http://bufferapp.com

How I use Bufferapp

Jeff Cutler asked “How can someone get the most out of Bufferapp?”  I started and stopped using Buffer two times before it took hold, now I’m an avid user. With that in mind I’ll try and answer Jeff’s question. If you think I missed something, hit me up in the comments.

What is Buffer?

From the website:

We designed Buffer to offer you a both personal and yet more efficient solution to handle twitter.

Buffer makes your life easier with a smarter way to schedule tweets. Work out all your tweets at one point in time during the day. Then fill up your Buffer with your tweets and Buffer schedules them for you. Simply keep that Buffer topped up and you will then be tweeting consistently all day round, all week long.

How I use Buffer?

I use buffer in two ways:

1. During my commute on the train I scan hundreds of RSS feeds. Articles I want to share I add to my buffer. Usually I find 10-20 articles worth sharing. Without Buffer these articles would all be tweeted all at once – very annoying to my followers and since I’m an early bird, most people wouldn’t see what I’ve shared since they’re still eating their Cheerios. With my Buffer schedule set up, (one time set up) my tweets trickle out through the day.
2. During the day, if I see something interesting come out during the day I can share content with two clicks. Easy peasy.

Why I like Buffer:

1. Simple and easy to use
2. Posts to Facebook and Twitter
3. Allows me to schedules tweets
4. Straight forward analytics (see image)
5. Integrates with Bit.ly Pro so I can use my custom domain shortener (reff2.me)
6. When installed on an Android phone, sharing is a snap
7. On an iPad, where integration is less straight forward, I can still send articles to my buffer via email or via a Bookmarklet.
8. Browser extensions make sharing super easy
9. Socialbro integration allows my to find the best time to tweet and set that schedule for my buffer

 

Buffer Analytics

 

What I don’t like about Buffer:

1. Free version only allows you to put have 10 items in your buffer at once
2. The paid version is $10/month when a more suitable price point is $3

Sign up for Buffer here and I get an extra post in my buffer!

1. Report: iOS and Android apps fighting for retention, not discovery

[link] Great report on the state of mobile app development.

In summary:

1. Android is catching up to iOS in terms of quantity of apps
2. The number of monthly downloads has quadrupled in a year
3. Retention is replacing app discovery as the number 1 problem

My Take: No surprise – quality content still wins. Mobile app developers can pay their way to a high ranking in app stores, but if the app doesn’t kill, it will quickly drop in the rankings.

2. How To Go Mobile with Google

[link] Google launched a microsite that helps companies mobilize their website

1. provides free tools: in this case it rates your current website’s look/feel and functionality
2. provides free advice: why site mobility matters
3. It provides a clear call to action: companies that you can work with to mobilize your site

My Take: Why did Google do this? Perhaps it has a revenue sharing agreement with the companies that it provides but I imagine that will be peanuts to Google. I suspect the real reason is the lack of mobile sites will impede Google’s future ability to sell mobile ad space. HowToGoMo.com helps fill that gap.

3. Mom’s Rule

Getting to Know (and Like) the Social Mom

[link] This Nielsen report shows the purchasing power of social moms. They are much more likely to share product experiences online.

Mom Bloggers, A Force To Be Reckoned With

[link] This Scarborough report shows that Mommy bloggers are “Not just media users, they’re media makers”

My Take: These articles, along with being married to a mom that works in this space, highlights the influence power of social moms. They have a strong voice, they’re super-social and well organized. Smart brands already know this and include them in their social campaigns.

4. Interactive Email: 6 tactics to leverage the influence of social reinforcement

[link] Marketing Sherpa provides great detail on how to integrate social into your traditional email marketing campaigns.

My Take: I suspect Marketers are realizing email and social aren’t “either / or” propositions. Figuring out how to integrate traditional and social marketing is key and you’ve got to love this level of detail.

5. Google Revamps AdWords Location Targeting Tool

[link] Google is integrating Google Maps with AdWords. The first of these changes provides a graphical interface and more information such as reach.

My Take: PPC isn’t my thing, I suspect this is a minor update. It is also consist with the general theme of product integration and rationalization Google has undertaken.

In reality, the best mobile market app for you is dependent on your favorite news source.  For example, if you’re a Bloomberg devotee you’ll probably like their app best.

Bloomberg

[iPad, iPhone, Blackberry, Android, Nokia]

Features: Markets, News, Stock tracker and stock finder

Description: Breaks out market into four categories: equities, bonds, commodities and currences making it easy to focus on market interests.  Granular controls give the viewer ability to track ~36 news categories including from market, sector, topical and country.

Daily Finance

[iPhone, Blackberry, Android]

Features: Indicies, News, Movers, Stock tracker and quotes

Description: An AOL property, Daily Finance pulls in news from the AP.  Synchronizes (and requires) an AOL account.

Wall Street Journal

[iPad, iPhone, Android, Blackberry

Features: 7 most recent newspapers, saved articles, stock watcher.

Description: Allows reader to read the WSJ as they normally would be it clicking through articles or navigating to sections.

Notes: Preloads some pages making reducing the overall load times

Financial Times

[iPad, iPhone, Android - Galaxy Tab]

Features: Includes: Front page, Companies, UK, Workld, Markets, Lex, Comment, Management, Personal Finance, Life & Arts, Markets Data

Description: Allows reader to read the FT as they normally would be it clicking through articles or navigating to sections.
Notes: Application tries to manage performance providing default option to download stories in the background only while on a wi-fi network.

photo credit jscreationzs @ freedigitalphotos.net

1.  Manage inbound & outbound streams (don’t just publish to other networks)

As many (including Suzanne Vara, Charlie_Screendip) suggested, not only do I want to be able to publish to multiple souces, but I want to be able to aggregate social presence into a single interface.  More clearly, a lot of services allow to one to publish to multiple services, but I haven’t found a service that can analyze the content in all your streams and integrate them based on purpose, author, topic and relevance.  The first person to do that is going to be HUGE.  Know someone doing that?  Drop me a note @iamreff.

2.  Manage followers better

I’m trying to be better at curating at lists, but its a pain.  I recently learned of a tool called Fourmulists  and I’m trying it out as a way to dynamically organize my followers and find those with similar interests.  It’s great that a multitude of niche products are sprouting up, I just wish they could be included in a single interface (as I’m sure they will as the space matures).

3.  Provide Relevant info

Like many, I rely on social networks (especially Twitter) for breaking news.  But some news I care about and some I don’t.  I use Google Alerts, socialmention, Twitter searches and other mechanisms to find conversations relative to my interest areas.  This needs to become easier.  I want to be made aware of topics that are influencing people that influence me and my followers.  Again based on purpose, author, topic and relevance.  Revelant stuff to the top, irrelevant stuff to the bottom.

4.  Relevant alerts

Once I can manage my social presence as described above, I want sensible and granular controls over notification.  Notifications include UI, e-mail, SMS and device integration (vibrates, LED changes, chirps).  An example of notification done poorly?  Foursquare ping.  There’s no relevance.

What tools do you use?

Like Chris, I look forward to a platform that makes managing my social presence easier.  Until that happens, what are your tips and techniques?

Recalling a conversation I had with a friend our answer was: retail.  The tablet has an opportunity to make a big impact on how retailers interact with their customers.  Let’s look at how the device could change how customers interact with the retailers before, during and after the sale.  For purposes of discussion I’ll use Home Depot as an example.

Normally before I head off to Home Depot I (hopefully) grab any returns I have and scratch out a list of items I need (along with measurements).  Once I’m there wait in the excrutiatingly long line to make my returns and then I set off into the huge maze of football field length, sky-high aisles – hoping to find the products I need.  Once I have the items I need I either stand in a long line with a human clerk or battle with the self-checkout system.  In general, it’s a largely unpleasant experience that is replicated in some measure at many other big box stores (Walmart, Target, Lowes, Sports Authority, etc).

So what could a tablet do for the customer?  Before I leave I pull up the Home Depot app on my Apple tablet and it reminds me that I have items in the garage ready to be returned.  It tells me that with the holidays over, I may want to look at some new storage and organizations products to make better use of the space in my home.  It has some routine DIY project videos along with step by step instructions in case I’m trying to fix a leaky faucet or install an eco-friendly rain bucket.  Lastly it allows me to enter in the items that I need either by typing them in a tradition shopping list and/or by searching and selecting products from their catalog.  Now I’m ready to head off to Home Depot.

Once I show up in the store, a Home Depot sales person greets me.  They know that I have a lot of items on my list and that I’m working on a big kitchen redesign project.  They also know how that I’ve spent a lot of money at their stores in the past 18 months and that they’d like to help me spend more of my money at Home Depot, not at a competitors store.  As the sales person helps me find things, I’m scanning their UPC code and updating my total bill for the visit.  With all my shopping done I say goodbye to the sales person and I’m ready to head to the door.  My order is automatically charged to my credit card so I do not need to stand in line to check out.  But before I get to the door I remember that I need some nails.  I can’t remember where nails are in the store so I type in nails into my Home Depot tablet application and it provides walking directions to the hardware section of the store that has nails.  I purchase those and I’m out the door.

Once home I am able to check the rewards points I earned, rate and review the products I purchased and mark any products for return in case they need to go back.

Apple’s tablet provides retailers, especially big-box retailers, some opportunities for innovation, to provide differentiated service and to build stronger bonds with the customer.  The larger screen has the potential to be the tipping point that brings about several evolutions in software design and ultimately consumer experience.

What do you think the tablet’s killer app will be?