Anyone who ever invested at least some time into building a channel knows that timing-when you post your videos-can be just as important as what you’re posting. Publishing content at that sweet spot when your audience is most likely to view, like, comment, and subscribe will work wonders for your channel growth. In light of real trends and user activity, let’s go into detail about the best and worst times to post on YouTube.
Best Times to Post on YouTube
Generally, the best time to post on YouTube revolves around user activity patterns. People tend to check YouTube during specific parts of their day, and maximizing your video’s visibility during these periods is crucial. Here’s a breakdown of the prime posting times:
Weekdays- especially Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday:
In fact, for most YouTubers, the times between 2 p.m. and 4 p.m. work best every week. Why? That is giving enough time for YouTube to index and suggest your video by the time people start logging on in the evening. By the time it gets to 5 p.m. to 9 p.m.-that is, heading home from work or school-your video is already set up, ready to be viewed.
Weekends: Saturday and Sunday
A few things are different on weekends: The best posting times for Saturdays and Sundays are any time between 9 am and 11 am. Because people have more free time during their weekends, many of them use social media or YouTube as they slowly wake up in the morning. Posting a little earlier in the morning takes advantage of those users who might browse leisurely throughout the day.
Wednesday Afternoon: The Sweet Spot
This said, many YouTubes analytics suggest Wednesday at 3 p.m. actually happens to be one of the best times of the week to publish. Midweek hits a sweet balance into both the activity of weekday viewers and buildup toward the weekend, finally giving your video the best chance of being viewed over time.
Worst Times to Post on YouTube
Just like there are times to post, there are some other times which you might want to avoid: those of low activity of viewers, and your video will hardly get enough viewers.
Late Night/Early Morning: 1 a.m-8 a.m
This is because most people are often sleeping or too tired to get themselves involved with videos during this time. Most times, posting in the middle of the night means your content would stay in limbo for several hours until more people log on-that can be tantamount to lost chances for early engagement.
Noon Time: 11 a.m.-1 p.m
That means that while people may be on YouTube during their lunch or short breaks throughout the day, it’s usually not very deep inside the site. Posting at such hours could mean that your video gets lost in the shuffle of everyday life, and by the time evening comes around, it gets buried beneath other new uploads.
Mondays and Tuesdays
In fact, both are considered days of the slowest traffic on YouTube: people are just getting into the rhythm from the weekend and not always finding the time to start browsing YouTube as actively as they do a little later in the week. Posting early tends to be slower in terms of traffic and visibility.
Why Timing Matters
One determinant on YouTube, perhaps, is the algorithm behind video suggestions for viewers. Posting on peak hours simply means that by the time your audience is most active, your video will still be fresh. All these stand great chances of popping up in recommendations, searches, and in the highly coveted “suggested videos” section. Early engagement, in the form of likes, comments, and shares, serves as a trigger for the algorithm to push your video to an even bigger audience.
But one other thing that we all should not forget: not all YouTube channels come up equal. Knowing your audience’s habits means the world. That way, YouTube analytics can help show you the times your subscribers are most active, which can also help you tailor your posting schedule to when they are most likely to tune in.
There is just no perfect timing that would be considered the best to post on YouTube. However, at least knowing the general trends can give a good kick-off. In most channels, targeting afternoon traffic on weekdays and late morning on weekends will give a better edge. Avoid late-night and early-morning uploads unless your audience specifically calls for it, and keep an eye on your channel’s own data to fine-tune your schedule. Consistency is key, and by hitting those prime times, you’ll be setting yourself up for growth and better engagement.
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