How to Use Buffer: A Step-By-Step Guideline in 2025

Are you spending way too much time trying to post on all your social media?

It can feel like a real problem, right?

You’re probably thinking, “There has to be an easier way!”

This guide will show you, step-by-step, exactly how to use Buffer. 

Let’s get started with how to use Buffer!

Getting Started with Buffer

Okay, so you want to get started with Buffer, right?

It’s a cool tool that helps with social media management.

Think of it like this: instead of posting to Facebook, Instagram, and everywhere else one by one.

Buffer lets you do it all in one spot. Pretty neat, huh?

Getting Your Own Buffer Place

• First things first, you gotta sign up. Just go to the Buffer website. They have different plans, kind of like choosing what size of pizza you want. Pick the one that sounds right for what you need. What are you hoping to do with your social media?
• Once you sign up, it’ll ask you to connect your social media accounts. This is like telling Buffer which places you want it to post to. So, if you use Instagram, Facebook, or X (used to be called Twitter), you’ll add them here. Make sure you pick the right ones!

Looking Around Inside Buffer

• After you’ve connected everything, you’ll see the main page. It might look a little new at first, but don’t worry! Think of it like your new video game – you just need to explore a bit.
• You’ll see different sections, like “Publisher.” That’s where you plan what to post. There’s also “Analytics,” which shows you how your posts are doing – like how many people liked them. And there’s “Engagement,” where you can see what people are saying. It’s all pretty useful stuff for social media management.
• Take a look at the settings too. You can change things to make Buffer work best for you. It’s like setting up your game the way you like it.

So, that’s the first step! You’ve got your Buffer account and you’ve taken a peek inside.

Now you’re ready to start doing some cool stuff with this tool!

Mastering the Publisher: Scheduling Your Content

Alright, now that you’re all set up, let’s talk about the Publisher part of Buffer.

This is where the magic happens.

It’s how you plan when your posts go out, so you don’t have to be online all the time!

Getting Your Social Spots Ready:

• First, make sure all the places you want to share stuff are connected. So, if you want to post on Facebook, LinkedIn, Pinterest, and maybe even X (that bird app!), they should all be linked up in Buffer. Think of each one as a different channel where you talk to people.

Putting Your Thoughts Together:

• When you have something you want to publish, just click the “New Post” button. It’s like starting a new email. You can type in what you want to say. Keep it interesting so people will want to read it!
• You can also add pictures or videos to your post. Pictures and videos can really grab people’s attention when they’re scrolling through their phones. What kind of cool stuff do you want to show?

Picking When to Post:

• Adding to the Queue: This is a super handy thing. Think of the queue like a waiting line for your posts. You can set up times for Buffer to automatically publish things throughout the day or week. This way, you don’t have to wake up at 3 AM to post something! Do you know when most of your friends are online? You can set your queue times around then.
• Picking a Specific Time: Sometimes you want to post something at a very specific time, like for an event. You can choose the exact date and time for your post to go live. It’s like setting a reminder, but for your social media!
• Making Posts Repeat: If you have something important you want people to see more than once, like a reminder about something cool, you can tell Buffer to post it again after a few days or weeks. This is great for things that don’t go out of date quickly.

Cool Things You Can Do When You Post:

• Making Links Shorter: If you have a long website link to share, Buffer can make it shorter and easier to look at. Plus, it can sometimes help you see how many people clicked on it. That’s good for marketing!
• Saving Your Hashtags: Hashtags are like labels that help people find your posts. Buffer lets you save groups of hashtags so you don’t have to type them all out every time. What are some words people might search for to find your posts?
• Saving What You’re Working On: If you’re not quite ready to publish your post, you can save it as a draft. It’s like saving your homework before you finish it.
• First Comment Trick (for Instagram): If you’re posting on Instagram, Buffer has a cool feature where you can plan your first comment. People sometimes use this to add more hashtags or info without making the main post too long.

Getting a Regular Posting Plan:

• Think about when the best times are to share on each platform. Are your friends on Instagram more in the evening? Maybe LinkedIn during the day?
• Set up your schedule in Buffer so it knows when to automatically publish your posts on each channel. How often do you want to post on each one?
• Keep an eye on how your posts are doing. If you notice that posts at a certain time get more likes, you might want to post more often then.

Keeping Your Posts Organized:

• If you have a plan for what you want to post and when (that’s called a content calendar), you can usually connect it with Buffer. This helps you see everything in one place.
• Buffer also has a calendar view where you can see all your scheduled posts. It’s like a social media planner!

So, that’s the Publisher in a nutshell! It helps you plan.

Schedule and publish your awesome content on all your social media channels without having to be glued to your phone all day.

It’s a great tool for anyone doing any kind of marketing online!

Leveraging Analytics

Okay, so you’re putting stuff out there, but how do you know if anyone is actually seeing it?

That’s where the “Analytics” part of Buffer comes in.

It’s like getting a report card for your social media!

1. Finding Your Report Card

• Just click on the “Analytics” button in Buffer. This will take you to a page that shows you how your posts are doing. It might look a little numbers-heavy at first, but we’ll break it down.

2. What the Numbers Mean

• How Many People Saw It: You’ll see numbers for “Reach” and “Impressions.” Reach is like how many different people saw your post. Impressions are how many times your post showed up on screens – sometimes the same person sees it more than once! Is your article getting in front of new eyes?
• Did They Like It?: “Engagement Rate” tells you how much people interacted with your post – did they like it, comment on it, share it, or click on a link? A higher number here means people are interested in what you posted. What kind of posts get the most love?
• Did They Click the Link?: If you shared a link to something (like your website or another cool article), “Link Clicks” shows you how many people actually clicked on it. This is super important if you’re trying to get people to visit your website.
• Are You Getting More Friends?: “Audience Growth” shows you if you’re getting more followers over time. Are more people interested in what you’re sharing?

3. Looking at How Each Post Did

• Buffer lets you select individual posts to see how they performed. This is really helpful for figuring out what kind of stuff your audience likes best. Did that funny picture get more likes than that serious update?

4. Getting the Big Picture

• You can also make reports in Buffer. This is useful if you need to show other people, like your team, how your social media is doing. What kind of information does your team care about the most?
• You can usually pick what numbers you want to see in these reports so you can focus on what’s important.

5. Using What You Learn to Make Things Better

• If you see that posts at a certain time get way more views, maybe you should post more often then!
• If certain kinds of posts (like videos or questions) get more likes and comments, maybe you should do more of those.
• You can even try different things and see what happens. It’s like doing a science experiment for your social media! Maybe you try a new kind of picture or a different way of writing your posts and see if it gets more attention. You can even look at what kind of stuff comes up when you do a Google search for topics related to your posts to get ideas.

So, Analytics might sound a little complicated.

But it’s really just about seeing what’s working and what’s not. 

Engaging with Your Audience

Okay, so it’s not just about shouting your posts into the internet void!

You also want to talk with the people who see your stuff, right?

That’s what the “Engagement” part of Buffer is all about – chatting with your audience.

Finding Where People Are Talking:

• In Buffer, there’s a section called “Engagement.” Click on that, and it’s like walking into a room where everyone’s talking about your posts! You’ll see comments, mentions (where people tag you in their posts), and maybe even direct messages all in one place. This saves you from having to jump between different apps!

Keeping Up with the Conversation:

• You can see all the comments people leave on your posts across all your connected social media places. It’s like a central inbox for all your chats!
• If someone mentions your name or your page name in their own post, you’ll see that here too. It’s good to see who’s talking about you!
• You can also usually filter these conversations. For example, you might want to see only the comments you haven’t replied to yet. This helps you make sure you don’t miss anyone.

Talking Back!:

• The cool thing is, you can reply to comments and messages right from inside Buffer. You don’t have to go to each individual social media app to say something. It makes it way easier to chat with your followers.
• Try to reply to people who leave comments or ask questions. It shows that you care about what they have to say and helps build a connection. It’s like having a friendly conversation!

Working Together (if you have a team):

• If there are a few of you managing your social media, Buffer often has ways for you to work together on these conversations. You might be able to assign different messages to different people on your team so everyone knows who’s taking care of what.
• You can also sometimes leave little notes for your team about a conversation, so everyone is on the same page.

Making Friends Online:

• Think of the Engagement tool as a way to build relationships with the people who follow you. When you reply to comments and answer questions, it makes people feel like they’re actually talking to a real person (which you are!). This can make them like your page or profile even more.
• Try to be helpful and friendly in your replies. It can make a big difference! You can even customize your responses sometimes to make them feel more personal.

So, engaging with your audience isn’t just about being polite.

It’s a really important part of building a community around what you do online. 

Exploring Advanced Features

Alright, you’ve got the basics down, and you’re probably feeling pretty good about using Buffer.

But guess what? There’s even more cool stuff this tool can do!

Let’s check out some of the more advanced features.

1. Your Own Little Website (Buffer Start Page)

• Buffer has a feature called “Start Page.” Think of it like a super simple website where you can put links to all your important stuff. For example, you could link to your main website, your online store, your latest article, or any other place you want people to go.
• You can even customize how this page looks a little bit to match your brand. It’s like having a digital business card that you can share in your social media bios.
• And just like with your regular posts, you can see how many people are clicking on the links on your Start Page. This helps you analyze what links are getting the most attention.

2. Super-Powered Numbers (Buffer Analyze)

• Some of the Buffer plans have a more powerful analytics section called “Buffer Analyze.” This is like getting a more detailed report card. You can see even more numbers and information about how your posts are doing and who your audience is.
• You might be able to see things like the age and location of your followers. This can be really helpful for understanding who you’re talking to!
• You can also dig deeper into how different types of posts are performing and even compare your results over different time periods. If you work with a client, this kind of detailed information can be really useful for showing them how things are going.

3. Making Friends with Other Tools

• Buffer can also connect with other apps and tools you might use. For example, it can work with tools that help you automate tasks or share content from other places. It’s like having your favorite apps all working together!

4. Working Together as a Team (Buffer for Teams)

• If you’re working with other people on your social media, Buffer has special features for teams. You can set up different roles for people, so everyone has the right level of access.
• There might also be ways to get approval for posts before they go out. This can be really helpful for making sure everything looks good and follows your brand‘s guidelines.

5. Buffer on Your Phone

• Just like most apps, Buffer has a mobile app that you can use on your phone. This means you can schedule posts, check your analytics, and even engage with your audience when you’re on the go. It’s super handy for managing your social media management wherever you are!

So, these advanced features in Buffer can really help you take your social media game to the next level.

Whether it’s creating your mini-website. 

Getting super detailed numbers to analyze your performance. 

Alternatives to Buffer 

• Sprout Social: Unlock deeper social media insights and foster team collaboration with its comprehensive analytics and robust features.
• Socialpilot: Enjoy budget-friendly plans without sacrificing powerful scheduling capabilities, including efficient bulk posting options.
• Sendible: Navigate social media management with ease thanks to its intuitive interface and seamless integrations with numerous marketing tools.
• Content Studio: Discover engaging content and streamline your publishing process across various platforms, potentially leveraging AI for content ideas.
• Heropost: (Information limited – explore if it offers unique features or a pricing model tailored to specific social media needs.)
• Agorapulse: Effectively manage your social presence with its strong social listening tools and a unified inbox for streamlined engagement.
• Zoho Social: A smart and cost-effective choice if your business already benefits from the integrated ecosystem of Zoho products.
• Sprinklr: Sprinklr offers a comprehensive suite of tools for large organizations demanding advanced social media management and customer experience solutions.
• Later: If your strategy heavily relies on visual content, particularly on Instagram, Later provides specialized planning and scheduling features.
• Loomly: Enhance your content creation workflow with its collaborative calendar and efficient content approval processes for teams.
• Blaze: (Information limited – investigate if it provides a specific feature or addresses a particular niche within social media marketing.)
• Metricool: Dive deep into your social media performance and keep a close eye on your competitors, often at a more accessible price point.

Conclusion

Okay, so Buffer is a cool tool for managing your social media in 2025.

It helps you plan posts and see how they’re doing with numbers (metrics).

It might seem like a lot at first, but take it slow.

It’s all about saving you time and helping you connect with your audience.

Give it a try, user!

We think it’ll help make social media easier.

Frequently Asked Questions