Highlights
- TikTok boasts 1.5 billion projected users in 2024.
- Optimal posting times differ by day and audience.
- Younger demographics fuel unique engagement patterns.
- Industry-specific best times improve reach.
- Testing your own posting schedule is crucial.
With TikTok’s meteoric rise as one of today’s top entertainment apps, understanding the best times to post can be essential for maximizing reach. Though it is based in China it has a huge user base in the US. As of 2024, there are over 1.5 billion active users of TikTok worldwide. This makes it a great platform for businesses to connect with audiences.
Given that users spend an average of 23.3 hours per month on TikTok, knowing the best time to post on TikTok can significantly boost your TikTok marketing strategy. Pay attention to trends and subcultures that can help you customize and time your content effectively.
Best Times to Post on TikTok
If you are wondering when is the best time to post on TikTok then studies show that peak engagement times on TikTok differ by day. For example, Tuesday at 4 p.m., Friday at 8 a.m., and Sunday at 2 p.m. are key times for reaching broader audiences. Generally, engagement builds later in the day, with viewership spikes occurring in the late morning, afternoon, or evening. TikTok considers "reach" as the total unique views a video receives, which we’ll use here as a gauge for optimal posting times.
Unlike platforms like Instagram, where engagement peaks are more predictable, TikTok’s largely young audience—53% under 25 and 20% under 18 in the U.S.—tends to engage with the app more fluidly. This leads to variations in peak engagement times across the week.
Daily Breakdown of Optimal Posting Times
Monday
While Monday tends to have lower overall engagement, studies from Buffer, Hootsuite, and SocialPilot suggest that posting at 10 a.m. and 10 p.m. is ideal, as users may be easing into their work week. Some data, including insights from Sprout Social, indicate that 3–6 p.m. can also be effective for late-afternoon scrolling.
Tuesday
Engagement starts early, with high activity at 4 a.m. and again around 9 a.m. as people begin their day. Late afternoon (4–6 p.m.) is also a high-engagement period, potentially due to younger users logging in after school hours.
Wednesday
On Wednesday the best time to post on TikTok is early morning (7–9 a.m.) and continues into the evening, with activity peaking around 11 p.m. as people wind down.
Thursday
Morning and early evening are prime times, with strong engagement starting at 9 a.m. and holding steady until around 7 p.m.
Friday
Engagement kicks off early, with 5 a.m. showing strong reach as people prepare for the weekend. Another surge occurs from 3 p.m. until around 6 p.m., as the day winds down.
Saturday
The best time to post on TikTok Saturday is late morning around 11 a.m., followed by another peak from 7–8 p.m. as users settle into their evening plans.
Sunday
High engagement starts around 8 a.m. and peaks again in the afternoon (2–4 p.m.) as users relax or return from weekend activities.
Best Times to Post by Industry
Industries can also benefit from tailored timing strategies based on specific user behavior. Here’s a breakdown:
- Restaurants: Post between 2–5 p.m., Monday to Thursday.
- Photographers: Afternoon posts between 2–3 p.m.
- Non-profit Organizations: Weekday mornings and early afternoons (10 a.m.–2 p.m.).
- Schools: Tuesdays to Thursdays from 11 a.m.–3 p.m.
- Lawyers: Optimal times are Tuesdays to Thursdays from 3–9 p.m.
- Real Estate Agents: Tuesdays to Thursdays around 10 a.m.
- Musicians: Saturday at 9 a.m. and Sunday at 1 p.m.
- Dentists: Thursday to Saturday, 9–10 a.m. or 4–5 p.m.
- Doctors: Lunchtime (12–1 p.m.), Monday to Friday.
- Artists: Post between 1–2:30 p.m. and 7–9 p.m.
- Churches: Weekday afternoons (12–3 p.m.) and Sunday mornings (9–11 a.m.).
- Fashion: Overnight engagement between 10 p.m.–7 a.m. on weekends.
- Insurance Agents: Monday to Friday between 9 a.m.–12 noon.
- Gamers: 10 a.m.–12 noon is best.
Finding the Perfect Posting Times
Though these time frames work best; to find the time that works best for you, you need to experiment with different post times. This is particularly important if you want to go viral on TikTok. The time frames we discussed in this blog are just the foundation. To mark your footprint in the TikTok world, you need to test your post timing to ensure your content reaches its full potential.
Conclusion
To succeed knowing the best time to post on TikTok and what to post are quite important. With its diverse audience, it’s hard to find the best time as it varies daily on various factors. Weekly routines and time of the day matter a lot when it comes to deciding when to post on TikTok.
However, while research-backed data provides a strong foundation, experimenting with your unique audience’s behavior will yield the best results. So, continue your testing and you will be able to find the time that suits the best for your content and audience.
To gather more insights about TikTok, you can also read How to Download TikTok Videos Without Watermark , or Is TikTok Shop Safe.
