Is there a best time to post on YouTube or to post on Youtube Shorts? If you post on YouTube at any time, you get in front of your audience. You get another chance to build trust and generate sales. However, some times of day are more optimal than others. YouTubers must post videos at times when most of their subscribers are awake and on their phones. Here are some tips to help you post on YouTube at the best times.

Most YouTubers Are from the US

YouTube attracts viewers from around the world. However, most of those viewers live in the US. Publishing videos around their time zones will increase your video views. Many Americans work from 9-to-5. Some watch videos before their workdays start, while others watch videos at the end of the day.

Upload Before Peak Viewing Times

Many people watch videos in the evening. Many creators may concede it’s best to publish videos at 9 pm eastern. This time helps them reach American viewers at peak viewing times. East coasters are still awake at 9 pm and actively watching YouTube. 

However, uploading at this peak hour has a significant downside. YouTube does not immediately index your videos for their algorithm. It takes the YouTube algorithm a few hours to push your videos to your audience.

If you publish a video at 9 pm, the algorithm may not fully promote it until midnight. Most people in the US are winding down or are already sleeping at midnight eastern time. You’ll get some west coasters, but you miss out on a significant audience.

Uploading a few hours before peak viewing times will give your videos time to rank. Initial momentum before peak hours puts your video in an ideal position when 9 pm eastern comes. Publishing videos at 5 pm eastern gives you time to gain momentum and thrive on the algorithm when it counts the most.

Peak viewing times also take place right before work. Publishing videos at 8 am eastern helps you reach morning viewers. The east coast viewers will watch your videos first. As other people throughout the US wake up, they’re more likely to see your video due to the initial momentum. Some east coasters will watch the video during their lunch break while west coasters simultaneously watch the video before their workdays start.

Fridays and Saturdays Offer Higher Engagement 

If you only post on YouTube once per week, the publication date becomes more important. YouTubers who publish multiple videos each week can spread their videos and cover more ground. Weekly publishers only get one shot.

Fridays and Saturdays offer higher engagement than average. Most people finish their work week Friday evening and have more time to spare. They can watch videos later into the night without worrying about work the next day. Only Friday and Saturday present this scenario for most workers.

Posting to YouTube at Optimal Times

You can post videos at optimal times to attract more viewers. Consider how your audience behaves and check the data on each of your videos. Each YouTubers’ peak hours vary, but you can use these guidelines to publish posts based on the commonly followed 9-to-5 schedule.

Also don’t forget to add things like captions to your Youtube videos to capture more engagement with your content.