Does posting time on TikTok matter?

Knowing when to post on TikTok isn’t a trivial detail—it can make a significant difference in how your content performs. Posting your latest video at certain times of the day or even on certain days boosts the chances you’ll reap a few key benefits: 

Maximize visibility and engagement

The right timing can make or break your video’s performance. That’s why it’s important to post when your audience is most active. It’s one of the best ways to accumulate more views, likes, and comments in the long run and ensure more of your audience watches your videos from beginning to end. 

In TikTok’s own words:

“A strong indicator of interest, such as whether a user finishes watching a longer video from beginning to end, would receive greater weight than a weak indicator, such as whether the video’s viewer and creator are both in the same country.”

Algorithm favorability

TikTok’s algorithm loves engagement. And posting at optimal times increases the chances of getting more of it. 

TikTok explains:

“Ultimately, your For You feed is powered by your feedback: the system is designed to continuously improve, correct, and learn from your own engagement with the platform to produce personalized recommendations that we hope inspire creativity and bring joy with every refresh of your For You feed.”

Engagement tells the algorithm that your content is popular, and worth pushing to a broader audience with similar interests. 

Audience availability

Think about when your audience is free to scroll through TikTok. Your niche is a big factor in that.

Are they busy with work or school during the day? Probably. Aim for times when they’re likely to be free, according to who your audience is and what they do. That lowers the chances that your content gets lost in a sea of videos and doesn’t get the attention it deserves. 

Competitive advantage

Everyone is fighting for attention on TikTok. Posting at non-peak times means you’re competing with fewer creators. But posting at peak times could give you outsized engagement results. 

You need to try different posting strategies to see what works. Experiment until you get a feel for what’s working for your niche, your type of content, and your brand. 

Now that you know why timing matters, let’s go ahead and look at how to apply that knowledge. 

Best days to post on TikTok in 2023

According to Influencer MarketingHub, these are the best days for posting TikTok content:

• Tuesdays
• Thursdays
• Fridays

The best times to post on TikTok, according to the same report, are between 6 a.m. and 10 a.m. and 7 p.m. and 11 p.m. That data comes from a sample of more than 100,000 posts, but it’s still not a definitive answer for every single TikTok account. 

Yet another report by Recurpost cites the following days and times as the best to post on: 

• Best times to post: 6 a.m. to 10 a.m. and 7 p.m. to 11 p.m.
• Best days to post: Tuesdays at 9 a.m., Thursdays at 12 p.m., and Fridays at 5 a.m.

Beyond date and time, too many variables play into the success of each post. That’s why our advice is always the same: Take the time to experiment by posting on different dates and times to see what combination resonates with your audience best. 

Best time to post on TikTok by day

The Influencer MarketingHub study mentioned earlier analyzed more than 100,000 TikTok posts to identify high-engagement times. But the insights don’t stop there; each day of the week has its own set of optimal posting times, which break down as follows: 

• Mondays: 6 a.m., 10 a.m., and 10 p.m.
• Tuesdays: 2 a.m., 4 a.m., and 9 a.m.
• Wednesdays: 7 a.m., 8 a.m., and 11 p.m.
• Thursdays: 9 a.m., 12 a.m., and 7 p.m.
• Fridays: 5 a.m., 1 p.m., and 3 p.m.
• Saturdays: 11 a.m., 7 p.m., and 8 p..m.
• Sundays: 7 a.m., 8 a.m., and 4 p.m.

Best time to post on TikTok by location

Ignoring time zones is a surefire way to miss out on engagement. If your audience is global, posting at 9 a.m. ET won’t do much good for followers in Tokyo or Sydney. You need to factor in where most of your audience is located to truly maximize your TikTok’s reach, grow your audience, and get engagement.

Here’s how to nail it: First, check your TikTok analytics to find out where the majority of your audience is based. Here’s how to check your TikTok analytics: 

1. Navigate to your TikTok user profile.
2. Click on the three dots in the top right of your screen.
3. Tap Creator Tools and choose Analytics.

Then, convert your optimal posting times to the local time of those top territories. For example, if your best time to post is 9 a.m. ET and a significant portion of your audience is in London, you’ll want to post when it’s 9 a.m. in London, not New York. That ensures you’re hitting your target audience at the perfect time, when they’re most active, regardless of where they are in the world.

Best time to post on TikTok by industry

TikTok users get on social media platforms at different times. And one of the ways to determine best times—besides your audience’s time zone—is by industry. 

Here’s what SocialPilot found: 

• Restaurants: Mondays to Thursdays from 2 p.m. to 5 p.m.
• Schools: Tuesdays to Thursdays from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.
• Lawyers: Tuesdays to Thursdays from 3 p.m. to 9 p.m.
• Real estate agents: Tuesdays to Thursdays at 10 a.m.
• Musicians: Saturdays at 9 a.m. and Sundays at 1 p.m.
• Dentists: Thursdays to Saturdays from 9 a.m. to 10 am or 4 p.m. to 5 p.m.
• Doctors: Mondays to Fridays from 12 p.m. to 1 p.m.
• Artists: During lunch hours from 1 p.m. to 2:30 p.m., and in the evenings between 7 p.m. to 9 pm
• Fashion: Saturdays and Sundays from 10 p.m. to 7 a.m.
• Gamers: 10 a.m. to 12 p.m

The worst time to post on TikTok

Knowing the best time to post on TikTok is essential, but understanding when to avoid posting is just as critical for your social media management. Data from Recurpost shows that certain time slots consistently yield low engagement rates. 

These low-engagement windows aren’t random; they coincide with times when your target audience is likely preoccupied with work, school, or other commitments. Posting TikTok videos during these hours risks them getting buried under other content, reducing their visibility and engagement rates. That is especially crucial if you’re using TikTok as part of a broader influencer marketing hub strategy.

It’s important to note that these are general guidelines. The worst times for posting can vary based on factors like your audience’s location, time zones, and activity patterns. Therefore, always use TikTok analytics tools to make data-driven decisions tailored to your specific TikTok audience. 

That will help you optimize your posting schedule, ensuring your TikTok content has the best chance to go viral and achieve maximum engagement.

Although there’s no definitive answer, Recurpost says the following times throughout the week have the lowest engagement:

• Mondays: 11 a.m. to 9 p.m.
• Tuesdays: 10 a.m. to 12 a.m.
• Wednesdays: 9 a.m. to 10 p.m.
• Thursdays: 1 p.m. to 6 p.m.
• Fridays: 4 p.m. to 4 a.m.
• Saturdays: 12 p.m. to 6 p.m.
• Sundays: 5 p.m. to 6 a.m.

How to find your best time to post on TikTok

Determining the best time to post on TikTok isn’t a shot in the dark—you have to lean on strategy. Use this guide to help you pinpoint when your target audience is most active and eager to engage with your TikTok videos.

1. Understand your target audience

First, know who you’re creating TikTok content for. Is your audience primarily teenagers, professionals, or maybe stay-at-home parents? Different demographics are free at different times of the day. Customize your posting schedule to align with their availability.

Consider TikTok’s data on user demographic by age by Trending Topics: 

According to the same research, here are a few interesting stats about TikTok’s user base:

• The US is the country with the largest TikTok audience (over 135 million)
• 1 in 4 TikTok users are under 20 years old
• There are more Gen Z users on TikTok than on Instagram
• The majority of TikTok users are female (57%).

2. Use TikTok analytics

Your TikTok account offers a treasure trove of data through TikTok Analytics. Here’s how to check out when your follower activity is highest:

1. From your profile, click the hamburger menu in the top right corner.
2. Choose Creator tools. (If you don’t have that option, you’ll need to make your account a Business account.)
3. Navigate to the Analytics section.
4. Explore the Followers section.
5. Check out follower activity by month and time.

That’ll provide you with important stats, including when your followers are most active.

3. Scrutinize follower activity

In the analytics tools provided by TikTok, you’ll find a chart displaying the days and times your followers are most active. For example, if you notice a spike in engagement rates on weekends around 7 p.m. ET, that’s your cue to experiment with it as a possible optimal time to post content.

4. Experiment and adjust

Don’t solely rely on TikTok Analytics. Experiment with different posting times throughout the week. Keep tabs on the type of content that receives the most engagement and adjust your TikTok marketing strategy accordingly.

If you’re really serious about finding the best times to post your content, consider keeping a spreadsheet with your findings. It’ll help you better make sense of trends and make data-driven decisions. 

Working with social media management tools like Hootsuite or Later can also give you insight on the time of day when your content sees the highest engagement. 

5. Factor in time zones

If you’re aiming for a global audience, time zones are a critical element in your social media management. You may need to post at multiple times to capture attention from top territories. Use analytics to identify your audience’s location and plan your time slots accordingly.

6. Maintain a consistent posting schedule

After gathering all that data, establish a consistent posting schedule. Why’s that so important? Being consistent not only helps in maximizing engagement but it also lets your audience know when to expect new TikTok posts, which enhances your social media marketing efforts.

TikTok for Business puts it like this:

“Once your content is live, it travels freely on TikTok, reaching users based on their interests. In order to captivate new audiences, the key is to continuously share fresh and diverse content. Aim to post 1-4 times per day to test how different types of content are received.”

Take your TikToks to the next level with Descript

Descript is an innovative video and audio editing software that uses transcription to let you edit TikTok content by editing a text transcript. Rather than fumbling through waveforms or visual content, you can quickly remove a sentence or fix a mistake by hitting delete. After transcribing an interview or long-form content, you can quickly identify and extract highlights or interesting sections for TikTok.

With Descript’s Overdub feature, you can create new audio in your own voice, correcting spoken mistakes without reshooting anything. Plus, you can automatically generate captions and burn in subtitles, ensuring people understand your message.  

Thousands of TikTok users already rely on Descript to edit TikTok videos. If you’re ready to join them, take a tour of Descript today.

Best time to post on TikTok FAQ

How can I go viral on TikTok?

To go viral on TikTok, execute a well-planned marketing strategy that includes posting content at optimal times as indicated by your TikTok analytics, using relevant hashtags, and consistently delivering quality content to engage your global audience.

How often should you post on TikTok?

A good starting point is to post at least once a day, tailoring your TikTok posting times to your target audience’s activity and time zones for maximum engagement as guided by your analytics tools.

How do you get paid for TikToks?

You can monetize your TikTok account through various avenues like brand partnerships, sponsored posts, and TikTok’s Creator Fund, provided your TikTok Pro account meets the eligibility criteria based on metrics like video views and average watch time.

Should I add location to TikTok posts?

Adding a location to your TikTok posts can boost engagement, especially for location-specific trends, but always make sure to weigh that against privacy concerns.