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. In this post, we break down the most recent available data (collected in Q4 of 2024).
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.
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Below, you’ll find recommendations for the best times to post on Facebook, LinkedIn, 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, Facebook engagement is quite consistent throughout the week for government organizations. That said, content posted on the weekends tends to do particularly well: 9 am to 12 pm on Sunday, 9 am to 11 am on Saturday, and 4 pm to 6 pm on Saturday are the sweet spots.
Best time to post on LinkedIn
Mid-day is generally the best time to post on LinkedIn in government. Posts published around 2 pm on Monday, 10 am on Tuesday, and 11 am on Saturday seem to generate the highest engagement.
Best time to post on X (Twitter)
The best times to post on X for government institutions are:
- 9 am to 11 am on Mondays
- 11 am to 1 pm on Tuesdays
- 9 am to 12 pm on Thursdays and Fridays
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 in Q4 of 2024, government institutions posted on LinkedIn more often than on other social platforms — an average of over 13 times a week. Instagram sits on the opposite side of the scale with under 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 10-12 times a week have seen similar engagement rates to those posting an average of only once per week.
The same goes for Instagram. Organizations that posted twice a week registered engagement similar to those posting five times a week.
On LinkedIn, 3 posts a week were the sweet spot for engagement in Q4 of 2024.
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 December 2024:
- LinkedIn: 3.9%
- Instagram: 3.1%
- Facebook: 2.1%
- X: 1.8%
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 generated the most engagement — followed by posts with links, videos, and individual photos.
Instagram users were most likely to interact with carousels, followed by regular photo posts.
On LinkedIn, posts with videos outperformed posts with photos, regular status updates, and 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 did in Q4 2024:
- LinkedIn: 0.49%
- Instagram: 0.38%
- X (Twitter): 0.02%
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