Tools for Marketing and Content Creation

I have a tendency to treat coming up with content ideas as a solo sport. I’m used to sitting with my thoughts, combined with a post format I saw that I loved and want to recreate. And when I’m stuck, I scroll through my bookmarks with hundreds of post ideas for something to remix. I’ve been fortunate that that system works time and time again for me — but it’s not the only way to create. So, a few weeks ago, instead of forcing it, I tried something different that I should be doing way more often: I asked my community. Not in a vague, “what should I post about?” way — but with a specific, open-ended question. And what followed was a flood of thoughtful, deeply relatable re…

LinkedIn’s algorithm has always been a bit of a mystery — until now. The LinkedIn team has been pulling back the curtain on the algorithm in interviews with Entrepreneur, talking about how it works and why going viral isn't the goal. We've looked at two: On the website, with Editor-in-Chief and VP of Content Development, Dan Roth, and Alice Xiong, Director of Product Management.On the podcast, with Senior Director and Executive Editor at LinkedIn News Laura Lorenzetti.In this article, we’ll highlight the key points from the team’s interviews about the LinkedIn algorithm and share practical tips for applying this knowledge to your content. Jump to a section: …

Spend five minutes on the “how to grow” side of TikTok, and you’ll quickly learn one thing: if you’re not posting multiple times a day, you’re doing it wrong. Or so the algorithm experts say. As a fledgling TikTok creator, I’ve always been a bit sceptical of this advice. I managed to build a small audience within about a year by posting a couple of times a month, rather than daily. But… would I have been able to get more views on TikTok if I had? I put the question to Buffer’s data scientist, Julian Winternheimer. And because he never does anything by halves, Julian analyzed a massive dataset to find the answer: 11.4 million TikTok posts from over 150,000 accounts. We (b…

“How often should I post on social media?” is a question that has plagued marketers and creators since the invention of social media marketing. So, what’s the right number? In this guide, I’ll share data-backed tips on how often you should post on the most popular social media platforms. Jump to a section: At a glance: How often you should post on every social media platform How often should you post on Facebook? How often should you post on Instagram? How often should you post on TikTok? How often should you post on X (formerly Twitter)? How often should you post on Linked…

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…

For years, Alexandrea Browman's team had two options when it came to responding to client comments and messages on social media: log in with the client's credentials (a security risk), or navigate Meta Business Suite (time-consuming and clunky). Neither was great. And community management wasn't a nice-to-have for her boutique agency, Sapphire Social — it's their specialty. So when she found a tool that solved it, it was a no-brainer." With Buffer, it's just all in one place," she says. "It's so easy." Alexandrea has been working in social media for over a decade. For the last three years, she's been running Sapphire Social, an agency based in Oregon. She manages around …

As a type A perfectionist, there are few things that give me more satisfaction than a good old spring clean. Come change of seasons, I’m always overcome with the urge to clear out drawers, declutter cupboards, and rearrange shelves. Doing it is a bit of a slog, of course, but that feeling you get after a good tidy-up? Worth every second I spend cursing over piles of old clothes on my bedroom floor. Now, wouldn’t it be neat if we could do the same for our online spaces? (You see where I’m going with this) As it happens, you can — on Instagram, at least. And, unlike spring cleaning, it won’t do a number on your back. In November 2024, the social media platform quietly launc…

This is probably going to age me, but remember when adding a link to an Instagram Story required you to have at least 10,000 followers? Thankfully these days, it's a whole lot easier with Instagram's link sticker — and you can use it no matter how many followers you have. It's well worth doing, too, particularly if you want to monetize your work on Instagram. Over 60 percent of Instagrammers use the platform to research brands and products, and including links in your stories is an excellent way to get them over to your website or products. Convinced yet? Here's exactly how to add a link to an Instagram Story, using the platform's handy link stickers — along with some exa…

Link sharing on social media is always an adventure. Some social media platforms make it easier than others — Instagram allows you to link directly from your Stories and in your bio — but adding a link to your TikTok bio is still a fiddly process. In this article, I’ll walk you through exactly how to add a link to your TikTok bio step by step, why it might not be working for you (and what you’ll need to do to overcome that), plus a way to direct your followers to multiple links with Buffer’s free link-in-bio tool. ⚡Plan, create, and schedule content to grow an engaged following with Buffer's TikTok scheduling and analytics tools. Jump to a section: Why a website link m…

You’re showing up consistently on Instagram— creating high-quality content, getting views, reaching new people. But maybe you're wondering why the likes, comments, and shares aren't quite where you'd hoped they'd be. If you’re doing all that, our content itself probably isn’t the issue. You just need to fine-tune your Instagram engagement strategy to better connect with your audience and build a loyal community. In this blog post, I’ll share 11 evidence-backed strategies that will help you increase your engagement rate on Instagram. What is Instagram engagement?Instagram engagement is a measure of how your audience interacts with your content beyond just viewing it. When…

Social media marketing is using social media platforms — like Instagram, LinkedIn, Facebook, X, etc. — to promote your business and build a community. It also includes paid social media marketing, like running ads and influencer marketing. But what’s the difference between a social media calendar and a social media marketing strategy? A content calendar is the place where you slot your social media posts. It shows what content will go live, when, and on which social media platform.A social media marketing strategy is the driving force behind why you post what you post and choose the social media platforms you’ve selected. It outlines your social media goals and the metric…

GIFs are awesome. And they’re everywhere. We use them at Buffer in our posts, threads, emails, and our Slack channels. Anywhere there’s a message, there’s the chance for a GIF. ‌‌ What is a GIF, you ask? For the uninitiated, GIFs are really just animated image files. GIF stands for Graphics Interchange Format. While plenty of people have very strong feelings about how to pronounce the word — ”giff” vs. “jiff” — the original creator of GIFs, Steve Wilhite, once said: “The Oxford English Dictionary accepts both pronunciations. They are wrong. It is a soft ‘G,’ pronounced ‘jif.’ End of story.” Want to know how to create a GIF and when and where to share them? We’ve collected…

Creating content on social media can be powerful, both for businesses and aspiring creators — but it can be tough to figure out where to begin. You’re hemming and hawing over which social media platforms you should be on, which content creation tools you should use, and building a social media content strategy. It’s all too…overwhelming. Where do you even start? As it happens, right here. We've created this guide to be a one-stop shop: your action plan to start, scale, and maintain your social media content creation. Content formats and the social platforms that support itBefore we get down to business, you must know which social media network supports what content form…

If Ali Abdaal can’t think of a sufficiently intriguing thumbnail for his video ideas, he won’t even make the video. No matter how great the idea is, the YouTuber with 5 million subscribers revealed it’s not worth the effort of writing, recording, and editing a video if he doesn’t have a showstopper thumbnail for it — because no one is going to watch it. But wait: YouTube is a video platform, so how much can a static image contribute to your content success? Surely you can scrub to a still from your video in YouTube Studio, and you’re good to go? Turns out: not quite. There’s a good reason YouTuber MrBeast famously pays around $10,000 for a single thumbnail design and gen…

Landing paid partnerships as a creator doesn’t necessarily require a huge following — but it does require a professional influencer media kit. Many brands and companies are happy to work with creators and influencers with smaller followings, but they’ll likely want to see some proof of your metrics and professionalism before sending you a contract or products. Enter: a media kit. Media kits are essential for social media influencers looking to monetize their work, no matter their audience size, says Ayomi Samaraweera, former TikTok employee turned creator, now the founder of Canopy, an online community for creators. Ayomi would know — she landed her first deal with only …

TikTok stepped onto the social scene in 2016 and completely reshaped the way we create and consume content, but nearly a decade later, with over 1 billion monthly active users uploading millions of videos daily, standing out can feel impossible. How do you capture attention and keep viewers hooked? It comes down to more than creative ideas — you need to grow skills that transform good concepts into great content: especially editing. But here’s the good news: you don’t need professional editing training to create a standout TikTok video. Whether you're just starting with TikTok’s intuitive built-in editor or you're an experienced creator exploring advanced tools like CapCu…

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…

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…

As a millennial, I’m not ashamed to be a Facebook fan, and it turns out that I’m not alone. About 69% of my generational cohort is still active on the platform. Although only 37% of Gen Z are active users, Facebook still boasts a solid presence among older generations, with 6.6% of users aged 65 and up. In total, approximately 3.07 billion people log on to the little blue app every month. Facebook’s size alone makes it hard to ignore. But it’s not just about numbers. With its mix of generations, built-in community features, and powerful tools for targeting and content, Facebook is still a key player for brands and creators. Thanks to new updates in AI, video, and even …

It might not be the most obvious social media platform choice when it comes to building your brand as a creator or business. But, when used right, Pinterest could become the most effective platform in your social media toolbox. A bold statement, but I stand by it. That's because Pinterest has what many other social media sites don't — the ability to include links in every single post. Of course, there's more to Pinterest than just clickable posts. Unlike other social platforms, where content tends to disappear quickly, Pinterest acts more like a visual search engine — meaning the pins you post today can continue driving traffic weeks, months, or even years from now. Wi…

Tried and tested strategies for growing your following on Threads, with insider tips from the Threads team. There's no doubt about it: Threads is here to stay. After a record-breaking start, Threads is fast proving that it was no fly-by-night fad but a force to be reckoned with among the other social media giants. Threads by Instagram now has 400 million monthly active users and counting. To put that into perspective, that's a little over a third of X's (formerly Twitter) monthly active users of 550 million — and X has a good 16 years on Threads. If you’re a creator, marketer, or business owner, growing an audience on the platform is well worth it. Especially if you’re in…

As much as it can seem like a status symbol to be verified, there are also really practical reasons to have a verified Instagram account. Verification helps with engagement, can help Instagram users find real sources of news, and can stop impersonation, among other things. Getting verified adds credibility to any account — so it's no wonder that so many of us are keen to have that blue check on Instagram. And, with the roll-out of the new Meta Verified subscription, getting that little icon is not only reserved for public figures (as long as you're happy to pay a monthly fee, of course). In this post, we'll cover what verification is, the two ways to get a blue check on t…

There's no guaranteed formula for TikTok virality. You can't predict which video will take off. But there are various strategies to increase your chances of achieving viral success on TikTok. These methods still can’t guarantee virality, but they can tip the scales in your favor. This article will share ten such tips to help you create viral content. But first: What does it even mean to go ‘viral’ on TikTok? Jump to a section: What counts as a viral TikTok video? Don’t chase virality just for the sake of it Consistency is the bedrock of virality There’s no one surefire formula for going viral on TikTok How long does it take for a TikTok to go v…

Social media shifts every year — with new features, algorithm changes, and more competition for attention. And a lot of it is beyond your control not what the algorithm prioritizes, nor what goes viral, nor how people respond to your content. However, you’re in luck: even with so much outside your influence, two actions you can do, remain reliable for growth: showing up consistently and engaging with the people who show up for you. In this guide, we’ll break down why these two actions matter, how to strengthen each aspect, and the additional layers, like how often to post, when to post, and what formats to prioritize, that can help you accelerate your results in 2026. Eng…

Instagram reach can seem like magic. How do some creators get tons of views while others rarely see it? And why do some quick, spur-of-the-moment posts seem to get more views than others you spend hours creating? It’s not all smoke and mirrors. In this article, we’ll share 14 ways to get more views and increase reach on your Instagram content. What does 'Instagram reach' even mean?Instagram reach is the number of unique people who view (and hopefully interact with) your Instagram posts. You can track Instagram reach for a single post, for your Instagram profile, or for a social media campaign. Along with the number of unique visitors, you also get insights into the demogr…