How to Schedule Social Media Posts with Buffer

Running a small business in Australia often means wearing many hats, from managing the books to serving customers. Scheduling your social media posts allows you to batch your content creation, ensuring your brand stays active online even when you’re busy on the floor or out on a job site. By using a tool like Buffer, you can maintain a consistent presence across Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn without having to log in every single day.

Why Scheduling Matters for Australian Small Businesses

Consistency is the backbone of social media success. If you only post when you remember, your engagement will fluctuate, and the algorithms will deprioritise your content. Scheduling allows you to plan your marketing around key Australian events—like the End of Financial Year (EOFY), Grand Final long weekends, or local community events—ensuring you never miss an opportunity to connect with your audience.

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Prerequisites: What You’ll Need

Before we dive into the steps, ensure you have the following ready:

• A Buffer account (the Free plan allows up to 3 social channels).
• Access to your business social media accounts (Facebook Page, Instagram Business Profile, etc.).
• Your content ready to go: images, videos, and captions.
• A desktop or laptop computer (it is much easier to set up your initial schedule on a larger screen).

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Step 1: Create and Set Up Your Buffer Account

Head over to Buffer.com and sign up. You can use your email address or link it directly to a Google account. Once you’ve verified your email, Buffer will ask you about your business size.

Step 2: Connect Your Social Media Channels

Click on the 'Channels' button in the sidebar. You will see icons for Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, X (Twitter), and Pinterest.

• For Facebook: You must connect a 'Page', not a personal profile.
• For Instagram: Ensure your account is set as a 'Business' or 'Creator' account and linked to a Facebook Page. This allows for direct scheduling without needing to manually hit 'Post' on your phone later.
• For LinkedIn: You can connect both your personal profile and your Company Page.

Step 3: Establish Your Posting Schedule

Don't just post at random times. Click on the 'Settings' tab for each specific channel and select 'Posting Schedule'. Here, you can decide which days and at what specific times you want your content to go live.

Step 4: Create Your First Post

Click the blue 'Create Post' button in the top right corner. A window will pop up. At the top of this window, select the social media icons for the platforms where you want this specific post to appear. You can select one, or multiple.

Step 5: Craft Your Caption and Add Media

Type your caption into the text box.

• Visuals: Click the 'Upload' button to add your image or video. High-quality, authentic photos of your Brisbane team or your latest project usually perform better than stock photos.
• Alt Text: Once your image is uploaded, click 'Edit Alt Text'. Briefly describe the image for visually impaired users. This is great for accessibility and SEO.

Step 6: Customise for Each Platform

While it's tempting to post the exact same thing everywhere, each platform has different rules. Click the 'Customise for each network' button.

• Instagram: Add your hashtags here (up to 30).
• LinkedIn: Keep the tone a bit more professional and tag other local businesses if relevant.
• Facebook: Keep it conversational and include a clear call to action (CTA).

Step 7: Preview Your Post

On the right-hand side of the creation window, Buffer shows a 'Preview'. Toggle between the different platform tabs to see how the post looks on mobile and desktop. Check that your image isn't awkwardly cropped and that your links are working.

Step 8: Add to Queue or Schedule

You have three main options at the bottom of the window:

• Add to Queue: This puts the post in the next available slot you created in Step 3.
• Share Next: Puts the post at the very top of your queue.
• Schedule Post: Allows you to pick a specific, one-off date and time outside of your regular schedule.

Step 9: Use the Calendar View

Once you have a few posts scheduled, click the 'Calendar' tab at the top. This gives you a bird's-eye view of your month. You can click and drag posts to different days if you notice you’ve scheduled too many things close together.

Step 10: Monitor and Adjust

After your posts have been live for a week, check the 'Analytics' tab (available on paid plans, or check the native apps). If you notice your Tuesday posts are getting more likes than your Thursday posts, adjust your schedule in Buffer to double down on what’s working.

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Common Mistakes to Avoid

• The "Set and Forget" Trap: Don't just schedule and disappear. Social media is a two-way street. If someone comments on your scheduled post, make sure you jump in and reply.
• Ignoring Time Zones: If you are a Brisbane business but your Buffer account is set to UTC (London time), your "morning" post will go out in the middle of the night. Double-check your settings!
• Over-automating: Avoid scheduling the exact same message every day. It looks like spam and will turn off your local followers.

Troubleshooting Common Issues

• Post Failed to Publish: This usually happens because your social media password was changed or the 'token' expired. Go to 'Channels', click on the account with the error, and select 'Reconnect'.
• Instagram Post didn't go live: Ensure you have 'Direct Scheduling' enabled. If your account is a 'Personal' profile, Buffer can only send you a reminder to post manually; it cannot post for you.
• Image Size Errors: Instagram requires specific aspect ratios (usually 1:1 square or 4:5 portrait). If your image is too wide or too tall, Buffer will flag an error. Use a tool like Canva to resize your graphics before uploading.

Next Steps

Now that you've mastered the basics of scheduling, it's time to refine your strategy.

• Batch your content: Try to spend two hours every Monday morning scheduling your entire week of posts.
• Review your results: Once a month, look at which posts got the most clicks or calls.
• Get professional help: If you find that managing social media is taking too much time away from your business, the team at Local Marketing Group is here to help. We specialise in helping Australian businesses grow their digital presence through expert management.

Need help setting up your social media strategy? Contact us today to see how we can take the pressure off your marketing.