Most creators use Buffer to schedule posts. I turned it into a creativity lab — and in 90 days, my impressions tripled and my newsletter passed 1,700 subscribers.

After 12 years of working at Netflix, I assumed I knew how to handle content systems. But stepping into the creator economy was a different game. I needed more than a scheduling tool — I needed a way to capture ideas as fast as they came to me.

That’s when Buffer shifted from a scheduler into the missing piece of my creative process. With it, I built a system that turned scattered thoughts into consistent content.

In 90 days, I went from 3,500 followers posting sporadically to reaching 100K+ people every month. Here’s exactly how I did it.

How I turned my Buffer brain dump into a full content system

I tried every content planning method out there – spreadsheets, Notion databases, color-coded calendars. They all had the same flaw: they killed my creativity.

Rigid planning meant I couldn't capture ideas in real-time. I'd have a brilliant post idea in the shower, at Barnes & Noble, or during my morning coffee — and by the time I got to my "content planning session," it was gone.

In one week alone, I lost three potential viral post ideas because I didn't have a capture system aka I had them fully thought through but forgot my hooks and the structure I wanted for each post. One was about the time a Hollywood exec asked me for creator advice after ignoring my emails for years. Another was about how my film school friends now ask me for LinkedIn tips. Gone, because I was waiting for the "right time" to plan content.

That’s when I flipped how I use Buffer. Instead of treating it as just a scheduler, I turned the draft feature into my running brain dump.

Capturing ideas fast

The first shift was simple: stop waiting for the “right time” to plan content and capture ideas the moment they show up. That’s where Buffer drafts came in.

Here's my exact process:

The 3-minute rule: Any content idea gets captured in Buffer within 3 minutes of thinking it. No exceptions. Walking my dog? Voice memo, then straight to Buffer drafts. Middle of a meeting? Quick note, then Buffer draft.
A living library of ideas: I now have 50+ idea snippets in my Buffer drafts at any given time. Some are full posts. Some are single sentences. Some are just intriguing questions I want to explore.

Real example: I was making coffee one morning when I thought about how my Hollywood badges used to make me feel important. Three minutes later, I had a Buffer draft titled "CAA badge vs. creator audience." That random thought became one of my most engaged posts with 319 reactions.

Turning ideas into a weekly map

With dozens of ideas captured, I needed a system to organize them. I created a weekly content mapping template that turns brain dumps into strategic posts:

Monday: Industry insights and trends
Wednesday: Behind-the-scenes stories and vulnerability
Friday: Actionable frameworks and how-tos

This isn't rigid — if something timely happens (like SNL hiring TikTok creators), I post about it. But having themes helps me batch similar content and maintain consistency.

I use what I call the "batch and match" method. Every Sunday, I review my Buffer drafts and match them to the week's themes. A vulnerable story about workplace bullying? Wednesday. A framework for building creator audiences? Friday.

Testing and iterating in Buffer

Once posts were mapped, Buffer’s analytics became my secret weapon. I started A/B testing different hook styles using the queue feature:

Question hooks: “Every creator living your dream built their empire on ONE signature series”
Statement hooks: “I spent 12 years at Netflix, CAA, DreamWorks, and Lionsgate”
Contrast hooks: “CAA. Netflix. DreamWorks. Lionsgate. Those badges got me in rooms. My audience got me ownership.”

Contrast hooks increased impressions by 300%, proving themselves as the winner. Now I lead with tension in my posts.

But here's the real magic — the feedback loop. Comments on posts become new Buffer drafts. Someone asks how I grew my newsletter? That's tomorrow's post. Someone shares their Hollywood horror story? That's a new angle to explore.

The results from using Buffer became as a creative partner

By the time I’d finished my 90-day challenge, Buffer wasn’t just helping me publish more often — it was shaping the way I worked.

What started as a scheduling tool had become a creative partner, giving me the structure to stay accountable and the insights to grow my business.

How Buffer kept me accountable and fueled my business growth

One of the biggest surprises was how motivating Buffer’s calendar view turned out to be. Empty days stared back at me, daring me to fill them. Full weeks gave me the momentum to keep going.

That visual reminder was what flipped the switch. Seeing content lined up made me feel like a real creator with a system, not someone posting whenever inspiration struck.

The ripple effects went far beyond impressions. Buffer insights shaped everything in my business:

My top-performing content themes became modules in my Greenlight Yourself Bootcamp.
High-engagement posts validated course topics before I built them.
Comment patterns revealed what my audience actually needed.

The impact of these compounding efforts was clear: better content led to community growth. Community growth led to course sales. Course sales funded my creative projects. And it all traced back to those Buffer drafts.

How I used a 90-day challenge to triple my reach

I needed something to keep my writing consistent so I embarked on a challenge to see if I could really do it. I wanted to grow my audience, establish myself as a thought leader but also talk to people on LinkedIn – this challenge would give me all of this and more!

When I started this experiment, my numbers looked like this:

3,500 LinkedIn followers
500 newsletter subscribers
Sporadic posting schedule
No consistent engagement

My commitment was to post daily for 90 days using only ideas from my Buffer brain dump. No external planning. No overthinking. Just capture, organize, post, and learn.

Weeks 1-3: Finding my rhythm

I averaged 10K impressions per post. The brain dump method meant I never stared at a blank page. Posted about leaving Netflix, building without permission, and creator economy insights.

Weeks 4-6: Breakthrough moment.

A post about Hollywood disappointments (captured during a random Tuesday reflection) exploded — 2,833 reactions and counting!!. The key? It came from an authentic Buffer draft, not a planned "viral post."

Started getting 100+ subscribers per week. Each high-performing post included a soft newsletter CTA. Buffer helped me identify which CTAs worked without being salesy.

Weeks 10-12: The system became automatic.

Wake up, check Buffer drafts, polish one for the day. Creativity flowed because I wasn't forcing it. By day 90, I had months of content ready.

How you can build your own Buffer creativity lab

You don’t need a 90-day challenge to get started. The system works in smaller steps, too.

Here’s a quick way to set up your own Buffer creativity lab:

Quick start guide

Set up draft folders: Create categories for different content types (stories, insights, how-tos).
Make a weekly map: Pick three themes that align with your expertise and assign them to specific days.
Use the 3-minute rule: Capture every idea in Buffer within three minutes of thinking it — even if it’s just a one-liner.
Build a testing loop: Track which post types perform best, then double down on what resonates.

Metrics to watch

Don’t just look at totals. The most useful signals are:

Impression growth rate: Are you reaching more people week over week?
Comment quality: Are people sharing their own stories or asking real questions?
Newsletter conversion: Which post types drive the most sign-ups?
Time from idea to publish: The faster you can go from draft to post, the more authentic your content becomes.

Writing genius on demand

Buffer started as a scheduler. By the end of this process, it had become the engine behind my creativity — helping me triple my impressions, grow my newsletter past 1,700 subscribers, and launch a successful course.

But the most significant shift was in the way I worked. I stopped waiting for inspiration to strike and built a system to capture it.

Your next viral post isn’t hiding in a complicated content calendar. It’s sitting in that half-formed idea you’ll have at lunch, or on your commute, or mid-shower. The real question is: will you have a system to catch it?

Open Buffer today. Create a draft. Capture the idea bouncing around your head. Your future audience will thank you.

Jerrica Long

How Buffer Helped Me Triple My LinkedIn Impressions and Grow My Newsletter