If you’re running social campaigns with a team, you’ve probably run into the usual mess: missed posts, clashing edits, and too many “who’s doing what?” messages. Buffer promises to fix that, but only if you set it up right. This guide is for anyone managing social media with a small team—marketers, small business owners, agencies—who actually want to get things done, not just shuffle tasks around.
Below, I’ll walk you through real, useful ways to use Buffer to work with your team. I’ll also call out what’s worth your time and what’s just extra noise.
1. Set Up Your Buffer Workspace for Team Collaboration
First things first: You need the right Buffer plan.
Buffer’s free plan is basically solo-only. If you want to add team members, you’ll need at least their Essentials plan with user permissions. If you’re not sure, check your plan under “Billing & Plans” in Buffer’s settings.
How to Add Team Members
- Go to Settings > Team.
- Click Invite a New Team Member.
- Enter their email, choose their permission level (more on this in a sec), and send the invite.
Honest take:
Don’t overthink permissions. Start with most people as “Contributors” (can create content, but not publish without approval) and only give “Admin” rights to someone who will actually manage the account or billing. Too many admins = chaos.
Set Up Social Channels Together
Buffer works with Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram, and Pinterest. Add the channels you actually use. Don’t bother connecting dormant accounts just to fill up the dashboard.
- Go to Channels and connect each account.
- Decide who should have access to which channels. You can limit team members to certain brands or profiles, which is a sanity-saver if you run multiple clients or products.
Pro Tip:
If you’re an agency or have more than one brand, keep each set of social profiles in separate “Organizations” inside Buffer. This avoids accidental cross-posting.
2. Create a Shared Content Calendar
You can’t collaborate if no one knows what’s being worked on. Buffer’s calendar view is the best way to get your whole team aligned.
Steps to Use the Calendar Effectively
- Click on the Calendar tab in Buffer.
- Switch between Week and Month views to see what’s scheduled.
- Assign drafts to specific days or times.
What works:
- Use color coding (Buffer lets you tag posts by campaign or theme).
- Add campaign-specific hashtags or labels in post drafts.
- Use the “Notes” feature for non-post reminders—like planning meetings or content brainstorms.
What’s not worth it:
Don’t waste time making the calendar “perfect.” It’s a working tool, not a mural. Focus on getting draft posts on the calendar early, and tweak as you go.
3. Draft, Review, and Approve Content as a Team
This is where Buffer’s workflow features actually help (if you use them).
Drafting Posts
- Anyone with access can create a draft for any connected channel.
- Add images, hashtags, links—standard stuff.
- Use the “Save as Draft” option instead of “Add to Queue” if you want feedback or approval.
Requesting Feedback or Approval
- Tag teammates in the post’s comments (“@username, can you review this?”).
- Use the “Needs Approval” toggle to mark posts that shouldn’t go live without a second set of eyes.
Honest take:
Don’t rely on Buffer notifications alone. Things get missed. If a post is time-sensitive, ping your teammate on Slack or email, too. Buffer isn’t magic—it won’t make people more attentive.
Approving and Scheduling
- Approvers (usually admins or those with “Full Posting Access”) can review, edit, and approve drafts.
- Once approved, posts can be scheduled or added to the queue.
Pro Tip:
Build a weekly content review habit. Set a 30-minute meeting or Slack thread where everyone reviews the upcoming week’s scheduled posts. You’ll catch mistakes and avoid last-minute fire drills.
4. Stay on Track with Roles and Permissions
Buffer lets you set different permission levels:
- Admin: Can do everything, including billing and adding/removing people.
- Full Posting Access: Can create, edit, approve, and publish posts.
- Approval Required: Can create and edit posts, but someone else must approve before publishing.
- Contributor: Can only create drafts.
What works:
- Use “Approval Required” for new team members or interns.
- Give “Full Posting Access” to trusted teammates for speed.
What doesn’t work:
Don’t give everyone admin rights. There’s rarely a good reason, and it can get messy fast.
Ignore:
If you’re a tiny team (2–3 people), you can probably get away with everyone having “Full Posting Access” and skip the approval chain—just communicate outside Buffer.
5. Use Comments and Notes for Real Communication
Buffer allows comments on individual posts and a Notes section on the calendar, but don’t expect it to replace Slack or email.
How to Use Comments and Notes
- Use comments for granular feedback on specific posts (“Let’s swap out this image”).
- Use Notes for higher-level stuff—campaign ideas, reminders, or even to track holidays and launches.
Honest take:
Comments in Buffer are helpful for context but aren’t threaded or robust like chat apps. If you need a real discussion, go elsewhere.
6. Monitor Performance and Share Results (Without Drowning in Data)
After your campaign runs, you’ll want to see how it did. Buffer’s analytics are fine for basic tracking, but don’t expect deep dives.
What You Can Track
- Engagement (likes, comments, shares)
- Impressions/reach
- Top-performing posts
How to Use Analytics for Team Collaboration
- Schedule a quick monthly review—everyone checks the top posts and what bombed.
- Don’t get bogged down in every metric. Focus on what actually matters for your goals (clicks, signups, etc.).
- Export reports if you need to share results with clients or your boss.
What to ignore:
Buffer’s analytics are “good enough” for most teams, but if you want serious social listening or advanced competitor tracking, you’ll need a different tool.
7. Tips to Avoid Common Collaboration Headaches
Here’s what I’ve learned (sometimes the hard way):
- Keep your team small. More people = more confusion. Only invite those who actually work on social.
- Set posting guidelines. Agree on tone, image sizes, approval rules—write it down somewhere everyone can see.
- Don’t rely on Buffer alone for communication. Use Slack, Teams, or plain old email for real conversations.
- Review your setup every couple of months. Team changes, new channels, whatever—Buffer won’t keep itself up to date.
Wrapping Up
Buffer can make team collaboration on social campaigns easier, but only if you keep it simple and actually use the features that matter. Don’t overcomplicate things. Start with clear roles, a shared calendar, and weekly reviews. Skip the bells and whistles unless you really need them. The best teams iterate, tweak, and get better over time—Buffer’s just a tool to help you do that, not the answer to all your problems.
Now, get your team in there, set up your first campaign, and see what works for you. And if something feels clunky, change it. Social moves fast—your workflow should, too.