Content 1) Getting started with Buffer.

2) Buffer Dashboard Introduction

3) Linking Multiple Social Media Accounts

4) Installing the Browser Extension

5) Linking your Buffer account with Tweriod

6) Adding Personal Bitly Trackable links to Buffer

7) Adding Content in to Buffer

8) Editing Buffered Content

9) Re-arranging your Buffered Posts

10) Adding a Custom Posting Schedule

11) Adding Photos Directly from the Web

12) Posting Content Direct from Web Pages

13) Copying / Re-adding Successful Posts

14) Adding to Buffer via Email

15) Downloading Additional Apps, Extensions & Extras

16) Go Awesome!

17) Final Thoughts

1. Getting started with Buffer.

Why use Buffer for your Social Media Marketing?

The Buffer App social media management tool will allow you to easily bookmark and schedule

posts to your Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and App.net accounts easily and quickly from any

browser or mobile device. You’ll be able to effectively spread content out over the course of a

day and keep your audiences consistently engaged with you and your brand.

Social media is becoming a bigger, more integral part of their overall marketing mix. Social media

presents numerous opportunities for businesses to engage with their audiences, validate their

products and build loyal tribes who will help spread the word!

The first thing you will need to do is to sign in here:

http://www.bufferapp.com NOTE: By signing in with one of your social media accounts you will automatically

add it to your Buffer dashboard.

2. Buffer Dashboard Introduction

The NEW 2013 Buffer dashboard interface is super easy to use, check out the video for

a quick walk through to get you warmed up. The video will cover the following areas:

1. Accounts

2. Input Box

3. Buffer Stream

4. Analytics

5. Schedule

6. Settings

3. Linking Multiple Social Media Accounts

Buffer makes it super easy to add multiple social media accounts (4 on the free plan). You

can add up to 12 accounts if you sign up for their Awesome Plan.

Unless you’re on the Awesome Plan I don’t suggest Buffering your posts in to Facebook

due to the fact that it announces at the bottom of each post that it was delivered this way

and for me this makes it feel stagnant and reveals that it’s an auto-feed:

By upgrading to the Awesome Plan this feature will be switched off and is a good enough

reason to do so because Facebook’s own scheduling system is still seriously clunky and is

nowhere near as flexible as Buffer.

Facebook's own ‘scheduling’ system

4. Installing the Browser Extension

d

This has got to be one of the most beneficial features that Buffer has to offer. It makes sharing

content so quick and easy, yet so few people I know actually use it!

I suggest going for the Chrome plug-in over Safari for those who are Mac users as it has

additional features such as adding photos directly from the browser, which I will show you later…

It’s amazing!

Install Browser Extension here: http://bufferapp.com/extensions

5. Linking your Buffer account with Tweriod

d Social timing is key to finding success on Twitter – Buffer and Tweriod have teamed up to

help you figure out when to tweet, making sure you get your posts in front of the most

eyeballs, every time.

Tweriod analyses your Twitter followers, past Tweets and the people you follow to give you

the best times to Tweet.

Above is an example Tweriod break down of when my Twitter followers are online.

6. Adding Personal Bitly Trackable links to Buffer

Apart from shorting your links to avoid Twitters character limits, Bitly also provides a great

way to track how much traffic your links are providing.

Buff.ly links in Buffer are all masked as Bit.ly links

NOTE: If another Buffer user and you both shorten the same link, you’ll share the same code

and stats so I suggest you link your own personal Bitly account to Buffer as shown in the

video.

You can view your stats at any time by simply adding a + sign at the end of your short link

(e.g. http://bit.ly/emFaze+) or by signing directly into your Bitly account.

7. Adding Content in to Buffer

You can add new updates easily into Buffer with their new and simple interface. Buffer will

then place the update in the next available time slot on your schedule.

Watch the video for a quick demonstration!

5 Tips for Finding and Sharing Great Content

1. Use Twitter search to identify and follow thought leaders in your niche

Sharing the latest content from thought leaders is a great way to develop your niche, as well as an easy way to get the attention of and connect with other established thought leaders.

2. Create and save Twitter searches for your niche using Hootsuite

Hootsuite is a great tool for setting up Twitter searches and finding out what people are talking about in your particular niche.

3. Set up Google alerts

Creating several Google Alerts related to your field will save time and help you identify and share original content. Use terms in your search that will narrow the results and focus your niche.

4. Create an AllTop account

AllTop like Google Alerts allows you set up your own niche listening post to track the best articles on the web.

5. StumbleUpon great content

StumbleUpon is a site where users identify what they believe to be the best content on the web, so you can find what your specific audiences are already interested in and share it with others.

8. Editing Buffered Content

If you’re someone who posts similar content regularly it’s good practice to mix things up

so you don’t bore your audiences and come across as a bot.

Make sure you’re constantly re-wording things so they’re different to your prior posts or

consider a different angle on the same material. Posting a quote or sentence that really

stands out from the article always goes down well as it proves you actually read it first.

NOTE: Buffer won’t allow you to spam your feed with the same posts regularly anyway:

Watch the video for a quick example of how to edit your posts!

What makes the perfect post?

1. Invest time in searching for quality content that will be helpful to your audience

2. Post your own content including blogs, photos and updates

3. Post about relevant industry news

4. Share other people’s posts and offer feedback

5. Add personality to posts and don’t be a robot

6. Always offer your audience value for following/liking you

9. Re-arranging your Buffered Posts

If like me you’re constantly changing your mind about what you think you should post first or

what you want to save for later Buffer has made it very simple to play around with your

scheduled posts.

NOTE: For those who post similar content daily you can now mix things up instantly with

Buffer’s all new ‘SHUFFLE’ button.

Watch the video for a quick example on how to re-arrange your buffered posts!

10. Adding a Custom Posting Schedule

If for example you want to post less on a certain day you will need to sign up for

the Awesome Plan to add additional posting schedules.

This feature is great for weekends when you may want to post more often or for

holidays when you may want to cut things back.

11. Adding Photos Directly from the Web

Social media is becoming increasingly visual in nature and the photograph is fast becoming the centre of a large proportion of social media engagement. 70% of all

Facebook activity is based on photographs. Twitter itself became the largest photo sharing service out there last year and Pinterest now has over 10+ million users.

Buffer has made it super easy to share your visual content with its browser extension. No more downloading, just a simple side click.

Watch the video for a quick example!

12. Posting Content Direct from Web Pages

TOP TIP: Use “alt + b” to open the Buffer share box in your browser

(Make sure you have the Buffer Browser Extension Installed)

13. Copying / Re-adding Successful Posts

Buffer analytics will show you which posts worked best that way you can re-post them

again and continue to drive more traffic back to your website. It’s also a great way of seeing

what kind of content is most popular with your audience.

Re-adding past posts is a huge time saver especially if you’re plugging a new blog or an

ongoing service. Remember you can always re-edit the text once it’s back in your stream.

Watch the video for a quick example of how it’s done!

Start by getting your SECRET email here:

http://bufferapp.com/guides/email

(make sure you’re already signed in)

14. Adding to Buffer via Email

Although this feature is useful, it was more of an interim product whilst the mobile apps

were being developed but it’s still worth having in the locker just in case.

https://bufferapp.com/extras

15. Downloading Additional Apps, Extensions & Extras

The Buffer Mobile App is a must have for anyone who’s strapped for time and wants to

post more strategically on the go.

It has a super sleek and easy to use interface and although it doesn’t have all the

features available on the web app, it’s enough to give you control over your social media

channels anywhere… As long as your Internet connection holds up!

News Reader Apps like Flipboard and Pocket are great ways to consume information,

Buffer has integrated with a wide range of most major news reader apps which are also

available on your Smartphone.

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16. And Finally… Go Awesome!

If you’re serious about your social media marketing then upgrading to the Awesome Plan

is a must. The ability to add unlimited posts and up to 12 social media accounts will

allow you to plan ahead with your content and keep it consistent over several channels.

If you truly value your audiences and want them to grow, $10 a month is a minimal fee

to keep them consistently engaged with you and your brand and the time saved will help

you make your own service more awesome!

17. Final Thoughts

Always remember Buffer is a tool and should always be used in unison with real-time

posting. Be human. Find a balance. Share great things.

“Whatever we possess becomes of double value when we have the opportunity of sharing it with others.“ - Jean-Nicolas Bouilly

Thank you for reading; I hope you found this E-Book useful.