These days using social media plugins to promote your WordPress site has become as innate as…well, checking your Facebook multiple times daily. Luckily WordPress has empowered their users with a strong toolbox of social media plugins to automate and strengthen the social media marketing process.
Keep in mind though: not all plugins are created equal. Equally as important is to remember is to pick a few strong plugins and stick with them. Too many social media plugins will confuse—or piss off—your readers; people share content because they feel it is important to share, not because they are forced to share.
Since not all social WordPress plugins are created equal, and they can be difficult to sort through, we created you a handy list of the top 10 social media plugins available for WordPress:
1. Facebook Open Graph Meta in WordPress
This plugin is a doozy, and it will replace pretty much all the other Facebook-oriented plugins. By leveraging the Facebook Open Graph Protocol this customizable plugin allows you to control how your content it displayed on Facebook after it is shared. This replaces the need to add meta tags to each of your website’s pages, allowing you to be the puppeteer behind the scenes.
2. Facebook Social Plugin
If the Facebook plugin above allows you to be the behind-the-scenes puppeteer then the Facebook Social Plugin is the puppet. This front-and-center bundled plugin allows you to add a myriad of Facebook social spreaders to your page, including: the Like button, Comments, the Activity Feed, Recommendations and the Like Box. The Facebook Open graph Meta will then control how that content is displayed
3. ShareThis
Facebook isn’t the be-all, end-all of social sites—so it is critical to cover your social bases by including all social media platforms. ShareThis allows your users to easily share your content across all of their social profiles with one easy plugin. You can choose the appearance of the plugin to color-co-ordinate with your site, making it a popular plugin for its aesthetic appeal.
4. Twitter Follow Button
If you have put a strong focus on Twitter within your social media marketing strategy then you will love the Twitter follow Button. This will allow your website surfers to follow you on Twitter—right from your page, without logging onto their Twitter page. This cutting-out-the-middleman process can easily help build your Twitter following, which will ensure that your website updates are viewed in the future by your current surfers.
5. Social Metrics
Another behind-the-scenes wonder is the Social Metrics plugin for WordPress. Via this plugin you can easily see how your site(s) and page(s) are doing across the varying social networks. Paying attention to your metrics is important because it is the only indicator of what is working and what isn’t. By knowing what works you can increase your most significant social efforts ten fold—and leave the unsuccessful techniques behind. The Social Metrics plugin reads info from Facebook, Twitter, Google+ and Google Buzz, StumbleUpon, LinkedIn and Digg.
6.Social Profiles Widget
While WordPress offers you a healthy toolbox of instruments, they may be too cookie-cutter for your liking. With the social Profiles Widget you can create your own customized social media widget. The plugin offers you a variety of appearance options and works across multiple platforms.
7. BuddyPress
Hold the phone—you haven’t seen anything like this social media plugin. Instead of leveraging the usual social networks, BuddyPress allows you to create your own social network, based on your site. If you want to create, or extend upon a regular following then build your own social network. BuddyPress allows you to create your own activity streams, friend connections, extended profiles, private messaging, blogging, extension groups, and forums for discussion.
8. Smart YouTube
If you plan on using video media on your site (highly recommended) then Smart YouTube will streamline the process. This plugin empowers you to insert YouTube media into WordPress posts, your RSS feeds and comments. Your videos will be displayed consistently across your site and social profiles and is also customizable with video settings appearance, custom code compatibility, xHTML validation and RSS feed options.
9. Google Plus Connect
Google Plus is still in its infancy but is proving itself a viable social network, so include it. As a newer social network Google Plus isn’t yet incorporated into some other multi-platform plugins so it is important to include it via other means, like this plugin. This may also help with your Google ranking as Google Plus rankings are already being figured into SEO results.
10. Wordbooker
Consider this a plugin for lazy WordPress users, or users with a lot on their plate who are looking for a time saver. This automates the process by automatically posting your new WordPress content to your Facebook wall and your Facebook “Boxes” widget. This Plugin will integrate your Blog into Facebook easily.
WordPress has distinguished itself above the competition by providing its users with powerful plugins like the 10 listed above. By employing social media plugins on your pages you strengthen the community around your site, and encourage users to come back and ro recommend your content to their friends. By leveraging behind-the-scene tools you empower yourself with control and save time via automation.
Robin Wilding is a professionally trained Canadian journalist striving to bring journalistic-era intergity to online media. She has a second degree in Political Science--with a focus on International Relations and the developing world. Currently Robin is a contributor to several technology publications, including Brajeshwar.com, SocialTechnologyReview.com, HostingIndustryWatch.com, AnimationCareerReview.com and CompareBusinessProducts.com. She also works for several web developers; and does ghost writing for several high level executives within the technology sector. Robin's work is showcased in her portfolio: http://shownd.com/robinwilding
