Scheduling your TikTok posts can be a game-changer for your social media strategy. It lets you plan content in advance, and it doesn't matter if you're stuck in a meeting when it's time to hit publish.
You can set up posts to go live when your audience is most active. For example, if lots of people in your target audience have little kids, you might need to post just after bedtime (when parents finally have time to scroll!). Alternatively, if you're a global brand with an international audience, you might have to balance your posting times across different time zones.
Why schedule TikTok posts
Posting consistently is really important on TikTok. Lots of TikTokers even post multiple times a day. While that's not strictly necessary, it's hard to keep up with this rate of posting if you're trying to do it all manually.
If you're running campaigns or working at an agency where you're working across multiple campaigns, scheduling becomes even more important. Careful planning can stop you posting to the wrong account in a rush, or forgetting to hit send on an important update.
Most importantly, you can line up all your content at once, leaving you time to work on other tasks.
How do you schedule TikTok posts?
Well, the platform actually has a built-in scheduler that lets you plan a post on TikTok up to 10 days ahead. This is just about enough time to help you stay on top of trends, but there's one major drawback – it only lets you schedule one post at a time.
If you're after a bit more flexibility, there are other tools that let you schedule multiple posts further in advance. We'll look at those tools in more detail later in this guide.
The one drawback of scheduling is that you won't necessarily be online right after your posts go live. Instead, you'll need to keep an eye on your posting schedule and notifications to make sure that you're available to respond and engage with your audience in real time.
There is a risk element to scheduling. After all, what happens if your scheduled post has an error or something worse in it, and you're not there to address it? Triple checking scheduled content is hugely important.
In this article, we'll share a step-by-step guide for using the native TikTok scheduler, as well as how you can get ahead on scheduling with third-party tools.
We'll also look at how you can make the most of scheduling tools and some common mistakes that people make in this area – so you can avoid them!
In this article:
- How to schedule TikTok posts using the native TikTok scheduler
- How to schedule TikTok posts with third-party tools
- Best practices for scheduling TikTok posts
- Common mistakes to avoid when scheduling TikTok posts
- Frequently asked questions
How to schedule TikTok posts using the native TikTok scheduler
TikTok now lets you schedule TikTok videos. This feature is available for Creator and Business accounts. Here’s how to use it:
- Open the TikTok app on your mobile device. Note that the TikTok mobile app has limitations regarding scheduling features; users with Personal accounts cannot schedule posts directly through the app and must use a desktop browser.
- Tap the “+” icon to create a new post
- Upload your video and add captions, hashtags, and other details
- Look for the “Schedule” option
- Turn on the “Schedule video“ toggle
- Pick a date and time for your post (up to 10 days in advance)
- Tap “Schedule” to confirm
You can also schedule posts on TikTok’s web upload page. This is particularly useful if you're at your desk and juggling other tasks on a computer. To do this:
- Go to TikTok’s website and log in
- Click the “Upload” button
- Add your video and fill in the details
- Find the “Schedule video” option
- Choose when you want your post to go live
- Click “Schedule” to finish
There's nothing else to do after that. To check your scheduled posts, just pop into the “Drafts” section of the app or website. You can edit or delete them there if needed.
As we said before, the major drawback here is that you can only schedule one post at a time. It's not really aimed at social media managers! If you want to schedule lots of posts in one go, you'll need to look at other ways to schedule TikTok videos.
How to schedule TikTok posts with third-party tools
The one-post TikTok scheduler might not be enough for you – and you don't have to settle for it. Other TikTok scheduling tools exist that allow you to upload content at the best time to post every day of the week.
These social media scheduling tools really are beneficial if you need to go beyond the standard option, and come with a range of data points too.
The benefits of third-party scheduling tools
Scheduling tools like Brandwatch, Buffer, and Hootsuite all make it really easy to plan and post content ahead of time. In fact, they're the kind of tools that most social media teams are using all day long.
These tools have a lot going for them, but the most important thing here is that you can use them to manage multiple TikTok accounts and bulk schedule TikTok posts. Yep, you can schedule more than one post at a time – hallelujah!
This streamlines the publishing process and means you can focus more on content creation, which usually leads to higher quality videos.
Costing up options
Some third-party schedulers offer free plans to get you started, others are more advanced which means they tend to come with a subscription fee, even for new users.
Before you choose a scheduling tool, it's best to think about what kind of solution would best suit your business.
Could you benefit from a full social media management platform? This will cost more, but will allow you to do much more than just schedule posts on your TikTok account. For example, some social media management tools offer team collaboration features, advanced metrics, and social listening options.
This level of TikTok analytics might be the sort of thing you come to rely on as your accounts grow.
If scheduling TikTok videos is all you need, a full social media management platform will probably be a bit much. In that case, it will probably be better to look for free options, or those have staggered pricing plans depending on your needs.
How to use a third-party TikTok scheduler
Obviously, the exact process will vary depending on the specific tool you're using. But it will most likely go something like this:
- Sign up for an account
- Connect your TikTok account to your chosen tool
- Upload your video content
- Add captions and hashtags
- Set your desired posting date and time
- Schedule your post
Some tools let you schedule posts months in advance. Yes, that's right – months.
This helps you maintain a consistent posting schedule without being glued to your phone. Imagine the satisfaction of knowing that you've ticked off a task so far in advance!
Features to boost your scheduling game
If you want to take your scheduling to the next level then it's important to understand what benefits you get from using a scheduling tool. Desktop scheduling can sometimes be easier than doing it on your phone, even though TikTok is a phone-forward platform.
Here are the additional features you can rely on to improve your personal TikTok account or business account.
Analytics to track post performance
Great, your scheduled posts are going live just as planned! Now it's important to check if people are seeing them on their For You Pages.
Many social media tools offer advanced TikTok analytics that can really drill down into the metrics. Watch out for reach and views, and then look at engagement – that's the metric that will show you if a TikTok post is resonating with your audience.
Content calendars for visual planning
If you're scheduling posts in advance, you'll need a content calendar to stay organized. This will help you plan TikTok videos around major advertising campaigns or holidays.
The added benefit of content calendar tools is that you can usually use them to collaborate with coworkers, so everyone knows what's going live, and when.
Team collaboration tools
TikTok is one of those platforms that everyone's talking about and it can quickly define a brand's voice. It's important to keep everyone in the loop.
The simplest way to do this is with team collaboration tools. These will let you flag posts for approval, and get feedback or edits from other team members or those higher up.
You can also use an internal email tool to share the latest TikTok posts, so even those outside of the publishing process know what's going on.
Cross-platform posting
A great TikTok post doesn't have to be confined to one platform.
TikTok videos also translate well to the world of Instagram Reels, and even Facebook and YouTube now push a lot of short video content to users.
Whatever social media management tool you're using for scheduling, it's likely it will allow you to post the same content on more than one platform. One scheduled video can therefore carry a lot more impact and connect with wider audiences. So, make sure to make the most of all your posting options.
Reasons to schedule TikTok posts
There are lots of moments when TikTok scheduling can come in handy. Let's take a look at a few of those scenarios.
1. You have a global audience
Scheduling can be especially helpful if your audience is scattered all over the world. In this case, you might want to post half of your TikTok videos at a time when you're actively available to engage with your audience, and the other half when you're not online. That way you'll hopefully catch everyone in your audience, even if they tend to be online when you're doing other things.
2. You're juggling different campaigns
If you know you've got one or two big advertising campaigns coming up in the next few months, and the assets are already available, you could schedule posts for TikTok quite far in advance. This will give all teams a chance to review and approve TikTok content long before it goes live.
3. You're out of the office
If you're going on vacation, or even if you just have a big afternoon of meetings coming up, you could schedule TikTok videos to cover the time that you're away. In the case of a vacation, hopefully you'll have someone lined up to handle the engagement side of things – but they can refer to your TikTok content calendar to see what's coming up.
Best practices for scheduling TikTok videos
Planning your TikTok content is key to growing your audience and achieving the goals set out in your marketing strategy. Therefore, we suggest making these easy tips a regular habit in your working week.
Use a content calendar
You’ll want to create a content calendar to organize your ideas and post consistently.
Pay attention to your TikTok posting schedule. TikTok analytics can show you how much engagement you're getting, so try scheduling posts at different times to see what works best.
Scheduled TikTok posts don't always hit the mark straight away, so be patient. Don’t forget to plan your social media posts across other platforms too. Repurpose your TikTok videos for Instagram Reels or YouTube Shorts to reach a wider audience.
This is where your scheduling tool comes in. Many apps let you upload and schedule TikTok posts in advance, freeing you up to focus on creating great content.
Oh, and while that content calendar is great and super important, it's also good to leave room for spontaneous posts. This will allow you to jump on trends as they happen, which is particularly important for business accounts trying to get the attention of an audience that usually favors influencers.
Tap into trends
Which brings us to trending topics and hashtags! TikTok moves fast, but you can stay current by tapping into trending content or challenges.
Keep an eye on the For You Page, as well as industry news, to see what's going viral. If it suits your brand, don't be afraid to take part.
Post a variety of content
Finally, it's a good idea to mix up your content types.
Schedule a variety of videos like tutorials, behind-the-scenes clips, and user-generated content to keep your feed fresh and engaging.
Users engage when they know what type of content they're getting. So, over time, reduce your experiments to two or three types.
Oh, and TikTok isn't only about videos. If you have some impressive still imagery, you could always post this as an image carousel.
Common mistakes to avoid when scheduling TikTok posts
Scheduling TikTok posts can be a bit of a minefield if you're not paying attention.
Here are some common errors you’ll want to dodge.
Forgetting to optimize your posts
Before you finish scheduling your posts, remember to add some relevant hashtags, tag people in, and check the music or audio is right.
These will help your posts reach more people, and they're also important in search. Don’t leave them out!
Using low-quality videos
Since TikTok content is mainly in video format, it's important that that video is good quality.
A blurry, pixelated video will cause most people to scroll past without thinking. To avoid this, make sure your video quality is top-notch.
Not checking before hitting publish
Do you know the feeling of making a mistake in a published post? We do, and it's not pleasant.
Now think what happens if you make an error in a scheduled post that you don't see until it's been live for five hours?
To avoid tripping up with a typo, a misspelling, or a bad video clip, don't forget to double-check everything for mistakes before scheduling. This includes looking at the background of all videos to ensure there's nothing strange that users might notice.
Ignoring trends
TikTok moves fast. Make sure your scheduled content isn’t outdated by the time it posts.
This generally means scrolling TikTik content yourself, and making a note of any viral challenges or even trending sounds. While you don't need to tap into every trend, catching the ones that are just right for your brand can be a big part of boosting your TikTok credentials.
Social listening can help you identify if a trend has already peaked.
Overposting
Don’t flood your followers’ feeds. If you do, people are more likely to hit unfollow
Instead, space out your scheduled posts wisely. Using a TikTok content calendar is probably the best way to stay on top of this task. It's also important to make sure that other people on the team know about what the expected number of daily posts is.
Neglecting engagement
Just because you’ve scheduled posts doesn’t mean you can ignore TikTok. If you did that, your engagement levels would plummet.
To keep on top of that engagement and spot any issues, keep interacting with comments and other users.
Using the wrong cover image
This is all about your grid and the TikTok search results. To stand out and make your grid look polished, pick an eye-catching thumbnail that represents your video well.
You could even edit a specific image just for the thumbnail – this is a great idea if you want to get some text in there too.
Frequently asked questions
Scheduling TikTok posts can be done through various methods and platforms. Before we wrap up, let's explore some common questions about this process to help you manage your content more effectively.
What are some reliable apps for scheduling TikTok posts?
Where do we start! With Brandwatch, obviously. It's just one of the many options which will help with all your scheduling needs. Social scheduling tools allow you to manage your TikTok content alongside other social platforms, making it easier to maintain a consistent posting schedule.
Can I schedule TikTok posts directly through the desktop platform?
Of course! If you're working on a computer, you can schedule TikTok posts directly on the platform's website. It's a nice touch for those who prefer working on a larger screen.
The catch is that the TikTok feature only allows you to plan one post up to 10 days in advance. Third-party apps will allow you to work from a desktop too, but scheduling through your TikTok account is absolutely fine if you don't want to use third-party tools and you're happy to schedule one post at a time.
Are there any differences in post performance between scheduled and instant posts on TikTok?
Nope! There's no real difference in performance between scheduled and instant posts on TikTok.
As long as you post when your audience is most active, you'll probably end up with pretty much the same results. Scheduling can help you consistently hit those peak times, and that should be good for your content's reach and engagement.
Is there a way to automate post scheduling on TikTok for multiple posts?
Yes, you can automate scheduling for multiple TikTok posts. But only if you use third-party tools.
Many social media management tools offer bulk uploading and scheduling features for TikTok video. This lets you plan out your content calendar in advance, saving time and ensuring a consistent posting schedule.
