Buffer is a company that builds with its customers and not for them. This is why you may have seen me ask for quick chats on LinkedIn. Since real conversations help us improve our product, when we’re exploring new ideas we always talk with the users of Buffer.
These conversations were particularly useful to me as a Product Manager who is focused on the way our users generate content. They also helped in understanding where Buffer fit into users’ workflows.
Buffer is a content creator that allows you to create and share videos, photos and other types of media. scheduling Experience, I talked with More than 30 users Across industries, goals and solopreneurs: team managers and creators are growing. personal brands. Buffer is a tool that helps you plan, create and publish content.
The conversations helped us understand our users better and remind us of the importance of balancing chaos, creativity and consistency. The following are the main themes we heard from our users and how Buffer is using these to develop its roadmap.
In interviews with users, the theme was that they love Buffer because of its ease and reliability. They keep coming back even though their needs change. social strategies evolve.
This is great news, but also presents an opportunity. We are strong at scheduling, but this is only one aspect of what we do. Buffer’s goal is to transform from an app for scheduling into a real social workspace.
Imagine using Buffer to collaborate on post ideas with your teammates. captionsPlan campaigns, and review performance — all in one tab.
Many of the creators that we talked to have been manually piecing this kind of workflow together using different apps. In the months to come, we will be working on making this experience as seamless as possible within Buffer.
Content organization is much harder than you think.
The organization of content came up in nearly all discussions. The creators have many ideas, drafts and posts scheduled, but it can be difficult to find what you need.
Some people have told us:
- “Sometimes I can’t remember if I already published an Idea.”
- “I wish I could search all my content in one place.”
- “I thought I saved a draft, but I have no idea where it went.”
It’s something that we have experienced. Buffer has added many powerful features over the years. However, they are not always as well integrated as they should be. It can also be difficult to track your content. Buffer is exploring new ways to improve organization and eliminate friction between concepts such as Ideas and Drafts.
Buffer is a content management system that allows you to easily organize and navigate your content.
There’s another tool that many people use, whether it be Notion or Trello. Canva is also a popular choice, as well as a Google Doc.
Buffer is a great tool for creators who plan and brainstorm in other places, before bringing their content to Buffer. That’s perfectly fine. Best creators create systems that are tailored to their own needs. We see it as a chance to reach users in their current workflow, by offering better import and integration options.
We invest heavily in the public API because we want to make Buffer the hub of all your tools. Our goal is to have Buffer at the center of all the tools that you use. This will allow you to seamlessly share and connect with your content, no matter where it is located.
Imagine being automatically able to import your design from Canva directly into Buffer. It’s not about limiting your content to Buffer. Instead, it’s all about allowing it to move freely among the apps you use and sharing it with others.
You can contact us if you have an idea for a new integration. Conversations like these are where new ideas for integrations and apps begin.
Complexity is not as important when it comes to visual clarity
We’re working to update the appearance, feel and flow of composer. As we presented our early prototypes, it was clear that simplicity and visual clarity are more important than complexity.
We don’t abandon advanced customization or workflows. We’ve also learned that usability shouldn’t be sacrificed for power.
Buffer is committed to helping small business owners and individual creators. Buffer is a great resource for users who are new to social media and want to know what’s working. Buffer is designed to help users focus on the important things: connecting with their audiences and posting regularly.
Buffer’s design is now more cohesive and intuitive. There are some exciting updates coming up, and I can’t wait to show them off!
The AI system should not replace creativity but rather support it
Also, we asked our users about their feelings towards AI as part of the content creation process. The responses were fairly uniform: users don’t expect AI to be able to produce their posts. The users want AI to assist with the writing process.
It’s a similar approach to how we use AI at Buffer. Buffer is a tool that can help you improve your creativity, but not to replace your voice.
Not robotic captions, but grammar and tone suggestions or platform-specific optimization. You should be able to create engaging and authentic content and build meaningful relationships. The AI will help you, but shouldn’t become the final result.
What we are heading towards
The insights below are not a comprehensive list of all the features we have planned for Buffer. However, they do give you a good idea of how we think about some aspects of our platform.
Buffer should be much more than simply a scheduling tool. It is a powerful tool that can help you be productive. You can use Buffer to organize your thoughts, create content, engage with others, and publish it all.
Buffer will soon be undergoing some significant changes, which are all designed to make Buffer one of the most delightful and intuitive social media tools available.
You now understand why I might ask you to chat on LinkedIn.
