Government social media benchmarks: Q3 2024 research

How do you know if your social strategy is working? Is an average of 15 comments per post a win, or is it just average? And when is the best time to publish your content?

There is no universal answer — it all depends on factors like your sector, the platforms you’re using, your audience demographics, and more.

That’s where social media benchmarks come in. These numbers offer a clear view of what’s normal for your industry in terms of engagement and growth, helping you understand how your results compare.

Read on for the most recent social media benchmarks and stats specific to the government sector that will put your performance into perspective.

Psst: Once you grab your benchmarks, head to our guide to using social media for citizen engagement to find out how to action these insights.

Best times to post on social media for government

Below, you’ll find recommendations for the best times to post on Facebook, Instagram, and X (formerly Twitter) for maximum engagement.

Note: Time of day was localized across 118 countries where sample data came from, i.e. the graphs are accurate across time zones.

Best time to post on Facebook

According to our research, 7 am on Thursday is the best time for government agencies and officials to post on Facebook.

Best time to post on Instagram

Early mornings are the best time to post on Instagram in government. Posts published around 6 am on Sunday, and 8 am on Wednesday and Saturday seem to generate the highest engagement.

Best time to post on X (Twitter)

Thursday morning (7-9 am) Tweets tend to generate the highest engagement for government institutions on X.

How often should you post on social media in government?

Every government agency and official’s ideal posting schedule is unique, and you should test different posting frequencies to find out what works best for your audience. That said, these industry-specific stats will help you find a data-informed starting point.

Our research found that government institutions post on X and Facebook more often than on other social platforms — an average of over 10 times a week. LinkedIn sits on the opposite side of the scale with only 5 weekly uploads.

Below, you’ll find network-specific data that illustrates how posting frequency corresponds to overall engagement rates.

On Facebook, performance depends on the content you post more than it does on how often you post. Institutions that posted eight times a week have seen similar engagement rates to those posting an average of only once per week.

On X, you don’t need a busy posting schedule to keep your audience engaged. 1-2 posts a week are the sweet spot for government institutions and officials.

Interestingly, the opposite is true for LinkedIn. Government profiles posting 10 times a week see the highest average engagement on their content.

Average engagement rates in government

Wondering if your engagement rates are high enough? Here are the industry averages across all major social networks as of September 2024:

• Instagram: 4.2%
• Facebook: 3.2%
• X (Twitter): 2.4%
• LinkedIn: 2%

What should government institutions and officials post on social media?

Different social networks offer different content formats — but how do you decide which should dominate your content mix?

Here’s what our research says.

On Facebook, album posts generate the most engagement — followed by posts with videos, links, and individual photos.

Instagram users are most likely to interact with carousels, followed by regular photo posts and Reels.

On LinkedIn, posts with photos and videos outperform posts with links.

Follower growth rate in the government sector

If your social media strategy revolves around growing your audience, make sure you’re setting realistic goals. Here is how other government profiles are doing in Q3 2024:

• LinkedIn: 0.63%
• Instagram: 0.54%
• X (Twitter): 0.22%
• Facebook: 0.11%

Inform and engage on social media with Hootsuite. From a single dashboard, you can schedule and publish content to every network, monitor relevant conversations, and measure public sentiment around programs and policies with real-time social listening and analytics. See it in action.

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