TikTok has exploded in popularity! Whether you’re already a successful TikTok creator or just starting out, you’ve probably wondered: “What’s the best time to post on TikTok?” Finding the optimal posting times on social media can be tricky. Trends change rapidly and what works one day may flop the next.
We examined over 1 million TikTok viral posts to uncover the highest engagement rates by day and time (in EST):
Average Best TImes to Post on TikTok for 2023
- Monday: 6 AM, 10 AM, 10 PM
- Tuesday: 2 AM, 4 AM, 9 AM
- Wednesday: 7 AM, 8 AM, 11 PM
- Thursday: 9 AM, 12 AM, 7 PM
- Friday: 5 AM, 1 PM, 3 PM
- Saturday: 11 AM, 7 PM, 8 PM
- Sunday: 7 AM, 8 AM, 4 PM
As you can see, engagement varies quite a bit depending on the day. Even on the same day, peak times can be very different. But don’t despair! While there’s no one-size-fits-all best time, you can tailor your approach.
Ask Yourself These 2 Questions:
1. Where are my followers most located?
As mentioned, TikTok has a massive global audience. Users span countries around the world, so you need to consider time zones when posting.
Take the time to thoroughly analyze your TikTok Analytics to identify where the majority of your followers are based. Don’t just look at the top territories - dig deeper to understand all of your major hubs.
Identifying follower locations takes some legwork, but it’s worth it. You may find you have a bigger audience in a certain country than you realized. Or uncover hidden pockets of followers that you can create content tailored toward.
Gaining these geographic insights allows you to schedule posts that align with your followers’ prime waking and active hours. You don’t want to blast content when your biggest markets are asleep! Target times when each major hub is engaged for optimal viewership.
Here’s how to access Analytics in TikTok App:
- Tap the 3 dots in the top right corner
- Go to “Manage my account” then click on the ”Switch to a Pro Account.”
- Go to “Privacy and settings”, now you will be able to see the “Analytics” section.
- Select “Analytics”
- Check “Followers” tab for location details
Pinpointing where your followers live is crucial for optimizing TikTok posting times, especially with a global audience.
Analyze “Top Territories” in Analytics to identify your core geographies. This allows scheduling content for peak hours when those key fans are active across time zones.
Now let's go to the “Followers” tab and scroll down to view the “Top Territories.”
The picture above is an example. TikTok Analytics only shows follower locations by country, not city. This limits marketers with audiences spanning multiple time zones.
For example, followers in New York (EST) and California (PT). One standard post time misses engagement from the other timezone.
Despite similar time zones, variance exists.
Further steps can identify peak times for key cities. Alternate between those prime hours for maximum exposure.
2. What times are my followers awake and active?
Once you’ve pinpointed your followers’ locations, factor in time zones to identify peak engagement windows.
Small time zone gaps only require minor adjustments. But big differences like North America and Asia call for dedicated scheduling. You’ll need to hand tailor posting times to connect with each geographic market.
Don’t just assume broad trends, like posting at 2 PM for North America. Actually examine the hourly analytics to see when your followers in each zone are most active on TikTok. The specifics may surprise you! Dialing in the prime hours for each location takes work, but ensures you aren’t missing key opportunities.
Getting granular with your audience’s geography and habits allows custom scheduling. The effort is well worth it for greater visibility and engagement across regions. Take the time to analyze and you’ll see the payoff!
The Follower Activity metric reveals when your audience is most active. In the “Followers“ tab, view activity by day and hour. See which days and times engagement rises.
For example, follower activity may increase steadily from 11am to 7pm daily.
Analyzing the weekly and hourly patterns shows the best times to post for maximum engagement.Match your posting to align with when followers are most active and responsive.
Mastering the optimal average posting time and targeted account analysis can already help with your growth, but if you want to achieve more intense growth, you need more advanced analysis and actions.
We will introduce more advanced methods in detail in subsequent articles.
Growing Your Following
Understanding your audience’s location and habits allows you to connect during peak hours. But quality content is still key!
However, focusing only on generalized best posting times is not enough. Each account’s audience and content is unique. To gain better exposure through timing, you need to analyze and plan based on specific data dimensions for your account. This is exactly what TimeToTok, an AI-powered TikTok growth tool, excels at.
While TikTok Analytics offers location details, TimeToTok digs even deeper. It uses advanced AI to process multiple data points - your content style, audience demographics, past performance, trend analyses, and more. Based on this multilayered data, TimeToTok provides custom recommendations on ideal posting times and strategies to help you stand out.
The path to TikTok fame isn’t easy, but you now have research-backed tips for timing your posts. study your analytics, tailor your schedule, and keep producing great content! With persistence and savvy timing, your account will keep growing.
About Rachel Kyle
CMO, with years of experience in digital social media brand promotion and operation, she joined TimeToTok this year to work with the team in creating the next generation AI assistant for personal social media creators.