The average TikTok user spends 24 hours a month watching videos. So, while it’s easy to think ‘anytime’ is a good time to watch TikTok, that’s far from the truth. Content creators and small businesses must know when to post on TikTok to maximize their reach and engagement.
Since creating content takes time and effort, it only makes sense that brands follow a schedule to leverage peak usage times. While businesses must consider many factors when scheduling the perfect posting time for their TikTok marketing plans, this guide will help simplify the process.
Keep reading to discover all the best practices for maximum engagement on TikTok posts.
Table of Contents
Why is it important to find the best times to post on TikTok?
When is the best time to post on TikTok for US (ET) audiences?
When is the best time to post on TikTok for UK (GMT) audiences?
When do other experts say is the best time to post on TikTok?
How can businesses find the perfect time to post on TikTok?
Rounding up
Why is it important to find the best times to post on TikTok?
TikTok may be the youngest digital platform, but its significant growth has made it as popular as other well-established social platforms. With over 1.5 billion active users, no one can doubt TikTok’s competitive power in any industry. But, despite the large user volume, it’s easy to post and go unnoticed.
If small businesses share content that is not getting views, they will miss out on connecting with their customers. Since TikTok videos have incredibly high engagement rates compared to other social platforms, small brands should be able to leverage them for better traffic and awareness. However, taking advantage of TikTok’s insane benefits requires posting at the right times.
TikTok is a fast platform—all users do is scroll for the next video. But posting at the right time will give the creator’s audience a better chance to comment, like, and share the content. TikTok’s algorithm will always reward small businesses that create effective posting schedules, helping them achieve better results than posting without one.
When is the best time to post on TikTok for US (ET) audiences?
| Day | Best posting time | Reason why |
| Monday | 6 a.m., 10 a.m., and 10 p.m. ET | These times cover users scrolling through TikTok before work, school, lunch, or bed. |
| Tuesday | 2 a.m., 4 a.m., and 9 p.m. ET | These hours target people checking TikTok during waking hours and late evening hours. |
| Wednesday | 7 a.m., 8 a.m., and 11 p.m. ET | Businesses that post during these hours can catch TikTok users before school, work, and bed. |
| Thursday | 9 a.m., 12 p.m., and 7 p.m. ET | Content may get extra engagement if businesses post them around lunchtime. However, experts recommend targeting early mornings, midday, and evenings. |
| Friday | 5 a.m., 1 p.m., and 3 p.m. ET | Friday nights are often packed with activity, meaning less engagement on social media. Instead, businesses can post in the morning and early evening when more people check their socials. |
| Saturday | 11 a.m., 7 p.m., and 8 p.m. ET | Although TikTok engagement drops on weekends, small businesses can salvage the day by posting on later mornings and evenings. |
| Sunday | 7 a.m, 8 a.m, and 4 p.m. ET | These times target users who wake up early for morning workouts, use TikTok before breakfast, and like to scroll in bed. |
When is the best time to post on TikTok for UK (GMT) audiences?
Best time to post on TikTok on Monday
Mondays often have lower engagement rates on average compared to other days. However, small businesses that still want to upload content may see better results between 3 and 6 p.m.
Best time to post on TikTok on Tuesday
Engagement rates on Tuesdays are nearly 3x more than on Mondays. Usually, it starts at 9. a.m and ends at 6 p.m. However, the best hours to target for maximum engagement are 4 to 6 p.m.
Best time to post on TikTok on Wednesday
Wednesdays often have very high engagement compared to other days. Businesses can get maximum reach by posting between 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. However, they may experience a slight engagement dip between 11 a.m. and 1 p.m.
Best time to post on TikTok on Thursday
Similar to Wednesdays, Thursdays also have very high engagement. Businesses usually get the most reach from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Engagement may also drop slightly between 11 a.m. and 2 p.m.
Best time to post on TikTok on Friday
Fridays are pretty similar to Tuesdays. Usually, engagement starts strong at 9 a.m. and stops around 6 p.m. Nevertheless, small businesses can reach the most people between 4 and 6 p.m.
Best time to post on TikTok on Saturday
Generally, Saturdays have lower engagement than other days of the week—and not just on TikTok. However, the best time to post is between 9 a.m. and 12 p.m.
Best time to post on TikTok on Sunday
Like Saturdays, Sundays often have less engagement than other days. But businesses can get average engagement from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m.
When do other experts say is the best time to post on TikTok?
Everybody has different ideas about when the best time is to post on TikTok, and no one is wrong or right. Here’s what three popular social media management companies discovered after studying the reach and timing of TikTok posts handled by their platforms.
Buffer’s TikTok study
Buffer studied over a million TikTok posts sent through its platforms. Based on the company’s study, Tuesdays had the highest engagement, and Saturdays had the lowest. Here’s a look at their reported peak times:
| Day | Buffer’s best time |
| Monday | 2 p.m. |
| Tuesday | 10 a.m. |
| Wednesday | 4 p.m. |
| Thursday | 4 p.m. |
| Friday | 10 a.m. |
| Saturday | 8 a.m. |
| Sunday | 10 a.m. |
SocialPilot TikTok study
This social management company analyzed seven million TikTok videos from over 50,000 accounts connected to their platform. Through this study, SocialPilot found the top-performing content got the most attention during these times:
| Date | SocialPilot’s best times (ET) |
| 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. |
Influencer Marketing Hub’s TikTok study
This company researched the best times to post on TikTok by analyzing over 100,000 posts and engagement trends. Here’s what Influencer Marketing Hub found:
| Date | Influencer Marketing Hub’s best times (ET) |
| Monday | 12 p.m. and 4 p.m. |
| Tuesday | 4 a.m., 8 a.m., 10 a.m., and 3 p.m. |
| Wednesday | 1 p.m. and 2 p.m. |
| Thursday | 5 a.m., 3 p.m., and 6 p.m. |
| Friday | 1 a.m., 11 a.m., 7 p.m., and 9 p.m. |
| Saturday | 5 p.m. |
| Sunday | 1 a.m., 2 a.m., 1 p.m., 2 p.m., and 10 p.m. |
How can businesses find the perfect time to post on TikTok?
With all these times running around, it’s safe to say that the single best time to post on TikTok does not exist. The ‘best’ posting time will depend on the audience’s viewing habits, meaning it will be unique. So, if the general times above don’t work, here’s how businesses can find the best time to post on TikTok for their target audience.
Step 1: Create a TikTok business account
First, retailers must have a TikTok business account to access those helpful stats and analytics. Don’t worry—switching between personal and business accounts is easy. Simply go to Settings and Privacy > Manage Account > Switch to Business Account.
Step 2: Open the TikTok analytics dashboard
Next, access TikTok’s analytics dashboard by tapping the menu icon in the upper-right corner of the profile screen. Then, select Creator Tools and choose Analytics. There, businesses can gain valuable insights into their account and followers to help them decide the best time to post across different time zones.
Step 3: Find follower activity
To determine the perfect time to post on TikTok, select the Follower tab at the top of the analytics dashboard. Scroll down to reach the section labeled “Followers activity.”
On mobile, the TikTok analytics dashboard displays follower activity over a day. However, the desktop version offers a more detailed view and a download option. Businesses can access TikTok’s analytics on a desktop by clicking “View Analytics” under their profile.
Remember to convert the times shown from UTC to the local time. For instance, if the graph shows that follower activity peaks at 8 p.m. UTC, it will be 3 p.m. ET in local time. So, posting around this time will likely increase engagement for this business.
Rounding up
This article and other studies can provide a general sense of the best times for small businesses to post on TikTok. However, TikTok analytics can give a clearer picture of when one’s audience will most likely engage with content. Above all, consistency is the most significant player when building engagement on TikTok.
Posting regularly—over days, weeks, and months—is the only sure way to get more eyes on a brand. TikTok suggests that businesses post authentic, engaging content one to four times per day for the best possible results. After all, the more frequent posts, the more data and feedback are available, helping businesses better determine the best posting times for their schedule.
