PostlyResearchSeptember 2026 · Monthly edition
Social Media Publishing Report — September 2026
Your monthly source of social media findings, comparisons and practical advice. Download the full edition or any report separately.
Source: Postly Research. Anonymized retained publishing and compatible analytics observations for September 2026 (UTC). Completed 2026-10-04. Each result states its eligible sample and definition.
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Report 01 · Monthly findings - September 2026
Publishing consistency
How often sampled accounts publish, and how activity is distributed through the month.
September 2026
The findings
facebook: 9 posts, from 685 accounts and 76,922 observations. Median verified deliveries per active account in retained posts during the month; inactive accounts excluded. googleMyBusiness: 7 posts, from 371 accounts and 4,917 observations. Median verified deliveries per active account in retained posts during the month; inactive accounts excluded. instagram: 10 posts, from 587 accounts and 10,629 observations. Median verified deliveries per active account in retained posts during the month; inactive accounts excluded. linkedin: 8 posts, from 299 accounts and 6,015 observations. Median verified deliveries per active account in retained posts during the month; inactive accounts excluded. pinterest: 6 posts, from 81 accounts and 1,243 observations. Median verified deliveries per active account in retained posts during the month; inactive accounts excluded. threads: 6 posts, from 61 accounts and 2,370 observations. Median verified deliveries per active account in retained posts during the month; inactive accounts excluded. tiktok: 7 posts, from 257 accounts and 3,600 observations. Median verified deliveries per active account in retained posts during the month; inactive accounts excluded. youtube: 7 posts, from 98 accounts and 1,293 observations. Median verified deliveries per active account in retained posts during the month; inactive accounts excluded.
Published posts per active account
| Observed group | posts | Accounts | Observations |
|---|---|---|---|
| 9 | 685 | 76,922 | |
| googleMyBusiness | 7 | 371 | 4,917 |
| 10 | 587 | 10,629 | |
| 8 | 299 | 6,015 | |
| 6 | 81 | 1,243 | |
| threads | 6 | 61 | 2,370 |
| tiktok | 7 | 257 | 3,600 |
| youtube | 7 | 98 | 1,293 |
At least 30 accounts and 100 observations per displayed group. Account counts overlap. Small groups are withheld; absence from this table does not mean zero usage.
What to do with this result
Use the observed cadence as context. Choose a schedule your team can maintain, then measure the response from your own audience.
How to make the comparison useful
Keep the platform, metric definition and observation age consistent. Record production effort and qualified audience outcomes alongside the reported measure. Change one controllable variable at a time and review the result before expanding the tactic.
Measurement limits
This is an observational sample of eligible Postly records, not a randomized experiment or the whole platform. Missing measurements are withheld. Publishing volume is not engagement; lifetime counters are not necessarily activity within this month. Changes can reflect provider corrections and sample composition.
What this means for a growth plan
Copying a pooled average would set a very different production target from the typical active account in this sample. A delivery can also be a recurring publication, so neither the mean nor the median is a count of new creative ideas. Use the median as descriptive context for workload, not as a universal posting target or an algorithm requirement.
Recommended actions
Start with a cadence that leaves time for original content and audience responses. Track your account-level weekly output, production hours and qualified outcomes together. If testing a higher cadence, increase one platform at a time while keeping topic quality and campaign objective stable. Review whether the additional publications produce enough incremental benefit to justify the extra work.
Report 02 · Monthly findings - September 2026
Platform mix
The publishing destinations represented in the study and their observed delivery volumes.
September 2026
The findings
facebook: 76,922 deliveries, from 685 accounts and 76,922 observations. Verified deliveries in retained Postly posts; cross-post destinations count separately. googleMyBusiness: 4,917 deliveries, from 371 accounts and 4,917 observations. Verified deliveries in retained Postly posts; cross-post destinations count separately. instagram: 10,629 deliveries, from 587 accounts and 10,629 observations. Verified deliveries in retained Postly posts; cross-post destinations count separately. linkedin: 6,015 deliveries, from 299 accounts and 6,015 observations. Verified deliveries in retained Postly posts; cross-post destinations count separately. pinterest: 1,243 deliveries, from 81 accounts and 1,243 observations. Verified deliveries in retained Postly posts; cross-post destinations count separately. threads: 2,370 deliveries, from 61 accounts and 2,370 observations. Verified deliveries in retained Postly posts; cross-post destinations count separately. tiktok: 3,600 deliveries, from 257 accounts and 3,600 observations. Verified deliveries in retained Postly posts; cross-post destinations count separately. youtube: 1,293 deliveries, from 98 accounts and 1,293 observations. Verified deliveries in retained Postly posts; cross-post destinations count separately.
Verified publishing deliveries
| Observed group | deliveries | Accounts | Observations |
|---|---|---|---|
| 76,922 | 685 | 76,922 | |
| googleMyBusiness | 4,917 | 371 | 4,917 |
| 10,629 | 587 | 10,629 | |
| 6,015 | 299 | 6,015 | |
| 1,243 | 81 | 1,243 | |
| threads | 2,370 | 61 | 2,370 |
| tiktok | 3,600 | 257 | 3,600 |
| youtube | 1,293 | 98 | 1,293 |
At least 30 accounts and 100 observations per displayed group. Account counts overlap. Small groups are withheld; absence from this table does not mean zero usage.
What to do with this result
Choose channels where your audience is active. Publishing volume describes usage; it does not identify the most effective platform.
How to make the comparison useful
Keep the platform, metric definition and observation age consistent. Record production effort and qualified audience outcomes alongside the reported measure. Change one controllable variable at a time and review the result before expanding the tactic.
Measurement limits
This is an observational sample of eligible Postly records, not a randomized experiment or the whole platform. Missing measurements are withheld. Publishing volume is not engagement; lifetime counters are not necessarily activity within this month. Changes can reflect provider corrections and sample composition.
Compare performance fairly
Reach asks how many people encountered the content. Interaction measures a response. A qualified action asks whether the right person progressed toward the business objective. These are different outcomes, and native view definitions can differ. This edition measures publishing activity on each platform; it does not contain a compatible cross-platform engagement or conversion panel. No platform is declared the performance winner. For your own comparison, record the same business action and cost window across channels, while keeping native engagement measures separate.
What this means for marketers
A volume-led channel plan would overweight frequent and recurring publishers. Account participation gives a second perspective, but neither measure establishes qualified reach, sales or suitability for a particular product. Treat these results as a map of observed distribution work. They show why a channel decision needs both an audience hypothesis and a realistic servicing budget.
Recommended actions
Choose one primary channel for the buying question you need to answer and one complementary channel for distribution. Set a destination-specific objective, such as qualified product-page visits or completed enquiries. Budget separately for asset adaptation, publication checks and responses. Review outcomes at the same post age before moving resources to the channel with the largest visible posting volume.
Facebook: Community updates and repeat customer communication
Test useful explanations, demonstrations and customer questions. Separate feed, Reel and Story briefs. Compare qualified conversations and destination visits with the time spent producing and responding; a large delivery count is not proof of incremental demand. Strategy guidance; the observed Postly publishing counts are shown in the evidence table above.
Instagram: Visual explanation and product demonstration
Use a clear visual promise, show the product in context and give the viewer one next step. Distinguish saved placement choices from native publications. Compare the same campaign objective across placements, with reach, interactions and qualified actions kept separate. Strategy guidance; the observed Postly publishing counts are shown in the evidence table above.
TikTok: Short video ideas and creative discovery
Start with a recognizable problem and demonstrate the answer quickly. Test different openings for the same idea before changing the offer. Compare retention and qualified actions at a consistent post age; do not select only the best-performing videos for a benchmark. Strategy guidance; the observed Postly publishing counts are shown in the evidence table above.
YouTube: Searchable explanations and deeper demonstrations
Build videos around a specific audience question. Use an accurate title and thumbnail, then evaluate whether viewers stay for the promised answer. YouTube describes recommendations in terms of relevance and viewer response. Tags alone are not a sound growth strategy. Strategy guidance; the observed Postly publishing counts are shown in the evidence table above.
LinkedIn: Professional expertise and buying questions
Explain a business problem, the reasoning behind a decision and the evidence for the result. A useful case study can be a starting format. Assess relevant conversations and qualified enquiries alongside impressions; a large generic audience is not necessarily a useful buying audience. Strategy guidance; the observed Postly publishing counts are shown in the evidence table above.
Google Business Profile: Local business discovery and action
Keep the business information and customer action accurate. Match the action destination to the offer: a booking should reach a booking path. Google distinguishes profile interactions such as calls and website clicks; these should not be treated as equivalent to post reactions. Strategy guidance; the observed Postly publishing counts are shown in the evidence table above.
Pinterest: Visual ideas linked to products and resources
Publish a clear idea with an accurate destination. Pinterest product Pins can display product information such as price and availability. Compare outbound visits and downstream product actions, and check that the landing page fulfils the promise made by the image. Strategy guidance; the observed Postly publishing counts are shown in the evidence table above.
Threads: Public conversation and topical explanations
Treat the post as the opening of a conversation. Test a specific question or useful observation and reserve time to respond. Measure substantive replies and relevant visits separately from publishing activity. Review reply and quote settings as deliberate distribution choices. Strategy guidance; the observed Postly publishing counts are shown in the evidence table above.
Telegram: Ongoing communication with an existing community
Plan useful updates for people who have chosen to follow the channel. Review notification, preview and content-protection settings. Evaluate retention, response and destination actions; repeated delivery alone cannot establish discovery or acquisition. Strategy guidance; the observed Postly publishing counts are shown in the evidence table above.
Bluesky: Conversation and specialist communities
Start with topics that overlap with the community you want to serve. Use clear context and language choices, participate in replies and track useful conversations. The eligible delivery sample provides no reliable performance ranking for this network. Strategy guidance; the observed Postly publishing counts are shown in the evidence table above.
Early stage: establish audience and message fit
Choose one primary channel where you can reach and speak with the intended audience. For a local appointment business, evaluate the local discovery and booking path first; for a professional service, test useful explanations of the buying problem; for a demonstrable product, test visual proof. These are strategy hypotheses, not Postly performance rankings. Your immediate output is evidence that the right people understand the offer and take a useful next step. Do not expand merely because another platform has higher publishing volume.
Mid stage: make one useful result repeatable
When one topic and offer consistently produce relevant conversations or qualified actions, document the brief and publishing checks. Add one complementary distribution channel while retaining a common business outcome. Record the incremental production and response time. Continue only if the additional channel reaches useful people or supports a distinct buying question; duplicated impressions are not evidence of incremental demand.
Late stage: allocate resources by contribution
With repeatable acquisition or customer communication in place, compare channel contribution over a consistent window. Keep paid and organic activity separate and account for production cost. Invest in the combination of channels that serves discovery, evaluation and customer retention, rather than maximizing every platform. Use first-party conversion records to assess business outcomes; publishing receipts cannot supply this attribution.
Advanced stage: test incrementality and resilience
Use planned holdouts or staggered changes where feasible to distinguish extra activity from extra results. Compare matched account or campaign cohorts, record uncertainty and check whether a few large accounts dominate the result. Maintain a deliberate experiment budget and avoid changing several presets, creative formats and schedules at once. Stage labels here describe operating maturity, not follower thresholds, and were not inferred from customer identities or content.
Sources for the teaching sections
- YouTube performance and discovery
- LinkedIn: thought leadership
- Google Business Profile performance definitions
- Pinterest product Pins and shopping
Platform sources support the explanations. Postly data supports the observed counts. Strategic recommendations are editorial judgments.
Report 03 · Monthly findings - September 2026
Content formats
The image, video, text, and mixed-media formats found in the publishing sample.
September 2026
The findings
facebook / Text / no attached media: 3,100 deliveries, from 155 accounts and 3,100 observations. Attached source media, not inferred native placement. Retained verified deliveries only. facebook / image source media: 70,952 deliveries, from 580 accounts and 70,952 observations. Attached source media, not inferred native placement. Retained verified deliveries only. facebook / video source media: 2,870 deliveries, from 216 accounts and 2,870 observations. Attached source media, not inferred native placement. Retained verified deliveries only. googleMyBusiness / Text / no attached media: 1,673 deliveries, from 131 accounts and 1,673 observations. Attached source media, not inferred native placement. Retained verified deliveries only. googleMyBusiness / image source media: 3,226 deliveries, from 326 accounts and 3,226 observations. Attached source media, not inferred native placement. Retained verified deliveries only. instagram / image source media: 5,262 deliveries, from 404 accounts and 5,262 observations. Attached source media, not inferred native placement. Retained verified deliveries only. instagram / video source media: 5,292 deliveries, from 338 accounts and 5,292 observations. Attached source media, not inferred native placement. Retained verified deliveries only. linkedin / Text / no attached media: 364 deliveries, from 64 accounts and 364 observations. Attached source media, not inferred native placement. Retained verified deliveries only. linkedin / image source media: 4,971 deliveries, from 248 accounts and 4,971 observations. Attached source media, not inferred native placement. Retained verified deliveries only. linkedin / video source media: 663 deliveries, from 91 accounts and 663 observations. Attached source media, not inferred native placement. Retained verified deliveries only. pinterest / image source media: 1,071 deliveries, from 66 accounts and 1,071 observations. Attached source media, not inferred native placement. Retained verified deliveries only. threads / image source media: 651 deliveries, from 47 accounts and 651 observations. Attached source media, not inferred native placement. Retained verified deliveries only. tiktok / image source media: 286 deliveries, from 55 accounts and 286 observations. Attached source media, not inferred native placement. Retained verified deliveries only. tiktok / video source media: 3,296 deliveries, from 228 accounts and 3,296 observations. Attached source media, not inferred native placement. Retained verified deliveries only. youtube / video source media: 1,230 deliveries, from 94 accounts and 1,230 observations. Attached source media, not inferred native placement. Retained verified deliveries only.
Published deliveries by attached media
| Observed group | deliveries | Accounts | Observations |
|---|---|---|---|
| facebook / Text / no attached media | 3,100 | 155 | 3,100 |
| facebook / image source media | 70,952 | 580 | 70,952 |
| facebook / video source media | 2,870 | 216 | 2,870 |
| googleMyBusiness / Text / no attached media | 1,673 | 131 | 1,673 |
| googleMyBusiness / image source media | 3,226 | 326 | 3,226 |
| instagram / image source media | 5,262 | 404 | 5,262 |
| instagram / video source media | 5,292 | 338 | 5,292 |
| linkedin / Text / no attached media | 364 | 64 | 364 |
| linkedin / image source media | 4,971 | 248 | 4,971 |
| linkedin / video source media | 663 | 91 | 663 |
| pinterest / image source media | 1,071 | 66 | 1,071 |
| threads / image source media | 651 | 47 | 651 |
| tiktok / image source media | 286 | 55 | 286 |
| tiktok / video source media | 3,296 | 228 | 3,296 |
| youtube / video source media | 1,230 | 94 | 1,230 |
At least 30 accounts and 100 observations per displayed group. Account counts overlap. Small groups are withheld; absence from this table does not mean zero usage.
What to do with this result
Compare the formats you can produce consistently, then run a small test with a single audience objective.
How to make the comparison useful
Keep the platform, metric definition and observation age consistent. Record production effort and qualified audience outcomes alongside the reported measure. Change one controllable variable at a time and review the result before expanding the tactic.
Measurement limits
This is an observational sample of eligible Postly records, not a randomized experiment or the whole platform. Missing measurements are withheld. Publishing volume is not engagement; lifetime counters are not necessarily activity within this month. Changes can reflect provider corrections and sample composition.
What this means for content planning
A video-only production plan would overlook most recorded delivery work in this sample. Image preparation, accessibility descriptions, crop checks and destination adaptation deserve an explicit place in the workflow. Equally, the video volume is large enough to justify a separate production checklist. Text or link-based publishing should remain a distinct workflow rather than being treated as a failed media upload.
Recommended actions
Build reusable image and video briefs for the same customer question. Record the production time for each format and evaluate comparable outcomes after a fixed interval. For a product demonstration, compare a short demonstration with a step-by-step image explanation using the same offer. Keep accessibility checks in both workflows. Choose the format that produces useful audience response at a sustainable production cost.
Report 04 · Monthly findings - September 2026
Publishing times
When sampled deliveries were published, grouped by UTC hour.
September 2026
The findings
00:00 UTC: 4,030 deliveries, from 358 accounts and 4,030 observations. Observed delivery hour in UTC, not a best-time recommendation. 01:00 UTC: 3,741 deliveries, from 311 accounts and 3,741 observations. Observed delivery hour in UTC, not a best-time recommendation. 02:00 UTC: 4,546 deliveries, from 358 accounts and 4,546 observations. Observed delivery hour in UTC, not a best-time recommendation. 03:00 UTC: 4,321 deliveries, from 309 accounts and 4,321 observations. Observed delivery hour in UTC, not a best-time recommendation. 04:00 UTC: 3,871 deliveries, from 407 accounts and 3,871 observations. Observed delivery hour in UTC, not a best-time recommendation. 05:00 UTC: 4,542 deliveries, from 493 accounts and 4,542 observations. Observed delivery hour in UTC, not a best-time recommendation. 06:00 UTC: 4,117 deliveries, from 567 accounts and 4,117 observations. Observed delivery hour in UTC, not a best-time recommendation. 07:00 UTC: 3,653 deliveries, from 547 accounts and 3,653 observations. Observed delivery hour in UTC, not a best-time recommendation. 08:00 UTC: 4,078 deliveries, from 677 accounts and 4,078 observations. Observed delivery hour in UTC, not a best-time recommendation. 09:00 UTC: 4,563 deliveries, from 467 accounts and 4,563 observations. Observed delivery hour in UTC, not a best-time recommendation. 10:00 UTC: 2,876 deliveries, from 406 accounts and 2,876 observations. Observed delivery hour in UTC, not a best-time recommendation. 11:00 UTC: 4,974 deliveries, from 419 accounts and 4,974 observations. Observed delivery hour in UTC, not a best-time recommendation. 12:00 UTC: 5,658 deliveries, from 463 accounts and 5,658 observations. Observed delivery hour in UTC, not a best-time recommendation. 13:00 UTC: 6,191 deliveries, from 568 accounts and 6,191 observations. Observed delivery hour in UTC, not a best-time recommendation. 14:00 UTC: 5,891 deliveries, from 594 accounts and 5,891 observations. Observed delivery hour in UTC, not a best-time recommendation. 15:00 UTC: 5,415 deliveries, from 558 accounts and 5,415 observations. Observed delivery hour in UTC, not a best-time recommendation. 16:00 UTC: 4,976 deliveries, from 517 accounts and 4,976 observations. Observed delivery hour in UTC, not a best-time recommendation. 17:00 UTC: 5,607 deliveries, from 459 accounts and 5,607 observations. Observed delivery hour in UTC, not a best-time recommendation. 18:00 UTC: 5,237 deliveries, from 499 accounts and 5,237 observations. Observed delivery hour in UTC, not a best-time recommendation. 19:00 UTC: 4,420 deliveries, from 435 accounts and 4,420 observations. Observed delivery hour in UTC, not a best-time recommendation. 20:00 UTC: 3,827 deliveries, from 357 accounts and 3,827 observations. Observed delivery hour in UTC, not a best-time recommendation. 21:00 UTC: 3,557 deliveries, from 312 accounts and 3,557 observations. Observed delivery hour in UTC, not a best-time recommendation. 22:00 UTC: 3,985 deliveries, from 357 accounts and 3,985 observations. Observed delivery hour in UTC, not a best-time recommendation. 23:00 UTC: 4,383 deliveries, from 328 accounts and 4,383 observations. Observed delivery hour in UTC, not a best-time recommendation.
Verified deliveries by UTC hour
| Observed group | deliveries | Accounts | Observations |
|---|---|---|---|
| 00:00 UTC | 4,030 | 358 | 4,030 |
| 01:00 UTC | 3,741 | 311 | 3,741 |
| 02:00 UTC | 4,546 | 358 | 4,546 |
| 03:00 UTC | 4,321 | 309 | 4,321 |
| 04:00 UTC | 3,871 | 407 | 3,871 |
| 05:00 UTC | 4,542 | 493 | 4,542 |
| 06:00 UTC | 4,117 | 567 | 4,117 |
| 07:00 UTC | 3,653 | 547 | 3,653 |
| 08:00 UTC | 4,078 | 677 | 4,078 |
| 09:00 UTC | 4,563 | 467 | 4,563 |
| 10:00 UTC | 2,876 | 406 | 2,876 |
| 11:00 UTC | 4,974 | 419 | 4,974 |
| 12:00 UTC | 5,658 | 463 | 5,658 |
| 13:00 UTC | 6,191 | 568 | 6,191 |
| 14:00 UTC | 5,891 | 594 | 5,891 |
| 15:00 UTC | 5,415 | 558 | 5,415 |
| 16:00 UTC | 4,976 | 517 | 4,976 |
| 17:00 UTC | 5,607 | 459 | 5,607 |
| 18:00 UTC | 5,237 | 499 | 5,237 |
| 19:00 UTC | 4,420 | 435 | 4,420 |
| 20:00 UTC | 3,827 | 357 | 3,827 |
| 21:00 UTC | 3,557 | 312 | 3,557 |
| 22:00 UTC | 3,985 | 357 | 3,985 |
| 23:00 UTC | 4,383 | 328 | 4,383 |
At least 30 accounts and 100 observations per displayed group. Account counts overlap. Small groups are withheld; absence from this table does not mean zero usage.
What to do with this result
Busy publishing hours are not automatically the best times to post. Use audience-local time and compare performance in a controlled test.
How to make the comparison useful
Keep the platform, metric definition and observation age consistent. Record production effort and qualified audience outcomes alongside the reported measure. Change one controllable variable at a time and review the result before expanding the tactic.
Measurement limits
This is an observational sample of eligible Postly records, not a randomized experiment or the whole platform. Missing measurements are withheld. Publishing volume is not engagement; lifetime counters are not necessarily activity within this month. Changes can reflect provider corrections and sample composition.
What this means for scheduling
A universal best-time recommendation would confuse publisher behaviour with audience response. The same UTC hour corresponds to different local hours across regions, and the aggregate also mixes platforms and content. Use the observed spread to plan operational coverage and verification. Audience-local experiments need a narrower comparison than this global distribution.
Recommended actions
Record the audience timezone alongside every timing test. Compare two practical local-time windows on the same platform with similar content and a fixed observation age. Include a response or conversion measure rather than only publication success. Keep enough time after publishing to monitor responses, and revisit the schedule when audience geography or daylight-saving time changes.
Source and methodology
Verified deliveries are deduplicated by destination and provider identifier. Each public row requires at least 30 accounts and 100 observations. Monthly scans use bounded, indexed reads of retained records. Missing measurements are unavailable, not zero. Settings describe current stored configuration on records with verified monthly publications; they do not establish performance lift. Only eligible reports appear in this edition.
Completed 2026-10-04. Citation: Postly Research, Social Media Publishing Report — September 2026, September 2026 · Monthly edition.
Full methodology