written by Have you ever sat back and wondered how social media platforms work? Facebook and Instagram both function based on algorithms, but they also refresh to provide users with the most up-to-date posts. This is why when you enter one of the apps, you see new photos and videos posted within the past 24 hours – but those posts are still from people you typically follow, like, and comment with.
TikTok functions similarly; the For You page refreshes and provides you with recent content, but it also displays videos you’ll knowingly obtain maximum engagement with. It doesn’t matter how many days prior the informational or comedic clip was uploaded. The algorithm will work its magic if it’s related to or close in theme with recently liked TikTok videos.
That doesn’t mean that posting times are irrelevant, though. When an influencer or TikTok user posts to their target audience, they need engagement within the first few hours to pick up speed. If the engagement isn’t high in the beginning, the video itself may not branch out to followers’ For You page.
So, we’re here to discuss the best posting times for you and your content to thrive. Please read all about it below and proceed accordingly.
Why Does The Posting Time Matter for a TikTok Video?
Put, for maximum engagement.
Let us explain: The algorithm naturally prioritizes recent and relevant content. So, if you post at a time when your followers are sleeping, busy at work, or not engaging, you won’t get a ton of responses. And isn’t that the primary point: to have your target audience like, comment on, and share the TikTok videos you’re creating?
That’s why it’s a great idea to experiment with different posting times until you find a winner. This may require you to dive deep into TikTok analytics to find the best schedule for your followers, but the research will totally be worth it once you see those engagement numbers rising.
⏰ Are There Bad Posting Times? Are There Times You Should Avoid?
While we’re on when to post, we should cover when not to post. According to many marketing specialists, TikTok posts will get the most minor engagement during these EST hours:
- Weekdays at 5 pm, 6 pm, and 9 pm (typical dinner and get-ready-for-bed times)
- Sunday through Wednesday from 10 am to 3 pm (typical working hours)
- Friday through Monday from 12 am to 4 am (typical sleeping hours)
These days and times, we are only medians. Your target audience’s time zone will factor into optimal posting times.
⏰ What Is The Best Day Of The Week To Post?
When is the best time to post on TikTok during the week? We can’t single out one particular day where the average watch time is exponentially higher than the previous. But we can single out separate daily times for every day of the week. The most beneficial for the EST time zones are as follows:
- Sunday: 7 a.m., 8 a.m., 4 p.m.
- Monday: 6 am, 10 am, 10 pm.
- Tuesday: 2 am, 4 am, 9 am.
- Wednesday: 7 am, 8 am, 11 pm
- Thursday: 9 am, 12 pm, 7 pm.
- Friday: 5 am, 1 pm, 3 pm.
- Saturday: 11 am, 7 pm, 8 pm.
Remember that these peak traffic times were different a year ago, and they’ll continue to change and become more relevant annually. Always follow up with trending “time to post” metrics to secure the best engagement rate.
Benefits of Posting to TikTok at the Right Time
Finding that sweet spot to upload is crucial to increasing your following and expanding your brand. Though we’ve mentioned the positives throughout this article, we decided to narrow in on specifics in this section. Some of the benefits you’ll get to indulge in include:
Improved Engagement Rate
The higher the engagement rate, the better your chance of expanding your reach. Why? Because if people like, comment, and share your stuff, your followers will get to know you. Sooner or later, a friend of a friend will check your videos. And so the wheel continues to spin. That’s why finding that particular time and specific day is essential. Even the time of year is relevant. For example, if you’re a store offering a Black Friday bargain, you’ll want your sales before Thanksgiving. A few weeks before, in fact. So that people are informed about what you offer before they hit the stores to shop.
Increased ROI
If you’re making TikTok, you’ve spent time and money getting yourself known. That can include but isn’t limited to advertising, marketing, writing, social media helpers, video equipment, giveaways, and product discounts. But how do you get that cash back?
It’s called return on investment, or ROI. For example, if you have a brand selling merchandise, your posted clips may yield a mini advertising campaign. You may record yourself wearing clothing, cooking a dish from your newly launched cookbook, or walking viewers through an exercise plan you created. Ultimately, you can point followers towards purchasing what you’ve made. However many sales you get from that one promotional video will contribute towards your ROI.
However, return on investment is only possible if it reaches the crowds at the right time, links up with the algorithm correctly, and urges users to join the #TikTokMadeMeBuyIt movement.
Improved Brand Visibility
Similar to the two previous benefits, but with a slight twist. Posting at the right time can improve your brand visibility. Allow us a second to explain.
When users enter the app, they see two tabs: the For You page and the Following page. Videos only make it to the For You page if a user actively follows or likes similar recordings. There is one exception: If content has recently been posted in the followers’ time zone, it may spring up here.
This is your opportunity to get your brand moving over time. Post something new and exciting that your fans will enjoy and watch the followers stream in. The more you post and target your audience, the better responses you’ll see regarding your brand.
Possible Reasons To Avoid Peak Posting Times
Uploading content at peak publishing times for TikTok users to view may be great for some influencers and account holders but also detrimental for others. We will list and describe a few reasons you may want to consider looking into a social media management tool that’ll specify when your specific brand obtains high rankings.
The ‘best time to post’ may not coincide appropriately with your industry.
A good example here would be the restaurant business. You should adhere to a posting schedule if your TikTok account prioritizes new menu items, happy hour times, and weekend specials. Releasing videos at 5 am won’t attract customers, and posting past closing hours won’t reach your target audience positively. A move like this would prove useless.
Your account and the TikTok users who follow you may be outside an EST time zone.
We may have an apparent reason here, but it’s worth mentioning. If you or the followers who have your back are not located in EST, then those times listed above will not be relevant to your TikTok posts. Luckily, different time zones are usually pretty close, so you can use our schedule content as a guideline and then experiment from there.
If you’re working with a global audience, you may need to post and repost according to their metrics.
RELATED ARTICLE: How to Undo Repost on TikTok?
You prefer to use TikTok analytics to post at quieter times, not hectic periods.
What kind of influencer or account holder would want to post when no one is online? That’s a great question. The easy answer is more competition.
Here’s an excellent way to illustrate this reasoning: If you’re a small business’s proud founder and want to increase engagement on the info you provide, you should tweak your posting schedule. Please set it to 10 minutes after everyone else uploads on their TikTok account. The slight variation may give you the boost you need to stand out from the rest of the crowd.
How Do Trends Impact Posting Times?
When a trend pops up on TikTok, whether a song to sing along to or a dance challenge, the best time to post may change. Temporarily, it’ll revolve around active times when participants want to record and upload videos. We suggest checking multiple time zones and picking the most relevant to you and your engagement goals.
Trending challenge content receives the best return on investment during after-school hours (between 3 pm and 5 pm) and later in the evening (between 7 pm and 9 pm). So, if you’re aiming to hop aboard the trendy train, you’ll either want to schedule or post during these windows.
There’s also one more thing to consider: Trends on the weekends. Businesses prioritising wellness and beauty may be most familiar with these, claiming #SelfCareSaturday.
Conclusion: What Time Should You Post Videos?
Before concluding your best post time for the time zones you cater to, you’ll have to decide: Do you want to post during peak times or after peak times? Both offer unique benefits, but as stated previously, you’ll need to consider what’s best for your specific brand.
All in all, posting is better than not posting. So start experimenting as many marketing experts suggest. Learn the TikTok algorithm and what your audience responds best to, and take it from
there. You may prosper by forming an account schedule and releasing videos at the exact times and days of the week. You may excel by randomly uploading clips. Keep on top of your metrics to see how the content works and make the appropriate edits. We believe in you!
Let’s Get Started: Check Activity on Individual Videos
If you need help figuring out where to start, we’d like to give you a few takeaway pointers to keep in your back pocket. Here, you’ll see a few routes that’ll get you detailed information on follower activity so you can maneuver and make edits wherever necessary.
First, you need to head over to your analytics dashboard and navigate directly to the Content tab. From there, you’ll be provided with real-time numbers on individual posts within the past seven days. These include total play time, average watch time, how many people your video reached, and where your video was found.
To take it one step further, you’ll also be able to view the time and date each video you uploaded was posted to the TikTok app. This will allow you to compare and contrast your motions with your followers’ responses.
This detailed and highly individualized intel lets you narrow in on the best posting times. Remember that the times you used to upload live on TikTok may only work for some platforms. Be sure to analyze Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter apps differently to maximize your reach on every social media outlet.
Final Tip: Video Length Can Matter
We’ll leave you with one final tip before we head out. If you want impactful engagement, keep an eye on the clock; the time followers spend watching always matters.
Think like this: The quicker, the better. Our attention spans are short, so if you can get your point across fast, do so. If you can’t, make sure the video is jam-packed with helpful information that keeps people wanting more—no dull intel, no filler words, etc.
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