How Buffer Grew from a College Room Startup to a $5 Million Business
Founded in 2010, Buffer is now a well-known social media management platform generating $5 million annually. Its growth is a testament to persistence, creativity, and a willingness to adapt. Here’s how Buffer achieved this remarkable success:
1. Launching the Initial Product (November 2010)
- The Beginning:
- Buffer was launched in a college dorm room in the UK as a simple app for scheduling tweets.
- Joel Gascoigne handled coding, while Leo Widrich focused on marketing.
- The Challenge:
- Despite pitching to tech sites of all sizes, no one showed interest in covering their product.
2. Building Through Blogging
- Starting a Blog:
- Faced with rejection, Leo decided to create their own blog, writing 350 articles in nine months to build an audience.
- Revisiting Outreach:
- With a library of content, Leo reached out to other sites, offering similar articles tailored to their readers.
- The Result:
- This content strategy brought over 100,000 users to Buffer within 10 months.
3. Moving to Silicon Valley (July 2011)
- Relocation:
- The team moved from the UK to Silicon Valley, joining the startup incubator AngelPad.
- Funding Struggles:
- Despite 88% of investors turning them down, Buffer raised $400,000 in funding within six months.
4. Expansion to Other Platforms (2012)
- Adding Social Networks:
- Initially designed for Twitter, Buffer expanded to include Facebook, LinkedIn, and Google+.
- Shifting Content Focus:
- Their blog broadened its scope to cover social media marketing as a whole, leading to double the average shares per article.
5. Overcoming Google Penalties
- The Widget Strategy:
- Buffer created a widget for bloggers, aiming to build backlinks.
- Over 3,000 bloggers embedded the widget, but the artificial backlinks led to Google blacklisting Buffer.
- The Fix:
- Buffer removed the Robots.txt noindex directive for the offending URL, and Google restored their ranking.
- A New Strategy:
- They pivoted to creating high-quality, engaging content that naturally attracted backlinks.
- They began updating their blog almost daily, further boosting organic traffic and authority.
6. Reaching Major Milestones
- User Growth:
- By September 2013, Buffer had 1 million users, with 16,000 paying customers.
- Content Strategy:
- Their consistent blogging and focus on actionable, relevant content kept their audience engaged and coming back.
Key Takeaways from Buffer’s Journey
- Persistence Pays Off:
- When traditional marketing channels didn’t work, Buffer built their own blog to connect with their audience.
- Content is King:
- By creating valuable, shareable content, Buffer grew their user base and became a trusted voice in social media marketing.
- Adaptability Matters:
- From pivoting their link-building strategy to expanding beyond Twitter, Buffer adapted to challenges and opportunities.
- Global Perspective:
- Despite setbacks like visa issues, relocating to Tel Aviv and embracing a remote work culture helped Buffer thrive.
- Focus on Value:
- Expanding their platform to multiple social networks and providing actionable insights through their blog ensured long-term user engagement.
Today, Buffer’s story is not just one of perseverance but also of strategic thinking and adaptability. From its humble beginnings, it has grown into a trusted tool for individuals and businesses worldwide.
Source: Cognitiveseo.com