What Is Zapier? (In Plain English)
Zapier is a tool that connects different apps so they can talk to each other automatically. Think of it as a middleman that watches for things to happen in one app, then takes action in another.
For example: "When I finish a job in my scheduling tool (Calendly), Zapier automatically sends a text asking for a Google review." Or: "When I publish a new blog post, Zapier automatically creates a scheduled post in Buffer for Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn."
Each automation in Zapier is called a "Zap." Every Zap has two parts: a Trigger (the thing that starts the automation) and an Action (what happens as a result).
💡 You don't need to code anything. Zapier's visual builder walks you through connecting apps step by step. If you can fill out a form, you can build a Zap.
Getting Started: Your First 10 Minutes in Zapier
Create your free Zapier account
Go to zapier.com and sign up with your email. Free plan: 100 tasks/month, 5 active Zaps. Paid plans start at $19.99/month for 750 tasks and unlimited Zaps.
Connect your apps
Go to "My Apps" → search for each tool you use → click Connect → log in and authorize. Start with Buffer and your booking tool (Calendly, Acuity, etc.).
Build your first Zap
Click "Create Zap" → choose a Trigger app and event → choose an Action app and event → map the data fields → name your Zap → turn it on.
7 Zaps Every Small Business Should Set Up
These are the automations with the highest ROI for local businesses. Start with Zap #1 and work your way down.
When you publish a new blog post or Google Business update, Zapier reads your RSS feed and automatically creates a post in Buffer with the article title and link. Buffer then schedules it to go out at your next scheduled time slot.
This is especially powerful for businesses that publish weekly tips, seasonal advice, or local content. Write the article once, it automatically appears on all your social channels.
When a booking is completed, Zapier waits 2 hours, then sends a personalized message asking for a Google review. The message includes the customer's first name and a direct link to your review form.
This is consistently one of the highest-ROI automations we've seen for local businesses. Most of our clients go from 2–3 reviews/month to 8–15 reviews/month with this single Zap. For full instructions, see our complete Google reviews automation guide →
When you receive a 4 or 5-star Google review, Zapier automatically creates a draft post in Buffer with the review text. You (or a team member) reviews it quickly and hit publish.
This isn't fully automated, you still approve each post, but it removes the manual work of noticing new reviews and formatting them for social. Most business owners spend 30 seconds per review instead of never posting reviews at all.
When someone joins your email list, they're automatically added to a Facebook Custom Audience. This lets you run targeted Facebook ads specifically to people who are already interested in your business, one of the most cost-effective ad audiences available.
This is more advanced, but if you run any Facebook ads at all, it dramatically improves your targeting.
When you post to Instagram, Zapier automatically creates a matching post on your Facebook Business Page. This is particularly useful if you primarily use Instagram but want to maintain a presence on Facebook without extra work.
Note: You can also do this natively in Meta Business Suite (link your accounts in settings) without needing Zapier. Use the Zapier version if you need more customization control over the Facebook post.
Every time a post publishes through Buffer, a new row is added to a Google Sheet with the date, platform, caption, and link. This creates an automatic content archive.
Why this matters: after 3–6 months, you can look at your spreadsheet and see which posts performed best, identify patterns in your best content, and stop repeating topics you've already covered.
When someone fills out a Facebook Lead Ad form, Zapier instantly sends an email or Slack notification to your team with the lead's details, and adds them as a contact in your CRM (like HubSpot's free tier).
Studies show leads contacted within 5 minutes are 100× more likely to convert. This Zap ensures no lead sits in Facebook's lead manager for days before someone notices it.
Screenshot placeholder: Zapier's Zap builder interface
Zapier Pricing: What You Need for These Zaps
The good news: most of these Zaps work on Zapier's free plan, which gives you 100 tasks/month and 5 active Zaps. For most small businesses just starting out, this is enough.
If you need Zaps with filters (like "only send review requests to 4–5 star reviews") or multi-step Zaps with more than one action, you'll need the Starter plan at $19.99/month. Given the ROI of even one working review automation, this pays for itself quickly.
Frequently Asked Questions
What to Automate Next →
Start Connecting Your Tools Today
Zapier's free plan lets you run 5 automations with 100 tasks/month. That's enough to start getting more reviews, sharing blog posts automatically, and capturing leads without lifting a finger.
Try Zapier Free → Pair with Buffer →