Tools for Marketing and Content Creation

Social listening is the art and science of monitoring what your buyers and potential customers are saying about: Your brandYour competitorsTopics related to your product or serviceStaying “in the know” about all these simultaneously is no easy feat. This is where social listening tools come in. They help you monitor brand mentions on major social media platforms, identify emerging trends in your niche, and package these online conversations into actionable insights for your social media strategy. In this article, I’ll share a list of six social listening tools (with alternatives) to help you choose the best software for your needs. Quick summary of the 6 best social liste…

There’s no two ways about it: video is the way people prefer to consume content in 2025. Buffer’s data shows that when it comes to social media platforms video outperforms every other type of content by a landslide — and that’s on all platforms. Whether you’re a social media marketer, content creator, or influencer, video content should be a key part of your growth and marketing strategy. Of course, that’s easier said than done. Video creation requires a lot more input (though the proof really is in the pudding). Often, the biggest hurdle to overcome is video editing — but in 2025, there’s really no reason to let this block you. Thanks to the incredible variety of free vi…

At Buffer, we are always looking for ways to help our team work more effectively and creatively. Our latest investment in productivity is a company-wide AI Tools Stipend of $250 per teammate per year. This initiative reinforces our ongoing commitment to supporting innovation while giving our teammates the autonomy to choose tools that best fit their individual workflows. Here's why we're introducing this stipend and how we expect it to impact our work. The evolution of AI in our workflowsOver the past year, we've seen AI tools rapidly transform how many of us work. What started as occasional experimentation with tools like ChatGPT has evolved into more regular integration…

Everyone talks about how different social media platforms are, and it’s not hard to see why. X is treated as the town square. Threads wants to be the friendly alternative. Bluesky champions decentralization and user control. But when we analyzed 1.7 million posts, a surprising pattern emerged: posts on X, Threads, and Bluesky get the same median engagement. In other words, whether you posted on X, Threads, or Bluesky, the median engagement lands at exactly four interactions. At first glance, this might make these platforms seem more alike than we’d expect. But a closer look tells a different story. Beyond that baseline, their engagement dynamics diverge dramatically, reve…

A statement that definitely won’t surprise you: TikTok’s algorithm seems to prioritize videos that keep users on the platform for longer. But here’s a follow-up that might: That means videos longer than a minute tend to get more views and watch time than their shorter counterparts. When we set out to uncover what TikTok video length performed the best, I certainly didn’t expect it to be longer videos. Because when you think TikTok success, what’s the first thing that comes to mind? Fast-paced, snappy, short and sweet videos, right? Turns out the TikTok algorithm might be flipping the script a little. According to our analysis of more than 1 million TikToks (1.1 million, t…

If your Instagram profile looks a little different, you’re not alone. Instagram is rolling out a new 4:5 aspect ratio for post previews, replacing the classic 1:1 square grid. This means posts now appear taller, bringing the profile grid in line with the vertical-first format already used for feed posts and Reels. …

As a consultant, having a flow of high-quality clients is a must for steady, sustainable business growth (and making the rent every month). Thankfully, LinkedIn can make this a whole lot easier. While many lead generation channels need constant investment in ads or sales (things that solo consultants often don’t have the budget for), LinkedIn offers a way to bring new clients to you. In my three years as a consultant, I've found LinkedIn consistently delivers the highest quality leads with the least ongoing cost — once you understand how to use it effectively. In around that time, I’ve built up an audience of 14,000 followers on LinkedIn, which has been crucial in helping…

Let's be reel real: no matter how well-thought-out your Instagram strategy is, you can never predict exactly how it’s going to perform. Your followers (and potential followers) are human, after all, and there is so much nuance in the way folks behave online. This is why I often advise aspiring Instagram creators and social media marketers to experiment. Try new things. Take risks. Don’t ignore those wild ideas. And, while this might not feel like much of a hurdle on platforms like TikTok, it’s a little easier said than done as an Instagrammer. The platform is a lot more focused on a curated, aesthetic feed than others. It’s also a place where followers are hard-won. Takin…

While it’s always a good time to watch TikToks — globally, users spend an average of 34 hours on TikTok per month — figuring out the best time to post a TikTok is a bit more complicated. And yet, knowing when to post on TikTok can be super helpful for content creators and small business owners alike. After all, creating TikToks is tough work (trust me, I know), so it makes sense to figure out your best time to post on TikTok. This is why we tapped into Buffer’s data — analyzing more than 1 million videos, carousels, photos, and text posts — to pinpoint the best times to post on TikTok. This guide will walk you through all the best practices for posting on TikTok for maxim…

If you’ve been around here a while, you’ll know that crunching the numbers to figure out the best time to post on all major social media platforms is basically our love language. And now we have enough data to add Threads to our roster, too! Because even though Threads uses an algorithm to decide what you (and your target audience) sees in the feed, when you post still has an impact. And now we have the data to prove it. We analyzed hundreds of thousands of Threads posts sent through Buffer — 730K posts, to be precise — to figure out if some time slots stood out in terms of post performance. (Spoiler: there were a few.) Our primary metric for this study was median engagem…

Funny, poignant, catchy — trending sounds are the backbone of TikTok virality and can often make or break a video’s success. According to TikTok research, “sound is the anti-scroll on TikTok”. With their data, it’s not hard to see why. Eighty-eight percent of TikTok users said that “sound is essential to the TikTok experience,” while 73% admitted they would "stop and look" at ads on TikTok with audio. Both of these stats are significantly higher than other platforms, TikTok said (though they didn’t offer a comparison). Of course, it’s not always easy to find TikTok audio at the peak of its popularity — and no one wants to add a phased-out sound to a video clip that’s tak…

Podcasts have an undeniable allure for both their creators and fans. They hit all the right points – accessibility, depth, and variety – and have cemented their top content format status. As of 2024, over 5 million podcasts and 70 million episodes are available worldwide. With that many podcasts, you can be sure there’s a podcast for everyone. Whether you want a humorous retelling of a 20-something’s first time reading the Harry Potter series or your news fed directly to your ears, you likely have something you return to periodically. We selected the podcasts on this list so that whether you’re looking for advice to grow as a content creator or for the latest marketing…

Social media platforms are becoming mirrors of each other, but their results are anything but identical. Threads is driving significant engagement. However, X still surpasses Threads in MAU, meaning you could reach more people there. So where should you focus your efforts? For creators and brands, understanding which platform delivers better results can be the difference between thriving and wasting resources. With Threads positioning itself as a conversational, community-driven platform and X doubling down on its rapid-fire, text-based format, it’s time to settle the question: which platform actually drives more engagement? To find out, we analyzed 10.2 million posts pub…

If you’re not an experienced content creator, it might be difficult to determine the best length for Instagram Reels to get the best results. And knowing the ideal number isn’t everything – your metrics might tell you something entirely different. In this article, we explore everything you need to know about the ideal length of Instagram Reels and other Instagram content – according to the team themselves. How long can Instagram Reels be?Instagram Reels can be anywhere from 15 seconds to 3 minutes in length. Previously, Reels were capped at 90 seconds, until Instagram increased the length of video uploads in January 2025. "We’ve heard a lot of feedback from a lot of you c…

If you’ve started creating YouTube Shorts, you’re tapping into one of the fastest-growing ways to reach new audiences. Our data shows that the use of shorts skyrocketed from 5.6K - 147K in just 18 months. The power move of YouTube Shorts is their discoverability. Unlike longer videos, where folks actively choose what to watch, people swipe through YouTube Shorts content on their phones, finding new videos as they scroll. This means your shorts can reach viewers who might never have searched for your channel. Sticking to a consistent posting schedule will help you get even more eyes on your content, and my number one tip for showing up is to schedule your YouTube Shorts in…

Choosing the perfect audio to accompany your latest Instagram post is an art, not a science. Still, opting for a trending sound or music clip could provide the boost you need to get your video on the Instagram Explore page or reels feed. While it used to be just for Instagram Reels, you can now add audio to your carousels and single photo posts, too. This gives your posts a better chance of landing on the Explore page, and it makes carousels and photos eligible to appear on the reels feed, too. That opens up a new way to expand your reach. But where can you find trending audio on Instagram? If you feel like you’re always chasing the tail-end of audio trends on the app, y…

Your TikTok account is hitting off. You aren’t getting the cold sweats while publishing TikTik videos nowadays. And then, you wonder, how can I get more out of my TikTok strategy? Enter: TikTok ads. A TikTok ad is an advertisement by a brand or creator appearing on people’s For You page. For example, I got the following ad by Adobe Photoshop on my feed recently: While the TikTok ad blended seamlessly with the other TikTok videos on my feed, the “sponsored” label and the “Learn more” call-to-action button were the differentiators. TikTok users can customize their ads a lot, including whether they want to use branded content or user generated content, video or carousel, bid…

If there’s one thing every creator wishes for, it’s more hours in the day. Between brainstorming ideas, creating content, engaging with audiences, and keeping up with trends, it can feel like the to-do list never ends. But here’s some good news: you may not be able to get more time—but you can definitely get smarter tools. 2025 is shaping up to be a year of massive opportunities for creators, but staying ahead means working efficiently. That’s where these tools come in. I asked my LinkedIn audience which tools they’re loving in 2025, and they delivered. This list has everything you need to save time, focus on what you do best, and absolutely crush it this year. Each tool …

In 2024, we saw social media evolve in many ways — from numerous updates to some platforms (cough Meta) to explosive growth for others (Bluesky!). We’re also watching things like the U.S. TikTok ban, which, as of writing this article, will happen on January 19 if not overturned or paused. It wasn’t just the platforms that changed — creators also had their moments on social, with some moving to start businesses, some exploring new platforms, and some reaching milestone numbers (Mr. Beast having more YouTube subscribers than the population of the U.S.) With all the changes on the horizon, it’s safe to say that social media will look a little different in 2025. We asked 11 e…

Uncertainty is an understatement when it comes to TikTok's future in the United States. After users in the U.S. were unable to log in to TikTok the day the TikTok ban took effect, TikTok restored its service the following day. After which, the White House issued an executive order on January 20th, 2025, granting a 75-day extension to delay enforcement of the TikTok ban and pursue a deal involving a U.S. ownership stake in ByteDance, TikTok's parent company. The 75-day extension will give ByteDance until April 4th, 2025 – when the extension is set to expire – to divest ownership of the company. The legal situation between TikTok and the U.S. is still unfolding. As it st…

Picture this: Your boss is asking you about the business impact of your social media strategy. You know you’ve moved the needle — brought in website visitors, converted some of them, and nudged brand awareness. But how do you prove it? This is where a social media dashboard comes in handy. It’s a visual representation of the key metrics that prove the impact of your social media efforts. Your job as a social media manager is to convert the raw data of social media metrics into something easily understandable for you, your team, and your executives. But that’s not all it is. A social media marketing dashboard also helps in: Uncovering actionable insights about what kind of…

When I first started posting on LinkedIn consistently, I couldn’t understand why some posts were a huge hit and others flopped like soggy tacos. That is until I started monitoring my social media analytics. Suddenly, it all became much clearer: I had data that pointed to which hooks grabbed the most attention, what time got the most engagement, and what the ideal length for a post was. Everything clicked. The clues are out there for you too, right in your analytics. And they can guide your social media strategy in the right direction. But if you run multiple social media platforms, it can be hard to collate and stitch these insights together. Luckily, plenty of social me…

The first rule of the Instagram algorithm means understanding that there is no single algorithm. In fact, according to a blog post shared by the Meta-owned platform, “a variety of algorithms, classifiers, and processes, each with its own purpose,” ensure that IG users see the content that most interests them. “We want to make the most of people’s time, and we believe that using technology to personalize everyone’s experience is the best way to do that,” Head of Instagram Adam Mosseri wrote in the update. Now, a “variety of algorithms, classifiers, and processes” may sound a little confusing, but fear not — it’s not quite as intimidating as it sounds. In this article, I’l…

There's a lot you can do to boost your chances of success on social media — optimize your content for engagement, find your perfect posting times, master the art of thumb-stopping hooks... But even these smart tactics don't guarantee success. Few things do when it comes to navigating social media algorithms and ever-changing audience behavior. From our research and experience at Buffer, there's only one thing that comes close: posting consistently. It’s a social media tip successful creators, marketers, and even platform bosses (thanks, Adam Mosseri) share all the time. The more you post, the better your chances of success on all social media platforms. And guess what? No…

Ogilvy's Creative Director, David Raichman, called AI “a force multiplier for creative expression,” and I couldn't agree more. I remember the countless times I'd be staring at the blinking cursor, waiting for inspiration to strike, only to be met by a nagging voice of doubt. That's probably because the brain filters out many ideas before they can reach our conscious thoughts. This is when AI steps in, rescuing me from the creative rut. As a content marketer who's worked with several brands on their social media campaigns, I've tested dozens of AI tools to break through these creative blocks and streamline my content process. What started as curiosity has transformed how I…