What does it take to get your posts shared on Social Networks? With over 250 million Tweets being posted every day and close to 4 billion items being posted on Facebook, there is definitely not a lack in volume of Social Media updates.
To make a larger junk of those being posted about your articles, one of the most important parts to focus on is the placing and options to share on your blogposts.
BrightEdge research recently published a piece a about exactly this. They looked into how sharing of your website can increase through prominently displaying sharing buttons.
What I found most spectacular was that sites with improved sharing options, can have 7 times more mentions on Social Media than sites who neglect it.
So I looked into some of the most powerful sharing plugins for WordPress out there and here are my top 10 finds for you:
1. Digg Digg – Your all in one Social Sharing bar
The first one is a very well known plugin called DiggDigg. After installing, you will have the option, to either put a beautiful floating sharing bar on the lefthand side of your posts or use a set of sharing buttons on the top or bottom of articles.
The plugin is one of the most updated ones in the directory and is constantly adding new features. It features some of the latest new sharing options such as Social Networking newcomer Pinterest and Buffer button.
2. Get Social – Easy to customize floating bar
Another great plugin that allows you to make it very easy for your readers to share your articles is Get Social. Whilst it doesnít allow for buttons before or after your content, it gives you a great floating bar on the lefthand side.
What I greatly enjoy about this plugin is how easy it is to add any other Social Sharing buttons, just by adding a code snippet to it. It is also looks great that you get the option to fade out the background and only have the buttons floating down.
3. ShareThis – Great sharing options and analytics
Of course, one of the most well known sharing plugin is the option from ShareThis. You have a great pool of options to choose for your display including a single icon, a series of icons or buttons, or a series of widgets with the number of shares or retweets displayed.
What also comes in very handy are the great reporting tools from ShareThis to help you understand better how your articles have been shared. If you are an analytics geek, this is definitely something to look into.
4. Socialize – Place sharing buttons wherever you want
Another great solution, if you are not quite after a floating bar is Socialize. The plugin is very versatile and allows you to place sharing buttons wherever it is most suitable for you in your articles.
The plugin also offers a great variety of the latest sharing options such as Twitter, Facebook, Digg, Reddit, StumbleUpon and other services.
5. Twitter Follow Button and FB Subscribe Button- Read only the most relevant news
Although strictly speaking of course not a wordpress plugin, I believe the two button options from Twitter and Facebook are nowhere near used as much as they could be.
A lot of times, when people arenít comfortable to make the step to sharing your articles just yet, a follow or click on the subscribe button might just be most appropriate. By collecting more subscribers, the chances of getting them to share future articles of yours will evidently also increase.
6. Slick Social Share Buttons – Super minimal sharing bar
A great Social Sharing option, if you are interested in the minimal taking up of space on your blog is this one called ìSlick Social Sharing Buttonsî. It has a very slick floating effect and gives your articles a very stylish look.
What is also great is that you can add the option to only have the buttons drop down after the big ìshareî button has been clicked. It certainly makes a great impression to have this plugin floating on your left.
7. AddThis – Sharing buttons paired with publisher analytics
Another amazing solution for making your blog more shareable is the plugin from AddThis. Similar to ShareThis, but slightly less focused on design, it gives you a great solution have trackable buttons on your page.
A big plus for AddThis is that it also includes automatic translation in over 70 languages. So if you have a great number of different people from different countries visiting your site, this might be of help.
8. Sexy Bookmarks – Complimentary sharing button for your blog
Another all star, that has to be mentioned for this list is a plugin called SexyBookmarks. I would say this plugin is more a complimentary tool to a floating bar like Digg Digg at the bottom of your articles.
It allows you to place a set of Social Sharing buttons at the bottom of each post, that can be extended to lots and lots of different options. Developed by Shareaholic, you will also have access to some fantastic analytics features by installing the plugin.
9. Sharebar – Easy to install sharing bar
Another popular sharing bar to add to your site is a plugin called ShareBar. Whilst it hasnít been updated for a while, it is still a solid option to create an easy to use sharing bar for your readers.
What is also very useful is that as you minimize the browser window, the buttons automatically change to be displayed at the top of posts instead of as a floating bar. Whilst the button options arenít immense the design is fantastic.
10. Social Media Widget – Make yourself easy to follow
As the last plugin, I want to highlight Social Media Widget. It allows you to easily add any Social Media profile in your sidebar and allow users to connect with you, wherever you are most present.
Whilst I prefer the original Twitter and Facebook buttons, this plugin is a fantastic solution, if you are in need for other Social Media sites, you want your readers to be able to connect with you.
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