If you’re handling more than one brand, business, or side project—or just juggling your own personal accounts plus work stuff—you know how quickly social media management can get messy. This guide is for anyone who wants to stop tab-hopping between Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram, and more, and actually wrangle everything from one place. We’ll walk through how to connect and manage multiple accounts in Buffer without losing your mind, what’s worth your time, and where Buffer’s limits start showing.
Step 1: Know What Buffer Can (and Can’t) Do for Multiple Accounts
Before you dive in, be clear about what you need. Buffer’s whole pitch is letting you manage several social accounts in one dashboard. The basics are solid: you can connect accounts, schedule posts, see what’s coming up, and sometimes check analytics. But not all features work everywhere.
What Buffer handles well: - Posting to the big platforms (Twitter/X, Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, Pinterest, Mastodon). - Scheduling posts for each profile separately. - Seeing a simple, unified calendar.
Where you’ll run into friction: - Analytics can be barebones, especially on cheaper plans. - Instagram direct publishing has some quirks (e.g., Stories and carousels may need phone notifications). - Some features—like user permissions or approval workflows—are only in pricier plans.
Pro tip: If you need deep analytics or complex team workflows, Buffer might not be enough. But for basic, streamlined posting, it’s more than fine.
Step 2: Map Out the Accounts You Actually Need
Don’t just connect every account you own. Think about: - Which platforms matter for your work or brand right now? - Are you managing both personal and work accounts? (If so, label them clearly.) - Do you need to separate clients’ accounts from your own?
Why this matters: It’s easy to end up with a cluttered Buffer dashboard and send the wrong post to the wrong profile. Fewer, clearly labeled accounts mean fewer headaches.
Step 3: Connect Your Social Accounts (Without Getting Locked Out)
Here’s how to add accounts safely: 1. Sign in to Buffer. You’ll land on the main dashboard. 2. Find the “Channels” or “Manage Channels” area. This is where you add new accounts. 3. Click “Add a New Channel.” Pick the platform (e.g., Twitter, Facebook, Instagram). 4. Authenticate. You’ll be asked to log in to your social account and grant permissions. - Heads up: Make sure you’re logged in as the right user in your browser. If you’re managing a client’s account, log out of your own first. 5. Repeat for each account. You can add multiple of the same platform (e.g., two Twitter profiles).
Buffer limits: The number of accounts you can connect depends on your plan. - Free plan: Up to 3 channels (could be 3 Twitter accounts, or 1 Twitter + 1 Facebook + 1 LinkedIn, etc.). - Paid plans: Allow more channels—double-check your plan if you’re hitting a wall.
Common snags: - Instagram “Professional” (Business) accounts can connect directly; personal IGs may require extra steps. - Facebook Pages are supported; Facebook personal profiles have limits. - Occasionally, platforms disconnect due to security or password changes—Buffer will alert you, but you need to reconnect.
Step 4: Organize and Name Your Accounts for Sanity
Once you’ve added everything, take a minute to label and arrange your channels. Otherwise, you’ll be squinting at tiny icons and guessing where your posts are headed.
How to make it easier: - Rename channels in Buffer so they’re obvious (“Acme Twitter” vs. “Personal Twitter”). - Color-code or group accounts by project if you’re managing a lot. - Set profile images—this helps in the calendar view.
Pro tip: If you work in a team, set naming conventions early (“ClientName – Platform”) so no one posts to the wrong place.
Step 5: Streamline Post Creation for Multiple Accounts
Now for the real reason you’re in Buffer: posting everywhere without copy-pasting all day.
How to queue up posts efficiently: 1. Start a new post. 2. Select one or more channels. You can pick which accounts a post goes to—no need to duplicate. 3. Customize per channel (if needed). Sometimes a post needs tweaks (e.g., hashtags on Instagram, shorter text for Twitter). Buffer lets you edit versions per platform before scheduling. 4. Add images, links, or videos. 5. Pick a time: - Use Buffer’s suggested “queue” times. - Pick a custom time if you want. 6. Schedule or send now.
What’s worth using: - Drafts: Good for saving ideas you’re not ready to schedule. - Calendar view: See everything at a glance, spot gaps or overlaps. - “Re-Buffer” feature: Quickly repost evergreen content (but don’t overdo it—repeat posts get stale fast).
What to skip: - Don’t bother with “Best Time to Post” advice unless you have a huge audience; it’s mostly guesswork. - Avoid posting the exact same message everywhere. It looks lazy and sometimes triggers spam filters.
Step 6: Manage Your Workflow and Stay Out of Trouble
Buffer’s meant to make your life easier, but it’s still possible to get tangled up.
Tips for smooth management: - Check which account is selected before posting. Every. Single. Time. - Use browser profiles or incognito mode if you manage accounts that need different logins. - Turn on notifications for errors or disconnected accounts—Buffer will email you if something breaks. - Review your queue regularly. Social platforms love to change their APIs, so posts can fail for weird reasons.
If you work with a team: - Only invite people to the accounts they need. - Use Buffer’s “approval” features if you want a second set of eyes—but know this is only on higher-tier plans.
Step 7: Pay Attention to Analytics (But Don’t Obsess)
Buffer gives you basic analytics: clicks, likes, comments, shares, reach. It’s useful for spotting what works, but don’t expect deep insights.
What to look at: - Which posts get the most engagement. - What times or days seem best (if there’s a clear pattern). - How audience growth looks over time.
What to ignore: - Don’t sweat small fluctuations—algorithms change, and sometimes good posts flop. - If you need advanced reporting, Buffer isn’t the right tool—use native platform analytics or look at something like Sprout Social.
Step 8: Keep It Clean—Regularly Audit Your Connected Accounts
Every few months, do a quick cleanup: - Remove accounts you no longer manage. - Double-check permissions—especially if people have left your team. - Reconnect any channels Buffer says are broken.
Why bother? Clutter and stale accounts make mistakes more likely, and you don’t want old staff posting to live channels.
Final Thoughts
Managing multiple social accounts in Buffer isn’t rocket science, but it does require some setup and ongoing attention. The key is to connect only what you need, label everything clearly, and keep your workflow simple. Buffer’s strengths are in its no-nonsense scheduling and the way it keeps you out of the daily posting grind. Don’t get sucked into features or analytics you don’t need. Start basic, see what works for your setup, and tweak as you go. That’s usually all it takes to keep social media from turning into chaos.