A new study reveals that publishing just 2-5 weekly TikToks increase views and engagement, offering insights into the platform’s growth algorithm.
Buffer looked at 11.4 million TikTok posts made by more than 150K accounts and reported that 2-5 posts per week gives you the highest lift in views per post. This investigation supports the advice that posts should be scheduled every day or even several times a day on the grounds that the benefit reduces after 2–5 posts each week.
Data Science Behind Posting Frequency
Over the past year, data scientist Julian Winternheimer conducted a fixed-effects regression analysis on how posting frequency affects views per post. His analysis looked at views while adjusting based on account-specific attributes such as the number of followers and the strength as a brand.
- Posting 2-5 times per week increases views per post by 17% compared to posting once weekly.
- Posting 6-10 times weekly lifts views per post by 29%.
- Posting more than 11 times weekly sees a 34% gain per post.
The biggest leap is from one post to 2-5 posts a week; after that, the returns taper off. No matter how often accounts post, median views per post remain near the 500 mark:
- Once weekly, 489 views per median time slot
- 459 median views at 11+ posts a week (down slightly)
But the top end of the performance behaves differently.
Viral Potential Grows with Frequency for Top Performers
For the top 10% of posts (90th percentile):
- 14,401 views at 11+ posts weekly.
- 3,722 views at one post weekly.
- 6,983 views when posting 2-5 times weekly.
- 10,092 views at 6-10 posts weekly.
Buffer refers to this as the “Viral Potential” (90th percentile views/median views). Top posts for 11+ times weekly accounts achieved 31.4 times the engagement of their median post; that number dropped down to just 7.6 times for once-weekly accounts.
Important Takeaways For TikTok Creators
If you create TikTok content, the sweet spot is 2-5 posts a week, where you get the most views per post for the least effort. More frequent posting increases the likelihood of a viral post, but that just raises the average, not improves it.
Winternheimer explains:
“Posting more helps — but mostly because it increases your chances of getting lucky. TikTok is heavy-tailed. You only need one post to pop off. Posting more just increases your odds.”
In other words, adding more posts raises the ceiling for your best-performing potential, without raising the floor for your average posts.
Study Limitations and Future Outlook
The analysis appeals to claims associated with Buffer, which could overstate smaller and mid-sized organizations. Trends like these tend to change quickly, though, as platforms make changes to their ranking algorithms.
Winternheimer advises:
“If we wanted to provide a blanket recommendation that applies to most people, I’d recommend starting with 2-5 posts per week on TikTok.”
Winternheimer further suggests:
“However, if you have more posts to share, you’ll give yourself a better chance at having a breakout post.”
Bottom Line
It is important to note that social media algorithms are highly dynamic. Strategies based on past TikTok data may require adjustment as the platform evolves.
