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With so many social media platforms to choose from, it can be difficult to keep them all active. Posting consistently can be a pain when you have other things to do, which is where Buffer comes in.
So what is Buffer? Buffer is just what the name implies: a buffer between you and everything social media.

In other words, Buffer is a handy tool to manage and schedule posts on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and Pinterest.

Sounds pretty good right? That’s because it is. It’s quick and easy to use! Below is a step-by-step guide to get you started today!

Step 1 – Set Up Your Buffer Account

This is as easy as entering an email and creating a password. Next, you are given the opportunity to connect your social accounts one by one. In some cases, if you are already signed in to an account, it will only ask your permission to allow Buffer to connect to the account. For example, if you are already signed in to your Facebook account on the same browser as Buffer, it will automatically ask you without needing you to input any passwords!

Step 2 – Create a Social Media Posting Schedule

Each social profile is treated differently, which means you are able to schedule posting to different days to fit your needs. Do you want to have Twitter Tuesdays and Facebook Fridays?
Buffer lets you do that.
To do this, simply click the ‘Schedule’ tab to set the dates and times that suit your needs.

Step 3 – Set Up Buffer for posts

Once you’ve looked at what days and times work best for you, you can start generating posts to be posted at those times. Buffer is a great way to create compelling, posts and share interesting articles with your audience.

Step 4 – Upgrade Your Buffer Account

You may want to consider upgrading your account if you operate a business, organization, or even just have a lot of personal accounts to manage. Buffer is free to use and easy to manage social media.
However, sometimes people find that they need a little more functionality. In this case, you may find that upgrading to one of the paid accounts is worth it.
Some of the perks that come with a paid account are:

Up to 10 Accounts (Regular Accounts only allow one of each)
100 Stored Posts
Expanded RSS Functionality
Complex Posting Schedules

These are some of the perks that come with the <strong<“Awesome Plan”, which is just the first tier of paid account plans. There are higher tiers of plans that fit well with businesses and larger organizations. To upgrade your plan, simply click on the ‘Upgrade to Awesome’ button and follow the prompts.

Upgrade to Awesome plan to manage social media

manage social media with buffer extensions

Step 5 – Optimize your Buffer Experience to manage social media

The buffer user interface is easy to manage social media and easy to use. This being said, there are certain measures you can take to improve your overall experience.
You can install the browser extension, which allows you to use many buffer features without having to navigate too much.
This extension allows you to share interesting articles you found online with just a click. This makes it much easier to keep your audience up to date with things they care about. Additionally, Buffer has developed an App for iOS and Android.

The user friendly UI makes it an easy platform to use anywhere and at any time.

Bonus Step – Get Ready for More!

Respondly partner with buffer to manage social media

Buffer recently acquired Respondly, a great Twitter management tool that works extremely well as a Public Relations management solution. Respondly can best be summed up as a tool that allows you to follow up on and keep track of Twitter conversations with your audience. The acquisition of Respondly will allow you to use Buffer to maintain communication with your audience in a much simpler way! When asked about the launch of the new and improved Buffer with Respondly features, Buffer CEO Joel Gascoigne stated:

We’re working around-the-clock to get things ready for a full launch in January 2016.

By: Mae Demdam
Businesses should know the importance, value and essentialness of social media, but it’s much more than throwing up a Facebook Business Page or Tweeting once a week. Proper social media management takes extensive research, strategy creation, and most of all time.

A majority of the customer experience happens online, thus social media enables brands to take advantage of a customer’s engagement outside of typical channels, like their website. Social media has also become a lucrative marketing tool, providing advertising and sales capabilities. But how can we maximize our Social Media Campaigns and save time?

Luckily there are tools like Buffer. The newest and simplest way to share what you want on Social Media. Buffer’s dashboard makes it easy to connect all of your social profiles, i.e. Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Google Plus in one cohesive place and post just once. Buffer takes care of posting throughout the day at the best times with pre-set schedules (however, you do have the option to create your own schedule), all you have to do is drop your posts in.

We know that link building and social engagement is important to all Social Media and SEO Campaigns and with Buffer everything you share becomes more focused and consistent, while saving you time. Knowing that you only have to post once makes it easier to concentrate on a well thought out message to your social community. It also gives you the opportunity to see what’s trending within your industry and on others’ social media. By focusing on social media efforts like content creation, engagement, voice and brand identity and analytical metrics you are gain the opportunity to build your audience.

Now that you’ve discovered a tool to make your social media managing a bit easier, you can concentrate on what to post. Here are some tips for knowing what type of content to publish and share.

Promotional Content: Use sparingly and only when there is real value. This will make the promotion more appealing to consumers.
Relative Content: Post related content. If there is big news in your industry, share it, but give credit where credit is due. If you can, create original content based on the same concept.
Tips & Tricks: Post tips and tricks that will help your customer. You can easily add value to your posts by offering your consumers a “How To” guide or an “Instant Download”.
Conversations: Post to other posts and start a conversation. Social Media is about engaging with your audience. If there is comment on a social post, be sure to acknowledge it, if warranted.
Non-Promotional Content: Humanize your social media posts with posts about company events, volunteer efforts or community outreach.

For more Social Media Best Practices click here.

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