When is the Best Time to Post on TikTok? [Top Insights Revealed]

As the most downloaded app worldwide, TikTok is more than just a fun app where Gen Z shares short videos. If you think your brand can benefit from a TikTok account, you need to have a solid strategy.

This includes knowing what to post, the best times to post on TikTok, and getting to know your audience.

A good way to stand out amidst all the content creators on the app is to find the best time to post on TikTok depending on your audience, location, and industry.

This article gathers data from different studies, serving as a comprehensive guide on when to post on TikTok.

When is the Best Time to Post on TikTok?

The best times to post on TikTok are Tuesday at 9 am, Thursday at 12 pm and 7 pm, and Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday afternoons, according to studies from Influencer Marketing Hub, Hootsuite, and Sprout Social.

Here is the method each study used, and their results:

• Influencer Marketing Hub analyzed the engagement rates of over 100,000 TikTok posts.
• Hootsuite evaluated 30,000 TikTok posts.
• Sprout Social looked at 2 billion engagements across 400,000 social profiles, including TikTok.

You can find the results of all three sources in the table below:

It’s worth noting that Sprout Social doesn’t assign a timezone to its data and says that posting at its recommended times will work in whichever timezone you’re in.

Even though some days have more interaction than others, TikTok’s ultimate how-to guide recommends posting 1-4 times a day to test out different types of content.

Posting regularly also makes it possible to check analytics, so that you have an idea of what works and what doesn’t.

Looking for some insights on when to post on TikTok on different days of the week? Influencer Marketing Hub, Hootsuite, and Sprout Social all have some suggestions for each day.

Best Time to Post on TikTok on Monday

• Influencer Marketing Hub: 6 am, 10 am, 10 pm (EST).
• Hootsuite: 10 pm (PST).
• Sprout Social: 2 to 6 pm.

Key takeaways: All three sources point to evenings and late at night as the best time to post. This suggests that people like watching TikToks after work or right before they go to sleep.

Best Time to Post on TikTok on Tuesday

• Influencer Marketing Hub: 2 am, 4 am, 9 am (EST).
• Hootsuite: 9 am (PST).
• Sprout Social: from 2 to 6 pm.

Key takeaways: Early mornings generate high engagement on TikTok on Tuesdays. People might be looking at TikTok before work or school, or during their break time.

Best Time to Post on TikTok on Wednesday

• Influencer Marketing Hub: 7 am, 8 am, 11 pm (EST).
• Hootsuite: 7 am (PST).
• Sprout Social: from 2 to 5 pm.

Key takeaways: On Wednesdays, people are likely to go on TikTok in the morning, during the afternoon, or at night. It would be interesting to try out as many different time slots as possible on this day.

Best Time to Post on TikTok on Thursday

• Influencer Marketing Hub: 9 am, 12 pm, 7 pm (EST).
• Hootsuite: 7 pm (PST).
• Sprout Social: from 3 to 5 pm.

Key takeaways: As noon is a peak time on Thursdays, it is possible that people watch TikTok videos on their lunch break. 7 pm, which is dinner time for many people, is also popular.

Best Time to Post on TikTok on Friday

• Influencer Marketing Hub: 5 am, 1 pm, 3 pm (EST).
• Hootsuite: 3 pm (PST).
• Sprout Social: from 2 to 4 pm.

Key takeaways: Similar to Thursdays, people might be watching TikToks while having lunch or while they’re on a break. Compared to other weekdays, there is less engagement at night, which makes sense as many people enjoy going out on Friday nights.

Best Time to Post on TikTok on Saturday

• Influencer Marketing Hub: 11 am, 7 pm, 8 pm (EST).
• Hootsuite: 11 pm (PST).
• Sprout Social: from 8 to 12 pm.

Key takeaways: The studies suggest that users look at TikTok late in the morning or in the evening on Saturdays. Since many people don’t work on Saturdays, they might be sleeping or spending time doing their hobbies instead of watching TikToks earlier in the morning.

Best Time to Post on TikTok on Sunday

• Influencer Marketing Hub: 7 am, 8 pm, 4 pm (EST).
• Hootsuite: 4 pm.
• Sprout Social: from 9 to 11 am.

Key takeaways: Early Sunday mornings are more popular than Saturday mornings. It might mean that people prefer spending time away from their phones on Saturdays rather than Sundays.

When is the Best Time to Post on TikTok Today?

“All you need is one really viral TikTok,” says Dave Jorgenson, also known as Washington Post’s “TikTok Guy”. As of August 2023, Washington Post had 1.6 million followers and hundreds of posts that have made news stories informative and entertaining at the same time.

If well-performing TikToks are what you need, the best approach would be to start as soon as possible. This allows you to get to know your audience and test out different strategies from the beginning.

With all this in mind, we can say that the best time to post on TikTok today is right now! When starting out, it is a good idea to try out different posting times. This way, you will have more data for your analytics which is key to understanding when to post on TikTok.

When is the Best Time to Post on TikTok by Location?

To start, check the Top Countries/Regions tab in your TikTok Analytics. It will show you where your followers are located across the globe.

By using this information, you can plan your posts around their active days. For example, let’s say that you’re located in Germany and your followers are located in the USA. You might want to avoid posting early in the morning CET as your followers will most likely be sleeping.

Once you pass 100 followers, you are able to access TikTok’s data on where your followers live. Until then, focus on growing your account and targeting your ideal audience for them to discover you.

Best Time to Post on TikTok in EST

Having analyzed different audiences throughout TikTok, Influencer Marketing Hub’s study found a high overall engagement on weekday mornings.

Reported in Eastern Standard Time, they propose three optimal time slots for each day. Here are the best times to post on TikTok in EST:

Among all these time slots, Tuesday at 9 am and Thursday at 12 pm are the best time to post on TikTok in EST. Hootsuite completed another piece of research and found that Wednesday at 7 pm (Pacific Standard Time) is the best time to post. This translates into 10 pm EST, which is consistent with Influencer Marketing Hub’s findings for Wednesdays.

If you’re targeting an EST audience, Tuesday mornings, Wednesday nights, and Thursday noon are all good times to post on TikTok.

Best Time to Post on TikTok in PST

In the table below, you can find the PST equivalent of Influencer Marketing Hub’s data on the best times to post on TikTok.

When is the Best Time to Post on TikTok by Industry?

The sector you operate in influences the way your audience engages with your posts. For example, if you’re in the restaurant industry, you might want to consider what day your customers are making reservations or what time they usually come for dinner. This way, you can plan your posts in a way that will drive them to book a table or come over to try your new recipes.

You can follow a similar logic for other industries. If you need ideas for TikTok post times for your industry, here are some results from a Sprout Social study for consumer goods, hospitality, media, nonprofit, restaurants, education, and travel. Again, it’s worth noting that Srpout Social advises that these times would work in your local timezone and no adjustments are needed.

Best Times to Post on TikTok for Consumer Goods

• Tuesdays from 3 to 5 pm
• Wednesdays at 3 pm

Key Takeaways: Consumer goods cover a wide range of industries such as food, retail, hygiene products, and home appliances. While it is difficult to track the best time to post on TikTok for the entire sector, weekdays have a good engagement rate overall.

Best Times to Post on TikTok for Hospitality

• Thursdays at 2 pm
• Fridays at 9 am

Key Takeaways: Hospitality includes restaurants, hotels, amusement parks, events, and other tourism-related sectors. It’s likely that people plan these activities for Friday night or for the weekend. TikTok is likely to be one of the resources they use for inspiration and research, so they likely engage with hospitality brands on Thursday afternoons and Friday mornings.

Best Times to Post on TikTok for Media

• Mondays at 8 am.
• Tuesdays from 5 to 9 am, 10 am and 6 pm.
• Wednesdays from 6 to 8 am.
• Thursdays at 6 am. and from 8 to 11 am.
• Fridays at 9 am.
• Sundays from 6 to 8 am.

Key Takeaways: As is the case with the Washington Post example, the media industry is using TikTok in creative ways. Given that TikTok has over 1 billion users, it is possible that many of them regularly interact with media brands.

Best Times to Post on TikTok for Nonprofits

• Tuesdays from 3 to 5 pm.

Key Takeaways: Weekday afternoons, especially Tuesdays, seem to be the best times to post for nonprofits. This can vary depending on the associations’ activities.

Best Times to Post on TikTok for Restaurants

• Mondays at 12 pm and 3 pm.
• Tuesdays from 2 to 5 pm.
• Thursdays at 4 pm.

Key Takeaways: Restaurants have high engagement in weekday afternoons, usually after lunchtime. This could mean that people plan which restaurants they go to in advance.

Best Times to Post on TikTok for Education

• Wednesdays at 7 am

Key Takeaways: Although the education industry doesn’t see a high engagement on TikTok, Wednesday at 7 am seems to attract a larger audience than usual.

Best Times to Post on TikTok for Travel

• Wednesdays from 3 to 5 pm.

Key Takeaways: From destination guides to travel inspiration videos, TikTok has a lot of travel content. The peak times for engagement are on Wednesday afternoons, suggesting that these fun travel TikToks offer an escape from midweek blues.

How to Find the Best Time to Post on TikTok for Your Audience

Studies give valuable insight into the best TikTok post times but keep in mind that no audience is exactly the same. When it comes to your unique audience, think about who they are, where they live, and what their day looks like. With a few simple steps, you can set up your TikTok Analytics to learn more about your audience and get access to the key information on when to post.

1. Change Your Account from Personal to Business

To access analytics, you need to switch to a business account on TikTok. This will only take a few seconds and is completely free. Here is how you can do it:

• Go to Settings and Privacy by clicking on the three horizontal lines on your profile screen.
• Tap Account.
• Select Switch to Business Account.

2. Go to TikTok Analytics

Once you switch to TikTok Business, you’ll be able to see analytics. Tap the three horizontal lines on the top right of your profile screen. It will bring you to the screen you see below.

Select Creator Tools, and then Analytics.

As you can see in the example below, your analytics dashboard will show you key metrics, including how many followers you have and where they are from. Look at the details in the Content tab and the Followers tab to learn more.

3. Look at Your Follower Activity

The next step in finding the best time to post on TikTok is to learn what time your followers are active, regardless of where they live.

In Analytics, tap the Followers tab and Scroll down until you see follower activity.

This section will show you on what days and at what times your followers are most active. It makes sense to post your content during these times. For example, if you have engaged followers both from the USA and from European countries, you should consider posting when they’re all likely to be online.

The data in this section of your analytics is particularly of interest since it’s about your specific followers rather than a general TikTok user. Your followers are people who have already liked and engaged with your content so they’re likely to engage with you again.

It’s important to note that TikTok shows times in UTC (Coordinated Universal Time). Make sure to convert the time to your local time zone to plan your future posts.

4. Check Post Activity

Now that you know what time your followers are active, it’s time to analyze individual posts. You can do this by going to the Content section of Analytics.

The Content tab will have information on the posts you’ve shared over the last seven days, including:

• Video views
• Number of likes
• Number of comments
• Profile visits

You can also see the exact time you posted a video and how your viewers came across your content.

All this information can help you identify if there’s a pattern between your top-performing content. For example, you might notice that a specific type of video performs well on Tuesday evenings and another type does well on Fridays. This gives you an idea of what to post and when to post for high engagement.

5. Track How Your Content Performs

TikTok Analytics will only track the performance of the last seven days.

To track how your older posts performed, consider using a project management app or a spreadsheet. Here are some ideas for what to track to help determine your future content ideas:

• Date and time: For each video, note the exact date and time you posted. Once you’ve spent some time tracking TikTok posts, you’ll be able to identify the best post times.
• Video title and type of content: There are many different types of content that you can create on TikTok, such as how-to videos, trends, and challenges – choose what works for your audience. Plus, there might also be a correlation between the post time and the type of content.
• Likes, views, comments, and shares: These demonstrate the different ways people engage with your content.
• Traffic sources: On TikTok, people can find your content on the For You Page, the Following page, or your personal profile. They can also find it from hashtags, sounds, or the search bar. You can track traffic sources on the Content tab of Analytics.
• Top territories: Make sure to note where your target audience is located so that you have a better idea of when they’re awake. If a post hasn’t gotten the engagement you expected, you can try out other post times when your audience is active.
• Follower count: How many followers have you gained thanks to a post? How many have you lost? These metrics can be related to the type of content or the post time — tracking will help you to understand it better.
• Notes: Did you try a new strategy or a new post time for the first time? Note it! It can come in handy for your future posts as you see what worked and what didn’t.

How to Effectively Use Multiple Best Times to Post on TikTok?

Effectively using multiple best times to post on TikTok involves a strategic approach that balances the insights from data with an understanding of your unique audience.

Here’s how to do it:

1. Understand Your Audience: Begin by analyzing your audience’s demographics, interests, and online behavior. Use TikTok Analytics to see when your followers are most active. This data is key to tailoring your posting schedule to match their online habits.
2. Leverage Data from Studies: Incorporate the findings from studies by Influencer Marketing Hub, Hootsuite, and Sprout Social into your strategy. These studies offer a broad view of optimal posting times, which can serve as a starting point.
3. Create a Diverse Posting Schedule: Use the data to establish a diverse posting schedule that covers various recommended times. This approach allows you to reach different segments of your audience who may be active at different times.
4. Test and Experiment: Don’t rely solely on external data. Test different posting times and track the performance of your posts. Pay attention to engagement metrics like likes, comments, shares, and view duration.
5. Adjust for Time Zones: If your audience is global, consider the time zones they are in. You might need to post at odd hours in your local time to reach audiences in other parts of the world at their peak activity times.
6. Quality Content Matters: Remember, the best posting time can only do so much. The content itself must be engaging, relevant, and tailored to your audience’s interests. Consistently high-quality content is more likely to be shared and viewed, regardless of posting time.
7. Regularly Review Analytics: Make it a habit to regularly review your TikTok analytics. Look for patterns in engagement and adjust your posting times accordingly. What works today might change, so stay adaptable.
8. Balance Frequency and Consistency: While it’s good to post frequently, it’s also important to maintain a consistent posting schedule. Overposting can lead to audience fatigue, while underposting might make you less visible.
9. Engage with Your Audience: Use these optimal times not just for posting but also for engaging with your audience. Responding to comments and participating in trends can increase your visibility and engagement.
10. Keep Up with Platform Changes: TikTok’s algorithm and user behaviors can change. Stay informed about the latest trends and algorithm updates to adjust your strategy accordingly.

By combining these steps, you can create an effective TikTok posting strategy that utilizes multiple best times for maximum engagement and audience growth.

Does the Best Time to Post on TikTok Matter?

Yes, the best time to post on TikTok does matter significantly for several reasons:

1. Maximizing Visibility: TikTok’s algorithm tends to favor content that gains engagement quickly after posting. By posting when your audience is most active, you increase the likelihood of immediate interactions, thereby boosting the visibility of your content.
2. Engagement Boost: Posting at optimal times can lead to higher engagement rates. When more users are online, your content has a better chance of receiving likes, comments, and shares, which are crucial for increasing reach on the platform.
3. Algorithm Advantage: The TikTok algorithm promotes content that gains traction. Posting when your audience is most likely to be active means your content is more likely to be picked up by the algorithm and shown to a wider audience, including on the “For You” page.
4. Audience Interaction: Knowing when your audience is most active allows you to engage with them in real-time. This interaction is not only rewarding but also enhances the community aspect of your presence on the platform.
5. Testing and Tailoring Content: By experimenting with different posting times, you can gather valuable data on how your specific audience interacts with your content. This information is key to tailoring your content strategy to your audience’s preferences.
6. Global Reach: If your audience is global, posting at times that cater to different time zones can help in reaching a wider and more diverse audience.
7. Consistency and Routine: Establishing a routine posting schedule based on these optimal times can help in building a consistent presence on the platform, which is important for audience retention and growth.
8. Competitive Edge: Utilizing the best times to post can give you a competitive advantage, especially in a crowded and fast-moving environment like TikTok, where countless pieces of content are vying for attention.

Final Thoughts

Determining the best time to post on TikTok is crucial for maximizing engagement and visibility.

This guide, based on comprehensive data provides specific time recommendations that vary by day and timezone.

However, it’s important to remember that these are general guidelines.

For the most effective TikTok strategy, content creators should monitor their unique audience’s behavior through TikTok Analytics, experimenting with different posting times to find what works best for their specific followers.

Regular posting and analytics review will refine this strategy over time, leading to increased engagement and a more successful TikTok presence.

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