When Are the Best Times to Post on TikTok? Tips for Maximizing Engagement

When Are the Best Times to Post on TikTok?

Figuring out when to post on TikTok is essential for maximizing engagement and views on the popular short-form video app. With over 1 billion monthly active users, competition for appearing on TikTok's coveted "For You" page can be fierce. Luckily, extensive research has uncovered the best times to post TikTok videos.

Morning vs Evening: When Most TikTok Users Are Active

Studies show TikTok usage peaks at various points throughout the day. In the morning, usage spikes around 9-10 AM as people check TikTok over breakfast or during their commute to work or school. Usage declines during typical working hours but rises again in the evening around 7-8 PM when people are relaxing after dinner. Weekends see more consistent TikTok traffic throughout the day since schedules are less structured.

Overall, early evenings tend to see slightly higher usage as teens and young adults wind down their day. Late night usage remains strong too, trailing off around midnight when people start going to bed. So if your target audience skews young, aim to post TikTok videos in the evenings.

What Days of the Week Work Best?

Posting consistently throughout the week is important, but TikTok engagement rates fluctuate by day. Not surprisingly, weekends see the highest usage and engagement. Saturday and Sunday offer prime opportunities to go viral. More people have leisure time to scroll through TikTok feeds and interact with videos.

Engagement starts trending down by midweek but remains decent on Wednesday and Thursday evenings when the workweek is winding down. Mondays and Fridays tend to see lower engagement as people focus on starting or finishing their workweeks. Still, don't skip posting on Mondays and Fridays entirely as plenty of folks use TikTok to decompress from busy weekdays.

Holidays and Events

Holidays and major cultural events bring spikes in TikTok usage, making them optimal posting times if you can tie your brand into the festivities. Christmas, Thanksgiving, and New Year's Eve rank among TikTok's biggest days. Events like the Super Bowl and season premieres of popular shows also drive traffic.

TikTok challenges tied to holidays or events can go viral, like dancing to spooky music before Halloween. Even if your brand doesn't directly relate to the event, special occasion posts can capture interest. People crave fun distractions during hectic times of year!

Adjust for Time Zones

It's important to remember the times above reflect TikTok's most active hours in your own time zone. If your target audience is global or centered in a different time zone, adjust your posting times accordingly. The spike in usage when Americans scroll through TikTok after dinner happens while Australians eat breakfast.

Study when your target followers are most likely to use TikTok based on their time zone. While impossible to post at peak times for everyone worldwide, try staggering posts to reach different major time zones.

Leveraging TikTok Analytics

Your own TikTok analytics provide the best insight on when your audience is most engaged. In the app, go to your profile, tap the icon showing three horizontal bars in the upper right corner, select "Analytics," and examine your posts' performance by time of day and day of week.

Look for when your views, likes, comments, and shares spike to pinpoint peak times. Test posting at different times and days to see if engagement improves. Consider your audience's demographics and what times of day they're most likely active on TikTok when analyzing the data.

Follower Demographics

The majority of TikTok users are young, with 43% between ages 18 and 24. So times teens and college students are most active like after school and on weekends tend to see the highest overall engagement. But say your target audience is stay-at-home parents. In that case, engagement might peak during daytime hours on weekdays when parents have free time after getting kids off to school.

Think about your audience's age, work status, lifestyle and what times of day they likely turn to TikTok for entertainment. A retailer targeting high schoolers should post after classes let out, while a brand aimed at working professionals should target the commute home.

International Followers

Look at your followers list to see if certain countries make up a significant portion of your audience. This info is under the "Followers" tab in TikTok Analytics. Pay attention to time zones in countries where you have a large follower base and focus posting during peak evening hours in those regions.

Large follower bases in Europe, Africa, Australia, and Asia might warrant scheduling content to go live during daytime hours in those markets. You may see different posting times do better for U.S. versus international audiences.

Optimal Posting Frequency on TikTok

Consistency is key on TikTok. Posting regularly keeps your profile active so the algorithm shows it to more potential followers. But take care not to oversaturate your audience or exhaust yourself producing excessive videos.

Studies indicate posting once to twice per day is optimal for a brand account. Spacing videos 6-8 hours apart gives followers enough time to view, like, and share each one without getting overwhelmed.

For personal accounts, 1-3 posts per day is recommended. Individual users don't have production resources like brands, so pacing yourself is important. You could post a morning and evening video to reach both time windows.

Trending Sounds and Challenges

When trending sounds, effects, hashtags, or challenges related to your niche take off, posting more frequently can help ride the viral wave. But take care only to jump on organic trends authentically tied to your brand identity. Forcing irrelevant trend-jacking comes across as inauthentic.

Capitalize on buzz by posting your take on viral content 2-3 times per day. Spacing videos just a few hours apart floods the app with your content while the trend is hot.

Interact With Followers

Posting isn't the only way to engage your audience. Reply to comments, do live broadcasts based on follower requests, and interact with other accounts. TikTok isn't just about racking up video views but building community. Remaining active daily with non-video content is also important.

TikTok Content That Performs Well

What you post matters as much as when. Tailor content to what performs best on TikTok based on your niche.

Short Videos

TikTok videos can be up to 10 minutes long but shorter clips tend to get more engagement. Videos under 30 seconds don't bore viewers quickly scrolling feeds. Use concise videos to share quick tips, product features, funny reactions, or showcase dance moves.

Music, Sounds, Effects

The right background music and sounds hook viewers. TikTok's vast audio library lets you add popular or trending songs. Fun voice effects like autotune or filters immerse fans. Utilize platform features fan love.

Interactive Content

Questions, polls, challenges, and captions that prompt reactions drive engagement. For example, ask viewers to comment their preferences or film themselves replicating a dance move. Interactive content gives followers a reason to like, share, and respond.

Behind-the-Scenes

Let fans into your world by bringing them behind the scenes of your business, brand, or creative process. Show how products get made, daily life stuff, or your workspace. Authenticity helps humanize your brand.

Post consistently at peak times when your target audience is most active on TikTok. But also provide value through sound, effects, captions, and interactive elements optimized for the platform. Understanding how and when your followers use TikTok leads to higher engagement.

FAQs

What are the best times of day to post on TikTok?

The evening hours from around 7-9 PM tend to see peak TikTok engagement in most time zones. Mornings around 9-10 AM also see an uptick in usage. Adjust times based on your target audience's time zone.

What are the best days of the week to post?

Saturday and Sunday see the highest TikTok usage and engagement as people have more leisure time. Wednesday and Thursday evenings also perform well when people are winding down from work. Engagement dips on Mondays and Fridays.

Should I post more on holidays?

Yes, holidays and events bring huge spikes in TikTok traffic and offer prime opportunities to go viral. Post holiday-themed content like dances or effects to capture interest.

How often should I post videos?

Brand accounts should aim to post 1-2 times per day spaced 6-8 hours apart. Individual accounts can post 1-3 times daily. Post more frequently when trending challenges or audios align with your niche.

What types of content perform best?

Short videos under 30 seconds, popular audios and effects, interactive content like questions and polls, and behind-the-scenes footage tend to see high engagement on TikTok.