If a tree falls in a forest and no one’s around to hear it, does it make a sound? The same logic applies to social media: if no one’s around to watch your TikTok, did you even post?

Building a brand on TikTok doesn’t happen overnight. Nor does it happen randomly. It takes hard work and strategic planning to get enough eyeballs on your content to slowly start amassing engagements, followers, and — finally — income.

A big part of any social media strategy is getting the right content in front of the right people at the right time. Keep reading to learn more about the best times to post on TikTok to boost your engagement.

What are the best times to post on TikTok?

Back in the day, one or two grid posts a week were enough to dominate on Instagram. But today, social media gurus recommend posting once a day on TikTok — at a minimum.

So, what are the best times to post on TikTok each day? Let’s break down the best times to post day by day. Please note: all times are EST.

Best Time to Post on TikTok on Monday

According to research by Influencer Marketing Hub, which analyzed over 100K posts, the best times to post on Monday are (EST time):

– 12 PM
– 4 PM

This would suggest people are using TikTok during their work or school lunch breaks and during the commute home.

Best Time to Post on TikTok on Tuesday

What about Tuesday? The best times to post content on Tuesday are (EST time):
– 4 AM
– 8 AM
– 10 AM
– 3 PM

You’ve got a lot more time slots to work with on Tuesday. 4 AM might not be the most convenient time for you, this surge in views in the middle of the night is likely caused by international audiences (or insomniacs). But more on that later.

Tuesday is generally considered a great day for posting on social channels, with people checking their apps more frequently throughout the day.

Best Time to Post on TikTok on Wednesday

On Hump Day, TikTok sees a bump in usage at around midday:

– 1 PM
– 2 PM

As on Monday, people are likely enjoying a few short videos on their lunch break between classes or meetings.

Best Time to Post on TikTok on Thursday

On Thursday, content performs best when posted with the rise of the sun, in the late afternoon, or in the early evening. Think about posting at:

– 5 AM
– 3 PM
– 6 PM

Even if you’re not a member of the 5 AM Club, there are lots of opportunities to post later in the day, including in the early evening when people are watching clips while lounging at home.

Best Time to Post on TikTok on Friday

As we near the weekend, audiences clock in more time on the clock app. The best times to post on Friday are (EST time):

– 1 AM
– 11 AM
– 7 PM
– 9 PM

Unsurprisingly, users are spending time watching TikTok on Friday evenings. After all, there’s no better way to unwind after a long week than with your favorite BookTokker, log splitter, or life coach.

Best Time to Post on TikTok on Saturday

You might be surprised to discover there’s much less opportunity to generate views on Saturday. Only one time stands out as the ‘best’ time to post — 5 PM.

People are typically more busy on Saturdays, making social plans or working demanding weekend jobs that leave little room for TikTok breaks. Interestingly, viewership spikes at 5 PM before viewers head out again for the night (or enjoy a cozy evening in.)

Best Time to Post on TikTok on Sunday

Ah, Sunday, the day of rest. And watching TikTok, apparently. Sunday presents many opportunities for posting, including at (EST time):

– 1 AM
– 2 AM
– 1 PM
– 2 PM
– 10 PM

Why not catch the night owls in the early hours of the morning or start a conversation with those logging on at lunchtime? Viewership spikes again at 10 PM — potentially due to users trying to fend off the Sunday Scaries.

What about time zones?

All the times listed above are in EST, the timezone for the east coast of the USA as well as parts of Canada, Mexico, the Caribbean islands, and South America. For the best times to post on TikTok in PST, just deduct three hours.

As we touched on above, many of these ‘best times’ are in the middle of the night for American creators. They may represent international audiences; for example, 4AM EST is 9 AM in London, UK, and 8 PM in Melbourne, Australia.

It’s important to find out where your audience is located and tailor your schedule to increase your chances of reaching them when they’re online. For more on that, jump to the next section.

3 tips for posting at the best time on TikTok

Once you’ve started building a following, you can begin leveraging the data from your best-performing videos. Looking at your analytics (which you can find in the ‘Creator Tools’ tab when you create a Pro Account) will help you learn more about your audience, allowing you to optimize your content schedule.

1: Figure out where your audience is located

As we covered above, 2 PM on Wednesday might be a great time to post if you have a US-based audience, but what happens when the majority of your followers are based in New Zealand?

By identifying your audience’s top territories, you can figure out the best times to post on TikTok to increase your reach. All you need to do is head to your ‘Followers’ tab and find the ‘Top Territories’ section.

If your audience is located across different time zones, your best bet is to find a middle ground that’ll help you reach the majority of your audience at once — or to alternate so everyone gets a look in.

2. See when your audience is most active

Following best practices is all well and good if your followers fit into the average. But what if your content niche targets overnight workers, like security guards, delivery drivers, or bakers? In that case, you’re better off looking to your channel’s data to uncover when your audience is most active.

To do this, head to the ‘Followers’ tab and make a note of the times of day and week when your followers are most active. You can also experiment with posting at different times of day; just review your analytics to discover which day and time combinations generated the most engagement.

3. Schedule your content

Once you’ve figured out the best time to post each day, it’s time to create a content calendar.

You may have found your audience is most active at a time that’s less than convenient for you. Thankfully, you can schedule content to go out at the optimal time within TikTok or use a third-party scheduler!