Buffer

Pros

I have been using Buffer for around two years and still think it is a must-have for any social media users who are needing to automate their posts.

Top pros for this software are:

Relatively low cost.
Run multiple profiles.
Ability to schedule damn near unlimited posts.
Scheduling options and queue are presented well and easy to use.
The way the analytics are presented.

The content feed is also a brilliant feature, although it can also do with some significant improvements.

This is by far one of the best low cost/free software's for Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn posting.

Cons

As above, the content feed needs some improvement, as it does not always pull the most recent links. Addition of a filter for the content feed would be an A* feature.

Sometimes hashtag lists do not display correctly and errors can be shown when tagging someone's profile.

Need to be able to create a permanent, possibly arranged list of regularly used hashtags.

Instagram posts need to be monitored as direct posting is not available, instead, you are notified to 'ok' the post first. This wouldn't be a problem IF the notifications actually were pushed on time, plus it does kind of defeat the purpose of the automation.

Pros

I love using Buffer to plan out my social media strategy. Here is what I love most about it:

1) It easily integrates with Twitter and Facebook. It works with Pinterest and Instagram, but I only use it for Facebook and Twitter.

2) You get to use it for free for up to 10 scheduled posts at a time (as of this writing) and this allows you to be sure that it works for you and for your needs.

3) The team at behind Buffer is fantastic. The few times I needed to contact support I was helped right away and my issue taken care of just like that. Their emails are funny and you can tell that they love what they do.

Cons

Honestly there isn't a lot I dislike about Buffer. If I had major problems with it I would have switched over to Hootsuite or a similar app.

In the end, here are three things I could Buffer could improve upon.

1) The UI can be a bit clunky at times. I think it could use a makeover. It's not terrible by any means but it can be confusing to figure out.

2) Sometimes the extension doesn't connect right, and it gets stuck in a loading pattern.

3) I often have to go and reauthorize twitter or Facebook to work again. It can get annoying to do this over and over.

Overall, these downsides are only slight and don't stop me from loving Buffer.

Pros

I started using buffer around 5 years ago and they had a great idea right from the start: how can I schedule social media tasks well in advance so I can set it and forget it?

This has been the core feature ever since: you create your posts, define your posting schedule and let the app do it's magic automatically. Most social media marketers I know care more about the quality of their posts than scheduling each post with an exact date and time and that's where buffer excels.

You can also add different social media accounts like Facebook, Twitter and now even Instagram. The latter is really something most social media apps can't do, so it's great to have.

Buffer is a great tool to "collect" posts from everywhere you go and just put it into your queue with the click of a button. For this they created a browser extension that you can just press when you're reading an article you like and it will be immediately added to your buffer.

Also buffer is the only app I know of that has integrations with lots of blogs and the like that allow you to just add to your buffer with a simple click. Watch out for the "Add to Buffer" button when you browse the web.

The free version allows you not just to thoroughly test the software, but also to use it for your small social media projects where you can schedule up to 10 posts at once.

Oh, and the support is amazing! I once asked for a refund because auto renewal was activated for a customer and they happily refunded it,

Cons

The pricing was way more compelling before with the Awesome plan.

Additional team members are a must when you're collaborating, but they start at 99$ a month which is too much in my opinion.

The buffer is missing some crucial collaboration features of other software that makes it hard to use for working as a team. The current approach is more like "everybody adds their posts and they'll be scheduled automatically" and less "everybody suggests posts and let's discuss them in the team". Thus it's not ideal for agencies that would like to discuss posts internally and send them to the client for approval.

Pros

One of the headaches of every community manager, is the fact of managing all the networks of one or several clients, thanks to Buffer that is a thing of the past. I really like the possibility that it offers me to have everything I need in one place to make my work better and better. Another thing I look for in a platform for the management of social networks, is to be able to measure the scope of each of the issues that are published, thanks to buffer it is possible to obtain it without any problem. Also, I can take the time and the effectiveness of my work, I have received several days to get other customers since I started using this wonderful platform, which translates into higher income for my services supported by Buffer, I daresay that, at present, is the best alternative for the management of social networks.

Cons

I have been using Buffer for several years for the automation of my work and I am very happy with everything that it offers, I can not negatively affect it because I have seen how they constantly correct all the inconveniences that arise, so I do not accompany my criticism with any negative comments the platform. I am sure that soon they will improve the web interface and include many more surprises to increase the number of users.

Pros

Quick to schedule social media posts to multiple accounts in a few clicks. Extremely versatile and easy to use.

I have used many social media scheduling tools over the years but keep coming back to Buffer. I actually used the free version for many years but as a business grows and your social media presence grows it is better to pay for a solution that allows you to manage them all under one roof.

When it comes to scheduling posts, the interface is clean and simple and easy to use. There is link shortening too if required.

The limit for queued posts is 100 per social media account which is easily enough for at least a month's worth of posts so should be sufficient for most users.

Automatic Instagram posting is a relatively new and welcome addition to Buffer.

Support are pretty responsive when required but I haven't needed much from them in all honesty.

All in all I really like Buffer. It is considerably cheaper than many of its competitors and does what it does really well and if someone is looking to buy into a paid social media scheduling tool I would recommend they start here.

Cons

RSS feed can be a bit clunky.

Is 8 accounts generous enough? You are "limited" to 8 social media accounts on the Pro plan which sounds a lot but can be filled up quickly. They reduced this in March 2018 from 10 to 8 which was disappointing.

Another disappointment is the lack of a native way to enable bulk scheduling by uploading a csv file. This is available in other schedulers (although they are considerably more expensive than Buffer). Fortunately there is a solution in the form of a 3rd party application called "bulk buffer" (just do a Google search for it).