You’ve done everything right – jumped on a trend, improved your video quality and entered the most relevant hashtags, so why isn’t your content performing? The answer might be as simple as perfecting your timing.
TikTok is a social media goliath with more than one billion videos viewed each day. Standing out from the crowd in this sea of content is challenging, but not impossible. The secret is knowing the best time to post on TikTok for maximum engagement.
Curious to learn more? Keep reading as we share everything you need to know about creating sensational social media campaigns on this fast-growing platform.
Success relies on the perfect timing
Does figuring out the best times to post on TikTok really matter, or are some creators luckier than others? While videos can blow up for no apparent reason, most are carefully engineered to target specific audiences.
TikTok posting times are crucial to delivering your message to the right people. The more views you get, the more the algorithm pushes your content and boosts visibility. Plus, user interactions like shares, follows and comments improve your chances of appearing in the coveted “For You” section.
Ultimately, posting is pointless when your audience isn’t using the app. You’ll receive less engagement, therefore less reach.
What influences the best times to post on TikTok?
Pinpointing the best and worst time to post on TikTok isn’t straightforward because it depends on multiple factors. For example, teenagers are more likely to scroll through the app before and after school while busy professionals often catch up on their lunch breaks. You should also think about location and time differences. Still confused? Let’s break it down.
Location
The most successful content production and social media advertising starts with location. Where does your audience live and when will they be sleeping? Let’s say you have large followings in the UK and Australia – you’ll have to plan and schedule videos around an 11-hour time difference.
Age
As mentioned, your audience’s age matters because teenagers and adults have different viewing preferences. Young people usually tune in before and after school, whereas adults kill time on lengthy commutes and leisurely lunch breaks.
Profession
Lastly, your audience’s occupation provides insight into their schedules. If you’re trying to reach high-flying professionals, they might only use the app late at night once they’ve met their deadlines. Perhaps, you’d like to target stay-at-home parents? They often take advantage of the kids’ breakfast, lunch and dinner times to browse their favourite content creators.
The best time to post on TikTok
Take the following information with a pinch of salt – we always suggest experimenting and researching to find your best day to post on TikTok.
With that said, Influencer Marketing Hub studied over 100,000 posts from multiple time zones to gauge the best engagement rates. The below figures are the average best times for each day, expressed in EST (GMT is four hours ahead of EST for reference).
- Monday: 6am, 10am and 10pm
- Tuesday: 2am, 4am and 9am
- Wednesday: 7am, 8am and 11pm
- Thursday: 9am, 12am and 7pm
- Friday: 5am, 1pm and 3pm
- Saturday: 11am, 7pm and 8pm
- Sunday: 7am, 8am and 4pm
The worst time to post on TikTok
The worst time to post on TikTok is when your audience is asleep or otherwise engaged, which is highly personal. However, the above list gives you a benchmark for when not to share.
There’s also a considerable difference between viewer activity on weekdays and weekends. Many people go out or spend quality time with loved ones on Friday, Saturday and Sunday evenings, meaning it’s best to post earlier in the day. Unsurprisingly, Demand Sage, a leading HubSpot app, discovered that Sunday was the worst day to post on TikTok overall.
Don’t leave it to chance – dive into the data
TikTok analytics is your best friend if your content still isn’t performing. Use the following tactics to create a bespoke social media strategy that’ll drive engagement and amplify your brand. We recommend converting your basic account to a pro account to benefit from comprehensive data (it’s totally free and easy to set up).
Identify where your followers live
Identifying your top territories is the first step in determining the best time to post on TikTok. Head to the analytics section and click on the “Followers” tab. Scroll down, and you should find a list of audience locations segregated by country. Unfortunately, you can’t break audiences down into towns or cities at this time.
Establish when your followers are online
TikTok gives you all the tools you need to succeed, including when your followers are typically online. Scroll down in the “Followers” tab to see how many users were active on specific days of the week. Even better, there’s a breakdown of which times were most popular each day.
Take inspiration from your viral content
Another foolproof way to enhance performance is drawing inspiration from your top content – you might find a link between engagement, day and time. Head to the “Content” tab to receive detailed insights for each video, including the number of likes, reach and average watch time.
Study the competition
Competitor analysis is a healthy exercise that ensures you don’t fall behind. Check out similar content creators in your time zone and study when they’re posting high-performing content. You may as well take advantage of this free information!
Keep experimenting
Above all else, keep experimenting. Create a spreadsheet of the times and days you post and compare your content’s success. Your findings might completely differ from the average best times to post on TikTok in this article.
Supercharge your TikTok strategy today
Figuring out the best time to post on TikTok isn’t as complicated as you think. Hopefully, you’ll walk away from this guide with the knowledge to supercharge your social media strategy.
Want to take things to the next level? Pair your organic content creation with paid TikTok advertising. Fully scalable and trackable, paid ads connect you with brand-new audiences and increase conversions. What more could you want?
If you have any more questions about our services, please don’t hesitate to contact us at 0161 731 0048 or info@hoopla-marketing.com.