When it comes to creating engaging content on TikTok, one of the most important factors to consider is when you post. With over 1 billion monthly active users, timing your posts just right can be the difference between reaching thousands or even millions of viewers. Recent studies show that the optimal posting time on TikTok can result in up to 30% more engagement than posts made at low-traffic times. Clearly, understanding your audience’s habits and peak activity times is crucial for success on the platform.
In this article, we’ll explore how TikTok’s mysterious algorithm works, breakdown top performing times for different types of content, and provide tips on how to find the best times to post for your unique audience. Whether you’re just starting out or looking to take your TikTok game to the next level, optimizing your posting schedule can help maximize your reach and grow your following.
When Are Most TikTok Users Active?
According to research by Influencer Marketing Hub, TikTok sees the most user activity and engagement in the mornings, afternoons, and evenings, with engagement peaking at these times:
Mondays at 12 PM and 4 PM [1].
Tuesdays at 4 AM, 8 AM, 10 AM, and 3 PM [1].
Wednesdays at 1 PM and 2 PM [1].
Thursdays at 5 AM, 3 PM, and 6 PM [1].
Fridays at 5 AM, 1 PM, and 3 PM [2].
The weekends also see high engagement, with Saturdays at 11 AM and Sundays at 1 PM being peak times [1].
Does TikTok’s Algorithm Reward Certain Post Times?
TikTok’s For You Page (FYP) algorithm is designed to show users the most engaging and relevant videos based on their interests and past viewing history. The FYP algorithm evaluates many factors beyond just posting time to determine which videos to promote, including video information, user interactions, device/account settings, and more (The TikTok Algorithm Explained + Tips to Go Viral).
Posting time itself does not directly impact the FYP algorithm according to TikTok. However, posting when your target audience is most active can help your content get more rapid engagement, which signals to the algorithm that it is compelling content to promote (What is the Best Time to Post on TikTok in 2024?). So while the algorithm does not explicitly favor certain posting times, posting strategically for your audience can still give your content a boost.
Optimal Posting Times for Top Performing Content
When it comes to top performing content on TikTok, the optimal posting times can vary based on the type of content you are creating. According to research, some of the best times to post popular content types include:
For dance or comedy videos, late morning and early afternoon tend to perform well. Posting around 10-11am local time allows users to engage with fun, entertaining content during breaks at school or work. As this source notes, 10-11:50am is a high traction time for many TikTok creators.
If you want to go viral, late at night may be the best bet. Posts made between 9-10pm tend to get high engagement, since this is when many teens and young adults are scrolling before bed. The hours right before midnight are prime time for viral dance challenges and comedy sketches to take off.
For educational or informational content, early morning and evenings tend to work well. Posting a how-to or explainer video around 7-9am reaches people looking to learn over breakfast or during their commute. Evenings around 5-7pm hit people winding down from work who want to casually learn or browse informative content.
No matter what you post, don’t overload your followers. Stick to 1-3 posts per day max, and always analyze your analytics to see when your own audience is most active and engaged.
Local Post Times vs Global Post Times
Generally, local audiences should determine the best posting time on TikTok as opposed to global audiences. According to Dash Hudson, “Partnering with local creators within the countries you’re looking to target who also have a global reach” is an effective strategy for reaching a global audience on TikTok while optimizing for local engagement. Trying to post at a single global time usually results in suboptimal engagement.
Instead, TikTok marketers should focus on posting during peak local times when their target audience is most active on the app. Analytics tools like TikTok’s Creator Portal can reveal insights into follower locations and engagement patterns. Once local high traffic times are identified, marketers can experiment with posting around those times to determine the optimal hours and days for their audience and content style.
While a single global posting time likely won’t maximize exposure, marketers can still reach global audiences by tailoring posting times across different regions and coordinating with creators in each local market.
Posting Too Frequently vs Too Infrequently
Finding the right posting frequency is crucial on TikTok. Post too often and you risk annoying viewers and getting lost in the shuffle. But post too infrequently and you may not gain traction or remain top of mind.
According to experts, posting 1-4 times per day is ideal for most TikTok accounts (Wordstream). More than 4 posts per day and you risk saturating your audience. Less than 1 post per day, and you likely won’t create enough new content to sustain growth and engagement.
The drawbacks of posting too frequently include:
- Turning followers away with an overwhelming amount of content
- Not allowing enough time for each video to gain engagement before the next one is posted
- Forcing you to create lower-quality content to meet posting demands
On the other hand, problems with posting too infrequently include:
- Letting your account go stale and inactive
- Not providing followers with enough content to interact with
- Getting lost in the shuffle as more active accounts pass you by
Striking the right balance takes testing and analyzing your account’s engagement analytics. But in general, erring on the side of posting slightly more frequently, such as 2-3 quality videos per day, is recommended for most TikTok users.
Using TikTok Analytics to Find Your Best Post Times
One of the best ways to determine your ideal posting times on TikTok is to make use of the platform’s built-in analytics. Within the TikTok app, you can access analytics by going to your profile and tapping the icon that looks like a bar graph in the top right.
TikTok analytics provide detailed data on your videos’ performance including views, likes, comments, shares, and more. You can filter and compare this data based on different times and days that you posted.
Analyze when your top performing videos were posted and when they received the most engagement. Look for consistent patterns on certain days and times where your content sees spikes in views or comments. You may notice your audience is most active at certain times.
You can run experiments by posting at different times and days and comparing the analytics results. Try a week of posting at 9am daily versus a week of posting at 5pm. Look at the hard data to guide your optimal posting schedule.
While TikTok analytics provide useful insights, also be sure to watch initial engagement on new videos in real time. High view counts right away signal a good post time. Use TikTok’s analytics to confirm patterns over time.
Tools to Schedule and Automate Posting
Using a scheduling tool is an excellent way to automate and optimize your TikTok posting. Some of the most popular and effective TikTok scheduling tools include:
SocialBee – An AI-powered platform with advanced scheduling, analytics, and automation capabilities specifically for TikTok.
Loomly – A user-friendly tool with features like mass uploading, hashtag research, and post recycling.
Some best practices when using TikTok scheduling tools:
- Test different posting times and analyze performance data to determine optimal schedules.
- Don’t over-schedule – space out posts appropriately for your audience.
- Use relevant hashtags so content reaches your target audience.
- Personalize captions while maintaining brand voice.
- Reply to comments regularly to engage with your followers.
The right scheduling tools and strategies can save time while maximizing the impact of your content. As with any platform, continue testing and optimizing to improve results.
Experimenting to Find Your Audience’s Preferred Times
The most effective way to determine the best posting times for your TikTok audience is to experiment and analyze data. Here are some strategies for testing different posting times:
Run A/B tests splitting your audience and posting the same content at different times to see which performs better. As explained on TikTok’s ads help page, split testing allows you to test two versions of content to optimize performance (source).
Pay attention to when your top-performing content is posted using TikTok Analytics. Look at metrics like views, likes, comments, and shares to see when your audience is most actively engaging. As recommended in this post, analyze what time your viral videos are posted to find your optimal timing (source).
Schedule a variety of posting times and closely monitor performance. You may find your audience prefers early morning or late evenings. Test times when you usually wouldn’t post to uncover surprising engagement peaks.
Gradually adjust your posting schedule based on the data. If 2 PM performs better than your usual 10 AM, start shifting more content into the afternoons. Let the analytics guide your timing.
While experimenting, maintain a consistent posting cadence so you can properly compare results across different times. Don’t change too many variables at once.
Be patient and run tests over an extended period to account for outliers. One-off viral hits may skew certain times, so analyze longer patterns.
Tweak and iterate over time as your audience grows. Their preferred times may shift as more people discover your content worldwide.
By regularly experimenting with post times and studying audience data, you can optimize your TikTok strategy to maximize viewership and engagement. The right timing takes testing, consistency, and patience to pinpoint.
Conclusion
In summary, while there is no universally optimal posting time for all TikTok users, posting when your target audience is most active can help maximize engagement and views. The platform’s algorithm seems to reward videos published during peak usage hours. Carefully tracking analytics, running A/B tests of different times, and optimizing based on your own audience data is key. Remember that posting too frequently or infrequently can also negatively impact performance. While the “best” times vary, aiming for late mornings/afternoons and evenings on weekdays or weekends based on your niche is a good starting point. Pay attention to local trends versus global ones too. With testing and analytics, you can find the sweet spot that helps your TikTok content thrive.
