Buffer vs. Salesforce Agentforce Marketing

Overview
ProductRatingMost Used ByProduct SummaryStarting Price
Buffer
Score 7.7 out of 10
Small Businesses (1-50 employees)
Buffer is a social sharing tool. When browsing content, clicking on the Buffer icon automatically stores the content and schedules posts to social media channels throughout the day.
$6
per month per channel
Agentforce Marketing
Score 7.7 out of 10
N/A
Marketing Cloud is a cloud-based digital marketing platform, used by marketers can segment their audience, deliver personalized messages, track campaign performance, engage leads and accounts, and optimize strategies based on real-time insights.
$1,250
per month per installation
Pricing
BufferSalesforce Agentforce Marketing
Editions & Modules
Free
$0
Essentials
$6
per month per channel
Team
$12
per month per channel
Account Engagement
$1,250
per month
Engagement
$1,250
per month
Intelligence
$3,000
per month
Loyalty Management
$20,000
per month
Personalization
$100,000
per year
Data Cloud for Marketing
$108,000
per year
Offerings
Pricing Offerings
BufferAgentforce Marketing
Free Trial
YesYes
Free/Freemium Version
YesNo
Premium Consulting/Integration Services
NoYes
Entry-level Setup FeeNo setup feeNo setup fee
Additional DetailsA discount is offered for annual billing.
More Pricing Information
Community Pulse
BufferSalesforce Agentforce Marketing
Features
BufferSalesforce Agentforce Marketing
Publishing
Comparison of Publishing features of Product A and Product B
Buffer
7.9
77 Ratings
2% below category average
Salesforce Agentforce Marketing
-
Ratings
Content planning and scheduling8.677 Ratings00 Ratings
Content optimization7.470 Ratings00 Ratings
Workflow management7.766 Ratings00 Ratings
Reporting/analytics
Comparison of Reporting/analytics features of Product A and Product B
Buffer
7.1
70 Ratings
8% below category average
Salesforce Agentforce Marketing
-
Ratings
Campaign success analytics7.170 Ratings00 Ratings
Account management
Comparison of Account management features of Product A and Product B
Buffer
8.2
72 Ratings
3% above category average
Salesforce Agentforce Marketing
-
Ratings
Role-based user permissions & privileges8.459 Ratings00 Ratings
Mobile access8.068 Ratings00 Ratings
Email & Online Marketing
Comparison of Email & Online Marketing features of Product A and Product B
Buffer
-
Ratings
Salesforce Agentforce Marketing
7.4
171 Ratings
3% below category average
WYSIWYG email editor00 Ratings7.6122 Ratings
Dynamic content00 Ratings8.0153 Ratings
Ability to test dynamic content00 Ratings6.7112 Ratings
Landing pages00 Ratings7.6121 Ratings
A/B testing00 Ratings7.2151 Ratings
Mobile optimization00 Ratings6.8111 Ratings
Email deliverability reporting00 Ratings7.5132 Ratings
List management00 Ratings8.2129 Ratings
Triggered drip sequences00 Ratings7.495 Ratings
Lead Management
Comparison of Lead Management features of Product A and Product B
Buffer
-
Ratings
Salesforce Agentforce Marketing
8.1
124 Ratings
4% above category average
Lead nurturing automation00 Ratings8.6109 Ratings
Lead scoring and grading00 Ratings8.1110 Ratings
Data quality management00 Ratings7.5116 Ratings
Automated sales alerts and tasks00 Ratings8.3101 Ratings
Campaign Management
Comparison of Campaign Management features of Product A and Product B
Buffer
-
Ratings
Salesforce Agentforce Marketing
7.5
114 Ratings
1% above category average
Calendaring00 Ratings7.6103 Ratings
Event/webinar marketing00 Ratings7.497 Ratings
Social Media Marketing
Comparison of Social Media Marketing features of Product A and Product B
Buffer
-
Ratings
Salesforce Agentforce Marketing
7.5
88 Ratings
2% above category average
Social sharing and campaigns00 Ratings7.583 Ratings
Social profile integration00 Ratings7.539 Ratings
Reporting & Analytics
Comparison of Reporting & Analytics features of Product A and Product B
Buffer
-
Ratings
Salesforce Agentforce Marketing
7.7
124 Ratings
5% above category average
Dashboards00 Ratings8.2118 Ratings
Standard reports00 Ratings7.6123 Ratings
Custom reports00 Ratings7.4100 Ratings
Platform & Infrastructure
Comparison of Platform & Infrastructure features of Product A and Product B
Buffer
-
Ratings
Salesforce Agentforce Marketing
7.6
124 Ratings
2% above category average
API00 Ratings6.890 Ratings
Role-based workflow & approvals00 Ratings6.889 Ratings
Customizability00 Ratings7.0111 Ratings
Integration with Salesforce.com00 Ratings7.8113 Ratings
Integration with Microsoft Dynamics CRM00 Ratings8.814 Ratings
Integration with SugarCRM00 Ratings8.311 Ratings
Third-party software integrations00 Ratings7.424 Ratings
Best Alternatives
BufferSalesforce Agentforce Marketing
Small Businesses
CoSchedule Marketing Suite
CoSchedule Marketing Suite
Score 10.0 out of 10
Vbout
Vbout
Score 9.9 out of 10
Medium-sized Companies
CoSchedule Marketing Suite
CoSchedule Marketing Suite
Score 10.0 out of 10
PFL Direct Mail Platform
PFL Direct Mail Platform
Score 9.0 out of 10
Enterprises
Social Suite by Reputation.com
Social Suite by Reputation.com
Score 9.4 out of 10
PFL Direct Mail Platform
PFL Direct Mail Platform
Score 9.0 out of 10
All AlternativesView all alternativesView all alternatives
User Ratings
BufferSalesforce Agentforce Marketing
Likelihood to Recommend
7.8
(96 ratings)
8.0
(328 ratings)
Likelihood to Renew
8.0
(15 ratings)
8.1
(114 ratings)
Usability
8.4
(33 ratings)
8.4
(37 ratings)
Availability
8.2
(2 ratings)
10.0
(11 ratings)
Performance
8.0
(2 ratings)
9.6
(9 ratings)
Support Rating
7.0
(24 ratings)
7.0
(36 ratings)
In-Person Training
-
(0 ratings)
5.0
(4 ratings)
Online Training
-
(0 ratings)
8.1
(7 ratings)
Implementation Rating
8.0
(3 ratings)
3.0
(17 ratings)
Configurability
10.0
(1 ratings)
-
(0 ratings)
Contract Terms and Pricing Model
-
(0 ratings)
5.0
(1 ratings)
Ease of integration
-
(0 ratings)
7.0
(2 ratings)
Product Scalability
8.6
(2 ratings)
7.2
(39 ratings)
Vendor post-sale
-
(0 ratings)
8.0
(3 ratings)
Vendor pre-sale
-
(0 ratings)
7.0
(3 ratings)
User Testimonials
BufferSalesforce Agentforce Marketing
Likelihood to Recommend
Buffer
It helps me save hours by devoting only half an hour in a month's worth of posting, in addition to that it is quite simple to use. Buffer for scheduling social posts well in advance, but I have begun using it instead of posting natively on the social apps themselves because it makes it super easy to post the same messages to more than one platform.
Read full review
Salesforce
I think the product, by definition, is meant for marketing — and we use it exactly for that, for running campaigns. That’s the best-suited use case for the product. I don’t think it’s really meant to be used for anything else — that’s just not how it’s designed.
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Pros
Buffer
  • I can plan and publish content on social channels.
  • Buffer's interface is quite tidy and generates the necessary facilities to save us time in publishing consistent content.
  • It has a special price; it is pretty affordable.
  • It has the possibility of integrating with other tools to improve its functions.
Read full review
Salesforce
  • Filter relevant content so you can priorize those that are more relevant and resolve it first
  • Measure the traffic in the different social networks, as well as the response rate, average response time and other relevant metrics
  • Configure automation rules to order the work of those who must interact with the customer
Read full review
Cons
Buffer
  • Expensive Analytics: The upgrade you need to access your analytics is quite expensive, and I have come across other tools that provide the same or even more for a lesser priced plan.
  • No Media Library: The one feature I have found on another social media planning tool that I wish Buffer had is a media library. This allows you to upload photos you aren't using right away to have them readily available when you do decide to use them. This is not a feature in Buffer.
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Salesforce
  • The email builder does not offer any way to catch/check bugs across different email service providers
  • Creating SQL is not as easy as drag-and-drop; a lot of technical knowledge is required
  • Salesforce Marketing Cloud is sold as a marketing tool, but to be honest, you need a LOT of technical IT support to run the tool
  • Einstein metrics are across the board; if you have multiple audiences in one instance of Salesforce Marketing Cloud you can't segment the data.
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Likelihood to Renew
Buffer
I am giving buffer this rating because of a couple issues that it has compared to other platforms. It does not always post to instagram and you will need to go in an manually post. Also, one of the biggest qualms that we have with buffer is the price it costs to have robust analytics
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Salesforce
As of right now we have not seen any other program that integrates as seamlessly into our Salesforce platform. We have barely scratched the surface of all the features and use cases. It would be irresponsible to make a move to another platform in the near future. We have not come up against any limitations that would prompt a need to switch
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Usability
Buffer
We use Buffer for certain website content that should be shared on social networks, having this tool helps us to do it faster and easier since we can send the publications from the internet browser and the stack of scheduled messages. It is really fast and easy for all team members who share access to the account, so at the same time that we analyze the information that we can share, the message stack is prepared
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Salesforce
You won't find another solution that has as many features as Salesforce Marketing Cloud Interaction Studio. We all know Salesforce, we all know how big they are and it's not for nothing... Their tools do most of the things you want, need and even imagine. Using it is complicated, but the usability is infinite.
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Reliability and Availability
Buffer
Buffer is always on hand and very reliable, their software suite rarely has outages
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Salesforce
Upgrades and timing of the upgrades were communicated well and planned during off hours for our work. If we did have a campaign scheduled during that time, it would kick-off after the system was back active. There were a few unplanned system down times, but it was a rare occurrence and those times were also short in duration.
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Performance
Buffer
Buffer performs well on both desktop and mobile platforms. The one area as I have stated before is that it does not always want to automatically push to Instagram and the user will have to go do it manually. Buffer works very well pushing to other platforms. The instagram issue is the only reason buffer does not get a 10 on this section
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Salesforce
Though the make up of MA apps is not built this way today, it would be nice to see them become more real-time. The integration between Salesforce and Pardot is not a true real-time integration. If I modify something in Salesforce, those changes are not automatically reflected in Pardot immediately. There is a delay of about 15 minutes before the systems sync. This delay, although not long, is less than ideal We would love the systems to be integrated real time such that changes are propagated from one system to the other immediately.
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Support Rating
Buffer
  1. It really helped to my business to grow online.
  2. I was able to take actions mindfully as the analytics are damn good.
  3. Also used for managing clients social media accounts and it proved to be a best resource.
  4. Clients were really happy as they got high demand and growth on internet and the secret is Buffer.
  5. The user interface is really easy to understand and manage. Support is 24/7 available to help.
Read full review
Salesforce
They are really responsive and more than not solve the problem or give you insight to how you can manage the solution yourself. I do find however sometimes a long delay on the more complex issues when they need to loop in other departments. but overall a good experience with support
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In-Person Training
Buffer
No answers on this topic
Salesforce
The trainers at the Pardot user conference (Elevate and Connections) were very knowledgeable and presented the material well. Again, the content was targeted to more of a new user audience, and was not really relevant for folks who had been using the product for 2+ years.
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Online Training
Buffer
No answers on this topic
Salesforce
Pardot's online training touches on all topics briefly and vaguely without much indepth exploration into how a final outcome could look, such as Nurturing Campaigns, Email templates, landing page templates, etc... The only true way to uncover Pardot's full capabilities is to have Front End design and coding experience. Without this key skill set, I would not recommend Pardot to another business.
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Implementation Rating
Buffer
We were very satisfied with the implementation of Buffer. We had no issues switching from the platform that we were using over to buffer. Our staff did not even miss a beat when it came to posting content. It was an easy transition and I feel that is something that buffer has really done well. They have an "out of the box" usability platform
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Salesforce
From an IT perspective, once you set up the Javascript beacon and start collecting data there is a waiting game. During this time you can start labeling your site actions which can be labor intensive for a single person, but you don't really have the final end-users on the platform yet. We did a lot of training so users were experienced, but it wasn't until they had their first tasks to accomplish that they started using the system and had questions. I'd recommend setting up some immediate goals for an end-user to start segmenting for the purpose of displaying message campaigns so you can jump start end-user action.
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Alternatives Considered
Buffer
I also used Combin which is easy and free to use. However, Combin only posts when the computer is active and connected to the internet. So, posting while you are not actively using your computer at that moment is not possible, therefore Buffer is much more efficient as you can even post while being on vacation without working.
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Salesforce
We use Salesforce Marketing Cloud for lead management, generating reports, tracking customer and dealer information, inputting orders, and more. I prefer HubSpot for email marketing and automation because it is easier to use and the emails are designed much better. We currently use Salesforce and HubSpot, and we are very happy to have both, as they have different pros/cons.
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Contract Terms and Pricing Model
Buffer
No answers on this topic
Salesforce
was not involved with this part but i have not heard about clompaints
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Scalability
Buffer
Buffer does what it say on tin as they say! you can always count on Buffer. Buffer can be scale to 25 social account with 2,000 scheduled post which is enough for most agencies or businesses
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Salesforce
Prior to this, we had no solution and literally were doing things on paper in a world where technology is outpacing paper. Having this process optimized has made it easier for the sales and marketing people to change information. From the training perspective, it has allowed us to see holes in where we could create additional support training, so the ROI here has been a lot more than just the optimization of a process.
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Return on Investment
Buffer
  • It has saved money by allowing us to automate our social using one person
  • It allows us to connect one channel at a time instead of wasting money on larger account management tools
  • We are making money, because it has already delivered several clients
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Salesforce
  • Salesforce Marketing Cloud allows us to more efficiently reach out to a higher number of prospects.
  • Salesforce Marketing Cloud allows us to nimbly communicate important messages in a timely fashion to facilitate conversion.
  • Salesforce Marketing Cloud allows us to track who is opening our messages so that we can stop sending to those not interested and focus on the most engaged audiences.
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ScreenShots

Buffer Screenshots

Screenshot of The Buffer dashboardScreenshot of Customizable posting scheduleScreenshot of Tailored PostsScreenshot of List or calendar view of scheduled postsScreenshot of Browser extensionScreenshot of Social media analytics

Agentforce Marketing Screenshots

Screenshot of Pardot Analytics - Pardot's reporting and analytics can be used to perform true revenue impact analysis and closed-loop reporting.Screenshot of Pardot Email Analytics - The reach and impact of  email marketing efforts are displayed in real-time with advanced reporting and analytics by device, and email client.Screenshot of Pardot Forms and Landing Pages - Pardot's form and landing page builders are used to turn online traffic to leads with targeted offers and content marketing.Screenshot of Pardot Email Marketing - Lead nurturing flows are defined via an interface that enables definition of the simplest or most complex segmented and targeted campaigns.