Does social media make you feel like you have to sit around all day on the computer waiting to jump into a conversation? Do you feel like you have to always be on your social media game just in case a customer tries to get a hold of you on Twitter or Facebook? Well we here at Bixa Media are here to tell you about the social media scheduling tool that we use most — Buffer.
With all our social media clients, it can be hard to keep track of when to post what for whom. Buffer allows users to create an account with the ability to link up to 10 social profiles (most common are Facebook, Twitter, Google+ and LinkedIn) and up to 100 posts and tweets at one time. for only $15 per month1. And if you are a non-profit, you get up to 50% off!
So How Does It Work?
After signing up and linking your social accounts, the next steps are easy. You simply input what you want to share with your users, including any photos and links. From there, you have the option to chose a specific date and time that the post will go out, or you can add it to your “Buffer,” which is essentially a queue.
If you don’t want to schedule per post, Buffer will send out the posts in your “Buffer” based on what they believe is the best time, based on your audience. Furthermore, you can choose to have posts sent out at the same day/time every week/day, while all you would have to do is upload posts as you think of them (adding them in your Buffer queue).
Buffer does offer analytics, however they are only unlocked when your sign up with a business plan.
It wouldn’t be appropriate if we told you all these great things about Buffer, but failed to mention the very minute details we have found that Buffer does not offer its users. First and foremost, Buffer only provides tagging capabilities for Twitter. This means that if you want to tag someone on Facebook, you’d have to do so the old fashioned way. Buffer has assured us that they are working on this problem
Also, if you are using Bit.ly or any other URL shortening site, heed warning when adding links to Buffer. Currently, Buffer will “shorten” your bit.ly link to a different link. This can be frustrating if you track your link performance through a platform like Bit.ly.
All in all, Buffer has made life at Bixa Media easier and we are very thankful for it. What is your favorite social media scheduling tool?
1. This pricing is applicable for Buffer’s Awesome Plan only. Inquire on their website for their Business Plan pricing.