If you handle social media for a company, you know posting to LinkedIn is one more thing on a never-ending list. Doing it by hand is tedious, easy to forget, and frankly, not worth your time. This guide is for anyone who wants to save time by automating LinkedIn company page posts using Buffer—whether you’re a marketing team of one, a founder, or the “social person” who just inherited this task.
Here’s how you set it up, what works well, what’s annoying, and what you can ignore.
Why automate LinkedIn company posts at all?
Let’s be honest: nobody wants to spend their week juggling reminders to post “Happy Friday” updates. Automating means:
- Less stuff falls through the cracks.
- You can batch content creation.
- You free up headspace for work that actually matters.
But automation isn’t magic. You still need to create good content, and sometimes LinkedIn’s API (the thing that lets tools post for you) is limiting. Still, even with the quirks, automation’s a massive upgrade from winging it.
What you need before you start
Before you dive in, here’s what you’ll need:
- A LinkedIn company page. If you don’t have one, you can create it here.
- Admin access to that page. You can’t connect Buffer to a page unless you’re an admin.
- A Buffer account ([buffer.html])—the free plan covers basics, but for serious automation (multiple posts, analytics, etc.), you’ll want a paid plan.
- Content ready to go. Buffer can’t read your mind (yet), so have your updates, images, or links prepped.
Step 1: Sign up for Buffer and pick a plan
Head to [buffer.html] and create an account if you don’t have one. Be honest about your needs:
- Free plan: You get 3 social channels and 10 scheduled posts per channel. Good for testing or very light use.
- Essentials or Team plans: These unlock more posts, more channels, and analytics. If you manage more than one LinkedIn page (or want to schedule a month of content at a time), you’ll need to pay.
Pro tip: Start free. Upgrade only if you hit a wall. Buffer won’t lock you in.
Step 2: Connect your LinkedIn company page
This part’s straightforward, but don’t rush:
- From your Buffer dashboard, click “Connect Channel.”
- Pick “LinkedIn Page” (not “Profile”). Make sure you’re logged into LinkedIn as yourself—not your boss, not your cousin.
- Authorize Buffer to access your LinkedIn. LinkedIn will ask for permission. This is normal. It only works if you’re an admin on the company page.
- Select your company page from the list. If you don’t see it, double-check your admin rights on LinkedIn. This trips up a lot of people.
Heads up: LinkedIn sometimes randomly disconnects integrations for “security.” If posts start failing, reconnect your LinkedIn page in Buffer.
Step 3: Set your posting schedule
Now you want Buffer to post when you want, not just “whenever.”
- Go to the LinkedIn channel settings in Buffer.
- Set your posting days and times. This is your default queue—Buffer will fill these slots as you add posts.
- Think about your followers. For LinkedIn, weekdays during work hours usually do best. Avoid weekends unless you know your audience is there.
What to ignore: Don’t overthink the “best time to post” hype. Unless you’re a massive brand, consistent quality beats chasing some magic hour.
Step 4: Add your posts to Buffer
Here’s where you actually load up your content:
- Click “Add to Queue” for your LinkedIn page.
- Write your post. You can add links, images, or even videos (but see below for gotchas).
- Preview your post. LinkedIn posts look different from Twitter or Facebook—double-check formatting, especially line breaks and hashtags.
- Save it. Buffer puts it in the next available slot. Repeat as needed.
Honest limitations: - Tagging people or companies: Buffer can’t always mention others in posts due to LinkedIn’s API limits. If you need to tag, you might have to do it manually after posting. - Document posts: LinkedIn’s “document” (PDF) posts aren’t supported. Stick to images, links, and plain text. - Native polls, events, or articles: Buffer can’t create these. If you want fancy post types, you’re back to posting by hand.
Step 5: Track what’s working (and what’s not)
If you just want to “set it and forget it,” skip this. But if results matter to you:
- Check Buffer’s analytics tab. On paid plans, you’ll see reach, clicks, and engagement for each post.
- Look for patterns. Is anyone clicking your links? Are certain topics getting comments? Toss what doesn’t work.
- Adjust your schedule and content. Don’t be afraid to experiment. If nobody cares about your “industry insights,” try something more useful—or at least more honest.
Pro tip: LinkedIn’s native analytics (inside LinkedIn itself) are usually more detailed than Buffer’s. Use both if you care about deep dives.
Step 6: Troubleshooting common headaches
Even with automation, stuff still goes sideways. Here’s what trips up most people:
- Posts not appearing on LinkedIn: First, see if your LinkedIn page is disconnected in Buffer. If so, reconnect and try again.
- LinkedIn limits: Sometimes, Buffer will fail to post if LinkedIn changes its rules, or if you hit rate limits (rare, unless you’re spamming).
- Image quality: LinkedIn compresses images. If yours look fuzzy, try uploading larger files.
- Tagging not working: As above, you usually can’t tag people or companies from Buffer. It’s a LinkedIn thing, not a Buffer bug.
If you’re stuck, Buffer’s help docs are actually decent. But sometimes, the answer is “this just isn’t possible right now.” Don’t waste hours fighting the system.
What works well—and what doesn’t
Where Buffer shines: - You can load up a week’s (or month’s) worth of posts in one go. - It’s dead simple for basic text, links, and image posts. - The interface is clean and doesn’t waste your time with gimmicks.
Where Buffer falls short: - No support for LinkedIn polls, events, or document posts. If you need these, you have to post natively. - Tagging is hit-or-miss. - Analytics are basic unless you pay.
Alternatives? Hootsuite and Sprout Social are similar, but not really better for LinkedIn. They’re just more expensive with more bells and whistles. Zapier can automate certain LinkedIn actions, but it’s even more limited for company pages. Honestly, Buffer is about as good as it gets for this specific job.
Tips to keep things sane
- Batch your work. Schedule a week (or month) of posts at once.
- Don’t over-automate. If you start sounding like a robot, people tune out. Mix in real-time updates if something big happens.
- Keep it simple. Don’t obsess over analytics unless you’re running paid campaigns. For most companies, consistency beats perfection.
- Check in monthly. Make sure Buffer’s still connected to LinkedIn. Reconnect if needed.
Wrapping up: Automate, but don’t overthink it
Automating your LinkedIn company page posts with Buffer is about clawing back your time, not chasing some mythical “perfect strategy.” Get the basics in place, schedule your content, and then get back to work. If you’re new to this, start small—see what actually works for your audience, and tweak as you go.
Don’t let automation become another source of stress. Use it to make your life easier, not more complicated.