Want to know if your social campaigns are actually working, or just spinning their wheels? This guide is for marketers, small business owners, or anyone running social campaigns who’s tired of guessing. Buffer’s analytics can help you get clear answers about what’s driving results—and what’s just noise.
Let’s cut through the hype and get practical about tracking and measuring campaign ROI with Buffer.
Step 1: Get Your House in Order Before You Open Buffer
Before you even log in to Buffer, you need to know what you’re measuring. “ROI” (return on investment) isn’t just a buzzword—it’s a simple formula: what did you get, and what did you spend to get it?
Decide what “return” means for you: - Sales? Leads? Website clicks? Newsletter signups? Pick one or two real goals. - Don’t get distracted by “vanity metrics” like likes or impressions unless they tie directly to your goals.
Figure out your investment: - How much are you spending? Include not just ad spend, but also time, tools, and creative costs. - Ballpark it if you have to, but be honest.
Pro tip: Most people skip this step and wonder why their “ROI” never makes sense later. Don’t be that person.
Step 2: Set Up Tracking Links (This Is Non-Negotiable)
If you want to connect social posts to real results, you need trackable links. Buffer lets you shorten and track links, but for proper ROI, you’ll want to use UTM parameters.
Here’s how to do it:
- Use a free UTM builder (like Google’s Campaign URL Builder).
- Add campaign-specific details: source (buffer), medium (social), and a clear campaign name.
- Example:
https://yoursite.com/landing-page?utm_source=buffer&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=summer_sale
- Paste these links into Buffer when scheduling posts.
Why bother? - UTM codes make it possible to see which posts and campaigns actually drove conversions in Google Analytics or your website analytics—Buffer alone can’t connect all the dots.
What Buffer tracks: Buffer’s built-in link tracking (with bit.ly or buff.ly) gives click counts, but not what people did after clicking. UTM tags fill that gap.
Step 3: Schedule and Tag Your Campaign Posts
When you’re running a campaign (not just random posts), you need to keep things organized.
In Buffer: - Use Campaign tagging (if you’re on a paid plan) to group related posts. This keeps your analytics tidy. - Write clear, descriptive post copy so you can spot the campaign in your reports later. - Double-check that every campaign post uses your UTM’d link.
Pro tip: Don’t mix campaign and non-campaign content if you want clean data. If it’s not part of the campaign, don’t tag it.
Step 4: Let Buffer Collect the Data (But Don’t Expect Miracles)
Once your posts are live, Buffer will start gathering: - Impressions (how many people saw your post) - Engagements (likes, comments, shares) - Clicks (if you used Buffer’s link shortener or your own)
What Buffer does well: - Shows which posts are getting traction - Lets you compare performance across platforms (Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram) - Lets you export data to dig deeper
What Buffer doesn’t do: - It won’t tell you about sales, signups, or anything that happens off social. For that, you need website analytics.
Don’t get hung up on reach or likes. Unless your goal is pure brand awareness, these numbers should be a footnote, not the headline.
Step 5: Combine Buffer Data With Website Analytics
Here’s where things get real: open up your Google Analytics (or whatever you use for website tracking) and look for traffic and conversions with your UTM parameters.
How to connect the dots: - In Google Analytics, filter by the campaign, source, or medium you set in your UTMs (e.g., source=buffer, campaign=summer_sale). - See how much traffic and how many conversions each campaign brought in.
Calculate your ROI: - ROI = (Value generated – Cost) / Cost - Example: You spent $200 (your time plus ad spend) on a campaign. It brought in $800 in sales from tracked links. - ROI = ($800 - $200) / $200 = 3, or 300%
Pro tip: Track all your campaigns the same way. If you’re inconsistent with UTM tags or Buffer campaigns, your data will get messy fast.
Step 6: Review, Report, and Ignore the Fluff
Once you’ve got numbers, look for patterns that matter: - Which posts or platforms led to real results? - Did some content flop? Don’t sugar-coat it—a dud post is just feedback. - Are you spending more time or money than you’re getting back? If so, it’s time to adjust.
Buffer’s analytics reports: - Export data as CSV and do your own math if you want. - For quick overviews, Buffer’s dashboards are fine, but don’t confuse “pretty graphs” with insight.
What to skip: - Don’t obsess over average engagement rates or “top posts” lists if they don’t align with your actual goals.
Step 7: Adjust and Repeat—Don’t Overthink It
You’re never “done” measuring ROI. The point isn’t to create a perfect spreadsheet—it’s to learn what’s working and do more of it.
Keep it simple: - Drop tactics that aren’t paying off—no hard feelings. - Double down on what’s driving results, even if it’s not flashy. - Review your process every few weeks, not just at the end of a campaign.
Honest Takes: Buffer’s Strengths and Gaps for ROI
What Buffer’s great at: - Saving time scheduling and organizing posts - Giving a quick look at what’s resonating on social - Helping teams stay on the same page
Where you’ll need more: - For true ROI, you’ll always need to combine Buffer data with your website analytics. - Buffer can’t track sales, leads, or signups by itself. - Free and lower-tier plans have limited analytics; if you need detailed reports or campaign tagging, you’ll need a paid plan.
What to ignore: - Don’t treat Buffer (or any social tool) as a single source of truth. Use it for what it’s good at, but cross-check with other data.
Keep It Simple, and Iterate
Measuring campaign ROI with Buffer analytics isn’t rocket science, but it does take discipline. Know your goals, use UTM links, keep your campaigns organized, and always cross-check Buffer’s data with your website analytics. Don’t get lost in the weeds—track what matters, skip the rest, and tweak as you go. That’s how you’ll actually improve results without losing your mind.