7 Awesome Ways Buffer Is Doing Social and Startups Right
In a world where social tools are popping up (and falling down) by the dozens, it’s rare to find one worth championing. Well, I found one. It’s no secret that I love Buffer. It’s a product I use every day and a company I enjoy interacting with frequently. They’ve gone from an idea to over 2 million registered users in just 5 years. How’d they accomplish this growth? Here are 7 ways they’re building a company and social product like no other.
1) Great Company Values
While most companies have some type of values statement, few seem to do much more than draft one and hang it in a corner of the office where no one will see it. That’s not the case with Buffer. Their 10 values show through in everything they do. From the positivity they show in every interaction with each team member, to communicating with clarity, they truly embrace each of their company values.
They don’t just talk about defaulting to transparency in their values, they own it by being open about everything from salaries and operation costs to the challenges they face as they grow. They even have a blog dedicated to showing their journey to greater productivity and more transparency, which results in a happier work culture.
Buffer not only tells you their values but they show that they’re truly enveloped in them. Check out their 10 values in the graphic at the top and learn more about them here.
2) An Awesome Team
Every interaction with a member of the Buffer team is a great one. Even when I’ve had to contact them for support, the exchange has been a positive one.
Interactions with the Happiness Heros for support, feature suggestions, or weekly #BufferChat. Talking application development with their iOS developer Andrew. New features with Co-Founder and CEO Joel. Everyone is filled with enthusiasm and looking to make Buffer the best it can be.
Everybody at Buffer shows they’re truly dedicated to the product and the company through the wonderful interactions they have with everyone they touch on social. Take a look at the Buffer team on Twitter and you’ll see they really love what they’re doing.
3) Silly-Fast Response
When it comes to quick customer support, Buffer has it down. Customers expect fast response on social and Buffer makes it happen. By having a team distributed across the globe, Buffer can respond to customer requests quickly, no matter what time of day.
We expect fast response no matter how we contact the companies we work with. Sadly, that response is generally far slower than expected (if at all). It’s amazing how quickly even the biggest issues can be calmed when you get hear back fast from someone that really empathizes with your issue. Buffer understands this and ensures quick response no matter the reason for contacting them.
4) Going The Extra Mile Marathon In Customer Experience
When it comes to delighting people, Buffer is absolutely crushing it. They turn most every interaction with the product and the people into one of joy.
How many companies do you know of that send hand-written thank you letters to people just for simply participating in their Twitter chats? Buffer does. It may seem like a simple gesture but it’s one that means quite a bit. I was shocked when I received one in the mail, and found something so simple has built an even tighter connection between user and product (and the people that build it).
By putting thought into the customer experience and going the extra distance, Buffer is serving up an experience beyond the norm.
5) Brilliant Blog
Most companies have blogs. This is nothing different. What is different is that Buffer posts content you can really use. Each post is well researched and thoughtfully written. They’re filled with useful data to back the points being made. I’m constantly referring to and recommending them to my team, my entire company, and others online.
What really makes the Buffer Blog so great is that each post is packed with real, actionable advice. Rather than just a bunch of high-level thoughts on a topic, each post contains detailed information to help make you a better at what you do. Rarely will you find one that isn’t a must-read.
6) Openness
So many people talk about their company being open and transparent. Are they really? Buffer sure is. In addition to sharing monthly reports on registered users, revenue, and more, they also share insights into how the company is managed and more on the Buffer Open blog.
Openness isn’t just about being transparent either. It’s also about openly recognizing that your product could be better and working to make it happen. The Buffer UserVoice allows anyone to give feedback and others to vote on which suggestions they support the most. They actively manage and respond to user suggestions and help to make many of them a reality. One of the most popular for some time was the ability to post to Pinterest. That’s recently become a reality thanks in part to so many users showing it was important to them through the feedback site and Buffer being open to taking user feedback.
7) An Awesome Product
Last but certainly not least, Buffer makes awesome products! I use Buffer countless times every day to help share items across more than a dozen social accounts. The Buffer team puts a ton of thought into every aspect of customer interactions and usage, and it really shows, with a product that’s powerful while remaining simple, uncluttered, and streamlined. It’s so awesome, that’s even what they called the paid plan.
Buffer doesn’t only make sharing simple but it also makes surfacing the best performing content, resharing, and reporting a breeze. As the product continues to grow, the features we’ve seen added are implemented in ways that haven’t bloated it like some others. User experience always leads the way and using each new addition is as simple as scheduling your first post. It really is something almost everyone on social can use. If you haven’t tried it out, I can’t recommend it enough. Give Buffer a try.
Bravo For Buffer
Buffer is doing far more than simply building a useful product. They’ve created a company, culture, and team that delights in everything they do. From values and product to support and experience, they’re finding the best ways to build a brand that people want to use, interact with, and be part of.
If you don’t currently, be sure to check out the Buffer Social blog, Buffer Open, and the Buffer Overflow blog for all types of great insight, inspiration, and more. And if you haven’t tried Buffer yet, you really should give it a run. It makes social sharing super simple while giving you the power to post when you’ll see the best response. See why myself and many others love Buffer so much.
Graphic credit: Buffer
