consistently rank Thursday as a high-engagement day. It benefits from the “end-of-week relaxation” effect where users scroll more heavily as they anticipate the weekend.
Should I post in the morning or evening on Thursday?
It depends on your niche. For business, education, and B2B content, Thursday morning (9 AM – 11 AM) is best. For lifestyle, fashion, food, and entertainment, Thursday evening (7 PM – 9 PM) is best. If you are unsure, use Instagram Insights to check when your own followers are most active on Thursdays.
Does posting time really affect Instagram engagement?
Yes, significantly. Posts published during peak activity hours can get 2x to 3x more engagement than the same post published during off-peak hours. This is because Instagram’s algorithm uses early engagement (in the first 30–60 minutes) to decide how widely to distribute your post.
How many times should I post on Instagram on Thursday?
One high-quality post per day is the ideal frequency. You can supplement your feed post with 3 to 5 Stories throughout the day for additional visibility. Posting more than once in the same day on your feed can actually split your engagement and reduce reach for both posts.
What is the best hashtag for Thursday on Instagram?
#ThrowbackThursday and #TBT are the most powerful Thursday-specific hashtags. They have hundreds of millions of posts and are actively searched by users every week. For business accounts, #ThursdayThoughts and #ThursdayMotivation also work well.
What is the best time to post on Instagram Thursday in Pakistan?
If your audience is in Pakistan, the best time to post on Instagram Thursday is 9 AM to 11 AM PKT for morning content and 8 PM to 10 PM PKT for evening content. Pakistani users are particularly active on Instagram in the evenings, especially after 8 PM. Thursday night is also a strong window because many Pakistanis stay up later knowing Friday is a lighter workday.
How do I find my personalized best time on Instagram?
Go to Instagram Insights → Your Audience → Most Active Times. This shows you hour-by-hour data for when your specific followers are online. Look at the Thursday data and schedule your posts during those peak hours.
Conclusion
The best time to post on Instagram on Thursday is not a single magic number. It is a range, and it depends on your audience, your niche, and your time zone. But the data is clear: Thursday is one of the best days of the week to post on Instagram, and the evening window of 7 PM to 9 PM (local time) is consistently the highest-performing slot across most niches.
Here is a quick recap of everything you learned:
The best overall Thursday windows are 9 AM to 11 AM and 7 PM to 9 PM. For Pakistan (PKT), aim for 8 PM to 10 PM Thursday evening. Reels perform best in the Thursday evening window. Stories work well at 10 AM and again at 7 PM. Carousels do well at lunchtime and in the evening. Use #ThrowbackThursday and #ThursdayThoughts to increase Thursday-specific reach. Match your content type to the right Thursday time slot. Use Instagram Insights to find your personal best Thursday posting time.
Start posting on Thursday consistently, track your results for 4 weeks, and then optimize based on your own data. The brands and creators who grow fastest on Instagram are not just creating the best content — they are posting it at exactly the right moment.
