Choosing the optimal time to release new YouTube videos can significantly enhance early engagement, providing your content with the initial boost it needs to gain traction. By leveraging existing data and analyzing user behavior, we can identify the most advantageous time to post on YouTube for each day of the week.

However, it’s crucial to acknowledge that this is merely a starting point for your own experimentation. There is no one-size-fits-all best time to post on YouTube. The ideal timing depends on your specific business, your objectives, and the viewing habits of your target audience. So, how do you determine the sweet spot in your publication schedule to post on YouTube? This article will guide you on how to:

• Utilize existing research to make an informed estimate
• Factor in audience demographics to refine your posting schedule
• Extract YouTube analytics that pinpoint the perfect time to post new videos to YouTube Let’s dive in.

Does the timing of your YouTube posts really matter?

In short, the answer is a conditional yes. The YouTube algorithm prioritizes relevance and viewer experience above all else. Success on YouTube hinges more on the quality of your content and how effectively you optimize your posts than the specific time of day you choose to publish.

Nevertheless, posting at the right time can help create a snowball effect of viewership. Here’s how it works: Imagine you time your post perfectly to appear when your specific audience is more likely to be browsing YouTube. Due to your impeccable timing, a few dozen extra people watch your video, and some even give it a like. This early engagement signals to YouTube that your video is worth sharing, and the platform expands your post’s reach. So, while other aspects of your content hold greater weight, the time and day you decide to post videos on YouTube can positively influence its success.

Why does the best posting time on YouTube differ?

YouTube possesses a couple of distinctive characteristics that set it apart from other social media channels. These differences impact how you should schedule your videos. Firstly, the average length of a YouTube video is over ten minutes, considerably longer than the short snippets commonly found on platforms like TikTok.

Most people prefer to watch longer videos when they have ample free time. Therefore, while scheduling TikToks for mid-day when someone can take a quick break from work might be effective, it’s more strategic to target your YouTube videos outside of regular working hours. Secondly, YouTube’s algorithm operates more like Google’s Search than social media platforms (unsurprising, given that YouTube is owned by Google). This means it takes a while for the algorithm to index your published content. So, while Instagram posts appear on your feed instantly, your YouTube videos might not be visible to most viewers for an hour or more. It’s wise to publish on YouTube two to three hours ahead of your peak viewing time to compensate for this delay.

What, according to research, is the best time and day to post on Youtube?

Recall our earlier point about people generally preferring to watch YouTube videos outside of typical working hours? Research supports this notion. We’ll delve into a few studies, but for a quick overview, here are the average best times to post on YouTube for each day of the week:

• Monday: 2 p.m. to 4 p.m.
• Tuesday: 2 p.m. to 4 p.m.
• Wednesday: 2 p.m. to 4 p.m.
• Thursday: 2 p.m. to 4 p.m.
• Friday: 2 p.m. to 4 p.m.
• Saturday: 9 a.m. to 11 a.m.
• Sunday: 9 a.m. to 11 a.m.

Keep in mind! These posting times are strategically designed to give the YouTube algorithm a couple of hours to index a video. So, a video posted at 3 p.m. is actually targeting viewers at 5 p.m. Google corroborates this information by suggesting that YouTube viewership mirrors television viewing patterns. Specifically, people gravitate towards watching YouTube videos during traditional prime time hours. Hubspot’s survey of over 1,000 marketers further corroborates this finding. Their respondents indicated that the two most popular times to post on YouTube are 3 p.m. to 6 p.m. and 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. An earlier study from the Federated Network Research also concluded that early afternoons on weekdays and late mornings on weekends were opportune times to post on YouTube. As you can imagine, the timing of YouTube Live videos is crucial, since viewers tune in while you’re recording.

What is the least ideal time to post on YouTube?

For the majority of brands and publishers, early in the week and early in the day are the least favorable times to publish on YouTube. This is because people are generally preoccupied with work and school during these times.

Of course, this might not hold true if you publish educational content that assists people in performing their jobs more effectively. Your business-to-business content might actually perform best on a Tuesday afternoon. That’s why it’s essential to consider your audience when establishing your YouTube posting schedule.

How to leverage audience demographics to determine the best posting time on youtube

Not everyone scrolls through YouTube videos at the same time. To increase your chances of early engagement with the viewers you value most, take some time to understand when they’re most likely to be watching.

Time zone

Where in the world is your largest concentration of viewers located? If you’re marketing a local service business that caters to a few nearby zip codes, posting in your local time zone will likely suffice. But what if you’re based in Los Angeles, and your highest concentration of customers reside in New York? You’ll need to post according to the eastern time zone or risk missing the window for your east coast clients. Analyze where your audience is primarily based and adjust your YouTube posting schedule accordingly.

Age and occupation

On YouTube, it’s beneficial to publish content when people have time to watch. That downtime can vary based on your audience’s age and profession. For instance, if your videos target young professionals, the average best posting time of around 3 p.m. on weekdays is a good starting point. However, if your videos cater to stay-at-home parents, you might try posting earlier in the day. Try to visualize what your ideal viewer’s typical day looks like, then aim to post a couple of hours before their leisure time.

Type of content

The same person may consume different types of content at different times throughout the day. So, the content you post will influence when you should post it. For example, if your videos instruct accountants on how to handle complex tax codes, you’ll probably experience higher engagement during normal business hours. But if you share health tips for beginner runners, a CPA who also enjoys running will likely wait until after work to watch. The key is to time your posts so that your videos are readily available when they’ll be the most relevant and useful to your audience.

Utilizing analytics to pinpoint your YouTube posting schedule

One of the most valuable features of YouTube is that it provides insights into when people are watching your videos. Once you establish a regular publishing routine, you’ll gain a clear understanding of the optimal time and day to post. There are two sections within your YouTube analytics report that can assist you. The one you choose depends on how much audience data you’ve accumulated.

Option #1: The “When your viewers are on YouTube” graph

The most straightforward way to determine your ideal video posting time is to examine the “When your viewers are on YouTube” graph.

This graph reveals when the individuals who currently view your videos are most active on YouTube. It’s based on data collected over the last 28 days. The darker the shade of purple, the higher the concentration of viewers browsing YouTube at that particular time. To locate your graph, navigate to YouTube Studio > Analytics and scroll down. This graph only appears on your analytics dashboard when you have sufficient viewer data from the past 28 days to display. If you haven’t accumulated enough data yet, don’t worry. Simply proceed to option #2.

Option #2: The “Realtime” graph

The Realtime graph displays the number of viewers you’ve had per hour for any specified timeframe within the last 48 hours. It’s also accessible on your YouTube analytics dashboard.

This graph requires a bit more effort to interpret, but it’s always available (even if you don’t have much recent data). What you can do is maintain a spreadsheet to track the hourly data for a month. Then, look for patterns that emerge for each day and time of the week. The beauty of this method is that you can revisit and repeat it whenever there’s a change in your content strategy. If you introduce new content types or shift your target audience, simply rerun this audit to identify your new best time to post on YouTube.

FAQs about the best time to post on YouTube

Here are answers to a few of the most frequently asked questions regarding YouTube posting schedules.

Does posting time actually matter on YouTube?

Yes, but only if you’re already publishing relevant content that resonates with your audience. By posting at the right time, you can generate early engagement, which signals to YouTube that your video deserves wider distribution. However, if the topic or content itself isn’t compelling to your audience, you’ll simply be telling YouTube not to share it faster.

What is the best time to post YouTube Shorts?

YouTube Shorts are short-form videos (up to 60 seconds) on the YouTube platform. Despite their resemblance to TikToks, people typically encounter Shorts while browsing their YouTube feed. This means that Shorts, like their long-form counterparts, are most popular after typical work hours. It’s recommended to post Shorts at the same times and days as your longer videos.

How often should I post on YouTube?

Consistency is crucial on YouTube, so ideally, you should aim to post every week. If feasible, posting once per day on YouTube can help you grow your subscriber base more rapidly.

Posting videos at the optimal time on YouTube

In the fiercely competitive realm of video marketing, every advantage counts. When something as simple as adjusting the time you post a video on YouTube by an hour or two can make a difference, it’s a strategy worth implementing. To determine the best times to post on YouTube, keep these points in mind:

• Unlike other social media platforms, people tend to use YouTube outside of regular working hours
• To refine your YouTube posting schedule, consider your audience demographics
• Utilize your YouTube analytics to pinpoint your ideal posting times
• Above all else, prioritize posting relevant and engaging content that your audience will love