YouTube has placed itself among the top-performing search engines and social media sites. Though most of us consider youtube as a social media platform, in actuality, it works more as a search engine. What is the best time to post on YouTube?
This question has often been asked by many YouTubers, as well as marketers, who use YouTube to promote their brands or businesses. In order to gain more views, you need to strategize your time schedule for youtube upload.
Some Important YouTube Metrics
Before evaluating or calculating the best time to post on YouTube, it is vital to know the YouTube metrics. Once you get to know the essential factors that regulate YouTube searching, the task of scheduling your video post will become easier. Here are the Important metrics of YouTube.
- Though the maximum traffic of YouTube searches comes from the United States, that does not mean other countries are not very fond of YouTube. Countries like the United Kingdom, Brazil, India, and China are also responsible for making YouTube popular. So, do not only focus on one country or a particular region.
- People of the age range of 18 years to 34 years spend more of their time watching youtube videos rather than watching television. In case your brand is targeting audiences of this range, then it will be beneficial to invest in creating youtube content. It is cheaper than creating television ads and effective, too.
- Youtube has an equal proportion of women and men users. This is contrary to the widespread belief that all YouTube users are not single. A majority of YouTube viewers have a college degree.
So, if your brand is for the young generation, then YouTube can make a difference in your business. Nowadays, YouTube viewers are more diverse than they were previously. So, you should consider the best time to post on YouTube.
Understanding YouTube’s Algorithm
YouTube is not just a social media platform. Just after Google, YouTube is the second largest search engine. That is why Search Engine Optimization or SEO is crucial for youtube strategy as well.
A detailed, accurate, descriptive video along with an optimized title on YouTube can drive more organic traffic than a not-so-appealing title with a blank description or private, funny jokes.
YouTube’s indexing algorithm is not instant, unlike other social media platforms. As I have mentioned earlier, youtube behaves more like a search engine rather than a social media site.
So, in case you want one of your video content to be searchable by Saturday evening, then it will be best if you post it by Saturday afternoon. Keep in mind that YouTube requires a little more time to judge the quality of your video.
The algorithm of YouTube matches the search queries with the relevant titles, tags and descriptions of the content which are already there on the platform. It also keeps people entertained by recommending videos that have high engagement, like shares, likes, and comments.
YouTube shorts have an algorithm of showing them to small groups first to get their attention. When they find that the user is engaging with the content and the watch time is also good, then the algorithm is going to promote it more.
The motive is to keep the viewers engaged and boost visibility. However, remember that YouTube always prioritizes trendy videos and new content from subscribed channels. This is why if you keep posting regularly, it is going to make a huge difference in your visibility.
Factors affecting the best time to post on YouTube
Finding the best time to post on YouTube depends on certain factors. The time for posting impacts the performance of the content. It depends on factors like understanding the time zone, the target audience, content type, and posting frequency.
Target Audience
You have to figure out who you want to target. Who are the people watching your content online? For example, if you are making content for students, weekends or evenings might be the best time for you to post informative and educational content. However, if you are aiming for the professionals, then it is best to post during early evenings, and lunch breaks.
Content Type
Think of the type of content you are posting. If it is short, then it would be consumed quickly. So, you can post them during high-traffic times and they would have a better chance of grabbing notice. For longer videos, it is best to post during evenings or weekends when people would have the time to sit down and watch the content.
Time Zone
Always have the time zone of your audience in mind. If you have viewers from all regions, then you have to choose a time slot that would be helpful for all the viewers. If you post during peak hours, in a time zone where you have the majority of your audience, that would increase your chance of getting noticed more.
Posting Frequency
If you frequently post content, then you have to find the balance between hitting the best times and having a consistent posting schedule. This way, you will be able to adjust the times depending on what is working out for your audience.
Day of the week
If you are aiming to reach a wide set of audience, then the weekend could be the best option for you. However, there could be a set of audience who are more active during the week days. It depends on your niche. So, experiment with various days and analyze how your content is performing.
What Is The Best Time To Post On YouTube?
Though YouTube is more popular than TV among youngsters, the watching habits are roughly the same for both cases. People like to watch them in the evening and most during the weekends that is, from Friday evening to Saturday. It touches its peak on Sundays. So, now you can strategize your posting schedule as per this.
Here are some general time suggestions for posting YouTube videos
- YouTube contents show the highest engagements are Friday through Saturday. You can not simply ignore the Wednesday Traffic as well.
- It is considered that 5 PM is the best time to post on YouTube. However, you will be able to see a success rate until it is 9 pm. After that, you will face some severe declining returns.
- The most favorable days for posting YouTube videos are Sundays. But there is also a time limitation. You can either post early in the morning, that is, from 8 AM to 11 AM, or later in the evening, around 5 PM.
- There are also some instances when posting videos early in the morning, around 8 AM Eastern. This way, you will be able to reach east coasters while they are going to the office and with the west coasters who are enjoying their lunch break.
Try to maintain this time stream while uploading your video on youtube to get more search volumes.
How To Know Which Is The Best Time To Post On YouTube?
Though in most of the cases, the time suggestions that are mentioned earlier work pretty well, it will be best if you consider the behavior of your targeted audience. Your niche and target have the power to take you to the top as well as make you fall.
Search for the time when your video contents get more views or a huge part of your targeted audience is surfing online. This can be the best time to post on youtube. In order to do so, you need to follow the below steps on VidIQ, which is a youtube certified tool.
- Open your YouTube channel.
- Click on the youtube profile image that is on the right-hand corner of your desktop screen.
- The studio dashboard skin will open.
- From the navigation bar on the left-hand side, click on the option ‘Analytics.’
- Now click on the ‘Audience’ tab.
A dashboard will open where it will show a piece of information about when your viewers are on youtube. The result is not only for your video content. It shows the time duration of the viewers who watch your video.
The duration also includes the time that your viewers spend watching other videos on YouTube. Once you get to know when your targeted audience or your viewers are spending their time on youtube, you can schedule the publishing time for all your video content.
This tool also has the “best time to post” feature. By using this feature, you can determine the best time to post on YouTube. It will also give you a three-hour window with information on when your viewers are most active on YouTube.
Tools and Resources for Scheduling Posts
Posting on YouTube consistently is not only about meeting the expectations of the algorithm but also about building a good connection with the audience. When you post consistently, it becomes a habit for your audience.
When teh audience becomes certain that you will have a regular flow of content at a certain time, then you are going to come back at that time again and again. However, if you are posting for a global audience, and do not have time to post content manually, then you have to take additional help from a tool.
There are various social media scheduling tools which you can get help from. They allow you to schedule and post shorts and videos in advance and make sure they go live at the time that you have set, even if you are busy.
Final Conclusion
If you want to achieve more success for your YouTube video, you should think about the best time to post on YouTube. While you are creating a schedule for your YouTube video posting, you need to keep in mind all the above-mentioned vital points. Consider those time intervals and use them wisely for more viewers.