Ok, I’ve been looking at Buffer a lot more closely after applying for their Community Champion position and that made me consider how users could use the product better. I’ve been buzzing with ideas that leverage my past experiences in Multi-channel marketing and in early stage startup ideas and thought I’ll not let it go to waste.

So here’s my top 3 ideas to get you started, they probably sound obvious once you read it, but I think that’s why they’re powerful. It’s what defines successful startups too, simple ideas, great execution.

Who this is for:
If you’re currently just using Buffer as a quick way to aggregate your content across your social media channels to keep it “active”, this could change the way you look at social media engagement.

Idea #1: Leverage accounts with a much larger follower base.

Let’s face it, sometimes social media can seem pointless when you have so few followers. Instead produce content that is more likely to get featured, mentioned or retweeted by accounts that already have the follower base you lack.

Find accounts in your space with a large following that also actively share other people’s content, look at the types of content they share and produce equally engaging material, then mention them in your posts.

You’re not always going to be successful the first time, so that’s where Buffer comes in, schedule content to go out that MENTIONS those accounts and make it easy for them to share. Keep doing this and you’ll become a more reliable source of interesting content.

If you’re in the travel space, maybe @lonelyplanet would be great. Maybe also mention @Buffer, I’m sure those guys will RT too.

Idea #2: Brand your social media content

Hashtags are cool, but only if other people are also using it. Create a stronger brand presence with a hashtag that people can resonate with, not just #YourProductName but something that would mean something to the people that use it.

Try a phrase that uses the adjective/noun combination. #banbossy is the one that’s really cool now, yours could be #findlove, #makeamends #cupcaketoday #setgoals #helpartists, then use it across all your content.

As you use it more, your followers will start getting onboard.

Idea #3: Build it into your app

Product builders don’t always think about marketing. That’s a waste! The most powerful marketing, I think, is built into the product.

Here Buffer could be great. It lets you send content to an email(unique to you) to add new posts for scheduling. This is a great way to connect your social media channels to your app.

Automate milestone events in your app to automatically create new social media posts and schedule them through Buffer. You know, so you don’t send 100 posts out at the same time.

Someone creates a new meetup in your app, add it to your Buffer stream.

A new topic in your forum, a new video posted on your site, a new user signs up, a shared photo reaches 1k likes, someone funds your project at the top tiers, let it automatically add it to your stream and schedule them to go out at intervals. If you have a marketing team, let them experiment with frequency/timing.

I would love thinking up ways you can do this with your own brands/products, so reach out at @RyanLou or just say hi.