Social media has always been a part of digital marketing, and typically many social platforms have followed similar structures and guidelines when it comes to post length, the best hashtags, and the best times to publish.
TikTok, however, is blowing most of these practices out of the water.
The TikTok platform is a disruption to the way social media sites function and its algorithm for trending videos makes it hard to get to the top of everyone’s feed by just posting at a specific time.
There are, however, still methods to employ that will help your brand see more success with your TikTok videos.
Understanding the importance of posting cadence and knowing what it takes for your video to trend will help your TikTok strategy develop and provide more traction for you and your company.
In this article, we’ll take a look at the best way to navigate the algorithm and the best time to post on TikTok.
We’ll also go through 10 different tactics for growing your follower base and going viral for 2022 and beyond.
What is the Best Time to Post on TikTok to Get Record Views?
TikTok is a video-sharing social media platform famous for its “For You” page, which pulls together customized content for each individual user.
In fact, many TikTok users spend a significant chunk of their time on the “For You” page rather than on the individual pages of their followed accounts.
That means that knowing how to appear on the “For You” page as often as possible is the key to success.
Some social media platforms have fairly consistent times where posting will get you the most results. In TikTok, however, these times aren’t as set in stone.
Nevertheless, according to an Influencer Marketing Hub research with 100,000 posts, these are the best times to post in terms of engagement (all expressed in EST):
- 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
Do Posting Times Matter on TikTok?
Posting times like the ones listed above might help your videos get more views and trend on the TikTok “For You” page, but there are other tactics that can help you out more than picking the right time frame for your video post.
Posting consistently and posting multiple times a day are both ways to gain more views and start trending on TikTok.
While starting off with one post a day is a great way to get started, the best frequency is between 1-3 times each day.
It’s also important to consider the times your audience is going to be on the platform.
Different audience segments will be on social media at different times of the day, so to do your due diligence and get in front of followers soon, your own personal posting schedule might look slightly different.
You’ll also want to consider posting more frequently if you have a global audience to provide content to different time zones and countries during peak times.
It’s easy to see how a global enterprise brand will need to post much more content than a small local business.
➤ The best advice is to play around with your posting times and find a cadence that works for your brand.
TikTok has roughly a billion monthly active users, so you can rest assured that there is an audience for you.
Test different times and put together your own schedule to know which times are most effective for your brand.
Can You Post Too Much on TikTok?
There’s truth to the saying that there can be too much of a good thing.
While the best posting frequency is between 1-3 times per day, some brands trying to gain a following will post up to 10 times a day, which can become excessive.
Remember, the quality of the content you create is much more important than the frequency of posting.
The TikTok algorithm works differently than other platforms where you can, in a sense, “flood” your audience’s feed and ensure that they are watching your content.
Understanding the algorithm is key to viral success.
How Does the TikTok Algorithm Work?
The TikTok algorithm starts by broadcasting your recently posted video to around 300-500 random users who might be interested based on your past videos and hashtags.
These users will determine the success of your video based on views, shares, likes, and a statistic called video completion.
If you get enough interactions or enough of the initial “judges” view your video to completion, then your video will get shared with wider audiences and appear on more “For You” pages.
You’ll also appear earlier on in feeds by followers and will have higher chances of getting those key views if your content is engaging and targeted towards a key audience.
How Do You Go Viral and Grow Followers on TikTok in 2022?
Navigating the TikTok algorithm is a difficult process, but a worthwhile one to explore.
It’s important to keep in mind though that you need to both be attempting to trend on the “For You” page and grow your follower base.
Followers are a key factor in your brand’s popularity. They also are your biggest reliable audience for views and can help your videos start trending.
Here are 10 tips on how to grow followers and, in turn, go viral:
1. Make Your Videos as Short as Possible
One of the key factors in the TikTok algorithm is video completion.
The longer your video is, the harder it becomes to capture the attention of a viewer for the entire content.
Shorter, faster videos are not only more likely to be finished, but they also have a higher chance of being rewatched.
It’s also important to hook your audience within a few seconds to keep them invested in the entire video.
Hinting towards the solution at the end or including video text for longer videos is a great way to keep audiences watching.
2. Include CTAs
The fun and quirky nature of TikTok and making viral videos can sometimes lead marketers to forget their end goal — bringing in leads and promoting the business.
Including a CTA is crucial to keep your audience moving down the marketing or sales funnel and becoming a customer.
CTAs are often expected from brands. Imagine how disappointed you would be to watch a video about a great product but have no idea where to buy it by the time the video ended.
A CTA delivers on your brand’s promise and encourages sales.
3. Capitalize on Trends
Trends on TikTok are often the inspiration behind many brands and creators.
A popular trend will leave viewers looking for other similar videos, and jumping on a trend can bring a lot of viral visibility to your brand.
It’s important to edit, however, and not try too hard to jump on every trend that comes by.
Pick trends that fit with your brand image, and always understand the context behind the trend. You don’t want your brand embarrassed by making a video with less than great origins.
4. Use In-App Tools
While you can create snappy, visually appealing videos outside of the platform and upload them into TikTok, you risk losing some authenticity.
TikTok provides viewers with original content, and appearing too polished can make your brand stand out for the wrong reasons.
The TikTok platform has filters, editing tools, automatic captions, and many other tools that can help you create videos without outside help.
5. Create Content that will Generate Traffic in Your Comments
While views and video completion statistics are important, you also need to try and increase the number of likes and comments on your videos as well.
Asking direct questions or saying something like, “comment if you agree”, can help create more traffic in your comments sections.
You can also use comments to start conversations between customers and try to increase word of mouth positive associations with your brand.
Just be aware that comment sections can quickly go out of hand, so having team members who monitor and moderate is important.
6. Use Your Own Audio for Videos
One of the biggest features on TikTok is the ability to use audio clips from other creators.
This is often how trends begin, with a single audio clip being used to generate hundreds or thousands of trending videos.
However, as a brand, there are benefits to creating your own audio rather than using existing ones.
You can create something that’s personal and target your audience by telling them exactly what you want them to hear without adding captions or otherwise trying to explain your position over an existing sound.
7. Make Sure Your Videos are Rewatchable
A video completion is a huge statistic in determining the success and viral ability of your videos.
Even more important, however, is the rewatchability of your video.
When your videos get multiple views, you add on to your video completion metrics. You also create videos that are more likely to be liked and shared by other users.
These can also raise the views on your videos and help your content reach a wider audience — even those outside of the “For You” page.
8. Don’t Forget the Hashtags
Just like other social media sites, hashtags are the keywords that can be used within the platform.
Hashtags help users find your content, so picking hashtags that are popular and have relevant connections to your industry, products, services, or brand is important.
You can also create your own brand hashtag to help viewers find your videos and create brand consistency that the algorithm will recognize.
9. Use Storytelling to Grab More Attention
Storytelling and video marketing go hand in hand, and audiences on TikTok are much more invested in creative stories rather than hard sales pushes.
Ads on TikTok are a great example of how brands are being more creative and innovative than ever to create interesting and fun approaches to their products and services.
By using storytelling elements, you can connect with audiences and increase your follower count.
10. Be Consistent
Consistency is key. You want followers to be looking forward to upcoming posts, not forgetting about your brand and your message.
When you are consistent, you have a better chance of getting regularly featured on the “For You” page and appearing on your followers’ feeds.
You can also create better audience expectations with consistent posting, and may even find viewers tuning in at your specific posting times to catch your content as soon as it is posted.
Wrap Up: The Best Time to Post on TikTok? It Depends
Posting on TikTok isn’t as formulaic as it was to post on LinkedIn, Facebook, or Twitter.
In order to see success and have your videos start trending, you need to put time and effort into the frequency of posts and understand how to use the algorithm to increase engagement with your videos.
The “For You” page might seem like a daunting task for brands who are just getting started or are having trouble gaining followers.
But after following the tips we’ve listed above, you should start to see your numbers go up and find your videos trending.
While learning more about how the TikTok algorithm functions will help you improve your TikTok strategy, tying it back into your other digital marketing and content marketing efforts might seem overwhelming.
Thankfully, there are ways to organize your content production and schedule ahead of time.
If you’re looking to help streamline and align your content, check out our marketing calendar kit!
You’ll get tools to help you maintain consistency across different platforms and campaigns, avoid duplicating your content, and keep your entire team on the same page.
