Case: shifting post time to peak hour raised 1-hour engagement 49%

Case: shifting post time to peak hour raised 1-hour engagement 49%
A gaming account (75k) moved posting from 9am to a data-derived 7pm slot. n=40 posts each window.
— 9am posts: 1-hour engagement rate 2.4%, median 24h reach 9,100
— 7pm posts: 1-hour rate 3.6% (+49%), median 24h reach 12,400 (+36%)
— The early-window signal correlated 0.71 with final reach
Hitting the active audience early seeded the distribution loop.
So what: the first 60 minutes is a leading indicator — post when your specific cohort is online, not at generic 'best times.' (n=80 posts, 60-day window)