The Best Times, Days and Months To Post on YouTube (2023) When is the best time to post YouTube videos to maximize their effect? Discover the best time to post on YouTube in this detailed guide.
By Geoff Weiss
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Are you thinking of starting a new YouTube channel? Or are you looking to use YouTube as an advertising vector for your business?
For these reasons and more, you need to know the best times, days and months to post on YouTube to maximize the effectiveness of each high-quality video. Read on to learn more about the best times to post on YouTube to optimize your digital marketing strategy.
The best times to post on YouTube
When it comes to posting on YouTube, optimal timing is everything. YouTube gets hundreds of thousands of uploads each hour, and it's easy for even the best-made content to get lost in the ocean of new videos if it isn't posted at the right time.
Therefore, attempt to post content from your YouTube studio:
- When there are more likely to be more searchers.
- When your target audience is likely to be on YouTube.
- When there's as little direct competition with your video as possible.
People at work or school don't spend their time surfing YouTube aimlessly or for information regarding their interests.
YouTube's algorithm temporarily rewards new videos to allow them to accumulate viewers. If a video does well, the YouTube algorithm will elevate it further and bump it up to the top of search results.
Armed with this information, here are a few important conclusions:
- The best upload times for new YouTube videos are in the early afternoon and evening when people get off work and are looking for entertainment.
- Refrain from posting new YouTube videos in the middle of the day when people are likely to be busy or distracted.
Therefore, the best times to post videos on YouTube are between 2 PM and 4 PM EST on weekdays and the weekends, according to a study by Social Pilot.
Most people get off work between 4 PM and 5 PM. Posting your YouTube videos a few hours before they get off work gives YouTube enough time to upload the video and ensures that relevant keywords will direct YouTube users to your video content.
Key point: Post before 9 PM at the latest
It's also important to avoid posting your YouTube videos too late. If you post your YouTube videos at 12 AM Eastern, most Americans (by far the most populous demographic on YouTube) will be asleep and not watching new videos. This can mean the number of views you'll get may be lower, even if your subscribers get notifications when you upload.
To maximize viewership for new YouTube content, try to post new videos before 9 PM at the latest. That will ensure that your videos can reach their audience before they go to bed and after dealing with evening chores, such as dinner preparation or picking up kids from school.
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The best days to post on YouTube
On top of the best posting times, it's also essential to know the best days to post on YouTube. Certain days get a lot more traffic, so if you post a brand-new, well-put-together video on one of those days, you'll maximize its chances of getting a lot of initial views and riding the YouTube algorithm to even greater success.
According to a social media marketing report from Hubspot, the best days to post our Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays. In other words, try to post your YouTube content on the weekend.
The reasons for this are closely related to the reasons why posting in the afternoon and evening is best when posting on any given day: free time. Simply put, people have more free time on Friday, Saturday and Sunday, so they are more likely to search YouTube or check for video content related to their interests during these days.
In contrast, the worst days of the week to post on YouTube are between Monday and Wednesday, when people are focused on work, errands and fulfilling their daily responsibilities.
In addition, the best days to post on YouTube being the weekend is no accident, considering that most people watch YouTube at around the same time as they watch television. Therefore, you can combine these two pieces of information to plan your posting schedule.
Try to post your YouTube videos ahead of peak television viewing times. Peak television viewing is usually between 6 PM and 10 PM Eastern (for US viewers). If you post your YouTube videos before people start watching their favorite shows on the weekend, you'll be more likely to get their attention.
Key point: Sunday is best.
Aside from the above general information, Sunday is the best time to post a new YouTube video. That's because it combines two significant factors:
- It's still during the weekend, so you post when people have time to view your content right off the bat.
- It's just before a new workweek begins. When people seek entertainment during the week or try cyberslacking at work, your video will be more likely to be recommended via the YouTube algorithm since you posted it more recently.
If you want to ensure your YouTube videos get as much attention as possible in the first hours of uploading them, try to post on Sunday between 2 PM and 9 PM at the latest.
Related: Ultimate Guide to YouTube for Business
The best months to post on YouTube
If you have a schedule or cadence of content built up, you may wish to know the best months to post on YouTube. If you post during the correct month, you could improve your channel's growth rate and build up your video audience by releasing several excellent videos one after the other.
The best months to post on YouTube, according to a study by Tubefilter, are numerous — if you post your video in any month aside from May or September, that content will stand a good chance of getting a lot of attention.
May and September are the worst months because they are transition months for schools and workplaces. During these times, people are very busy and don't have much time to view a backlog of video content from their favorite creators/businesses.
Key point: Consider the school year and weather.
Seen in this light, it's clear that the best months to post on YouTube are when it is either too hot or too cold to go outside and engage in other activities.
Posting your YouTube videos in a month like November, for example, is an excellent idea; people have time off because of the Thanksgiving holiday, and they are less likely to be outdoors hiking or doing other activities.
To maximize your channel's growth, consider the current state of the school year and the weather. If it's cold outside and people are in school, posting your videos between 2 PM and 9 PM Eastern on the weekend will be a good bet.
Related: This Viral Content Creator Shares His Secret to Amassing 4.8 Million Followers Organically
When is the worst time to post on YouTube?
The worst times to post on YouTube are when people are busy, such as during the workday or school day. Try to refrain from posting new YouTube content anywhere between 9 AM and 2 PM, as these are the least likely times people will be surfing YouTube looking for new content to entertain themselves with.
Furthermore, don't forget to take time zones into account. Posting a new YouTube video at 9 PM Eastern might get people on the West Coast, but it might be a little too late for people on the East Coast, who are likely getting ready for bed.
Note that many of these trends affect other social media platforms, such as TikTok, LinkedIn and Instagram.
Determining the best time to post on YouTube for your channel
All of this advice is generalized. The best time to post on YouTube for your channel depends on your target audience and their specific viewing habits. Check out your YouTube analytics to determine the times and days your videos get most of their views. This will help you gain insight into your target audience's viewing habits.
Your analytics page gives you real-time information about video performance, thumbnail effectiveness and other elements of video marketing. It's a good page to see peak times to upload YouTube videos and practice SEO or search engine optimization.
Once you have this information, you can double down on a posting schedule that emulates your target audience members' natural viewing habits. For instance, posting a new video at 9 PM or 10 PM Eastern might not be the worst idea if you are trying to sell products to teenagers who stay up late.
What are the key takeaways about posting times on YouTube?
The best times on YouTube are generally on the weekend and in the afternoon or evening.
You'll also see success posting YouTube videos during months with cooler weather, such as September to March.
Check out Entrepreneur's other guides and resources for more information about this topic.
