When most people think about strategies that would boost their TikTok videos, they think about things like using trending hashtags or focusing on engagement. However, one key aspect of getting more traction on TikTok is timing each upload correctly. Why? Because on each day of the week, there are certain times when users tend to check up on their favorite creators. When you time your uploads to coincide with the right times of day, you’ll have a better chance of boosting your views.
Which is more important: the timing of your posts, or the frequency?
One thing that TikTok encourages creators to do is post frequently – between one and four times per day, in fact. This is something that the algorithm likes to see, and it helps get your content in front of more people.
However, a lot of TikTok creators make videos as a hobby, more than a business. This means that they won’t necessarily have time to plan, film, edit, and post one or more videos per day, let alone interact with viewers in each comment section to keep engagement high. That being said, being busy with non-TikTok pursuits shouldn’t interfere with someone’s ability to post videos at the best times of day.
In a nutshell, both the timing and the frequency of your videos matter, but if you can’t handle a high posting frequency, you can still time your videos perfectly for the highest number of views.
The best times to upload videos on each day of the week
According to an analysis of thousands of TikTok posts, these are the times of day when viewer engagement is highest. Keep in mind that all times listed are in PST; don’t forget to take time zones into account!
- Monday at 10 PM
It seems like most TikTokers like to unwind after the first day of the week by browsing their favorite social media platform.
- Tuesday at 9 AM
Engagement on Tuesdays starts building around 6 AM, becoming strongest around 9 AM.
- Wednesday at 7 AM
The morning people have a strong showing on Wednesdays, with the highest engagement appearing before work or school begin.
- Thursday at 7 PM
The highest number of viewers on Thursday also happens to be the highest number of viewers during the week. If you’re only posting once per week, Thursday evenings could be your best bet.
- Friday at 3 PM
TikTok users like to start the weekend entertainment early on Fridays. In fact, the uptick in engagement starts around noon on Fridays, peaking at about 3 PM.
- Saturday at 11 AM
The early birds don’t get the worm on Saturdays; you can sleep in and still get higher view counts if you post at around 11 AM on Saturday.
- Sunday at 4 PM
There’s a spike in engagement around 7 and 8 AM on Sundays, but the peak is during the afternoon.
Since TikTok has such a varied global audience, your mileage may vary. These numbers are based on user data from around the world, so if your videos are mainly watched by people in a particular country or time zone, the best times to post could be a bit different from the ones mentioned above. The good news is, you can figure this out based on analytics from your own TikTok account.
Optimizing your TikTok posting schedule
If you really want to fine-tune when each video is uploaded, here are a few ways to do that.
- Look at your top-performing videos
TikTok lets creators with Pro TikTok accounts view analytics on their videos, including data on which videos perform best. If you click on the “Video Views” section of your TikTok analytics, you’ll see your best-performing videos over a specified time frame. Next, check which times of day (and which days of the week) your most popular videos were uploaded. There might not be much of a pattern if you haven’t uploaded many videos, but if you have a few months’ worth of data to look at, you might be able to figure out when most of your followers are online.
- Check out what competitors are doing
You aren’t the only person trying to figure out when is the best time of day to post TikTok videos. Chances are, some of your competitors have already done the same thing. The benefit of looking at the competition is that they likely appeal to some of the same people who follow your account, so you can probably replicate their success to some extent. Simply go to their accounts and look for their most successful videos. Then, see if you can identify a pattern – were they posted at similar times, or on the same days of the week? Next you can try the same posting schedule yourself, and see if it improves engagement. If so, you’re one step closer to cracking the code. If not, at least you’ve ruled out something that doesn’t work.
- Use TikTok Business or Creator account analytics
If you have a Business or Creator account, you’ll be able to see more advanced analytics on when your audience is most active on TikTok. To do this, click the three dots at the top right of your profile page. Click “Business Suite”, and then “Analytics”. This will tell you exactly when engagement is highest, which will help you post at the perfect time on any day of the week.
Other strategies to help your videos make a splash
While posting at the right time of day is important, you can’t rely on that alone to get engagement up. For example, buying TikTok followers from a site like TikCeleb will make your videos look even more popular, which will encourage viewers to follow you as well. You should also ensure that your videos are all in the same niche, since this helps you attract a loyal following.
There are all kinds of strategies that can help you succeed on TikTok. By using some expert tips and being persistent, you’ll be able to watch your following grow week after week.