Tools for Marketing and Content Creation

If you want to share scroll-stopping content on your social media profiles, you need eye-catching images that display well in the feed. Awkwardly cropped photos and pixelated images are a sure way to put potential followers off. But figuring out image sizes for each social network is tricky, especially considering how many different image options each platform offers. Which is where this guide comes in. Keep this handy, and you won’t have to store all those fiddly numbers in your brain — or google “what’s the best image size for [insert platform here]” with every post. In this article, you’ll find the ideal social media image sizes for nine popular platforms, focusing …

It can feel incredibly challenging to hire, and hire well. For one thing, hiring is usually a significant time investment for our small team — we once had 1,500 applications in just over a week for a content role (!!) — but beyond that, we are so intentional about the ways that we collaborate. Buffer is a fully remote, global, and culturally diverse company operating with a four-day work week. Finding someone who will thrive in our work environment, and is also highly skilled in the areas we’re hiring for, can be tough. So in a recent hiring round, we decided to try something new. I asked a candidate who was in the final stages of interviewing to spend a full day working …

When you think of stand-out social media campaigns, what’s the first one that comes to mind? I’m willing to bet the likes of Spotify Wrapped or Dove Beauty are right up there. Lauded as these examples are (rightly so!), they’re far from the only ground-breaking examples from recent years. In fact, it was tough to trim down this list of innovative, memorable social media campaigns down to a readable number — so I’m confident there are several on this list that will stand out on your hunt for inspiration. We’ve got heartfelt stories, celebrity salads, and of course, reincarnating owls. Anytime you feel you’re in a creative rut, come back to this list, snoop, and scoop wha…

Think you know which social platform has the most engagement? The data might surprise you. Social media trends are always evolving, but lately, engagement has been shifting in unexpected ways. LinkedIn is seeing record-high interactions, Pinterest is quietly on the rise, and Threads — once a breakout success — is settling into more stable patterns. Meanwhile, Instagram’s engagement is lower than ever, but that doesn’t mean it’s losing relevance. If you’ve ever felt like social media engagement is unpredictable, you’re not alone. But while platforms and algorithms change, one thing remains the same: understanding the data gives you an edge. At Buffer, we analyzed millions …

Imagine a place where you can stay updated on your college roommate’s life, get book recommendations, discover new brands, and learn more about anything you like. That’s exactly what Instagram is for you, for me, and for over one and a half billion other active Instagram users. In this beginner’s guide, I’ll share everything you need to know about Instagram — from getting started by creating an account to growing your business or personal brand on the platform. What is Instagram?Instagram is a photo and video-sharing app. You can use this social media platform to create, edit, and publish anything visual. Your followers react to your posts by liking, commenting, sharing, …

The use of AI to generate weird and wonderful imagery is definitely one of my favorite applications of the cutting-edge tech. I've tested out AI writing tools and AI productivity tools, but putting the host of AI image generator through their paces was hands-down the most fun I've had in testing tools in ages (and I love testing tools). As with other AI tools, there's no shortage of artificial intelligence image generators on the market. I'm sure by the time this article is published, about 35 more will have just launched. ❗Looking for Pablo? We've sunsetted Pablo, Remix, and Stories Creator (more on that here), but the AI tools on this list might help!By now, we all kno…

Here’s a question: How can you boost the performance of your Instagram posts and reels in one minute or less? The answer lies in your Instagram Stories. I do this for every post I share on Instagram, and it never fails to help my content gain traction. That’s because reposting my feed posts to my Instagram stories helps my most engaged followers (read: my mom) see my Instagram content, which might not have popped up on their feeds yet. It all has to do with the way the Instagram algorithm for stories works — which, yes, is different from the feed algorithm. Your Instagram Stories tray will always feature the stories of Instagram users you watch and engage with most often …

In January 2025, we held our fourth (!) edition of Creator Camp — a free 30-day challenge to help participants build consistent social media habits. I led and participated, sharing resources and prompts. Each participant selected a platform, format, and posting cadence. Me? I went for videos on LinkedIn five to seven days per week. By the time the Camp was over, I had published 25 posts in 31 days. This wasn't my first Creator Camp rodeo. In October 2024, I participated and generated 300,000 impressions across 31 posts. But this time, I had different priorities. Instead of chasing metrics, I focused on monetization and intentionality with my content pillars. What started …

You're spoiled for choice when it comes to Facebook ads — from images and videos to carousels and collections, there’s a format (and placement) for just about every goal. Advertising on Facebook also gives you the chance to experiment and find just the right approach for your brand. But with so many options, it’s important to keep up with the latest Facebook ad specs. Facebook offers a world of creative opportunities, and getting the specs right is your first step to making the most of them. If you’ve ever found yourself Googling “Facebook ad sizes” or “Meta ad specs” five minutes before launching a campaign, we’ve got you covered. In this fully updated guide, you’ll fin…

I run a Facebook group called Freelancers Who Work Smart, Not Hard, but, for ages, I managed it the hard way, not the smart way. The hard way looks like this: trying to remember to post regularly (when I sometimes can’t even remember what day of the week it is), coming up with some of my best ideas at 3 a.m. (before promptly falling asleep and forgetting them), and posting sporadically with neither consistency nor strategy. Days or even weeks (eek) would go by without me posting, and the group would lose momentum. Somewhat ironically, things changed when I went on maternity leave. Before taking three months off work, I scheduled two posts a week to keep the group active …

Instagram is quietly testing a new feature that could change how creators and brands share content — and I’m pretty excited about the potential. In their words: Unlockable reels are designed to encourage “a new, IYKYK way” of engaging with your community. The new Instagram Reels, also called “locked” or “secret code” reels, will require a (you guessed it) secret code to view. These password-protected videos offer a fresh way to build excitement, reward your most engaged Instagram followers, and share content with a more targeted audience. Also, they’ll be a delight to puzzle fanatics like me. After some initial testing, The Weeknd was the first creator to officially use a…

I create video content for Instagram Reels, TikTok, YouTube, and LinkedIn, so I’m always looking for new tools to make the process smoother — and I may just have found my new favorite. Instagram has just launched their brand-new video editing app, Edits by Instagram, and it’s already way surpassed my expectations. If you’ve ever tried to edit a reel with Instagram’s native video editing tools, you’ll know why I was a bit skeptical. Optimistic, but skeptical. But Edits has not disappointed. The new app is lightyears ahead of Instagram’s built-in editing capabilities — which makes sense, given that this new app is meant to rival CapCut, the Swiss Army knife of video editing…

Timing can make or break many things: Heating leftover pizza in the microwave, delivering a punchline for a joke, canceling a free trial — and it’s no less important when it comes to the best time to post on Twitter. OK, OK: Posting your tweets at the right time might not be as critical as, say, preventing soggy pizza, but it’s still an important consideration when it comes to your social media marketing strategy. I hear what you’re thinking: X no longer has a chronological feed — how can the time you post matter so much when X’s algorithm is in the driver’s seat? Posting times might not be as vital as they were in Twitter’s early days, but they still seem to affect conte…

At Buffer, we recently embarked on an ambitious project: uncovering the best time to post on social media in 2025 — across all major platforms. We pored over millions of posts, reels, TikToks, shorts, videos, and more to pinpoint when the best-performing content was published. We analyzed the data here in one of two ways: To predict the best time to post on Facebook, LinkedIn, and X, we looked at the timeslots with the highest median social media engagement on each platform. To predict the best times to post on Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube, we looked at median reach and video views. In both cases, we found some clear patterns — and can make some clear recommendations on…

Remember good old chronological news feeds? Back in the early days of Facebook, circa 2006 or so, posts were shown pretty much in order of recency when you opened up the social media platform. Well, things look a bit different nearly twenty years later. What started as a place for sharing updates and photos with friends and family — putting the ‘social’ in social media — has grown into a full-fledged content platform. Facebook has evolved from personal profiles to a space where people can follow creators and brands, join communities and groups, and promote events. Instead of just text and photo posts, there are now disappearing stories, reels, live streams, and much more.…

Let’s start with the facts: I don’t usually create content this way. Most weeks, I post 3–5 times across LinkedIn, Threads, and TikTok — usually planned a few days in advance, sometimes the same day. I like having the flexibility to post when I’m inspired, not just when something’s scheduled. But ahead of a month-long trip — part retreat, part travel — I knew I couldn’t rely on my usual workflow. I would be adjusting to new environments, exploring new cities and attending full-day team sessions. I wanted to stay visible online without scrambling to come up with new ideas mid-trip. So I gave myself one focused day to get ahead. Not to create 30 fully polished posts — but t…

A few months ago, I created an Instagram Reel that (I thought) looked great when I was making it. I uploaded, hit post, and tapped on it to fill the screen — only to find a sliver of the text got cut off at the edge. It’s a tiny detail that can have a big impact, especially for brands and creators with a high bar for quality. There’s a small kind of joy in seeing your post appear exactly the way you imagined it, and that comes from getting your Instagram image sizes exactly right. If you're pouring your energy into creating standout visuals for Instagram, you'll want them to look their absolute best when they go live. No strange cropping, no weird blur — just a clean, sha…

There are many factors to consider when it comes to posting on Instagram — but the one that often feels like a make-or-break decision is what time to post your content. It's a fair concern — the last thing you want is to spend the time and resources needed to create a showstopper piece of content only to post it in a social media dead zone that results in… crickets. Sharing Instagram Stories, reels, feed posts, and carousels at optimal times for reach and engagement is an important consideration in your social media strategy. If your content immediately makes it to your target audience's feed while they're around to engage with it, it's more likely to succeed. That's why…

I’m no stranger to a certain amount of time-eating scrolling on social media, but TikTok is something else. I’ve been engrossed by the social media app for hours on end — and the TikTok algorithm is to blame. But the secret sauce that makes the app so addictive to users is exactly what has content creators and marketers tearing their hair out. Why do certain TikTok videos gain meteoric popularity while others, seemingly of equal quality, barely get a glance? The answer isn't just in the dance moves or trending sounds. The answers lie in a host of signals weighed and analyzed by the TikTok algorithm. The uncannily accurate recommendations are powered by an algorithm that d…

Most social media networks want to draw users onto the platform and keep them there. But, once again, Bluesky is taking the path less travelled. The decentralized social platform loves subverting the norm, and their latest announcement is the perfect example. Bluesky is testing a new livestreaming feature, starting with a small group of accounts and a few high-profile partners. While livestreams won’t be hosted on Bluesky, users will be able to discover when someone is live — and jump directly to YouTube, Twitch, or another platform to watch. As Blueskky COO Rose Wang explains: “We aren’t trapping you in Bluesky. We want you to use Bluesky to discover what’s happening.” S…

If you’ve followed Buffer for a while, then you know we have a few uncommon approaches to teammate benefits and compensation. The example I’ll dig into today is our “Dependent Grant,” which we launched in 2016. Our Dependent Grant is separate benefit, outside of salary, that we grant teammates who are taking care of and supporting family members. It’s an extra $3,000 USD per year per child, up to four dependents total. This has been one of our most unusual (and at times controversial) benefits. Until recently, this was granted for extended family members, like siblings, parents, and grandparents. After eight years, we’ve updated this benefit. As always, we’re here to sh…

Having thousands of followers is great. But sometimes, the real value of social media comes from smaller, more meaningful interactions. That’s where Instagram Close Friends can be a game changer. This Instagram feature, first introduced in 2018, lets you handpick a close friends list — a private group who can view exclusive content through your Instagram Stories. Whether you're a creator wanting to show more behind the scenes, or a small business testing new product ideas, Close Friends opens up a new layer of connection. Think of it like an inner circle feed: no algorithms, no pressure, just you and the people who matter most. And it’s not the only way Instagram is leani…

It goes without saying that managing multiple social media platforms — whether for yourself or for a brand — can mean some serious multitasking. On any given day, you are: Creating social media posts, repurposing existing content for socials, staying on top of trends across multiple platforms, reviewing your analytics for social media reporting, and so much more. If you’re a creator or a small business owner managing your social media presence yourself, all of this is in addition to running your business. Luckily, there are plenty of social media management tools to take some of the tasks off your to-do list — and make all that work a little more fun. These are the 11 …

I’m a mom with a full-time job, and I’m an active creator. I also have ADHD. That combination of factors can make getting stuff done… complicated. But with the help of (many) handy systems, tactics, and tools, I feel as though I’ve made juggling all that with my neurodivergent brain a whole lot smoother. It’s certainly not easy, but it’s very, very doable. I’ve been actively growing an audience on LinkedIn, Instagram, and TikTok for a few years now. I have around 20K followers across all platforms, and I’ve even been able to monetize my work. Now, consistently creating content when it’s not your full-time gig can take a lot of time, energy, and focus for most folks. Addin…

The remote work movement is a growing global phenomenon. 79 percent of knowledge workers worldwide said they work from home, and 80-90% of the U.S. workforce would like to work remotely at least part time. And while no two remote work situations are identical, there are some common themes when it comes to the tools and accessories for success. Of course, the most crucial element is wifi. But after that, there’s still plenty to consider: the desk setup, the commuter bag, the headphones, the travel accessories and more. And then, there are the more classic questions… Mac or PC? iPhone or Android? On Buffer’s global team of 80 folks, many team members have spent a great deal…