Though most of us are well aware of the importance of sharing our content on various social media sites, not many of us know how to get the best mileage out of our presence across these platforms.
We all know very well that sharing our content repeatedly (without spamming, of course) on various social networks can help you get sizable referral traffic, most of us don’t know how to go about their social media campaigns.
To get a good flow of traffic from social media (and that too consistently), you have to share your posts across these sites repeatedly (though there is much more to it).
I suggest reading one of the previous articles to know the importance of using social media which also has a brilliant infographic:
Only recently, I spent a few sleepless nights as the rankings of some of my best keywords went down due to some new Google algorithms and there was a substantial loss of daily visitors I was getting to my blog. It was then that one of my blogger friends told me how he was unperturbed by the various Panda, Penguin, etc updates because he gets most of his traffic from social media sites!!
Now, while that sounded super cool, I didn’t know how to go about and get lots of hits from social media sites.
Now, while that sounded super cool, I didn’t know how to go about and get lots of hits from social media sites.
What is Buffer?
Buffer is an awesome social media management tool which can help you schedule the timing of sharing your posts on five networks namely Google+, Facebook, Twitter, App.Net and LinkedIn.
Many fellow bloggers tell me that one of the best ways of getting traffic from social media sites is by sharing posts across them between 11pm and 1am every night by MY time.
But what if I sleep by 10 every night?
Should I stay awake till wee hours of the morning and upset my schedule totally?
Worse still, HOW THE HELL will I work if I am constantly worried about sharing my posts at various sites a number of times each and every day?
Why shouldn’t I focus more on what I do best, while someone else takes care of sharing my content across these sites for me at various times of the day?
And keeps on doing it fastidiously whether or not I am online?
When I am traveling.
When I am sick.
Even when I am sleeping.
Does that seem like wishful thinking?
Or, do you think it will involve hiring social media experts who will charge you a bomb for rendering you those services?
Here is this fantabulous tool called Buffer which allows you to schedule your post across five platforms namely Google+, Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and App.net at various times of the day as pre-decided by YOU!!!!
Follow the steps mentioned below to use Buffer to promote your blog posts/ website.
How To Use Buffer To Promote Your Blog Posts/ Website?
Follow the steps mentioned below
- Click on this link here to login to Buffer.
- Before you create your account here, scroll down to the bottom of the page to add this app to your browser for using more conveniently later. Here you can see the various browser options:
I use Firefox most of the time. So, I am choosing Firefox. You can choose Google Chrome orSafari, depending upon what browser you use.
- Now, create yourself a buffer account by manually filling the form or signing in with yourFacebook, Twitter or LinkedIn profiles.As you click on “Schedule”, you are asked to schedule the time(s) for sharing your posts for the coming week.
- You can even choose the Time zone you are in and schedule your posts accordingly, as you can see below:
- After choosing your time zone, you are allowed to share your posts any number of times a day at the time of YOUR choice across any of the networks chosen by you for the entire coming week.
- Go to the top left hand corner of the page and add your link there, along with a brief description of what you are writing about.
- Buffer Analytics: One of the best features about Buffer app is the Analytics section which allows you to know how much you are benefiting by scheduling your posts here.
Tips for Using Buffer Better
- Since you have already added a Buffer extension on your browser, you need not sign in to this app each time you want to share a post and schedule it for sharing it at your chosen platforms later.
All you need to do is sign in to your blog or website. Go to the page or post you want to share and right click on your mouse.
As you click on “Buffer your post”, you see this box open at the bottom of the page.
Add your post here and schedule it.
- As you might have seen, the default settings use the buff.ly url shortener. Since buff.ly is likely to baffle your followers/ contacts across the sites mentioned above, you might as well use another url shortener like goo.gl or bit.ly.
- You can even add a Buffer sharing button to your website or blog to make sharing even easier for you as well as for others who might land there.
Now, your posts will be promoted across all these five networks (whichever you choose to link to your Buffer account) at the times scheduled by you whether you are online or not.
You can work, travel, rest in your bed, play games or laze around without having to worry about the promotion of your posts.
Isn’t that simply too irresistible?
As if that wasn’t enough, you can upgrade to AWESOME plan which gives you many added advantages over a regular free account for only $10 a month.
Conclusion
I got to know about this wonderful tool only recently and I started using it only a week back. One of my old posts which I shared here received more than 10 tweets and 6 Facebook Likes in the last two days without me having to spam the networks time and again.
Unfortunately for us bloggers and website owners, Buffer allows sharing only on the five networks mentioned here earlier also- Facebook, Twitter, Google+, LinkedIn and App.net at present.
We hope to extend these services to other popular sites like Pinterest, StumbleUpon and Redditsoon as well.
Do you like the idea of using Buffer to promote your blog, posts or website?
Do share your experiences regarding the same here with our readers.
