TikTok has exploded in popularity over the past few years, becoming one of the most used social media platforms in the world. As of January 2024, TikTok has over 1.1 billion monthly active users globally (ecwid.com). With such a massive audience, it’s no surprise that content creators and brands are flocking to the platform. But with so many videos and accounts competing for attention, determining the optimal time to post content is crucial.
The goal of this article is to analyze the best times to post on TikTok in order to maximize engagement and viewership. By considering audience demographics, peak usage times, content types, influencer partnerships, analytics, and testing, we’ll uncover the ideal posting times for each time zone.
Why Timing Matters on TikTok
Timing your posts strategically on TikTok is crucial for maximizing engagement and reaching the widest audience. TikTok’s algorithm favors recent, timely content that is posted when most users are active on the platform. As BoostMeUp notes, “The TikTok algorithm is designed to serve users with the most recent and relevant content first” (source). Understanding when peak usage times occur ensures your content gets pushed by the algorithm when it is most likely to be seen.
Additionally, posting during activity spikes means tapping into the platform’s most engaged users. According to Starngage, “Timing plays a crucial role in maximizing engagement and reaching a wider audience” (source). Your content is far more likely to take off when posted strategically around peak times when the most active TikTok users are scrolling through their feeds.
Consider Your Audience
When determining the best times to post on TikTok, it’s critical to analyze your target audience and their usage patterns. TikTok has a very diverse user base with different demographics and locations. According to DataReportal (https://datareportal.com/essential-tiktok-stats), as of July 2022, around 57% of TikTok’s users worldwide were aged between 10-29. The platform also skews slightly more female, with over 53% of users being women. Looking at usage by country, 44% of TikTok’s users were from China, followed by 8.4% from the USA.
There are noticeable differences in how various age groups use TikTok. Teenagers tend to be the most active users, spending an average of 80 minutes per day on the app according to internal TikTok data. People in their 20s and 30s have above average engagement as well. Usage starts to taper off with older demographics. Analyzing your followers and who you want to reach can help determine the best posting times.
Peak Usage Times on TikTok
TikTok usage tends to follow certain patterns throughout the day and week. According to Factswave, on weekdays, TikTok experiences a spike in engagement in the morning between 8-9am as people check their phones during their commute to work or school. Usage dips during standard work hours, then climbs again in the afternoon between 12-5pm. Engagement peaks in the evening around 7-10pm when people relax after dinner.
On weekends, morning usage extends later to 10 or 11am as people sleep in. Afternoons also see high engagement between 12-6pm. Weekend evenings tend to be the most popular TikTok time overall, with prime engagement lasting from 6pm well into the night around 11pm.
In summary, TikTok tends to see engagement spikes early in the morning, in the afternoon after school/work hours, and highest usage in the evenings when people have free time to scroll before bed. Pay attention to weekday versus weekend differences.
Optimal Times for Each Time Zone
When posting on TikTok, it’s important to consider your target audience and what time zone they are located in. The peak usage times on TikTok often correlate with late afternoons and evenings when people are winding down their day.
For users on the US East Coast, the optimal times are between 5-9 PM Eastern Time. You’ll catch East Coast users as they are finishing work and have free time in the evening. On the US West Coast, aim for 8-11 PM Pacific Time when West Coast users are in their peak evening hours.
Adjust accordingly if your audience is in Europe, Asia, or other parts of the world. The key is identifying when users are most likely to be free and scrolling TikTok in each region you want to target. You can research the peak usage times in specific countries to determine the best times to post.
Some general guidelines:
- Europe: Between 4-8 PM Central European Time
- Asia Pacific: Between 7-11 PM local time
- Australia: Between 4-8 PM Australian Eastern Time
Pay attention to time zones and when users are finishing the workday and having downtime in the evening in each region.
Content-Specific Considerations
The type of content you post can also influence the best times to post on TikTok. Certain topics and trends tend to gain more traction during particular hours.
For example, fun dance challenges often spread widely in the late afternoon and early evenings when teens are out of school. Topical discussions or educational content may perform better in the mornings and around lunchtime when people are more focused. Relaxing and soothing content like ASMR videos tend to do well later at night when people are winding down.
You’ll want to test out posting your different content formats at various times to see what resonates best with your audience. Track which topics and video styles generate the most views and engagement based on when you release them. Then optimize your schedule accordingly.
Pay attention to which formats go viral as TikTok challenges during different parts of the day. Try piggybacking off trending hashtag themes by creating relevant content and timing it right as momentum is building around certain topics or crazes.
TikTok’s algorithm also favors newer videos, so staying on top of the latest popular memes and viral content each hour can help increase visibility at strategic times.
Leveraging Influencers
Studying when top creators in your niche post content can provide useful insights into the best times to post. As influencermarketinghub.com reports, many top TikTok influencers post between 12-4pm on weekdays when engagement is high.
Additionally, leveraging popular content by reposting or dueting viral videos can help increase your reach. As buffer.com suggests, utilizing trending audios, hashtags, and effects can help put your content in front of engaged users. Reposting and collaborating with influencers in your niche is another great tactic.
Overall, pay attention to when the accounts you want to emulate post new content. Then, try piggybacking off viral content to maximize your exposure at peak times. Just make sure to credit creators and follow platform guidelines.
Analyze Performance Data
One of the best ways to determine the optimal times to post on TikTok is by analyzing your performance data and metrics. TikTok provides creators with robust analytics that offer insights into how your content is performing. Dig into metrics like plays, likes, comments, shares, follows and traffic to get a sense of when your audience is most engaged.
Pay attention to which posts do well at different times of day and days of the week. You may notice higher engagement rates during evenings and weekends, when more users are scrolling on TikTok. Track your top performing videos to identify the specific times they were posted and try to replicate that timing.
You can also experiment by posting identical or similar videos at different times and comparing the results. This A/B testing will shed light on when your audience is most receptive. Just be sure to allow sufficient time in between posts so you don’t saturate your audience.
Consistently analyzing your performance data is crucial for determining your optimal posting times. Tweak your scheduling based on the insights gleaned from TikTok analytics. As your audience grows, their usage patterns may change, so continue assessing your metrics.
Schedule Posts in Advance
One of the best ways to optimize your timing on TikTok is to use scheduling tools to plan and automate your posting. Scheduling in advance allows you to strategically determine the ideal times to post based on your audience demographics, posting frequency, and performance analytics. Some of the top TikTok scheduling tools include Loomly, Brandwatch, and Crowdfire.
Scheduling your TikTok posts in advance brings many benefits. First, it saves you time and effort compared to manually posting. You can plan out your content calendar weeks or months ahead. Scheduling also allows you to automate posting at optimal times to reach your biggest audience. Whether that’s in the morning, afternoon, or evening depends on your niche. You can test different timing and let the scheduler post consistently at the ideal times. Overall, advance scheduling is a smart way to plan your TikTok timing and growth strategy.
Continuously Refine and Improve
One of the keys to success on TikTok is to constantly evaluate your performance data and adjust your approach accordingly. As your audience evolves and new trends emerge on the platform, what worked previously may become less effective over time. Regularly reassessing metrics like views, comments, shares, follower growth, and engagement rates can provide valuable insights into how your content is resonating.
Look for any major changes in your performance, such as a sudden drop-off in engagement on certain videos or from followers in a particular region. This could signal that your content style or topics are becoming stale and need freshening up. You’ll also want to stay up-to-date on the latest viral sounds, effects, and video formats popular among top creators. Test out new content styles and analyze how they perform compared to your existing approach.
In addition to performance data, pay close attention to direct feedback from your audience. Look for common questions in comments that could inform new content ideas or opportunities to provide more value for viewers. You can also ask followers directly what they’d like to see more of through polls or Q&As.
By continuously monitoring data and trends on TikTok, you can refine your approach to create content tailored for your current audience’s interests and the platform’s evolving landscape. Regularly optimizing your content and strategy will help boost your performance over time (Smith).
