Live streaming on TikTok has exploded in popularity recently, with many creators using it to engage with their audience in real time. With TikTok’s powerful algorithm, going live presents a major opportunity to reach new viewers and increase engagement. However, viewership can vary dramatically based on when you choose to broadcast. This makes optimizing your streaming times critical for any TikTok creator looking to maximize their audience and boost engagement.
Picking the right times to stream is especially important as TikTok’s audience continues growing. Live streaming presents a unique chance to directly interact with your followers when they are most active on the platform. Additionally, many brands leverage TikTok’s shoppable live streams for real-time selling. By determining the peak hours for your target demographic, you can align your streams to hit these sweet spots for higher viewership and sales.
TikTok’s Audience Demographics
TikTok has users across all age groups, but in 2024, the largest share of users worldwide – 25% – fell between 10 and 19 years old, according to Exploding Topics. About 47% of TikTok users are under 30, highlighting the app’s popularity among younger audiences. Global gender demographics show a nearly even split between men (51%) and women (49%) on TikTok in 2023, according to The Social Shepherd. However, usage varies significantly by country and region.
In terms of countries, China has the most TikTok users at over 340 million as of 2023, according to Backlinko. The United States comes in second with over 123 million users. Other top countries by user count include India, Brazil, and Indonesia. Looking at regional penetration rates, TikTok has around 41% market penetration in China compared to around 37% in the US, showing the high popularity of the app in its home country.
Understanding TikTok’s core demographics can help determine the best times and strategies for going live based on your target audience’s age, gender, location, and other attributes.
Best Times for TikTok Live Overall
Research shows that the best times to go live on TikTok overall are in the early morning or late evening. According to data analyzed by SocialPilot, the peak times for live streams on TikTok are from 7-9 AM and 10 PM – midnight (Restream). These times tend to work well across different days of the week.
Late morning and early afternoon (11 AM – 1 PM) are also decent times for going live, though engagement may not be quite as high as the earlier and later hours. The lowest view counts tend to occur in the late afternoon and evening between 2-9 PM (Medium).
In general, early morning and late night seem to attract the most live viewers across TikTok’s broad audience. You’re more likely to connect with users during those times than mid-afternoon or evening.
Best Times for Your Target Audience
When determining the best time to go live on TikTok, it’s important to research the habits of your specific target audience. Different demographics tend to be most active at different times of day.
For example, according to one analysis, TikTok usage peaks around 3-4 PM for users aged 13-17, while usage peaks around 10-11 PM for users aged 18-24. Users aged 25-34 tend to be most active from 7-9 AM and 5-7 PM1.
Look at when your current audience is engaging with your non-live content to identify patterns. You can also ask your audience directly when they would be most likely to watch a livestream to get their input.
Additionally, research suggests the best days for going live based on your target demographic. For example, Friday and Saturday nights tend to work best for teen and young adult audiences, while weekday evenings are often better for reaching older Millennial and Gen X users2.
Pay attention to what works for similar creators in your niche as well. Optimize your stream times around when your target audience is most actively using TikTok.
Avoid Peak Times for Other Creators
One important factor to consider when choosing the time for your TikTok livestream is to avoid peak times when the top creators in your niche are streaming. Research shows that around 60% of live views on TikTok go to the top 0.1% of creators (https://buffer.com/library/best-time-to-post-on-tiktok). If a popular creator in your niche is streaming at the same time, it will be difficult to get your stream discovered.
You can check who the top creators are in your niche by looking at relevant hashtags and seeing who has the most followers or views. Then search their username and click on “LIVE” to see when they typically go live. You’ll want to avoid those peak times to maximize your own potential viewership. Instead, look for hours just before or after when the big creators are streaming to take advantage of residual traffic.
Additionally, using TikTok analytics tools can give you insight into when your target audience is most active on the platform. Combine this with competitor research to identify the best times to start your livestream when fewer creators are competing for eyes.
Optimal Length for Streams
When going live on TikTok, it’s important to find the right stream length to maximize viewership and engagement. According to TikTok’s creator portal, a stream duration of around 30 minutes is a good best practice to aim for https://www.tiktok.com/creators/creator-portal/en-us/what-to-know-about-live/going-live/. Streams that are too short may not give viewers enough time to join and interact, while streams longer than an hour can cause engagement to drop off.
Data indicates the ideal TikTok live stream length is 10-20 minutes. A Buffer study found videos 11-17 seconds performed best, suggesting short streams can work if content stays compelling https://buffer.com/resources/best-tiktok-video-length/. The key is keeping streams concise yet long enough to build an audience. Testing different durations and monitoring analytics can reveal the optimal time for your channel.
Maximize Viewer Interaction
Interacting with viewers in real time is key to keeping them engaged during your TikTok livestream. Here are some tips for maximizing viewer interaction:
Monitor comments closely and respond verbally to questions or comments. This makes viewers feel heard and keeps the conversation flowing. You can also ask viewers questions to spark discussion.
Bring guests into your livestream. Collaborating with another creator or influencer is an easy way to boost engagement. Just be sure to promote the collab ahead of time so their fans tune in too.
Do Q&As, giveaways, or contests to incentivize participation. This could be as simple as asking a trivia question and giving a shoutout to the first viewer who answers correctly.
Pin interesting comments using the pin feature so more viewers see them. This amplifies engagement.
React enthusiastically when viewers join your stream or send gifts. Personally welcoming new viewers makes them want to stick around.
Ask viewers to like, share, or follow you. Prompting viewers for these actions is proven to drive more of them. Just don’t overdo it.
Take and post viewer comment screenshots. This validates participation and may encourage others to comment too. Just be sure to ask permission first.
Use stickers, filters and effects to spice up your stream. The more interactive effects you add, the more engaged viewers will be.
Avoid staring at your phone – make eye contact with the camera as much as possible. This makes the livestream feel more personal and authentic.
Promote Your Stream
Promoting your TikTok live stream is crucial to driving viewers to watch it. Here are some best practices for promoting your stream:
Create promotional posts and videos in the days and hours leading up to your stream. Let your followers know the date, time, and what you’ll be doing during the stream. Ask them to set a reminder or add it to their calendar.
Go live a few times before your main stream. This gets your followers used to seeing you live and tunes the TikTok algorithm to promote your future live videos.
Use relevant hashtags like #TikTokLive or #LIVE in your promotional posts so people searching those tags can find your content.
Promote the stream on other social channels like Instagram, Twitter, Snapchat etc. Cross-promotion expands your reach beyond just TikTok followers.
Run some TikTok ads targeting your follower demographic and location. Ads give a boost to get more viewers.
Strategically schedule the stream when your followers are most active. Look at your TikTok analytics to identify peak viewing times.
Go live with other popular creators in your niche and cross-promote each other’s streams.
Promote premiere comments on your stream video after you finish so it continues being shared.
Analyze your promotion techniques and double down on what works best to optimize future streams.
Tools to Enhance Your Stream
To take your TikTok live streams to the next level, it’s worth investing in some tools and equipment. Here are some recommendations:
Use a dedicated streaming software like Restream or OBS Studio. These allow you to customize your stream with overlays, switch between different cameras and audio sources, and stream to multiple platforms simultaneously.
Consider getting a ring light and USB microphone for optimal lighting and audio quality. Good lighting removes shadows and makes you more visible, while a quality mic ensures your voice sounds clear.
Invest in a smartphone gimbal stabilizer if you’ll be streaming on your phone. This helps smooth out shaky camera movements.
Use a laptop or computer instead of a phone when possible. The bigger screen allows you to better monitor your stream, readings comments, control your streaming software, etc.
Consider stream accessories like green screens, light panels, phone tripods, stream decks, and webcams to further enhance production value.
Test your internet speed to ensure you have enough bandwidth for smooth streaming. An ethernet connection is ideal if possible.
The right tools go a long way towards making your TikTok live streams look and sound professional, engaging your audience.
Measure Results and Optimize
Analyzing metrics after your TikTok live stream is crucial to improving your performance and engagement over time. TikTok provides robust analytics within the Creator Portal to help you track key metrics.
Some of the most important metrics to analyze include:
- Peak concurrent viewers – Shows the max number of people watching at one time, indicates interest.
- New followers gained – Important for growing your audience.
- Average view duration – Helps gauge engagement and interest levels.
- Shares – How much your broadcast spread via shares.
- Comments – Feedback and interactions from viewers.
Review your top performing streams to identify what worked and try to replicate it. Look at low performing streams to figure out what can be improved. Consider viewer drop off rates to see if you lost people at certain points.
Test different stream times, durations, layouts, and engagement tactics. Ask viewers directly for feedback on how to improve. Continuously refine your approach to create more engaging and popular streams over time.
