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Please note that this Go Digital course content was developed in 2017 and therefore should be used as a guide only as the referenced online services may have changed over time.

Week 14 - Social Media Scheduling Tools: Save Time through automation with Buffer

Social Media can get so overwhelming when you’re using it for business. This week I show you a few different programs that will let you schedule posts in advance, saving you time and allowing you to work on other areas of your business.

There are a variety of different programs like Buffer, Hootesuite, Tweetdeck (only does Twitter and FB), Coschedule and Meet Edgar are some of the most popular.

In the videos I give you a brief runthrough of the following:

  • Overview of the Tools / Pros & Cons
  • Signup to Buffer
  • The menus and interface
  • Link it to your social media accounts
  • How to post
  • How to track the posts of others (this requires you to pay a fee)
  • Browser Extensions
  • How to connect Instagram (requires a mobile device)

How long will it take?

There are a total of 8 videos ranging from 6 – 14 minutes duration. Of course, you don’t have to watch them all. Take a look at the descriptions and watch the ones that apply to you and skip the rest. In total there are over an hour’s worth of videos in this week’s materials.

Video 1 – Part A: An overview of Social Media Scheduling Tools

I briefly discuss the pros and cons of using social scheduling tools. I talk about the differences and prices of the major platforms. And I also give a short demonstration of Tweetdeck and hootesuite. I also briefly discuss coschedule, meet edgar as well as Buffer. The latter will be demonstrated in much more detail in the rest of the videos.

Duration: 14:07

Video 1 – Part B: An overview of Social Media Scheduling Tools

A continuation of the discussion above. It took a little longer than my standard ten minutes.

Duration: 12:00

Video 2: How to signup to Buffer (it’s free)

I demonstrate step-by-step how to signup to Buffer and connect your Facebook and Twitter accounts. I have a video below on how to connect your Instagram account as it is a different process involving your buffer app on your mobile phone.

Duration: 8:00

Video 3 – Part A: An introduction to the Buffer interface

I take you on a tour of the menus and the settings including how to set your timezone and how to setup a schedule of times when buffer will post for you. So when you create a post you can click on add to queue and it will then post it on the next time you’ve lined up in your schedule.

Duration: 10:11

Video 3- Part B: How to connect Instagram to Buffer (so you can post to Instagram)

Connecting Buffer to your Instagram account so you can post to Instagram works a little differently. Instagram has rules that won’t allow any app to just post to it – you have to be in the app in order to post. But, you can still schedule your posts. I go into this in detail in Videos 3 and 4 below.

Duration: 3:41

Video 4: How to post to Instagram from Buffer

Posting from Buffer to Instagram works a little differently. I show you the process of writing a post in Buffer on my desktop and how you will receive a notification on your phone and then you can manually post on Instagram at the selected time. Instagram has strict rules about posting in the app itself not from another app that is connected, so this is how you can schedule posts and not get your account banned. Also, if you want more information on Instagram you can check out my How to use Instagram post.

Duration: 6:48

Video 5: How to post to Facebook and Twitter

Scheduling posts from Buffer to Facebook and Twitter is more straight forward. Write your post upload an image or a video and either click to add it to the queue or post now or schedule it for another date or time. Once that’s done, it goes out automatically. There are no notifications on your phone etc. I demonstrate the whole process in the video below.

Duration: 12:31

Video 6: How to install and use the Buffer Browser Extension for posting while surfing the Web

It happens to all of us. We’re surfing the web, reading an interesting article and think – my customers, clients, friends would love this. Well with the Buffer browser extension for the Google Chrome browser, you can quickly add it to your buffer queue while you’re on the webpage. No, opening up the app or copying and pasting links to a page to add it later. It’s a great way to save time, but it only works with Google Chrome.

What’s up next week?

We’ll be taking a look at Etsy. I’ll discuss the pros and cons of using Etsy (online marketplace) to sell online. I’ll demonstrate how to signup and get things started like adding your About Me section. The following week will focus on how to add products and an introduction to keywords in order to get those products found.

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