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4 Cool Ways to add Social Media Buttons to your WordPress Website

By on July 25, 2011

Adding Social Media Buttons to your WordPress Website is an extremely important part of website promotion. You have to add the social media buttons onto your website so people can appreciate your content and easily share it with their friends. If you have not installed social media buttons then you are missing out on a whole lot of free promotion and neglecting the chance to enhance your social media profiles.

There are a few ways to add social media buttons to your WordPress website. One is to do it manually and the other is to install a WordPress plug-in. I have ventured down both paths and ended back at installing a WordPress plug-in to add social media buttons to my website. I have previously published articles about how to add a Facebook share button and  mentioned other plugins to use. However now I have new favorites.

Why use a WordPress plug-in to add social media buttons?

  1.  It is easy and quick and you do not need to know any coding.
  2. They always look professional and line up nicely.
  3. The big one is less stress trying to doing it manually.

3 cool WP Plugins to add social media buttons to your website

I have tested approximately 10 or more WordPress plug-ins that will add social media buttons to your WordPress website. Of course this does not make me an expert and I can only suggest these 4 ways to add social media buttons. I have previously added the code in manually for many different social media buttons which was a pain in the “butt” as each WordPress theme  demanded different customizations. Now I have narrowed my choices down to the Plugins that look great, encourage shares, and do not slow my blog down.

I have also included one manual way for Thesis fans.

Sharebar – Social Media Buttons

The Sharebar WordPress Plugin is by far the best sliding vertical bar I have seen to date. It is so easy to setup and use and can be customized in a matter of minutes. I also absolutely love the look of it and I am sure it does not slow down my website in any way. In fact you will be able to see it to the left of this post. Please feel free to press on the buttons and try it out! :)

Social Media Buttons

http://wordpress.org/extend/plugins/sharebar/

Socialize – Social Media buttons

I had a dilemma when I had to choose between this groovy WordPress plugin and the manual way I have mentioned below. Look how great this Socialize plugin looks. I just do not know why more webmasters are not using it??

  • Inside the content (aligned left or right)
  • In a box below the content

Take a look at the screen shot below. How cool does this Social Media sharing box look?

Social Media Buttons

http://wordpress.org/extend/plugins/socialize/

Sexy Bookmarks – Social Media Buttons

I have used Sexy Bookmarks and there is no doubt that it is cool, however as I do not believe it encourages sharing as much as the previous two WordPress plug-ins do. I am mentioning this WordPress plugin because I actually get a lot of questions asking what it is.

The fact that it is hiding is totally cool, but I think that having the buttons fully visible encourages sharing more.

social media buttons for wordpress

The last and most obvious way to add social media buttons to your website is to do it manually.

http://wordpress.org/extend/plugins/sexybookmarks/

Adding Social Media Buttons to Thesis Manually

I played around with code and wasted  time, then stumbled across an amazing tutorial by Nicholas Reese on how to add social media buttons to thesis. I grabbed this code and changed it to suit my website, adding it to the hook below the post, and changing the CSS. I also added a Google plus one button in.

  • Where it says $twitter= in the code you need to add your Twitter name after that like this $twitter=’wordpresswb’
  • I also added the Google plus one button into this code

Of course I need to adjust this further and possibly take the email button out and add other social media buttons that will work better for my website.

social media buttons

Conclusion on Adding Social Media Buttons

The WordPress plug-ins are fantastic when it comes to adding social media buttons to your website. Sometimes you have to give in and install a plug-in, as I know many people are trying to build their WordPress websites without adding heavy extras. At the moment my absolute favorite plug-in for adding social media buttons is definitely the sharebar.

Another one that looks great but I have not tried is WP Socializer. Be sure to check this one out if you are still undecided.

http://wordpress.org/extend/plugins/wp-socializer/

Which WordPress plug-in or manual method do you use to add social media buttons to your WordPress website?

About mitz

My name is Milica Pantic but everyone calls me Mitz. I am addicted to internet marketing and making money online. Who wouldn't want to live that life? I started out with one website as a hobby and now have over 20. Building websites and making money online is not that hard. You have to actually take action to make money...that is the biggest hurdle! :)

68 Comments

  1. Sudipto

    April 26, 2013 at 9:37 am

    Hey Mitz,
    Nice post and yes, social media sites are best way to promote our blog and helps to attracts new readers to our blog and drives traffic to our blog. Thanks for sharing this list of social media plugins. I am using socialize plugin on my blog.
    Sudipto recently posted..How do You Make a Video with Pictures

    Reply

  2. Wilfredo Diaz

    February 9, 2013 at 10:26 pm

    I particularly like how the bar scrolls on the side. I don’t see many bloggers incorporating it so it makes it unique. Thanks for the post.
    Wilfredo Diaz recently posted..Save Money On Your Mobile Wireless Service

    Reply

  3. Gie

    March 20, 2012 at 6:43 pm

    I use some social media plugin for my blog. Some time ago I tried to install some plugin social media, but many times even can not function properly because of a crash with another plugin that I use. I finally chose one of the simplest social media plugins that I use to share articles to various social media. Maybe I’ll try some of the plugins that you review this.

    Reply

  4. Mark

    February 19, 2012 at 4:47 am

    Hi Mitz -

    This is the article I was looking for six months ago!!

    In fact, it took me a couple of tries to get to the Plug-In I currently use, which is Sociable. (Though I was *definitely* looking for “Sexy Bookmarks” I now see.) I really like the way I have Sociable configured on my site now on each single post page, but it kind if “irked” me in a big way last month when an update caused a failure. They had added a vertical bar option at that time, and it seemed to crash with the latest version of WP. It works again now, though. In fact, I installed yet another update last night – while holding my breath.

    And hey – did you use the word, “groovy” above? Very retro… I like it! ;-)

    Quick status update: Had my first 200-visit day yesterday, now up *more* than 100% since I started optimizing (as best I can on weekends) based on your advice throughout this site. This weekend, I have to figure out how to use CommentLuv Premium to its full use if I can.

    So, we’re just gonna keep on truckin’… Remember that one? I hope not. I’m so old!!
    Mark recently posted..Hall and Stairway Trim Work – Low Maintenance Shadow Boxes

    Reply

  5. Medx Power

    February 16, 2012 at 12:45 pm

    Sharebar, socialize and sexy bookmarks are three nice plugins here to share content on web. But itslitle bit hard to find out the right one because each plugin has its own features. Thanks for sharing this!

    Reply

  6. Alaik

    February 7, 2012 at 7:06 pm

    Social media is best way to attract the visitor. Thanks for sharing these cool plugins. I tried several plugins. I highly recommend Sharebar. It works great because it is fully customizable. I like it because we can change almost every thing in Sharebar. I hope it proves one of best plugin for most blog templates. I want to know how I can add badges for Google+1 and LinkedIn.

    Reply

  7. Bryan Ring

    February 2, 2012 at 3:48 pm

    I actually love the DIGG DIGG plugin you shared somewhere, it may have been one of your videos. Attempted to use the SEXY share and it just seems to get in the way of what I’m trying to accomplish. I’m certainly not saying social sharing should be subtracted, this plugin hasn’t fit into my style. I love the functionality though.
    Bryan Ring recently posted..One Time Lawn Mowing

    Reply

  8. Ioana Moise

    January 22, 2012 at 7:02 pm

    i am using Sexy Bookmarks Social Media Buttons i love this its really nice in looking and easy in use
    Ioana Moise recently posted..Windows 7 Product Key

    Reply

  9. Dennis

    January 14, 2012 at 5:20 pm

    Hello Mitz,

    Good informational post her. I am using sharebar and had troubles to get the buttons lined up correctly. That’s how I found your blog. The sharebar plugin I think is great. I used to have buttons coded in my template (I do this myself) But this plugin is a lot easier to use.

    I am testing the sharebar on the left and the right to see if it makes any difference. What’s your take on that?

    Dennis
    Dennis recently posted..Focus Stupid! – Een Internet Geheimen Tip

    Reply

    • mitz

      January 15, 2012 at 6:21 pm

      I have tested a few different combinations and ended back on the left side. I have even tried moving the whole sidebar but nothing works as well as the left for me.

      Reply

  10. Alex

    December 23, 2011 at 3:24 pm

    Every SEO knows 2012 would be the year of social media so we must consider social media effect and develop a socially optimize website to generate more traffic from google and social media as well.
    I will add Social media add-ons manually.

    Reply

  11. Tobi

    December 18, 2011 at 3:39 pm

    I’ve tested a few, and as Benjamin says, there are way to many.
    Iike Sexybookmarks as it looks fantastic and really calls for action, while allowing you to choose which social sites to include.
    sharebar is also pretty cool, with its obvious advantage that it stays in your face all the time waiting to be used.
    p.s love the recommendation box, do you mind sharing with us on how to use it?

    Reply

  12. Latha

    December 15, 2011 at 11:39 pm

    Hi Mitz,

    I added Sharebar but it takes up the whole page.. How to customize it?
    Latha recently posted..My Online Income System Membership

    Reply

  13. Joseph

    November 11, 2011 at 2:39 pm

    I like the sexybookmarks button i will code this to my site later… keep on posting about WP.

    Reply

  14. Efe Altingunes

    October 24, 2011 at 10:14 pm

    I own a blog also and tried for a while to have a working one. At the end I realised that most f the codes on the web are not complete or just doesn’t work. So I made one that works for me and hope it will work for you. It is done directly from AddGadget from Layout. I wrote a blogpost that describes how to. Check it out if you need :) http://www.msuggestions.com/2011/10/how-to-add-floating-social-buttons-to.html

    Reply

  15. Max Gold

    September 29, 2011 at 11:10 am

    I love social media buttons, my readers could easily share my post to their own accounts, either on Facebook or Twitter. You will get to see how many like your post and have shared them to their own sites. It is just a great tool I must say.
    Max Gold recently posted..Nexus Pheromones Review

    Reply

  16. Bob Lipply

    September 27, 2011 at 3:32 am

    I use share bar because it places itself on the left side of my blog and it moves down the screen whenever the user scrolls down which really makes it accessible to my readers.

    Reply

  17. Ricardus

    September 19, 2011 at 2:40 am

    The share bar is comprehensive enough
    Ricardus recently posted..How to trigger ideas to write new article

    Reply

  18. Brett

    September 14, 2011 at 12:14 pm

    I am in the same boat as Dr Jeremy – How do you get the buttons to stay there?

    Reply

  19. Dr Jeremy Hunt

    September 8, 2011 at 1:57 pm

    Thanks for the great post Mitz! I am new to social media. How do you get all the buttons to stay on the screen like that? (even when you scroll they remain on the top right of the screen)

    Reply

  20. hp tablet pc

    August 28, 2011 at 2:46 am

    I don’t use his tools but prefer to go to their sites and post.using his tools are good but i just use bookmark folder in my Firefox that makes me more easier to post in those social network sites
    hp tablet pc recently posted..HP Slate 500 Touchpad Tablet

    Reply

  21. Robby

    August 27, 2011 at 6:37 pm

    Thanks for the reviews. I struggled trying to find a plugin for social media buttons. There are so many out there. I am currently using DiggDigg. I wish I would of found your post earlier before I pulled my hair out.
    Robby recently posted..Increase Bench Press Fast

    Reply

  22. Vikram

    August 24, 2011 at 3:01 am

    Thanks for sharing. I use Sharebar but sometimes FB count or Stumble count don’t appear :(
    Vikram recently posted..The Best Android Apps 2011 for Beginners

    Reply

  23. Danny Strampel

    August 22, 2011 at 8:21 pm

    I totally neglected social media buttons because I personally can not use most of them (China).
    But I am getting the sharebar right now.
    Gold as usual Mitz!
    Danny Strampel recently posted..Remington RM1015P 10-Inch 8 Amp Electric Pole chain Saw

    Reply

    • Danny Strampel

      August 23, 2011 at 5:43 pm

      I tried to do this, but couldn’t get it to look good.
      Wanted to add the Google +1 button, used a tutorial but still couldn’t get it.

      maybe I should try again when I’m in the Netherlands, at least the connection will be better.
      Great post anyway!
      Danny Strampel recently posted..Black & Decker NPP2018 18-Volt Cordless Electric Pole Chain Saw

      Reply

      • mitz

        August 24, 2011 at 10:12 am

        Hey Danny
        Are you talking about the sharebar? If so I am making a video on how to add the Google plus button in there.. Will be up soon..

        Reply

  24. Amani

    August 22, 2011 at 9:35 am

    How about adding a FB’s like button on each blog post? This is another cool viral way to promote a blog.
    Amani recently posted..Make money online

    Reply

  25. hello there

    August 22, 2011 at 3:24 pm

    I wonder if the wordpress can comment without giving personal info and can be protected to others( ex, IP address of other and stuffs like dat )
    THANK YOU

    Reply

  26. Alex Warren

    August 20, 2011 at 7:03 pm

    I haven’t gone the code route personally since I’ve been more than happy with plugins

    Reply

  27. deecoup

    August 20, 2011 at 6:56 pm

    Wow So nice and useful Social media plugin. I have created the blog. I will use this plugin in my blog. Thanks for sharing…
    deecoup recently posted..+1 button coming to Google AdWords

    Reply

  28. Azam

    August 15, 2011 at 10:24 pm

    I have launched a new blog and learned to install wordpress and some plugins.I am very hopeful,there is a lot of learning material on this blog.Later I will try this tutorial for learning purposes.
    Azam recently posted..Guidelines for Buying a Diamond Ring

    Reply

  29. weight loss

    August 15, 2011 at 5:18 pm

    I’m still searching for the perfect social plugin for WP. I’ve got a couple going on my blog now and it looks more than a little messy. I do have the G+ on my Follow Me, but I would like everything in one place. Surely there’s an answer out there. Will be following for suggestions.
    weight loss recently posted..By: Bio Oil « Phoenix Tradelinks

    Reply

  30. Benjamin Hübner

    August 13, 2011 at 7:04 pm

    After testing the different free Plugins, I really learned to love Sharebar!

    I´m using a premium plugin on a few of my Blogs, but Sharebar still gots the better design and options! (The other plugin offers a content reveal feature, thatswhy I´m using it still!)

    Now its time to see if both Plugins are wotking together on one blog!
    Benjamin Hübner recently posted..Google+ Plus Features and First Impression

    Reply

  31. name

    August 12, 2011 at 2:35 pm

    Hey there, this is definitely a great post and I’m gonna try these plugins on my personal blog. It just irritates me whenever I installed plugins that slow down my blog.

    Reply

  32. Jamal

    August 8, 2011 at 11:14 pm

    I think you should start a series of WordPress articles so that newbie and professional bloggers can learn from your blog.I think two plug-ins in a week will be the good start of this series.

    Reply

    • mitz

      August 9, 2011 at 2:01 pm

      I am thinking of something like that. Thanks for the feedback Jamal. :)

      Reply

  33. Benjamin Hübner

    August 8, 2011 at 2:37 am

    If someone is searching for alternative social buttons and icons, I recommend to take a look at the iconfinder website! Here are many icons related to social networks for personal or even comerzial use!
    Benjamin Hübner recently posted..Google Plus One WordPress Plugins

    Reply

  34. Christopher Roberts

    August 8, 2011 at 3:00 am

    I use AddThis on my personal site and on Technology Bloggers I use Digg Digg.

    I have used other things in the past, but they are my current preferences, as they meet almost all my social media needs :-)
    Christopher Roberts recently posted..AddThis

    Reply

  35. jared

    August 6, 2011 at 7:13 am

    Really like the Sharebar Mitz – going to add that one on the double. People don’t always have to read to the bottom of your post to get the info they wanted from it. Good to see that it isn’t a drag on your sites page loads too.

    I haven’t gone the code route personally since I’ve been more than happy with plugins.

    A couple of my favorites are AddtoAny and TweetMeme Retweet, although I have still yet to find one plugin with all the socialization possibilities I want that comes in a lite and user friendly enough package.

    I agree with Teresa about social media blindness. My solution for now is to simply add a colorful, terse line of text to post pages that reminds people that it’s a good idea to help their friends find my article if it’s as good as I think it is.

    And I did “feel free to press on the buttons and try it out!” Haha.
    jared recently posted..DUBturbo Review

    Reply

  36. Robert Tanner

    August 4, 2011 at 5:19 pm

    Mitz,

    Thanks for the great article! I had been searching around in the Thesis forums and elsewhere for the information you provided. I really like the sharing box look of socialize so I chose it (although I wish it had an email option like Sharebar). Thanks again for your excellent article!

    Regards,

    Robert
    Robert Tanner recently posted..Idea Quota for Innovative and Creative Solutions

    Reply

    • mitz

      August 4, 2011 at 10:24 pm

      It is not easy to sift through the posts on the thesis forum.

      Reply

  37. Rebecca

    August 4, 2011 at 6:13 am

    I’m using sexy bookmarks now and luv how easy it is to customize in the WP admin. Some plugins are buggy, but this one has worked on several different sites. Might check out some of the others!
    Rebecca recently posted..Does your raffle require a raffle license?

    Reply

  38. Khalid Irfan

    August 4, 2011 at 3:25 pm

    these are simply wow, have already downloaded the few for my upcomming website :)
    Khalid Irfan recently posted..Google Improved the performance of +1 Button

    Reply

  39. KBharath

    August 1, 2011 at 5:07 pm

    i use diggdigg plugin it works well and good for floating as well as inside the post social bookmarking buttons. from your list i like Socialize and Sharebar.
    KBharath recently posted..Samsung Giorgio Armani B7620 – Not Just a Branded Device, It’s Loaded With Relevant Features

    Reply

  40. Clara M. Smith

    July 31, 2011 at 7:41 pm

    Thanks Mitz! i just wanna adding flying social bookmark like this website, how you do this
    Clara M. Smith recently posted..How to Cut an A-Line Bob Hairstyle : Tips for Cutting Hair for A-Line Bob Haircuts

    Reply

    • mitz

      July 31, 2011 at 9:21 pm

      That is the sharebar. It is a WordPress plugin so you just go to install a plugin and search for it. Let me know if you need more details.

      Reply

  41. Julia

    July 31, 2011 at 12:11 am

    Thanks for this great information I love the first two plugins, so neat and tidy. :)

    Reply

    • mitz

      July 31, 2011 at 9:23 pm

      Same here. Love anything that is neat and tidy. I have a thing about aligning things, balancing, and so on.. Probably a mild case of OCD.

      Reply

  42. ben

    July 30, 2011 at 10:49 pm

    Until reading this post I was happy with Sociable for WordPress 3.0, after reading I think I’ll switch to sharebar. Well, once I find a new theme as I suspect it wont suite my current.
    ben recently posted..Spotify in patent row

    Reply

  43. Lynn Brown

    July 28, 2011 at 11:29 am

    Good info here Cory! I prefer the ShareBar and the SexyBookmarks. They look nice and seems to be a popular choice among other sites as well.

    Socialize looks interesting and maybe I will try that out. I will be happy to share this with my fans, followers and clients!
    Lynn Brown recently posted..Why I Am Pulling Up the Reins on Google+

    Reply

  44. James H

    July 26, 2011 at 8:46 pm

    Hey Mitz, I have never used Sharebar, and it surely looks intersting to me, i would certainly be using in all sites of mine as i use siocial media a lot to create awareness about them
    James H recently posted..new driver insurance

    Reply

    • mitz

      July 27, 2011 at 1:42 pm

      I do get some great traffic from social media sites. They are a great way to get free traffic. Love IT! :)

      Reply

  45. Gautam Doddamani

    July 26, 2011 at 11:27 pm

    i lyk sharebar. its the best floating widget after digg digg! :)
    Gautam Doddamani recently posted..Kaspersky Internet Security 2012 Final released!

    Reply

    • mitz

      July 27, 2011 at 9:05 am

      Same here!
      I used Digg Digg but I feel that this one is much faster!

      Reply

  46. Teresa Williams

    July 26, 2011 at 7:12 pm

    I particularly like the Share Bar. I find that users eventually become blind to some of the existing social media buttons. They see the same buttons at so many sites they don’t stand out. It would be nice to able to customize them a little so that they blend in to different themes.
    Teresa Williams recently posted..Baby Trend Double Strollers

    Reply

    • mitz

      August 2, 2011 at 11:08 am

      You are right Teresa
      We are getting blind to social media buttons. Sharbar is good because you can put it in different spots and edit the css very easily to brand it for yourself.

      Reply

  47. Jose

    July 26, 2011 at 2:37 am

    Hi Mitz, I have some wordpress blogs and I always use Socialize in them. I didn’t know Sharebar, I think I will give a try. Thanks for sharing this info.
    Jose recently posted..BlackBerry Torch 9800

    Reply

  48. danika

    July 26, 2011 at 10:11 am

    The great thing about wordpress is that there are so many plugins to save time and make things easier, I know that manually putting the social icons in, to a purest, might have some appeal, however I cant see any reason to do anything manually that a plugin will do for you with a few clicks! A plugin would definitely be the way I would go.
    danika recently posted..spy on text messages

    Reply

    • Dan

      September 13, 2011 at 4:38 pm

      I completely agree Danika. There are just so many plugins for WordPress, it makes life so much easier, and most of them are so easy to install. Its just about an absolute must for every site to have a social media bar and with wordpress theres just no excuse not too.

      Reply

  49. Ileane

    July 26, 2011 at 2:22 am

    Hey Mitz! Great advice – make it easy as possible for your content to be shared. It’s also a good idea to make sure your plugin is set up with your Twitter handle so that you get to see the @ mentions.

    Thanks!
    Ileane recently posted..The Three C’s Needed for Your Blogging Success

    Reply

  50. Benjamin Hübner

    July 25, 2011 at 11:50 am

    Thanks for sharing this! There are just too many social plugins out there, so its not easy to pick the right one!
    Benjamin Hübner recently posted..Onpage SEO Checklist

    Reply

  51. Jasmine

    July 25, 2011 at 4:03 pm

    Oh, these are definitely great plugins to add social media buttons to our blog. I like Sharebar the most. Very nice design and easy to use!
    Jasmine recently posted..Register Your Domain for Free with iPage (dofollow)

    Reply

    • mitz

      July 26, 2011 at 8:41 am

      Same here Jasmine
      I love the sharebar!

      Reply

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