TikTok is a short-form video hosting service owned by ByteDance, a Beijing-based company founded in 2012. It has quickly grown to become one of the most popular social media platforms in the world, with over 1 billion monthly active users as of September 2021.
The app allows users to create, share, and discover short videos that are typically between 15 seconds to 3 minutes long. Its signature editing style features quick jumps, cuts, and transitions between video clips set to music and other sound effects.
Understanding when is the optimal time to post videos on TikTok is important for creators and brands looking to maximize engagement and reach with their content. The timing of when a video is published can impact its visibility in the “For You” feed, how many views and interactions it receives, and ultimately the success of a TikTok channel.
TikTok’s Algorithm
The TikTok algorithm is designed to determine which videos to promote to users. It uses factors like engagement and watch time to understand what content each user is most likely to enjoy and interact with (SocialInsider). The main goal is to keep users happy and engaged by showing them videos aligned with their interests and past behaviors on the app (SearchEngineLand).
Some key factors that impact the recommendations include: number of likes, comments, shares, overall watch time and retention on each video. Videos that lead to more engagement and full watches may signal to the algorithm that a user enjoyed that content. It then looks to serve more of that type of video to keep the user engaged (CreativeCloud).
Understanding these algorithmic factors can help creators optimize their content to achieve greater reach on TikTok. Focusing on creating engaging videos that lead viewers to comment, like, share and watch through to the end is key.
Peak Hours for TikTok
Research shows that the peak hours for TikTok engagement vary depending on the day of the week, but some general trends emerge. According to Influencer Marketing Hub, the peak times in the US are Monday from 12-4pm, Tuesday from 4am to 3pm, Wednesday from 1-2pm, Thursday from 5am to 6pm, and Friday from 9am to 10am.
Mornings, especially around 9-11am tend to be popular times as people check TikTok over breakfast or commute to work/school. Evenings around 7-9pm are also active as people relax after dinner. Late nights like 2-4am also see spikes as night owls engage.
Weekends tend to have more fluctuating engagement throughout the day as schedules are less structured. However, weekends still follow daily cycles with mornings and evenings being popular.
Different demographics also impact peak times. For example, late night spikes are driven more by younger audiences. Content aimed at professionals may perform better during the workday. Understanding your target audience’s habits can help optimize timing.
Morning vs Afternoon
There are pros and cons to posting in the morning vs the afternoon on TikTok. Studies have found some key differences in engagement between these times.
Posting in the morning tends to lead to higher engagement in general. As Buffer notes, “On Friday, the optimal posting times on TikTok are between 9 a.m. and 11 a.m., with another reach hotspot at 4 p.m.” https://buffer.com/library/best-time-to-post-on-tiktok/. One reason is that users are often just waking up and browsing TikTok while eating breakfast or getting ready for their day.
However, afternoon posting can also do well if timed right. As SocialPilot mentions, “The best times to post on TikTok on Tuesday are 7 a.m., 8 a.m., and 11 p.m.” https://www.socialpilot.co/blog/best-time-to-post-on-tiktok. The afternoon gives users a content break during lunch or after school/work.
In general, tailoring posting times based on your target audience’s habits seems key. Both morning and afternoons can work well depending on the day.
Evening Posting
Posting in the evening and nighttime hours can have advantages and disadvantages when trying to maximize TikTok engagement. According to research by Shopify, Friday evenings around 5pm, 7pm and 10pm ET tend to see higher than average engagement on TikTok. However, Social Pilot’s data indicates early Tuesday mornings around 2-4am see some of the highest traffic.
Posting later at night seems to perform well with younger audiences who are likely scrolling TikTok in the evenings after school or work. Late night posting may also reach audiences in different time zones outside of North American peak hours. However, late night posting runs the risk of lower engagement from older demographics who may not be accessing TikTok as frequently in the late evenings.
Ultimately the ideal posting time depends on your target demographic and when they are most likely to be actively scrolling and engaging with content. Testing different evening and nighttime hours can help determine when your audience is most responsive.
Weekday vs Weekend
There are clear differences in engagement between weekdays and weekends on TikTok. According to Hootsuite, weekdays see much higher engagement than weekends. The peak days for engagement are Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday. On weekends, engagement drops significantly, with Sundays seeing the lowest engagement of the week.
The types of content that tend to perform best on weekends differs from weekdays as well. Weekends are a time when people are more relaxed and have free time for entertainment. Funny comedy sketches, dance videos, relaxing ASMR, and light-hearted challenges tend to do well on Saturdays and Sundays. More educational and informational content actually sees lower engagement on weekends when people are seeking entertainment over learning.
Posting evergreen, entertaining content on weekends and saving more concentrated educational content for weekdays is a good strategy based on these engagement patterns.
Holidays and Events
Holidays and events often see huge spikes in engagement on TikTok as users look for related content. According to TikTok’s 2023 Holiday Guide, last Halloween saw a 15x increase in views for related hashtags like #Halloween and #Costume. Major holidays like Christmas also see more users searching for gift ideas, holiday recipes, and seasonal content.
Around major holidays, brands have success running holiday-themed campaigns and challenges. For example, Chipotle drove significant engagement through their #Boorito Halloween campaign. TikTok recommends using holiday-specific stickers, branded effects, and hashtags to tap into seasonal interest.
It’s also important to be mindful of trends and memes related to holidays and events. Strategically using viral sounds, effects, or hashtags can help increase visibility. Being creative with transitioning brand content to match holidays and seasons is an engaging strategy. Overall, capitalizing on holidays and events while staying on-brand can be a huge opportunity for views, engagement, and sales.
Trends and Challenges
Taking advantage of trending sounds, challenges, and hashtags can be an effective strategy for gaining more views and engagement on TikTok. Being quick to capitalize on viral trends while they are peaking in popularity can help your content be seen by more users who are searching for those trending topics. As Georgina Sharp suggests, researching current trending challenges, sounds, hashtags, and effects can give you inspiration for creating timely content.
Jumping on the latest TikTok craze early on can help your videos get noticed in that niche while it’s booming in popularity. However, it’s important not to force trends that don’t authentically align with your brand. Consider which challenges and viral content can work naturally with your style and audience. TikTok trends move quickly, so regularly checking trending topic searches, hashtags, and sounds can help you spot opportunities to integrate what’s currently hot into your content strategy.
Consistency
Consistency is key when it comes to success on TikTok. According to TikTok themselves, “Consistency helps the algorithm learn what your account is about so it can share your content with the right audience”[1]. The algorithm rewards accounts that post regularly with increased reach and engagement. While the timing of your posts matters, it’s more important to establish a regular posting schedule that you can maintain.
Aim to post at least 1-3 times per day if possible. You don’t need to post hourly or feel pressure to create tons of content. Focus on quality over quantity, while sticking to a consistent schedule. Use TikTok analytics to identify when your followers are most active and aim to post at peak times. But don’t neglect off-peak hours entirely – sprinkle in a few posts during slower periods to keep your account active. Consistency demonstrates commitment and gives followers incentive to keep checking back.
The key is finding a sustainable balance between timing and regular posting. Stick to your chosen schedule as much as possible, but don’t stress if you miss the odd post. So long as you maintain a baseline consistency, your account will benefit from continued algorithm favor.
Testing What Works
Since TikTok’s algorithm rewards engagement, testing different posting times and analyzing performance data is key to optimization. Experiment with posting at different times of day and on different days of the week to determine when your audience is most active. Use TikTok’s analytics to compare metrics like views, likes, comments, and shares hour-by-hour and day-by-day. Consider running A/B tests, also known as split tests, to directly compare two versions of a video posted at different times. For statistically significant results, run split tests for at least 7 days. Avoid testing for longer than 30 days, as the algorithm is constantly evolving. According to TikTok’s Ads Manager, “Testing for less than 7 days may not be long enough to determine a winner, while long testing may lead to a stale winner.” Analyze the data to determine the optimal posting time, then use those insights to maximize engagement.
