My Favorite Twitter Tools: Buffer

Launched in November of 2010, Buffer had limited features when it first appeared on the scene and it was only able to schedule posts to Twitter. Even in these early stages though, a fun fact about the company is that they gained their first paying user four days after the initial launch. Pretty cool, right?

But now, they’re gaining over one million new users in a single year! (In fact, they had 1,415,697 users that created new Buffer accounts in 2018.) With so many entrepreneurs, marketers, and social media enthusiasts joining the platform, it’s clear to see Buffer has had tremendous success since its launch years ago. And if you’ve been searching for a tool that will allow you to schedule posts to all of your social media accounts and review analytics to craft your strategy, it might be time to join the Buffer crowd.

The Basics of Buffer

I feel like Buffer is one of the tools people first try when they’re just getting started with scheduling their social media content. The reason is because Buffer is simple, user-friendly, and very affordable. While it may not have all the bells and whistles of some other tools, it still gets the job done and makes managing your social media presence so much easier. And if you’re someone who just needs a bare-bones scheduling tool, Buffer could be the one for you.

Not to mention, the company itself is pretty amazing with the values they stand for and instill in their team. Buffer is all about transparency, positivity, gratitude, reflection, improving consistently, and acting beyond yourself. You can read more about their incredible values here. Plus, they always share amazing tips and tricks on their blog! Buffer’s team is definitely a great one to support.

Stand-Out Features

When it comes to scheduling your social media content, it’s nice having everything all in one place. And that’s one of the reasons I recommend Buffer! Through their platform, you’re able to schedule posts for Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, Pinterest, and Instagram. This is a huge bonus because you won’t have to worry about signing up for a variety of other tools. In the end, it’ll save you money since Buffer can handle it all.

Overall, Buffer’s tool is pretty simple but it’s still able to get the job done. You can add all of your social media accounts and then create a variety of posting schedules so your content can go out at optimal times for the best results. However, it’s important to note that you can only have one posting schedule on a free plan, but paid plans allow you to create different schedules for each day of the week.

It’s also so easy to add fresh content to your Buffer queue, whether you’re using their website, their Google Chrome extension, or the smartphone app. Scheduling posts should be quick and easy, after all! And this is exactly what Buffer does best, making it one of the best introductory tools for social media scheduling.

Buffer also has a couple of other options outside of their popular scheduling tool, Buffer Publish. They have Buffer Reply, which is designed to help you easily manage all of your social conversations. This is handy because you won’t have to worry about missing an important message from someone in your community. And Buffer Analyze is a tool they’re currently working on that will allow you to get all the essential stats on your social media marketing efforts so you can craft a powerful strategy.

Pricing

One of the great things about Buffer is that you can use it totally free if you want! That’s perfect for anyone who needs a simple, but effective, tool and doesn’t want an extra fee to pay each month. Their free plan allows you to add three social media accounts and you can schedule up to 10 posts per channel in advance. While the free plan is definitely a plus, many of you will be craving more if you’re ready to take your social media presence up a notch.

If you decide to upgrade to a paid plan, you’ll have three options to choose from. Which one you go with really depends on your needs. Each plan has different features, such as how many social media accounts you can add, the amount of users you can create, how many scheduled posts you can save, etc. 

As with many of my favorite Twitter tools, Buffer does offer a 14-day free trial so you can test out their platform before signing up for a paid plan. The Essentials plan costs $5/month per channel, Team costs $10/month per channel, and Agency is $100/month for 10 channels.

Why It’s Worth Considering

If you’re looking for a simple way to schedule posts, analyze their performance, and manage all of your social media accounts in one place… Buffer just might be it! Their tool is user-friendly, making it incredibly easy even for those who are new to scheduling social media posts. Plus, you don’t have to worry about jumping from tool to tool just to schedule posts for Twitter and Facebook and then Pinterest and Instagram. Buffer handles it all, allowing you to eliminate other tools from your arsenal and saving you money in the long run.

Ready to give it a try? Sign up for a free trial today and don’t forget to download the browser extension and the smartphone app to truly make scheduling a breeze no matter where you are!