Swayy – Great Content Discovery Tool For Your Buffer Schedule

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If you’re a Buffer addict, like I recently became, you’re continuously looking for great content to schedule for your followers. This post showcases one of the best free online tools I know of for discovering great content – Swayy. Swayy will help you discover amazing content to consume and curate (share). This is the first of at least a two part series on Content Discovery – The tools and techniques for finding and sharing great content.

Why Curate Content?

Content Curation has evolved so much that I’m reluctant to even put Buffering into the same realm but that is what we’re doing in a sense, only sharing on social media rather than blogging. That is what Content Curation has evolved to. So why do we need to curate (share) other people’s content to begin with?

1. First, unless you’re the fastest and smartest blogger in the Galaxy, you can’t possibly create every bit of content your followers want and need. Sharing relevant content with your followers is adding value beyond your blogging ability.
2. Second, unless you’re one of the top one percent that can continue to grow without connection, you’ll benefit greatly by networking with your peers and sharing each other’s content is the first step.
3. Third, if you only share your own content, you’ll look like a self absorbed, spammy nutjob. You don’t want to look like a self absorbed, spammy nutjob – do you?

Okay, so now we know why we want to share other people’s great content, let’s look at the best tool for sharing on Twitter – Buffer…

A Little About Buffer

I’ve used Buffer off and on for a long time but I just recently upgraded and, Wow, it’s like the light came on. I wish I had jumped in deeper in the beginning because Buffer is really helping my social media shares. I no longer go into a “dormant” state during the week because I have no time left or my mind won’t function after work. I’m betting a lot of you can relate to that. I find great content on the weekends and schedule it throughout the week.

I even installed the Android App on my Galaxy S5 and I’m loving that as well. I run a handful of Twitter, Facebook and Google accounts and now it’s super easy to designate when and where my social shares go.

A Few Buffer Tips

• Don’t Buffer To Facebook – Facebook is a strange social media animal and doesn’t like content shared via third-party apps so it’s probably better to avoid using apps like Buffer for your Facebook account or page. I know it sucks but to get the most out of Facebook you need to be on Facebook. While on the topic, if you haven’t read Gary Vaynerchuk’s Jab, Jab, Jab, Right Hook^$ yet, check it out. You’ll learn how to share like a pro and use images that convert.
• Use @names – By default, Buffer grabs the article’s title and creates a link for you. I recommend you take it a step further and include the author and/or blog’s @name when sharing to Twitter. When on your desktop or laptop, clicking the Twitter share button should bring up the Buffer option and that often takes care of that. On mobile, however, I like to click the Twitter share button, copy the pre-populated tweet and then close the Twitter app without sending the tweet. Then I have to share the post via the Buffer app and paste that tweet inside the shared content area.
• Add #Hashtags – If there’s room within the Tweet, you can greatly expand your reach by including one or two of the most relevant and popular hashtags.
• Don’t Schedule Out Too Far – In case you haven’t noticed, times are changing faster than a screen door in a hurricane so we don’t normally want to schedule out a month into the future. There are exceptions to that, of course, but the content in question will tell you what’s appropriate.
• Automation Is Not The Answer – Buffering content is a fantastic way to fill in the gaps, ensure you’re sharing at the best time and sparing your followers from information overload BUT all of that should be supplemental. Seriously, if you’re not using social media to actually socialize and develop relationships you’re missing the point completely.
  Seriously, if you’re not using social media to actually socialize you’re a… via @HotBlogTips

  Click To Tweet

  Blasting links, even other people’s links, is wasting everyone’s time – including yours.

• Your Own Content Is Special – When sharing your own posts (And YOU SHOULD, don’t listen to those that say it’s being vain) take the time to create a great image for the share. You can still buffer your own content but I think it’s also a good idea announce your post using a fantastic image. Yep, now I have to link to Gary Vaynerchuk’s Jab, Jab, Jab, Right Hook^$ again.
• The Buffer Blog – Don’t forget about the Buffer Blog, it’s worth subscribing to and adding to your Buffer.
• RSS Feeds Is Here – Buffer now allows you to add feeds to your Buffer social profiles (up to 15 RSS feeds to each of your profiles) for quick sharing of your favorite blogs.
• Tweriod – Use Tweriod to help find the best times to put into your Buffer scheduling. For example, I know @HotBlogTips‘ bests times to post on the weekdays are 1pm, 2pm, 4pm and 5pm, 6pm and 7pm. I have those times setup in my Buffer scheduler for that profile.

Suggestions For Buffer

• I do wish the Buffer Mobile App would pick-up from the Twitter share links like it does on my desktop Chrome extension so I don’t have to share directly via the Buffer mobile app. Or at least populate the Buffer share with the Twitter button’s information so I wouldn’t have to click the Twitter share button to copy the tweet, including the @name .
• Partner with or buy Swayy to improve your suggested content.

Swayy Is Great For Discovering Great Content

Swayy has to go at the top of the list for finding great content to share and schedule into Buffer. Swayy helps you find the best content for your audience. Swayy actually has it’s own scheduler so if I wasn’t juggling a dozen accounts, I might just use Swayy without Buffer. Swayy uses a formula that helps you find the most relevant content to curate based on trends, topics (keywords), and reaction (Just guessing. Either that or Swayy can read my mind).

I get an email everyday and when I click the link I’m looking at a ton of great content waiting to share. Swayy isn’t another automated social share tool, it’s a content discovery machine!  If you haven’t given Swayy a try yet, check it out, there’s a free version and that’s the one I use. Swayy is still in BETA so if it says you need an invite, let me know, I have 3 invites left.

My Swayy Technique

For me, Swayy is the perfect content discovery solution but, honestly, I don’t use Swayy like it was intended because I need Buffer for multiple accounts.  Buffer allows me to schedule content with up to 12 social networks at once ( The Awesome Plan – currently $10/mo). I actually need a little more than 12 accounts but I’m not ready to jump up to the $50 business level yet.

1. So I open up Swayy in my browser and click the titles of the articles that look like they’d be of interest to me and my followers. I don’t share directly from Swayy.
2. Next, I actually READ or, at the very least, skim the article to be certain it’s worthy of sharing. This is important so we’re not blasting junk that no one wants to see.
3. Once I decide it’s worthy and for which audience, I grab the author’s Twitter handle (@name) if handy.
4. Then I click the Twitter share button. Since I have the Buffer Chrome Extension installed (on my desktop and laptop), I click the Twitter share link if the blogger or site admin had the insight to include social share buttons. If not, I have Buffer installed. The pre-populated tweet should include the blog’s @name (Again, if the blogger knows what they’re doing). I add the author @name (if different to the blog’s @name), then I include the right hashtag/s and, finally, I schedule it with Buffer.

That’s all there is to it, at least the way I go about it. There are a couple of extra steps but I feel that its important to show the author and/or blog owner that you’re sharing their content. That’s how we start, build, and maintain relationships. It’s just one of the first steps but it is an important one. You should never feel like you’re being insincere or self-serving by showing those involved that you’re helping them. If you do feel that way, you’re going to struggle getting any business off the ground, online or off. Follow the right people, don’t listen to losers, and believe in what you do and you’ll be just fine. 🙂 

Swayy Chrome Browser Extension

Swayy even has a Chrome extension. The Swayy extension is nice for sharing right from a page as well as finding similar online content. NOTE: The permissions of this app seem a little excessive in my opinion. They basically want access to all of your browsing history, on and off Swayy.

I don’t use the extension much myself but you can share directly from a blog post you’re on by opening up the Swayy App (extension). The interface is pretty cool giving you the Title, Link, suggested Mentions and even suggested hashtags. You can share to Twitter, Facebook (but don’t) and LinkedIn. You can share now or schedule it for later (Not via Buffer but using Swayy”s own scheduling feature). Once you share or schedule the post, Swayy will serve up a few more content suggestions in case you want to keep going.

In The Perfect World Buffer And Swayy Would Marry Each Other

As much as I’m loving Buffer, let’s face it, while their suggested content has improved it’s not at the level of Swayy yet. If Buffer and Swayy somehow partnered within the same app, we’d be looking at a very powerful content discovery weapon of mass sharing.

Suggestions For Swayy

• Find a way to populate the share using the Tweet Button content so we don’t have to search for the @names before we buffer the content.
• Rethink your browser extension/app permissions. Off Swayy browsing shouldn’t be a factor in determining suggested content to serve.
• Add Buffer as one of the shared service options.

Action Steps

• Sign-up For Buffer’s Awesome Plan (Currently $10/month) so you can manage up to 12 social profiles, add up to 200 posts, and add a second manager if needed. Hey, by the way, I’m NOT affiliated with Buffer, being paid to promote buffer or using an affiliate link – I just love the tool.
• Sign-up for Swayy’s free account and setup your topics (keywords).
  
• I recommend you subscribe to Swayy’s daily digest of recommended content to share (Click the gear icon in the left column of your Swayy dashboard).
• Schedule amazing content for the week ahead and work on increasing your value within your community. 🙂

There Will Be More On Content Discovery

I have a ton of other tools I use for content discovery (Finding great content to read and share) but, as usual, I’m going a little long here. I think I will break it up into at least a two part series, maybe three. Be sure to subscribe so you don’t forget to stop by next week for more great content discovery tools and techniques – it will be well worth it. 🙂

Need more on Buffer right now? Check out The Top 10 Secret Buffer Hacks and Features on the Buffer Blog. It’s over a year old but still loaded with cool Buffer hacks.

Over To You My Friend

Do you use Buffer? How about Swayy, have you even heard of it? I’d love to see your stories, comments or questions below in the comments. Don’t forget to add this post to your Buffer and include @HotBlogTips so I can thank you. 🙂

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