The Best Time to Post on TikTok for Maximum Engagement

With more than a billion active users every month, TikTok is one of the most popular social platforms on the internet. What started as a site for showcasing silly dances soon blew up. Today, big and small brands, influencers, celebrities, and everyday people use TikTok to showcase viral moments.

You’d like to join the fray. You know you have some steep competition on TikTok, and getting properly established will require posting at optimal times. Bearing that in mind, when should you post on TikTok?

In this blog post, we’ll show you the best time to post on TikTok, the factors influencing timing, and tips to make the most out of your posts.

Let’s get started!

Table of Contents

Understanding TikTok’s Algorithm

TikTok's Potential For Marketers — *Image courtesy of Pressrelations*

Before taking a deep dive into optimal posting times, it helps to understand why popular TikTok posts perform the way they do.

Like all social media platforms, TikTok has an algorithm that recommends content to other users. The content appears on the For You page, curated content by accounts a user isn’t following that TikTok believes they will like. The For You page consistently updates to present new accounts for TikTok users.

So, how does TikTok prioritize the content on the For You page? For example, if you bake cakes, why would TikTok recommend your content over the millions of other bakers and cake decorators on the platform?

Ah, good question! It boils down to several factors, so let’s review.

User account settings

TikTok relies on user account settings to gauge which content to prioritize, believe it or not. Everything from the category selection to the type of device, language settings, and country affects what content a TikTok user sees.

Video data

Here’s a biggie. If your TikTok clips lack hashtags and captions, the platform has a harder time identifying the type of content and ranking it appropriately. Even the use of sounds can help this.

Using descriptive (and popular, if it helps) hashtags could improve your chances of appearing on a For You page.

User interactions

TikTok reviews the type of content users create and the number and kind of accounts they follow to make recommendations tailored to their unique needs and interests.

Engagement

Yes, I saved the best for last. Engagement is by far the biggest benchmark of priority content on TikTok. The platform studies which TikTok video users like, which they watch all the way through, which they like and comment on, and which they share to find related content.

That’s how TikTok keeps its users scrolling and watching for hours.

Factors Influencing the Best Time to Post on TikTok

Okay, so now that you know the basics of how TikTok chooses which content users will see, let’s get into what you came here for: what’s the optimal time to post on TikTok?

As I’m sure you probably could have guessed, there’s no right time to post on TikTok. It comes down to several factors, such as these.

Type of content

TikTok is home to many unique types of content, from TikTok challenges to influencer collaborations, duet videos, tutorials, day-in-the-life, branded hashtag challenges, lip-syncing, and classic dance videos.

Different content performs more optimally at different times than others. You will learn which by trial and error.

Audience location and active hours

Where is your target audience located? Depending on how you answer, half will usually be sleeping when the other half is awake. On that note, you need to know their active hours. That could be in the morning or evening for your audience, depending on their age.

For example, younger audiences have fewer responsibilities and are more readily on their phones, so they might see content you post throughout the day, versus an older audience.

However, remember that the active hours for the most users will be when your competitors post. Although there might be content oversaturation during this period, you can’t run the risk of not posting during this popular period.

General Best Times to Post on TikTok

This table shows the best times to post on TikTok for each day of the week:

Time	Monday	Tuesday	Wednesday	Thursday	Friday	Saturday	Sunday
1 AM					✔		✔
2 AM							✔
3 AM
4 AM		✔
5 AM				✔
6 AM
7 AM
8 AM		✔
9 AM
10 AM		✔
11 AM					✔
12 PM	✔
1 PM			✔				✔
2 PM			✔				✔
3 PM		✔		✔
4 PM	✔
5 PM						✔
6 PM				✔
7 PM					✔
8 PM
9 PM					✔
1 PM							✔

Let’s unpack the information in the above chart to help you plan your TikTok posting schedule.

Here’s when to post to TikTok on Monday

On Monday morning, most people are groggy, out of it, and dreading the workweek ahead. The weekend has ended, and the mood is kind of a downer, at least for a while. Then, you get out of bed and begin your routine, getting your day underway.

Let people get through their Monday morning before posting on TikTok. A lunchtime pick-me-up scheduled for noon should resonate.

The next best time to post again on TikTok on Monday is at 4 p.m. Most people are clocked out, either mentally or physically, and ready to start their evenings.

Monday does not have a lot of optimal scheduling moments, but don’t miss the opportunity to get the week off on a good note with your TikTok content.

Here’s when to post to TikTok on Tuesday

Once Tuesday rolls around, you have more opportunities to post on TikTok. The first is at 4 a.m. I’m sure most of you will find that way too early, especially during the workweek, which is fair.

However, you don’t have to be up at 4 a.m. You can schedule your TikTok posts and sleep through that odd posting hour.

The rest of the ideal times for posting on Tuesday are more conventional. For instance, you have two more morning opportunities. You can post with the morning rush at 8 a.m., or wait until ten.

Let the lunch rush play out, then post at 3 p.m. if you haven’t connected with your TikTok audience yet. That’s the last ample posting opportunity on Tuesdays.

Here’s when to post to TikTok on Wednesday

You’re midway through the workweek now. Hump Day is upon us, with the posting times on TikTok fewer on Wednesday compared to the rest of the week so far. There are two prime hours for posting: 1 p.m. and 2 p.m.

Otherwise, you should hold off until Thursday if you want to post more frequently or connect with your audience at different times.

Here’s when to post to TikTok on Thursday

You can post bright and early on Thursday morning at 5 a.m., the first TikTok posting period this late into the week. Again, I recommend scheduling your post unless you’re already up that early anyway.

If you miss the 5 a.m. posting slot, wait until later. The next popular time to post on Thursdays is 3 p.m. By this time, most people are ready to clock out for the day and are beginning to dream of the upcoming weekend. Your post can add to their reverie.

Another good time to post to TikTok on Thursdays is at 5 p.m. People have clocked out of work and begun scrolling through social media, so your post should connect.

Here’s when to post to TikTok on Friday

Usher in that Friday feeling by posting to TikTok at 1 a.m., just as Friday officially begins. Considering it’s such an unconventional time, it might surprise you to see this time on the list, but it’s an option.

You might get a leg up on the competition by posting that early. Otherwise, you can join in and post at 11 a.m., giving your audience something to smile about heading into the last lunch hour of the workweek.

TikTok engagement picks up again on Friday evening when people are home and enjoying their leisure time. You can post at 7 or 9 p.m. and should see good engagement.

Here’s when to post to TikTok on Saturday

Expect TikTok engagement to be down on the weekend generally. Sure, people are off work and have more free time, but they often spend it with friends and family, not scrolling. On Saturday, your ideal posting window is at 5 p.m.

Here’s when to post to TikTok on Sunday

Sunday is a day of rest for some, running errands and doing chores for others. Perhaps that’s why engagement picks up a lot more on Sunday compared to Saturday, giving you more opportunities for posting on TikTok.

For example, you can appeal to the night owls by posting at 1 or 2 a.m., scheduling your posts, or putting them live online. The next window is 12 hours later at 1 and 2 p.m., and if you miss that, you can post one more time at around 10 p.m. before most people sign off for the night (and conclude the weekend).

How to Find Your Personal Best Time to Post on TikTok

Keep in mind the above timeframes are generalized recommendations and not gospel. Your audience may respond better to morning versus evening posts or the opposite of the schedule above.

How do you determine when the best times are for you to connect with your TikTok audience?

Reviewing your TikTok analytics will be your best benchmark. TikTok produces detailed analytics, including:

Views per follower
Videos per week
Videos with mentions
Follower growth rate by month
Hashtags used per video
Engagement rate by follower
Engagement rate by view
Overall engagement total

Some of these KPIs are irrelevant to your concerns, so focus on the last three. Track which posts get the most engagement and look for common threads. Are they posted roughly the same time or on the same day every week?

This will give you clues into which times your audience engages with your TikTok content the most.

Granted, a lot of this is about throwing things at the wall and seeing what sticks. Sometimes, an uptick in engagement can be a fluke, leading you to believe that X day and Y TikTok posting time are your biggest viewing periods. In other instances, people’s lifestyles change, and a period you rely heavily on will become less important.

Trial and error and continually reviewing metrics are critical to keeping a TikTok posting schedule with which your audience will connect.

Tips for Maximizing Engagement on TikTok

Posting at optimal times is only one piece of the puzzle for increasing TikTok engagement. Here are some other strategies to connect better with your audience.

Use hashtags

I know this one almost goes without saying, but you can be surprised by what some people forget when scheduling or otherwise automating content or posting in a rush. The hashtags you use should describe what your post is about. Select popular hashtags to broaden your reach.

While your caption can be up to 2,200 characters, a truly generous allowance, there is such a thing as hashtag overload. Using up to five hashtags prevents your posts from looking spammy and keeps your hashtags ultra-relevant and targeted.

Write a catchy caption

Your caption is a person’s first glimpse into what your video is about before they press the play button. It should be descriptive, interesting, and helpful. As mentioned, you have a large allotment of characters to use, but remember that TikTok will only display so much of your caption at a time.

You must grab the viewer with your first sentence. Don’t be misleading or dishonest, but write something sure to get people eager to watch.

Use TikTok ads

If you don’t mind shelling out for your TikTok marketing campaign, using paid TikTok ads is an excellent way to increase your engagement.

TikTok allows you to create many ad styles, including:

TikTok Audience Network ads
Carousel ads in the newsfeed
Shopping ads, like Live Shopping Ads, Catalog Listing Ads, and Video Shopping Ads
Playable ads
Image ads
Spark Ads that appear on a user’s profile and remain even after watching
Video ads, the most popular type of TikTok ad

Depending on the ad you select, it could appear natively in a user’s feed or on their For You page. Targeting a specific audience with TikTok ads is a surefire way to increase followers and get more engagement on your content.

Jump in on viral trends and hashtags

Read up on the most popular hashtags and trends floating around TikTok. If appropriate, your company can join in on the fun, creating a variation of the trend or challenge or following it verbatim.

Although jumping in on what’s popular is a bit bandwagon-y, it does work to drum up engagement.

Respond to comments

Did you get a comment on your latest video? Don’t just look at it; say something! Connecting with your audience via comments on TikTok follows the same marketing rules as on any other social media platform. You can build trust, loyalty, and engagement.

Keep videos short

A TikTok video shouldn’t exceed 34 seconds. While you can upload videos 10 seconds long minimum, you’d be surprised how fast that time goes. Use at least 30 seconds, but don’t go too much longer. If you have more content to share, upload a part two or three.

Add CTAs

You can use calls to action in all sorts of places on the TikTok platform, including links in your bio, your caption, and even the video. If written convincingly, succinct CTAs inspire people to visit or subscribe to your account.

Post regularly

On social media, out of sight quickly becomes out of mind. TikTok recommends posting up to four times daily to stay fresh in people’s minds and improve engagement. This is where post-scheduling comes in handy!

Wrapping Up

So, what’s the best posting time for TikTok videos?

Uncovering the right times to post on TikTok will help you connect with your audience, increase engagement, and earn more followers. While you should use the table as a general guide for when to post, your audience is different and might respond to posts at other times than you’d expect.

Trial and error and reviewing metrics will help you find the times your audience likes you to post so you can do more!

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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

1. Does leaving after posting on TikTok drive up engagement?

I’m not sure where this myth came from, as it’s strange and inaccurate, because you don’t have to leave the TikTok app after you post. Whether you stay or go has no bearing on your engagement.

2. Do posting times really matter on TikTok?

Sure, they do, if you’re chasing after engagement. You want to learn the optimal times to connect with your audience to maximize the value and potential of each post.