Finding the Best Time to Publish a Blog Post

Analysis, testing, and habits to adopt for better content distribution.

Learn how to maximize the impact of your blog posts with optimal publishing times, strategic indexing, and low-budget promotional campaigns. Includes real-life tips and timing strategies.

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Français

Hello,

In a world where every click matters, publishing a blog post at the right time has become a strategic art. With the rise of publishing platforms and constantly evolving algorithms on social media and search engines, choosing when to publish is no longer optional – it’s essential for performance.

Each week in Quebec, more than 200 digital media outlets publish content – from major newspapers and niche magazines to independent blogs. Audience attention is limited. To ensure an article reaches its readers, we must understand where it will be seen, when it’s most likely to circulate, and how to give it a strategic boost.

Here are three key reasons to read this article:

1. Identify the ideal publication times based on your sector (professional, general public, B2B...)

2. Understand the role of indexing in your blog post’s success at launch time

3. Explore real campaign examples (with small budgets) to promote your content on social media

By reading this feature, you’ll gain a clear understanding of the best timing for publishing, along with practical tools to make the most of every article — whether via RSS feeds or targeted Meta promotions.

MusicScore: The writer was listening to 80’ playlist while working on this report. Here’s a classic from Nu Zhooz : I can’t wait!

Access to the W+M playlists via the YouTube channel!

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How do you determine the best time to publish a blog post?

In a saturated digital ecosystem, timing is everything. Every day, hundreds of new pieces of content compete for the attention of busy readers, including local newspapers, niche magazines, professional blogs, and independent platforms — publishing content daily or weekly.

choosing the best time to publish depends on multiple factors, including your audience behavior, industry trends, and RSS feed impact. Here’s how you can determine the optimal publishing schedule for your website:

1. Analyze Your Audience’s Behavior

• Use Google Analytics to check when your visitors are most active.

• Identify which days and times your website receives the most traffic.

• Look at social media insights (Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, etc.) to see when your audience engages the most.

2. Consider RSS Feed Timing

• RSS feeds send updates immediately after publication. If your audience reads in the morning, publishing early (7 AM - 10 AM) ensures they see your content first.

• Publishing before peak hours allows search engines to index your content before your audience starts searching.

3. Align with Industry Standards

• Business & B2B Content: Tuesday to Thursday, 9 AM - 11 AM (Most professionals check updates early).

• General Blog & Consumer Content: Monday to Friday, 7 AM - 10 AM or after work hours (6 PM - 9 PM).

• Tech & Marketing News: Early morning before 9 AM or late at night (9 PM - 12 AM) when professionals catch up.

4. Optimize for Social Media Visibility

• Schedule social media posts after publication to amplify reach:

  • LinkedIn & Twitter (X): Best engagement times are Tuesday-Thursday, 8 AM - 12 PM.

  • Facebook & Instagram: Midday (12 PM - 3 PM) or evenings (6 PM - 9 PM) for high engagement.

  • YouTube (Community Tab): 10 AM - 12 PM (Better visibility in recommendations).

5. Test & Adjust

• Publish at different times and track which posts perform best.

• Experiment with weekend publications—some audiences engage more during downtime.

• Use A/B testing by publishing similar content at different times to measure results.

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Why choose the right moment to publish?

Whether you're publishing for the first time or posting your hundredth article, timing can significantly influence visibility. The goal isn’t just to publish — it’s to be read, shared, and acted upon.

A few observations:

• Professional audiences are most active early in the week (Monday to Wednesday), especially in the morning around 9–10 a.m. or after lunch.

• General public audiences show greater engagement on Wednesdays and Sundays, particularly after 7 p.m.

• Blog readers via RSS feeds usually open content between 7 and 9 a.m. during the week.

To determine your best window:

• Track the performance of each post in Google Analytics (pages visited + bounce rate)

• Check average engagement on social media depending on day/hour

• Do small A/B tests: publish the same type of content on two different days and compare results

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Indexing: Before or on the day of launch?

This detail makes all the difference. You can control whether a new blog post appears in search engine results before or at the moment of its promotion.

Two possible strategies:

1- Index a few days before (e.g., March 29–30)

• Google has time to discover the page

• SEO starts working before the promotion

• Risk: people could find the post before the official launch

2- Index on the DAY of launch (e.g., April 1, 8 a.m.) — RECOMMENDED for a punchy campaign

• You preserve the “surprise” effect

• You generate a wave of visits and indexing in sync

• You can submit the URL manually in Google Search Console that morning

Recommendation: schedule your article publication in the CMS, keep it non-indexed, then index it manually the morning of the official launch.

Example: Campaign on Meta with a small budget

To promote the article, a bilingual video clip was created and posted on Facebook and Instagram. The post timing and ad type were chosen based on several factors:

Objective: Generate clicks to the article link (not just video views)

Visual: Square or Story-format clip with clear branding and call-to-action

Targeting:

• Audience 1: French-speaking professionals, aged 25–55, Quebec

• Audience 2: English-speaking marketers and entrepreneurs in Canada

Budget: Less than $20 per language

Result: Precise visibility, over 500 impressions per day, and traffic spikes on the blog the day of publication.

You can easily replicate this strategy with just a few dollars:

• Choose one strong visual and headline

• Post it organically (feed, Reels, Stories)

• Boost the post with an interaction or traffic objective

• Target a well-defined age group and interest (e.g., entrepreneurs, artists, business owners)

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W+M Insight – Why Start a Blog?

“Companies that publish blog articles regularly generate 67% more leads on average than those that don’t.” This finding is backed by multiple studies from HubSpot, especially in their State of Inbound Marketing reports (2020 editions and earlier). Source: HubSpot – Marketing Statistics

According to HubSpot’s State of Marketing 2024 report, the marketing landscape is undergoing a rapid transformation—driven by the rise of artificial intelligence (AI) and changing consumer expectations. Here are the key trends and statistics to consider for optimizing your marketing strategy in 2024:

1. Welcome to the Age of Intelligence

HubSpot emphasizes that we’ve shifted from the Information Age to the Age of Intelligence. With the overwhelming amount of data available, marketers now need to filter, analyze, and extract insights that matter. AI plays a central role in this evolution by enhancing personalization, improving efficiency, and driving business growth. Sources: WhatTheyThink + Nouvelle Perspective.

2. Growing Adoption of AI

AI usage in marketing is rapidly increasing. Around 44% of companies already use AI for content production, and that number is expected to rise. AI supports the creation of personalized content, customer data analysis, and the automation of repetitive tasks. Source: Sagefrog Marketing Group, LLC.

3. The Power of Short Videos

Short-form videos dominate the digital content space. 56% of marketers plan to invest more in this format in 2024. These videos, popular on platforms like TikTok and Instagram Reels, quickly grab users’ attention and drive engagement. Source: HubSpot

4. Social Media as a Discovery Engine

Social platforms are now major channels for discovering new products and brands. Approximately 75.78% of consumers use social media for this purpose. That’s why it’s crucial to optimize your presence across these networks to capture the attention of curious users. Source: DAGMAR Marketing.

5. The End of Third-Party Cookies

As third-party cookies are gradually phased out, businesses must rethink how they collect data. More than 80% of companies relied on these cookies, and 67% express concern over their disappearance. It’s now essential to focus on first-party data and ethical tracking to maintain audience insight. Source: DAGMAR Marketing

6. Automation for Greater Efficiency

Automation is becoming essential in marketing operations. 63% of marketing leaders use automation for emails, 50% for social media management, and 40% for paid advertising. It’s a powerful way to save time and maximize your team’s efforts. Source: HubSpot

7. Personalization and Engagement

Today’s consumers expect personalized experiences. By leveraging customer data and AI, brands can deliver tailored content and offers that boost loyalty and engagement. In a competitive space, personalization is one of the strongest differentiators. Source: Nouvelle Perspective

Incorporating these insights into your content and digital strategy will help you stay ahead in 2024 — and build stronger, more meaningful relationships with your audience.

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Conclusion

Publishing a great article is good. Publishing it at the right time, with the right strategy, is even better.

This report proves it: crafting excellent content isn’t enough. To maximize reach, we need to plan its digital life in advance — from choosing the ideal time to publish to targeted promotion across the right channels.

Tools like RSS feeds, Meta campaigns, and Google Search Console indexing tests become valuable allies in amplifying your content. Whether you're running a professional blog, a creative project, or a business site, each article deserves a well-thought-out launch.

And as always: test, measure, adjust. That’s the best way to understand your audience… and keep them coming back.

Thank you for reading. See you on The Blog!

Jeff Maheux

Sources:

• WhatTheyThink – HubSpot’s State of Marketing 2024: Don’t AI Get Over It? https://whattheythink.com/articles/119177-hubspots-state-marketing-2024-dont-ai-get-over-it.

• DAGMAR Marketing – 5 Key Takeaways from HubSpot's 2024 State of Marketing Report. https://dagmarmarketing.com/blog/5-key-takeaways-hubspot-2024-state-of-marketing-report.

• Sagefrog Marketing Group – B2B Marketing Mix Report 2024. https://www.sagefrog.com/blog/b2b-marketing-mix-report/.

• Nouvelle Perspective – State of Marketing (HubSpot Summary). https://www.npws.net/blog/hubspot-state-of-marketing.

• HubSpot – Marketing Statistics 2024: https://www.hubspot.com/marketing-statistics.

Cr images: production Services W+M.

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Websites - creation, management and design 

I edit the content of existing sites via CMS in addition to creating sites with WordPress and Squarespace. I have been producing website content as a webmaster since 1998. 

I help companies get their first website up and I improve the performance of existing sites.  

Yes, I’m Mr. Analytics and my reaction time to new digital marketing is daily, which allows my clients to have optional and trend-cutting tools.  

Follow the content of the marketing blog and participate in the articles by commenting, with respect, on the content of the site, intended for Quebec companies operating in the digital market.

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