Item: Buffer
Rating: 8
Author: Ryan Padgett

Use Cases and Deployment Scope

We used Buffer to manage, schedule, and analyze posts on our social media accounts.

Pros and Cons

Simple UI/easy to use.
Extremely easy scheduling.
Customizable across different social media platforms.
Quick and easy setup. From connection to social platform to posting was seamless.
Consistent improvements and updates over time.
Role-based access

Lots of failed posts, which can be due to the social media platform itself, but at times it was easier just to manually post than to problem solve.
Analytics capabilities weren't great. They offered a basic overview, but not much more.
Certain, specialized types of posts (carousel images on Instagram, for example) were not supported.
Certain hashtags seemingly weren't supported, unless they were on some unknown list

Return on Investment

Increased posting frequency.
Improved engagement.
Allowed us to run tests to compare days/times when posts did best/worst.

Key Insights

Do you think Buffer delivers good value for the price?

Yes

Are you happy with Buffer's feature set?

Yes

Did Buffer live up to sales and marketing promises?

I wasn't involved with the selection/purchase process

Did implementation of Buffer go as expected?

Yes

Would you buy Buffer again?

Yes

Other Software Used

Ahrefs, Moz, Tableau Desktop, Alteryx, Screaming Frog SEO Spider

It was incredibly easy to set up, connect to accounts, there was little to no learning curve, and the interface itself was simple and easy to use. But the failure to post without an explanation prevented me from using it more.

Support Rating

Support was great! It was updated frequently, FAQ and forums were great. No complaints here.

Likelihood to Recommend

Buffer is great if you are trying to very simply manage multiple social media accounts from one central location. It can get expensive considering its limited analytics capabilities, capabilities beyond just basic image-copy-link post types, and regular post failures. I could see this being useful for companies with consistent posting schedules and consistent post-types, but not as useful for companies requiring more insightful data or inconsistency in post-type (carousels on Instagram, for example).

Great tool for the everyday social media poster!

Overall Satisfaction with Buffer