diff --git a/include/cppkafka/buffer.h b/include/cppkafka/buffer.h
index 6c6d0f9..83edd74 100644
--- a/include/cppkafka/buffer.h
+++ b/include/cppkafka/buffer.h
@@ -40,6 +40,10 @@ namespace cppkafka {
  * 
  * This is only a view, hence you should convert the contents of a buffer into
  * some other container if you want to store it somewhere. 
+ *
+ * If you're using this to produce a message, you *need* to guarantee that the
+ * pointer that this buffer points to will still until the call to Producer::produce
+ * returns.
  */
 class Buffer {
 public:
@@ -62,6 +66,17 @@ public:
         static_assert(sizeof(T) == 1, "Buffer must point to elements of 1 byte");
     }
 
+    /**
+     * \brief Construct a buffer from a const string ref
+     *
+     * Note that you *can't use temporaries* here as they would be destructed after
+     * the constructor finishes.
+     */
+    Buffer(const std::string& data); 
+
+    // Don't allow construction from temporaries
+    Buffer(std::string&&) = delete;
+
     Buffer(const Buffer&) = delete;
     Buffer(Buffer&&) = default;
     Buffer& operator=(const Buffer&) = delete;
diff --git a/include/cppkafka/producer.h b/include/cppkafka/producer.h
index d7ad4dc..834e931 100644
--- a/include/cppkafka/producer.h
+++ b/include/cppkafka/producer.h
@@ -70,11 +70,10 @@ class TopicConfiguration;
  * string payload = "some payload";
  *
  * // Write a message into an unassigned partition
- * producer.produce(topic, Partition(), Buffer(payload.data(), payload.size()));
+ * producer.produce(topic, Partition(), payload);
  *
- * // Write using a key
- * producer.produce(topic, Partition(), Buffer(payload.data(), payload.size()),
- *                  Buffer(key.data(), key.size()));
+ * // Write using a key on a fixed partition (42)
+ * producer.produce(topic, 42, payload, key);
  * 
  * \endcode
  */
diff --git a/src/buffer.cpp b/src/buffer.cpp
index b2b4d63..e4a1cc2 100644
--- a/src/buffer.cpp
+++ b/src/buffer.cpp
@@ -38,6 +38,11 @@ Buffer::Buffer()
 
 }
 
+Buffer::Buffer(const string& data) 
+: Buffer(data.data(), data.size()) {
+
+}
+
 const Buffer::DataType* Buffer::get_data() const {
     return data_;
 }
diff --git a/tests/consumer_test.cpp b/tests/consumer_test.cpp
index f5a6f59..0741644 100644
--- a/tests/consumer_test.cpp
+++ b/tests/consumer_test.cpp
@@ -118,7 +118,7 @@ TEST_F(ConsumerTest, AssignmentCallback) {
     Producer producer(make_producer_config());
     Topic topic = producer.get_topic(KAFKA_TOPIC);
     string payload = "Hello world!";
-    producer.produce(topic, partition, Buffer(payload.data(), payload.size()));
+    producer.produce(topic, partition, payload);
     runner.try_join();
 
     // All 3 partitions should be ours
@@ -173,7 +173,7 @@ TEST_F(ConsumerTest, Rebalance) {
     Producer producer(make_producer_config());
     Topic topic = producer.get_topic(KAFKA_TOPIC);
     string payload = "Hello world!";
-    producer.produce(topic, partition, Buffer(payload.data(), payload.size()));
+    producer.produce(topic, partition, payload);
     runner1.try_join();
     runner2.try_join();
 
@@ -215,7 +215,7 @@ TEST_F(ConsumerTest, OffsetCommit) {
     Producer producer(make_producer_config());
     Topic topic = producer.get_topic(KAFKA_TOPIC);
     string payload = "Hello world!";
-    producer.produce(topic, partition, Buffer(payload.data(), payload.size()));
+    producer.produce(topic, partition, payload);
     runner.try_join();
 
     ASSERT_EQ(1, runner.get_messages().size());
diff --git a/tests/producer_test.cpp b/tests/producer_test.cpp
index b9abc03..a718874 100644
--- a/tests/producer_test.cpp
+++ b/tests/producer_test.cpp
@@ -114,7 +114,7 @@ TEST_F(ProducerTest, OneMessageOnFixedPartition) {
     Producer producer(make_producer_config());
     Topic topic = producer.get_topic(KAFKA_TOPIC);
     string payload = "Hello world! 1";
-    producer.produce(topic, partition, Buffer(payload.data(), payload.size()));
+    producer.produce(topic, partition, payload);
     runner.try_join();
 
     const auto& messages = runner.get_messages();
@@ -145,8 +145,7 @@ TEST_F(ProducerTest, OneMessageUsingKey) {
     Topic topic = producer.get_topic(KAFKA_TOPIC);
     string payload = "Hello world! 2";
     string key = "such key";
-    producer.produce(topic, partition, Buffer(payload.data(), payload.size()),
-                     Buffer(key.data(), key.size()));
+    producer.produce(topic, partition, payload, key);
     runner.try_join();
 
     const auto& messages = runner.get_messages();
@@ -176,8 +175,7 @@ TEST_F(ProducerTest, MultipleMessagesUnassignedPartitions) {
     for (size_t i = 0; i < message_count; ++i) {
         string payload = payload_base + to_string(i);
         payloads.insert(payload);
-        producer.produce(topic, {} /*unassigned partition*/, 
-                         Buffer(payload.data(), payload.size()));
+        producer.produce(topic, {} /*unassigned partition*/, payload);
     }
     runner.try_join();
 
@@ -222,8 +220,7 @@ TEST_F(ProducerTest, Callbacks) {
 
     Producer producer(move(config));
     Topic topic = producer.get_topic(KAFKA_TOPIC, topic_config);
-    producer.produce(topic, {}, Buffer(payload.data(), payload.size()),
-                     Buffer(key.data(), key.size()));
+    producer.produce(topic, {}, payload, key);
     producer.poll();
     runner.try_join();
 
@@ -265,8 +262,7 @@ TEST_F(ProducerTest, PartitionerCallbackOnDefaultTopicConfig) {
 
     Producer producer(move(config));
     Topic topic = producer.get_topic(KAFKA_TOPIC);
-    producer.produce(topic, {}, Buffer(payload.data(), payload.size()),
-                     Buffer(key.data(), key.size()));
+    producer.produce(topic, {}, payload, key);
     producer.poll();
     runner.try_join();
 
@@ -301,8 +297,7 @@ TEST_F(ProducerTest, ConnectUsingZookeeper) {
     Topic topic = producer.get_topic(KAFKA_TOPIC);
     string payload = "Hello world! 2";
     string key = "such key";
-    producer.produce(topic, partition, Buffer(payload.data(), payload.size()),
-                     Buffer(key.data(), key.size()));
+    producer.produce(topic, partition, payload, key);
     runner.try_join();
 
     const auto& messages = runner.get_messages();