TikTok has exploded in popularity in recent years, with over 15 million monthly active users in the UK alone as of 2023 (https://embryo.com/blog/tiktok-uk-stats/). With such a massive potential audience, determining the optimal times to post content can have a huge impact on reach and engagement.
This guide will examine the best times to post on TikTok if you’re targeting a UK audience. We’ll look at when people are most actively using TikTok, peak times for engagement, and other factors that can influence performance. The goal is to provide data-driven recommendations to help your content get maximum visibility and engagement from UK TikTok users.
Why Timing Matters
Timing can have a major impact on the performance of your TikTok videos. With so much content being uploaded every minute, it’s crucial to post your videos when the largest number of relevant users are actively scrolling through their feeds (source: https://boostmeup.com/blog/when-is-the-best-time-to-post-your-videos-on-tiktok/). Posting during peak activity times gives your content the greatest chance of being seen, which leads to more views, likes, comments, and shares.
TikTok is an extremely competitive platform, with over 1 billion monthly active users as of 2021 (source: https://www.oberlo.com/blog/tiktok-statistics). There are millions of videos being posted every day, all fighting for users’ attention. It takes strategic timing for a video to stand out in people’s feeds and start gaining traction. Videos that gain velocity early when posted at an optimal time tend to get pushed out to more feeds through TikTok’s recommendation algorithm. This creates a snowball effect that can greatly boost your reach.
When Most People are on TikTok
According to Social Films, TikTok usage in the UK tends to peak in the evenings, between 6pm-11pm. Weekday evenings see high engagement as people relax after work. Weekends also see increased usage, with Saturday nights being especially popular (Social Films).
A 2021 survey by Profile Tree found that overall engagement was highest from 6-9pm, particularly on Saturdays. Friday and Saturday evenings tend to see the most TikTok usage in the UK as people relax and spend time on their devices at the end of the work week (Profile Tree).
So in summary, early evenings and weekends, especially Friday and Saturday nights, tend to be peak times for TikTok engagement in the UK as users have free time to scroll through their feeds and interact with content.
Considering Time Zones
The UK spans across multiple time zones, which can impact when your audience is most active on TikTok. While most of the UK follows Greenwich Mean Time (GMT), Northern Ireland and parts of Scotland use Irish Standard Time (IST), which is one hour behind GMT.
This means TikTok users in Northern Ireland and Scotland may have different peak engagement times than those in England and Wales. If your target audience is concentrated in certain time zones, you may need to adjust your posting schedule accordingly.
Additionally, niche audiences like teens or shift workers may be on TikTok at different times than the general public. Analyzing when your followers are engaged can help determine the best times to post for your specific community.
While general best times can serve as a guideline, always test out different posting times yourself and watch when your audience is most responsive. Time zones are an important factor to keep in mind when fine-tuning your TikTok strategy.
Peak Times for Engagement
Research has found that engagement on TikTok in the UK tends to peak at certain times, specifically when more people are actively scrolling through their feeds. According to a 2024 analysis by Scouty, posting between 10-11:50am, 2:30-4pm, and 6:30-9:30pm can increase engagement rates in terms of likes and comments [1].
These engagement spikes align with downtime during the workday, right before and after work hours, and in the evening when people are relaxing. The late morning and mid-afternoon jumps indicate good times for users to take breaks and scroll TikTok. The early evening is prime leisure time when many are done with work and school responsibilities.
Overall, the data suggests posting when users are most actively engaging on the app and have free time to watch, like, and comment on new videos. Paying attention to peak activity periods can help increase the visibility and response to your content.
Competition Analysis
One important factor in determining the best time to post on TikTok UK is analyzing when top creators in the UK are posting and looking for possible windows with less competition. According to research by Scouty, many top UK creators tend to post between 10-11:50am, 2:30-4pm, and 6:30-9:30pm. However, the early morning hours between 6-9am tend to have the least competition from big creators.
By looking at when the top videos in your niche were posted, you may be able to find a timeslot where fewer competitors are active, giving your content more visibility. Tools like Scouty can analyze the posting patterns of competitors to help determine when your content will stand out.
Overall, take advantage of windows in the day when top UK creators are less active to maximize your chances of being seen. Pay attention to daily and weekly posting trends to find the optimum time.
Tools and Tips
There are several tools that can help optimize when to post on TikTok in the UK. Scheduling and analytics tools like Influencer Marketing Hub, Meltwater, and Sprout Social provide insights into the best times to post based on your target audience and past performance. These tools allow you to schedule and analyze your content to determine peak engagement times.
In addition to tools, there are some tips that can help determine the ideal posting times on TikTok:
- Post consistently at different times of day and days of the week to find when your audience is most active.
- Pay attention to when your top-performing content was posted to identify possible patterns.
- Consider your audience demographic – students and younger audiences may be more active after school and evenings.
- Test different posting schedules for 1-2 weeks to get data on best times.
- Analyze competitors and influencers in your niche to see when they post.
Combining analytics tools with testing different posting times is the best way to optimize when to post content on TikTok.
Best Practices
Based on an analysis of peak usage times, engagement data, and content consumption patterns, the best times to post on TikTok in the UK appear to be:
- Early Afternoon (12-3pm) – Usage and engagement start picking up during lunch hours.
- Early Evening (5-7pm) – People relax after work and school, creating a spike in viewers.
- Late Evening (9-11pm) – Usage and engagement peak as people wind down before bed.
Here is a simple timeline showing the best times:
Posting during these high traffic windows gives your content the best chance of being seen and engaged with. Pay attention to when your target audience is most active on the platform.
Check Other Factors
While timing can have an effect, it is important to note other factors like captions, hashtags, and content quality also impact success on TikTok (TikTok Analytics: Unveiling the Metrics Behind Viral Success). Timing alone doesn’t guarantee views or engagement. High quality, creative, entertaining content is ultimately what will resonate with TikTok’s audience and algorithms.
Factors beyond just timing that contribute to a successful TikTok video include:
- An appealing thumbnail and opening hook
- Engaging captions and text overlays
- Using popular songs, sounds, or audio
- Leveraging trends and hashtags
- Short, consumable length (under 60 seconds)
- High production value and editing
While posting at peak times can help, putting thought into other elements of video creation is just as important. Timing should be viewed as one factor among many when trying to make content go viral on TikTok.
Conclusion
In summary, the best times to post on TikTok UK are generally lunchtime, evenings after work, and weekends when more people are available to scroll through their feeds. The hours between 2-10pm tend to see the most users and engagement. While late morning or early afternoons on weekdays can be good too, avoid very early mornings.
Analyze your own audience’s habits and when they are most active. Check your post analytics to see when your content gets the most traction. Consider trends and topics that are popular in the UK at different times. Experiment with posting at various times to find the sweet spot.
Remember that consistency and quality content are also key. Don’t just post at the busiest times – space out your content throughout the day and week. Pay attention to holidays and events. Use relevant hashtags and viral sounds. Engage with your audience. Most importantly, focus on creating fun, entertaining and shareable TikTok videos that bring value to your viewers.
