Best time to post on TikTok: How to optimize your performance in 2024

When is the best time to post on TikTok in the US?

Okay, so now that you have a better understanding of why posting time matters on TikTok, you’re probably wondering when you should post content to boost your chances of maximum engagement.

According to a study by the social media marketing tool SocialPilot, in which more than 50,000 TikTok accounts were examined for the highest engagement rates, the best overall global times to post for each day of the week are the following:

• Monday: 6 a.m.
• Tuesday: 2 a.m.
• Wednesday: 7 a.m.
• Thursday: 9 a.m.
• Friday: 5 a.m.
• Saturday: 11 a.m.
• Sunday: 7 a.m.

It’s important to note that the above times are all in Eastern Standard Time (EST) , which you will need to consider when applying this information to your own TikTok plan. For instance, if you’re based in Dublin, Ireland and you wanted to target an audience based in an area that uses EST, the best times for your TikTok posts, based on the data in the aforementioned study, would be 6 a.m. GMT if you were posting on a Saturday, for example, or 2 a.m. GMT if you were posting on a Wednesday.

Don’t worry, though…you certainly aren’t limited to sharing your amazing TikTok videos with the world on these days and at these specific times! 

Using additional data from the SocialPilot study, let's take a closer look at the best times to post on TikTok, depending on the day of the week.

Best time to post on TikTok on Monday

Research indicates that the optimal times to post on TikTok on Monday are at 6 a.m., 10 a.m., and 10 p.m. EST. This pattern likely emerges because individuals often check their TikTok feeds and scroll through content before heading out or while commuting to work, school, or university. The preference for browsing TikTok around 10 p.m. suggests that users enjoy engaging with the social media platform as a form of entertainment before bedtime.

Best time to post on TikTok on Tuesday

It's important to note that Tuesday ranks as one of the most effective days to post content on TikTok. The best times to post on the app for Tuesday are identified as 2 a.m., 4 a.m., and 9 a.m. EST. This indicates that users tend to browse their social media accounts late into the night and early in the morning. 

Best time to post on TikTok on Wednesday

You'll find that on Wednesday, the best times to post on TikTok are Optimal TikTok are at 7 a.m., 8 a.m., and 11 p.m. EST. Posting early in the morning is particularly effective as individuals often seek to rejuvenate and prepare for their day by engaging with brief, entertaining videos.

Best time to post on TikTok on Thursday

Considered another one of the best days to post on TikTok, Thursday's best times to post include 9 a.m., 12 p.m., and 7 p.m. EST. This indicates that it can work really well to post in the hours leading up to lunchtime. Another excellent time to post is the early evening, when people are often coming back home from work.

Best time to post on TikTok on Friday

When it comes to the best time to post on TikTok on Friday, you'll find that 5 a.m., 1 p.m., and 3 p.m. EST are the best hours. Note that as the week advances, there's an increase in TikTok activity around lunchtime. This uptick could stem from users seeking a break from the week's routine or looking forward to the weekend. 

Best time to post on TikTok on Saturday

The best times to post on TikTok for Saturday are at 11 a.m., 7 p.m., and 8 p.m. EST. With the weekend underway, the social media platform sees a shift from early morning activity to users logging on later in the day or during the evening hours, as they relax into their weekend routines.

Best time to post on TikTok on Sunday

Finally, if you're going to post on TikTok on Sundays, your best bet is to do so at 7 a.m., 8 a.m., or 4 p.m. EST. Aim to release your TikTok videos early on Sundays to engage early birds getting their morning fitness in, those checking social media prior to brunch outings, or individuals who enjoy browsing through their feeds while still in bed.

While this information offers a decent start for determining your unique best posting schedule on TikTok, there are a variety of other factors that you’ll have to consider to optimize your performance . Continue reading to learn how to get a more personalized window of what the best posting times look like for you!

How do you find the best hours and days to post on TikTok for your business?

As you may have already discovered, a successful social media marketing strategy will look different for every business. What works for Brand A may prove to be disastrous for Brand B!

This is true for everything from choosing the social media platform or platforms on which you wish to have a presence to the kinds of content that you share, posting frequency, and, of course, best days and times to post. Whether you’re trying to determine the best time to post on YouTube, the best time to post on Facebook, the best time to post on Snapchat, the best time to post on Pinterest, or the best time to post on Instagram, the optimal plan of action can vary widely across different locations and industries.

For this reason, it’s difficult to provide a step-by-step plan or a simple answer concerning posting times that will guarantee you success on TikTok (or any other social network for that matter). Nevertheless, there are a few tips we can suggest to get you on the right track.

Know your target audience

No different from any other channel you choose to incorporate into your social media marketing efforts, like Instagram, Facebook, YouTube, etc., it’s essential that you have a thorough understanding of the people you’re hoping to reach on TikTok. For this, it's best to return to the buyer persona you likely created when launching your ecommerce business and spend some time determining how their characteristics and habits relate to their TikTok usage and activity.

Think about what a day in the life of your ideal customer looks like. What time are they likely to wake up in the morning? What time do they usually go to sleep? What are their typical working hours? When do they usually have downtime throughout the day? When are they most social? What are their interests and hobbies? How many times are they apt to scroll through or post on social media apps like TikTok throughout the day?

By taking a look at your target audience’s lifestyle, you can start to more easily identify when your TikTok posts are most likely to get more views and engagement from them.

If you’re hoping to appeal to office workers, for instance, you might have the most luck posting early in the morning so that the social media platform has time to collect data and have the video appear to users around 7 or 8 a.m. when they’re getting ready for work. Other opportune periods for this audience may be posting so that videos will show up for them at lunchtime, later on in the evening after they’ve come home from work, or Saturday and Sunday when they may have more free time.

In contrast, if your target audience consists of college students, early-morning posting may be less effective. It’s quite possible that these users would have more downtime to check social media in the late afternoon between classes and in the evening.

Although this strategy won’t tell you exactly when you should post on TikTok, it can give you a good idea of when your audience will presumably be active. In addition, it can aid you in deciding what kinds of content will appeal to them most and therefore boost your engagement rate.

Review your TikTok analytics

Similar to other social networks, TikTok supplies users with in-app analytics that can assist in seeing how well their account is doing and better inform their decisions regarding how to increase their success on the network.

Remember that although these analytics can aid in comprehending your content’s performance, it’s not a good idea to post new videos based on this information alone. When it comes to TikTok analytics, it’s best to prioritize the bigger picture and think of this data as a beneficial insight instead of strict instructions.

1. Opt for a Business account

In order to access your TikTok analytics, you will first need to switch to a Business account if you don’t already have one. This option offers you even more visibility concerning the performance of your videos and is the best way to start optimizing your presence on the channel.

Fortunately, it’s easy and free to make this change!

Simply go to “Settings and Privacy” on your profile page and then choose “Manage Account.” From there, click on “Switch to Business Account.” After this account is activated, you’ll be able to view your analytics as well as have access to additional features.

2. Head to your analytics dashboard

You’re now ready to access your account’s analytics! Go to your profile, click on the three dots in the top right of your screen, select “Creator Tools,” and pick “Analytics.”

Note that TikTok analytics are divided into three categories, each offering various insights regarding your account on the social media platform.

• Overview

Here, you’ll be able to discover your video and profile views, follower count, and engagement metrics such as likes, comments, and shares, all within a certain period of time. TikTok allows you to view this information from the past 7, 28, or 60 days, and you can also opt to select a custom date range less than or equal to 60 days.

With this info, you’ll be able to better see what times your content is most frequently viewed along with when it gets the greatest amount of engagement.

• Content

The Content tab offers a more in-depth look into each video that you share on TikTok. By clicking here, you can obtain helpful data concerning the total number of times your post has been viewed, comments, shares, average watch time, percentage of viewers who watch a video in its entirety, traffic source, and audience territories.

Similar to the Overview tab, this info is very useful for discovering your best posting times, based on maximizing views and engagement. Keep in mind, however, that the above metrics are only available for the previous 7 days!

• Followers

Finally, the Followers tab allows for a better understanding of your audience on TikTok. Helpful insights here include where your followers are from, when your audience is most active, and a comparison of follower growth change in terms of the previous window of time. This tab allows you to view metrics for both a 7-day and a 28-day time period.

With this closer look at your followers and their behaviors on the network, you can more easily ascertain how to schedule your posts to best match their actions, whether that means posting several times throughout the work week, Monday through Friday, or mainly on the weekend.

Check out your competitors

If you’re new to TikTok and don’t have loads of data to go on, it can be advantageous to take a peek at the competition to see when they’re posting. Do a bit of research to find out what accounts are popular with your target audience, and learn when they tend to post their TikTok videos.

If these accounts have been around for a while, they probably have a decent strategy in place and understand what times work best to reach the people they’re targeting. This can also give you a bit of extra insight as to what types of content are most in demand with the users you’re hoping to attract to your online store.

Of course, you’ll want to avoid copying your competitors, but uncovering their posting habits can be an excellent place to begin for crafting your own TikTok post activity and schedule. For instance, you might find that the competition tends to post multiple times throughout the day on Thursdays and never on Tuesdays. You could opt to do the same to follow a proven tactic or post several times throughout the day on Tuesdays to stand out from the crowd.

Consider your schedule and resources

Achieving success on TikTok and other social media networks as a business means catering to the needs and preferences of your audience, including when trying to find out the best posting times and days, be they Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday, or Sunday. That being said, you also need to take your own schedule and resources into consideration. This becomes all the more crucial if you're managing your business's social media marketing on your own.

Maintaining a consistent posting schedule is crucial, but it's also important not to overwhelm yourself by trying to do too much at once. Think about the frequency of your posts and the best posting times, but also assess if the workload is manageable for you.

To produce content that captivates, educates, and reflects thoughtfulness, you must be in a state of inspiration, which necessitates prioritizing your physical and mental well-being and taking necessary breaks.

Incorporating a social media calendar into your routine can alleviate the stress associated with content planning and execution. Such a calendar offers a structured approach to organizing your videos, aiding in maintaining consistency.

With a clear plan for your content and its scheduling, you can begin to prepare and film your TikTok videos ahead of time, allowing for the batching of content creation, which streamlines the process.

How often should you post on TikTok?

In order for TikTok to start generating detailed analytics for your account, you’ll need to have at least 100 followers. For this reason, even if you aren’t exactly sure of the best time to post for your business, it’s important for you to start sharing high-quality content and posting consistently to build your TikTok audience.

However, don’t feel like you need to bombard users with dozens of videos every day!

Just like with other social media networks like Instagram, Facebook, etc., it is indeed possible to post too often on the TikTok platform. When you overwhelm people with content on TikTok, you may likely find that it can cause the videos you post to have fewer views and less engagement, which would be a real shame after you’ve put in all the effort to create them!

TikTok’s recommended strategy is to post 1 to 4 times a day, but remember to prioritize quality over quantity. If it’s not possible for you to create and post authentic, engaging content every day, multiple times a day, aim for a few times a week—just be sure to be consistent.

How do you optimize your TikTok videos to boost engagement?

For success on TikTok, you'll need to not only find the best times to schedule your posts but also figure out how to make your content engaging for your target audience on the social media platform. Here are a few helpful tips to help you increase engagement with your TikTok posts and get more people to follow you!

Aim for optimal TikTok video length

Based on data from a Statista study held from March 2023 to August 2023, videos that had the most engagement were those that lasted longer than 54 seconds, achieving an engagement rate of 6.7%. Coming in second place were videos of a very short nature, lasting less than 10 seconds, which had an engagement rate of approximately 6%. Next, were videos that featured a duration between 10 and 15 seconds, with an engagement rate of 5.25%.

While the study found that longer videos had the best overall engagement, this doesn't mean that you should never post shorter content.

You'll find that short TikTok videos can still very much be beneficial for your account, as they don't take as much time to create and are often easier to share on the social network. Keep in mind that the greater the number of videos you post, the more likely you are to have your content become viral on the platform, skyrocketing your reach on TikTok and beyond!

In addition to considering the above data, it's also best to think about the people in your audience and what their preferences are in terms of the length of time for each TikTok video you post. Keeping an eye on your analytics dashboard on TikTok can help you better determine what video length your followers prefer.

Try TikTok trends

Another great way to boost your engagement on TikTok is to follow the latest trends on the social media platform. While not every trend will be applicable to your brand or audience, creating content based on relevant trending challenges, songs, dances, etc. that go viral can be a great way to keep you up to date in the eyes of your followers and assist you in getting more views.

To find out about current TikTok trends, you'll need to spend a decent amount of time on the app.

Consider following popular content creators in your field, as influencers who are active on the app are often the first ones to do a trend or help a particular trend grow. Taking the time to check out the TikTok activity of content creators and what these users are posting can give you a leg up on determining what kind of content may soon go viral. 

You can also find hot TikTok trends by checking out the Explore tab, bringing you to a page highlighting the day's most popular hashtags and videos. In a similar fashion, you can head to TikTok's Creative Center and avail of the trend discovery feature, allowing you to see what hashtags, songs, and creators are currently all the rage.

Finally, don't forget to keep an eye on what TikTok trends your followers are participating in themselves. This is an easy way to see what kinds of content the people in your target audience enjoy and what they'll be more apt to engage with when it comes to other accounts like yours! 

Find out what makes your brand unique

If you want to reach a large audience, you need to identify what makes you uniquely appealing. Many believe it's a skill or physical attribute, but in reality, it's a distinctive trait or a combination of traits that make you stand out beyond your appearance. Your appearance and abilities enhance this unique appeal.

Unsure about your unique appeal? Consult your inner circle about what they appreciate most about you. Their insights can help provide immediate clarity.

Share more content

TikTok's algorithm favors frequent and consistent posting, which helps creators stay relevant and visible to their audience. By producing more content and maintaining an active presence, you'll have more opportunities to experiment with trends, hashtags, and formats, discovering what resonates best with their followers.

This approach also increases the chances of a video going viral, as each piece of content is a new entry point for users to discover and engage with your profile. Furthermore, regular posting keeps your audience entertained, engaged, and looking forward to your next upload, building a loyal and active community around your brand over time.

Partner with influencers

Partnering with influencers can significantly boost engagement on TikTok by leveraging their established audiences and credibility. Influencers have a deep understanding of content that resonates with their followers, allowing for authentic and compelling promotions of your brand or content.

To make the most of your future collaborations, choose an influencer who is active on the app and whose audience aligns with your target demographic. For example, if your online store sells kitchen gadgets, it probably wouldn't make much sense to partner with a TikTok user known for sharing car-related posts and promoting auto parts, no matter how many followers they had!

In addition, it's a good idea to ensure transparency and creativity in partnership terms in any collaborations you start, allowing influencers to craft content that feels genuine to their style while highlighting your brand. Engage actively with the content they create by liking, commenting, and sharing, fostering a collaborative atmosphere that benefits both parties and drives higher engagement.

Take advantage of hashtags

The use of hashtags is another good strategy for increasing engagement on TikTok, as it can enhance the visibility of your content, displaying it to a broader audience.

Hashtags categorize your videos, making them discoverable to users interested in specific topics, even if they don't follow you. This increases your chances of attracting views, likes, and shares from users beyond your existing followers over time.

For effective hashtag use, consider incorporating a mix of trending, niche-specific, and branded hashtags. Trending hashtags can expose your content to a massive audience, niche-specific hashtags connect you with users interested in particular topics, and branded hashtags help build your unique identity.

Also, as mentioned earlier, you can keep an eye on TikTok's Explore page to identify current popular hashtags. Use them creatively but relevantly to ensure your content reaches the widest yet most targeted audience possible.

Recycle your content from other social media platforms

If you're active on other social media platforms, chances are you've accumulated a good amount of high-quality content that you've previously shared on those networks. There's no reason that you can't repurpose this content for TikTok!

Recycling social media content from other apps allows you to introduce your existing content to a new, dynamic audience. This tactic will help you to maximize the reach and lifespan of your content, bringing fresh eyes to your work.

When adapting content for TikTok, you'll need to ensure that it aligns with the platform's unique culture and format preferences—edit for shorter durations, add popular music, and utilize TikTok's native effects to resonate with your audience. Taking the time to tailor your message to fit TikTok's interactive and fast-paced environment can lead to higher engagement rates.

What's more, cross-promoting your TikTok content on other platforms encourages your followers elsewhere to engage with you on TikTok, creating a unified cross-platform presence. This approach not only saves time and resources but also amplifies your visibility and engagement across the digital landscape.

Start optimizing your TikTok strategy with the best posting times today!

Once you begin to have analytics appear for your account, you’ll be able to more easily narrow down what times and days bring you the most success on TikTok. Remember, though, that the best timing for your posts is something that you’ll want to continue to evaluate.

Things can change rapidly when it comes to social media, including on TikTok. You may find that Tuesdays during the early morning hours are the best time to post your videos one week, while Thursdays at noon may prove to be the best time the following week. By keeping an eye on your metrics, you can better determine when you need to modify your schedule in terms of the best times to ensure that people are engaging with each post you share!

Finding the best time to post on TikTok can significantly enhance your content's visibility and engagement. While general trends suggest certain peak hours, you will find that the best posting time will vary based on your specific audience's activity, habits, and time zones. Experimentation, coupled with data from TikTok's analytics, is key to identifying when your followers are most active. 

By aligning your posting schedule with these insights, you can ensure that your content reaches its intended audience at the right moment. Remember, consistency and understanding your audience's preferences are paramount in leveraging the full potential of your TikTok game plan.