TikTok has taken the world by storm in the past few years. If you haven’t yet taken advantage of everything this app offers, Greg Gillman is here to help with this guide to the best times to post on TikTok.
What Is TikTok and Who Uses It?
TikTok is a short-form video-sharing social media application that allows users to record, edit, and post videos. TikTok has technically been around since 2016, and it was originally known as Douyin. It was renamed in 2017 and really started becoming popular after the acquisition of the rival application Musicall.ly.
These days, TikTok boasts more than one billion global users, making it one of the world’s most popular social media applications. Its following rivals those of other social media platforms like Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn, and Twitter — but who are these TikTok users?
TikTok is extremely popular with the younger demographic, but it has started to gain traction with people of all ages:
- 32.5% of the app’s users in the United States are between the ages of 10 and 19.
- 29.5% are between the ages of 20 and 29.
- 16.4% are between the ages of 30 and 39.
- 13.9% are between the ages of 40 and 49.
- 7.1% are over the age of 50.
This means that 60% of the people who use TikTok are between the ages of 16 and 24 (Generation Z), and 80% of TikTok users are between the ages of 16 and 34 (Generation Z and Millennials). In terms of gender, TikTok users skew female with a ratio of 60% to 40%.
In terms of location, TikTok is available in 154 countries worldwide with 75 different languages. Some of the most popular countries include the United States with 131 million active users over 18, Indonesia with 92.1 million users, Brazil with 74.1 million users, Russia with 54.9 million users, and Mexico with 46 million users.
When Should You Post on TikTok?
The time matters when engaging in TikTok marketing.
After all, when the goal is to go viral on the app, you want to get the highest number of views possible on new content by posting at the best possible time. These TikTok posting times vary based on the day of the week.
Here are the best times to post on TikTok across different time zones across all sectors and expressed in Eastern Standard Time (EST):
- Monday at 6 AM, 10 AM, and 10 PM
- Tuesday at 2 AM, 4 AM, and 9 AM
- Wednesday at 7 AM, 8 AM, and 11 PM
- Thursday at 9 AM, 12 PM, and 7 PM
- Friday at 5 AM, 1 PM, and 3 PM
- Saturday at 11 AM, 7 PM, and 8 PM
- Sunday at 7 AM, 8 AM, and 4 PM
There are a lot of options here to choose from. However, some of these time slots offer the highest engagement, including Tuesdays at 9 AM, Thursdays at midnight, and Fridays at 5 AM.
Does Location Matter When Posting on TikTok?
Location does matter when posting on TikTok.
Those universal times to post listed above may not apply to your followers. Instead, you need to figure out where your followers are, when they’re awake, and when they’re on TikTok. If you’re dealing with a global audience, this can be even more tricky.
The best way to find this out is to set up a TikTok Pro account that provides access to more information about your followers, including their genders and locations. The TikTok analytics section will help you target your audience’s location and other follower activity, which can also help you figure out what type of content is most useful.
To access this information within your Pro account, navigate to “Privacy and Settings,” then “Analytics,” and finally “Followers.”
You can then use this information to determine the best posting times for your unique group of followers. For example, if you have a lot of followers in Europe, the best times for you to post content would be different than if you had a high follower count in the United States. It’s all about what will get you the best engagement rates.
How Often To Post on TikTok?
Once you’ve nailed down when you should post on TikTok, you also need to figure out how often you should post on TikTok. TikTok isn’t like other social media applications that tend to emphasize a “less is more” approach. Instead, TikTok takes more of a “the more, the merrier” approach to a posting schedule to reach your TikTok audience.
Experts recommend that you post on TikTok at least once a day if you’re trying to build and establish your TikTok account. However, you may want to post up to three times a day. Posting more than three times a day is typically reserved for hugely popular influencers with millions of followers — creators like Charli D’Amelio, Addison Rae, and Bella Poarch.
How To Make Your First Post on TikTok
With some guidance and practice, you’ll be ready to make your first post on TikTok. Here’s a quick guide to help you through the entire process from start to finish:
- Download the TikTok application, create an account, and customize your TikTok profile.
- Click on the “+” button at the bottom center of the screen to create a video.
- Choose the duration of your video between 15 seconds, 60 seconds, and three minutes.
- Hold down the pink circle to begin recording your video directly within the application or click on the “Upload” button in the bottom right-hand corner of the screen to select video clips that you’ve already recorded.
- Click on the “Effects” button in the bottom left-hand corner of the screen to add cool effects. On the top right-hand portion of the screen, you can also change the speed of your video, enhance the video, add filters to the video, or set a timer for recording your video. At the top center part of the screen, you can select the “Add Sound” button to search for pre-recorded sounds to add to your video.
- Once you’re done recording or uploading, select the pink “Checkmark” button located at the bottom right-hand corner of the screen.
- You will then be shown a preview of your video and be able to edit it by adding filters, adjusting clips, incorporating voice effects and voiceovers, adding captions, and reducing noise.
- Once you’re satisfied with your video, select the pink “next” button located at the bottom right-hand corner of the screen.
- After that, write a description of your video using hashtags, tagging friends, or “dueting” other TikTok videos. Choose the cover sequence for your video and make your privacy selections regarding who can see, comment, and duet the video.
- Choose to post the video right now or save it to your drafts to post later.
Tips To Help Your TikToks Go Viral
While there’s no surefire formula for making your TikToks go viral, here are some helpful tips to increase your chances:
- Know the trends: TikTok trends are an essential component of the app. As a result, you need to stay up-to-date on the latest trends and post your take on them to reach your target audience.
- Use hashtags and sounds: Within your videos, you need to incorporate trending hashtags and sounds so that your videos are more searchable.
- Use paid advertising: You can embrace disruptive marketing by paying to promote your videos on TikTok, with several different advertising options to choose from.
- Duet other videos: Duets allow you to respond directly to someone else’s video and offer an excellent way to engage with TikTok followers and show up on more For You pages.
- Keep it short: Although TikTok videos can now be up to three minutes long, short, high-quality content around 15 seconds long tend to have the best content performance.
- Make it funny and/or suspenseful: TikTok users tend to love humor and suspense — so incorporate these elements into your TikTok content for more video views, likes, and comments.
Final Thoughts
With this information, you’re well on your way to creating viral TikTok videos! However, if you need any additional assistance, feel free to reach out to Greg Gillman — your local social media marketing expert and TikTok master.
Sources:
TikTok Revenue and Usage Statistics (2022) | Business of Apps
