What Is the Best Time to Post on YouTube in 2023?

Imagine spending hours crafting a brilliant video for YouTube, only to discover the noise of countless others drowning it out. Ever wonder why? Maybe you’re overlooking one of the most crucial factors in digital content creation: Timing.

The Frustration Behind Posting Times

Many content creators face this real, nagging issue:

• They put in effort but receive meager views.
• Their audience engagement needs to reflect their content quality.
• The subscriber growth is slow, despite regular content updates.
• They find other channels, with similar content, getting better traction.
• They need to find out if the platform is even suitable for their content.

Why Your YouTube Posts Might Not Be Hitting the Mark

Let’s get right to the heart of the matter.

1. Overlooking the Importance of Timing

Why Timing Matters:

Every platform, including YouTube, includes peak times when users are most active. These peak times are when most of your potential audience is online, browsing, and more likely to come across your content. Posting during off-peak hours can significantly reduce the initial traction your video receives.

Consequences of Poor Timing:

• Immediate Lower Engagement: The initial hours after you post a video are crucial for gauging its potential popularity. A lack of views and engagement, in the beginning, can mean less promotion by YouTube’s algorithm later on.
• Getting Buried Under: Other creators will be posting content too. If you post during off-times and your competitors post during peak hours, your video can quickly get buried under newer content.

Finding the Right Timing:

It’s essential to understand that while there are general peak times (like weekday afternoons for many Western audiences), the optimal time might vary based on your target demographic. Using YouTube analytics can help you pinpoint when your specific audience is most active.

2. Assuming It’s All About Content

The Balance of Quality and Timing:

While exceptional content is a foundation of success, the timing of its release complements its quality. The two must work hand in hand. The best content can go unnoticed if released at inopportune moments, while mediocre content might gain undue attention if released during optimal times.

A Hollywood Analogy:

Consider two movies. One is an Oscar-worthy film released with little marketing on a random weekday. The other, a decent but not exceptional movie, gets a prime-time weekend release with heavy marketing. The latter will likely have a better opening and overall performance.

Solutions:

To truly make your quality content shine, you need a comprehensive strategy. This includes researching the best posting times, understanding your audience’s habits, and possibly even scheduling posts to hit those peak times consistently.

3. Neglecting Viewer Habits

The Importance of Syncing with Your Audience:

Viewer habits are more than just when they are online. It includes understanding:

• When they are most receptive: Are they just quickly browsing, or are they settling down for a longer viewing session?
• What they prefer: Do they like shorter clips in the morning and longer videos in the evening?
• Consistency: If they expect content from you every Wednesday at 6 PM, changing this habit can disrupt their viewership pattern.

Misaligned Posting Schedules:

It’s like a TV show airing at a different time every week. Viewers may miss episodes simply because they weren’t aware or were occupied during the new time. The same holds for YouTube. If you post randomly, even your most loyal subscribers might miss out on your content.

Gaining Insight into Viewer Habits:

YouTube provides a plethora of analytics tools. Regularly checking these can provide insights into when your subscribers are online, which videos they prefer at which times, and how they engage with different types of content.

Discrediting the Common Myths

It’s NOT what you think. Let’s break some myths.

Myth 1: Any Time Works If The Content Is Good

The Assumption:

There’s a belief that if your content is of exceptional quality, it’ll naturally find its audience, irrespective of when it’s posted.

The Reality:

Even the most compelling content can disappear into obscurity if it’s posted at a time when your target audience isn’t active or if it’s overshadowed by other competing content. The initial hours after posting are crucial because high engagement during this period can boost the video’s recommendation by YouTube’s algorithm.

Breaking It Down:

Think of your video as a product in a vast supermarket. Even if it’s the best product, if it’s tucked away in a corner, few will see it. But if it’s showcased right at the entrance during peak hours, it’s bound to attract more attention.

Myth 2: Stick to Business Hours

The Assumption:

Many believe that people only or mainly consume content during traditional business hours, perhaps during breaks or downtime.

The Reality:

The digital age, with smartphones and round-the-clock internet, means people are consuming content at all hours. Plus, “business hours” vary greatly across professions, regions, and individual routines.

Breaking It Down:

Understanding when your audience is most active is pivotal. For instance, if your target audience comprises working professionals, they might prefer to wind down with videos in the evening. Conversely, students might be more active during late mornings or afternoons. Relying solely on “business hours” can make you miss key engagement windows.

Myth 3: Weekends are a No-Go

The Assumption:

Some creators assume weekends are when people disconnect from screens or are too engaged in personal activities to consume content.

The Reality:

For many, weekends are relaxation days—a perfect time to catch up on content they might’ve missed during the week or to deep-dive into longer videos.

Breaking It Down:

Consider the nature of your content. If you produce detailed, long-form videos, weekends might be the perfect time for your audience to engage deeply. Similarly, if your audience includes a lot of students or working professionals, weekends might be when they have more leisure time. It’s essential to look at your analytics and understand when your subscribers are most active.

The Best Day and Time to Post on YouTube in 2023

Let’s dive deeper into the concept of posting on YouTube in 2023 and understand why Wednesdays between 11 a.m. and 1 p.m. might be an optimal time for businesses, as well as the nuances surrounding this recommendation.

Why Wednesdays between 11 am and 1 pm?

1. Mid-week Momentum: By the time Wednesday rolls around, many people are deeply entrenched in their workweek routines. They’ve overcome the initial inertia of Monday and are not yet gearing up for the weekend, making them more receptive to consuming content. Posting during this period captures this mid-week audience effectively.
2. Lunch Hour Browsing: Between 11 a.m. and 1 p.m. is the typical lunch break time for many professionals. During this break, they are more likely to check their phones, catch up on social media, or watch a short YouTube video. For businesses, it’s an opportunity to engage with these viewers when they’re looking for a brief diversion.
3. Beating the Evening Rush: Posting in this time frame ensures the video has enough time to garner initial views, comments, and likes, which can then boost its visibility by the evening when there might be another surge of viewers logging in after work.

Factors That Make It Not “One-Size-Fits-All”

1. Audience Specifics: It’s essential to understand your audience demographics. A channel targeting teenagers might find that after-school hours or weekends are more effective, while one catering to working professionals might indeed find the mentioned window optimal.
2. Geographic Considerations: If a business’s audience is spread across different time zones, they might have to adjust their posting times or even consider multiple posts to cater to different regions.
3. Content Nature: The type of content also plays a crucial role. For instance, educational or ‘how-to’ content might see better engagement during the day, while entertainment content might perform better in the evening.
4. Engagement Metrics: It’s vital for businesses to regularly check their YouTube analytics. The data will reveal when most of their subscribers are online and engaging with content, allowing for a more tailored approach.
5. Competition: If many channels in the same niche are posting at similar times, it might be beneficial to experiment with different time slots to avoid getting lost in the shuffle.

While the recommendation for businesses to post on YouTube in 2023 on Wednesdays between 11 am and 1 pm can serve as a guideline, the actual best time can vary based on various factors. Constant monitoring, experimentation, and adjustments are key to ensuring content reaches the widest possible audience effectively.

The Worst Day and Time to Post on YouTube

The digital landscape, along with user behaviors, undergoes frequent changes, influenced by shifts in work culture, technological advancements, and general lifestyle patterns. It’s essential to keep up with these changes to remain effective in content distribution strategies.

Why Mondays before 8 am might be ineffective:

1. Monday Morning Rush: The start of the workweek usually sees individuals getting back into their professional routines. Many are catching up on emails, setting their week’s agenda, and possibly dealing with a slight Monday blues. This can make them less likely to engage with YouTube content early on a Monday morning.
2. Weekend Hangover: If your audience comprises a considerable number of working professionals, they might have a packed weekend, and the fatigue can carry into Monday. This makes it less probable for them to engage with leisure or even professional content on YouTube early in the day.
3. Low Notification Engagement: If subscribers have notifications enabled for a channel, early Monday morning posts might get drowned out by other notifications (like work emails). By the time they do check, newer notifications might push your video down, making it less visible.

List of Potentially Ineffective Times to Post on YouTube:

1. Early Mornings During Weekdays (before 8 am): Most people are just starting their day, getting ready for work or school, and are less likely to be on YouTube.
2. Late Nights (after 11 pm): By this time, many viewers might be winding down or already asleep, especially on weekdays. However, this can be content-specific. For instance, relaxing or sleep-inducing videos might still do well.
3. Friday Evenings: Historically, this time is when people are wrapping up their workweek and possibly planning or heading out for the weekend. Engagement might be lower as the audience shifts their attention offline.
4. During Major Events or Holidays: Posting during significant global or local events (like the Super Bowl, World Cup, or significant political events) can lead to decreased visibility, as viewers might be occupied elsewhere.
5. Overlapping with Bigger Channels: If you’re in a niche where a dominant channel has a set posting schedule, try not to post at the same time. Your content might be overshadowed.

While these times are generalized recommendations, the most effective strategy involves understanding one’s specific audience and continually checking YouTube analytics to identify when subscribers are most active. As the digital landscape changes, so do user behaviors, and adapting to these changes is crucial for successful content strategies.

How to Find Your Channel’s Best Time to Post on YouTube

To optimize your content’s reach and engagement, it’s crucial to post videos when your audience is most active. YouTube Studio offers built-in tools to help you glean insights about your viewers’ activity. Here’s a straightforward guide to help you discover the optimal posting time for your YouTube channel:

1. Go to YouTube Studio

YouTube Studio is the revamped dashboard provided by YouTube for content creators. It offers a plethora of insights and tools to manage and grow your channel. To access it:

• Sign in to your YouTube account.
• Click on your profile icon in the top right corner.
• From the dropdown menu, select ‘YouTube Studio’. This will redirect you to the main dashboard of YouTube Studio, where you’ll find various options related to your channel’s performance, content, monetization, and more.

2. Click Analytics > Audience

In YouTube Studio, one of the most insightful sections is ‘Analytics’. Here, you’ll find comprehensive data about your video performances, audience demographics, and other essential metrics. To proceed:

• On the left-hand panel of YouTube Studio, click on ‘Analytics’. This will open an overview of your channel’s performance, including views, watch time, subscribers, and more.
• Once in the Analytics section, you’ll notice several tabs on top, like Overview, Reach, Engagement, and Audience. Click on the ‘Audience’ tab. This tab provides detailed data about who your viewers are, their demographics, when they’re watching, and more.

3. Check out “When your viewers are most active”

In the Audience section of Analytics, YouTube provides a crucial metric called “When your viewers are most active”.

• Scroll down until you find a section labeled ‘When your viewers are on YouTube’ or similar wording. This section provides a heatmap of your viewers’ activity throughout the week.
• The heatmap displays each day of the week and various times of the day. Darker shades on the heatmap indicate higher activity, meaning more of your viewers are on YouTube during those times. Conversely, lighter shades indicate times when fewer viewers are active.
• Use this heatmap to gauge the peak times your audience is online. These peak times can serve as a starting point for determining when to post your videos for maximum visibility and engagement.

By utilizing these specific features in YouTube Studio, content creators can make data-driven decisions about their posting schedule. While these insights are valuable, always remember to consider other factors like content quality, global time zones (if you have an international audience), and current events, which can influence viewer behavior. Regularly checking and adjusting your posting times based on this data will optimize your channel’s growth and engagement potential.

Is Timing Important When Posting on YouTube?

Absolutely. The vast world of YouTube is flooded with a deluge of content every minute. With countless videos being uploaded, each vying for the viewer’s attention, the competition is fierce. So, how can you ensure your content stands out and grabs those precious views? The answer, in part, lies in timing. Here’s why timing is a critical edge in the YouTube content game:

1. Maximizing Initial Engagement

When you post a video, the first few hours are critical. Videos that garner higher initial engagement (likes, comments, shares) signal to YouTube’s algorithm that the content is valuable and relevant. As a result, YouTube is more likely to recommend it to others. Posting when your audience is most active can significantly boost this initial engagement.

2. Algorithmic Advantage

YouTube’s recommendation algorithm, which drives views through suggested videos and homepage placements, takes viewer engagement rates seriously. If your video attracts a surge of viewers shortly after being uploaded, it’s seen as a positive engagement sign, pushing your content higher in recommendations.

3. Synchronized with Viewer Habits

Understanding and matching your posting schedule to your audience’s viewing habits ensures that your content aligns with the time they’re most likely to be browsing YouTube. This synchronization means that your video will be fresh and readily available when they log in.

4. Avoiding Content Saturation

By understanding peak posting times (when most creators upload their content) and contrasting that with peak viewer times, you can find a sweet spot where your content has the best chance to shine amidst reduced competition.

5. Catering to Global Audiences

If you have an international audience, timing becomes even more complex and crucial. It’s essential to consider various time zones and cultural viewing habits to maximize global engagement.

6. Building Consistency

Over time, if you consistently post at the same time, your audience will begin to anticipate your content, leading to a loyal viewership that eagerly waits for your next video. This habit-building can significantly amplify your channel’s growth.

• September 18 , 2023
• Rushik Shah