CentrioHost Blog

Are you trying to go viral? Well, you don’t need to get millions of followers or views to make a successful blog or online business. You might be able to make a living with just a few hundred VIP Facebook followers. Or you might be able to sell enough seats to your online course with a smaller Twitter or Instagram following.

The point is, social media matters, but it’s important to not get discouraged just because you see other accounts with millions of followers, or videos with millions of views. Every business is different, so it’s more about how you use social media.

And that’s where WordPress social media plugins come in. You can choose from a wide range of tools, some of which help you build your following, while others are more suitable for getting the word out about your company. Most of the time you want at least one WordPress social media plugin. However, some site owners might find that two or three of them are ideal for keeping users happy.

What Types of WordPress Social Media Plugins Do You Need?

Each WordPress social media plugin serves a different purpose, so it’s important to understand what you’re getting into before installing a plugin. Although this isn’t a definitive list, the most common social media plugins provide some of the following functionalities and benefits:

• Social sharing buttons – These improve your online exposure since users find pages and posts they enjoy, then share them on social media sites.
• Social icons with links – These show customers that you have social business pages, and it allows them to click through and follow you. It’s one of the easiest ways to build your social followings.
• A social login page – A social login keeps your site more secure and minimizes spam from robots. It’s also easier for customers since they don’t have to make a completely new username/password combo.
• Social comments – The default WordPress comments system has no social aspect. So, if someone makes a comment on your post, it’s not going to prompt others to make comments. However, Facebook comments can be viewed on Facebook and your blog, spreading the conversation much faster.
• A social locking tool –  Some blogs and businesses restrict content with these tools. The user exchanges something like a social share or follow in order to gain access. It’s a great way to gain more followers.
• A social feed – This presents your Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter feed directly on your website. It adds more visuals to your site and gives a preview of what people can expect from your real social page.
• A social media poster – These types of plugins automate the social posting process. For example, you might have it automatically share your older blog posts to Twitter. Followers benefit since you’re always sharing content, and you don’t have to work as much.

Finding the Best WordPress Social Media Plugin in 2019

• Easy Social Share
• Social Pug
• Shareaholic
• Social Media Share Buttons & Social Sharing Icons
• MashShare
• Social Media Flying Icons | Floating Social Media Icon
• Super Socializer
• Revive Old Post
• Instagram Feed
• Sumo Share
• WordPress Social Stream
• Social Locker for WordPress
• Kiwi Social Share
• Social Warfare

You’re more than welcome to start testing out the social media plugins using the quick list above. Some people enjoy guessing and checking. However, we’ve extensively reviewed each of the plugins below and explained when they come in handy. We also talk about the pros and cons to help guide your decision.

1. Easy Social Share Buttons for WordPress

The Easy Social Share plugin sells for only $19, making it an absolute steal. Easy Social Share is used on the Host SEO blog, and we absolutely love it. Some of the reasons it makes complete sense for a blog like ours is because it doesn’t slow down the site at all, and you receive multiple tools for social sharing, follower counters, and email subscription tools. Therefore, you have the opportunity to build both your social following and email list following.

Several styles are provided with the plugin. For example, it presents a Mashable style and an Upworthy style, allowing you to mimic those types of websites. Along with a post view counter, wonderful social sharing analytics, and something called a subscriber booster, you can’t go wrong with the Easy Social Share Buttons for WordPress plugin. We’ve also found that the plugin developer is very responsive to comments and tickets.

Why You Should Consider This WordPress Social Media Plugin

• It costs less than $20, yet it provides far more features than most other premium WordPress social media plugins.
• You can link to your social media profiles.
• It lets you reveal counters for social media shares and the number of people following you on social media. (including Twitter shares)
• Create shareable quotes in your blog posts.
• It has a simple button for users to subscribe to your email newsletter.
• Share your top social posts to get even more people reading your content.
• View social analytics and metrics to see what type of content works best. Run A/B split tests on your social button placement.
• Choose from over 50 social network buttons, 28 display locations, 50 templates, and 25 attention-grabbing animations.

Possible Downsides

• Some might consider the first stages of setting up the plugin a chore. It’s a rather powerful plugin, but other plugins are easier to configure from the start.

2. Social Pug

Social Pug was developed by the team over at DevPups. They also created Opt-in Hound, which lets you build your email list. Beyond that, they also help co-develop other user registration and membership plugins on the repository. So when it comes to social and user interaction with your WordPress site, this is what these guys do!

Social Pug currently has over 40,000 active installs with an impressive 5 out of 5-star rating. You can check the reviews for yourself. People love this plugin because it is lightweight, won’t slow down your site, and has just enough functionality to give you what you need if comparing to other bigger plugins. They also have a premium version which offers a few more features.

Why You Should Consider This WordPress Social Media Plugin

• This plugin is seriously fast and lightweight.
• The UI and the icons have a great modern design to them.
• Includes social share counts (and yes Twitter is included)
• Offer different positions such as inline and floating

Possible Downsides