- One of the most effective ways of driving new readers to your content is through social media sharing. More and more, people are relying on social media networks like LinkedIn and Facebook and Twitter and Pinterest, etc. to find content to read. And many content curation services, like Flipboard, use social media shares as a barometer for what's hot, and what should be shared with the masses. To drive new readers to your site and keep old readers coming back, it's important to make it as easy as possible for them to share your content on social media.
This can be done by adding simple sharing buttons to each of your posts through a plugin. Here's the thing though. Because social media sharing is so important, and there are so many networks available, there is no one size fits all solution for how to add social media sharing buttons to your site. If you go to the wordpress.org plugin directory, you'll find thousands of social sharing plugins, and we even have a course outlining some of them here in the library called WordPress Plugins: Social Media Buttons.
Just like with your theme and your other plugins, what plugin will work best for social sharing will depend on your particular use. In some cases, an ultra simplistic plugin, like Webshare by Sami Keijonen will do the trick. That's the plugin I'm using in this demo site. In other cases, the sharing extension in Jetpack will be a better option. And in yet other cases, you may want to use a bigger offsite solution like AddThis, which is what I often use on client sites.
When picking a social sharing solution for your site, think about your target audience. While some types of sites attract people from Twitter, others attract people from Pinterest. Those two scenarios are different, and require different solutions. There are plugins out there to fit pretty much every need, and through experimentation, you'll be able to find the ones that fit your site the best.
Author
Updated
6/11/2018Released
8/17/2015Note: This course covers an older version of WordPress, which features the Classic Editor. Watch this course only if you are using the Classic Editor plugin or using WordPress 4.9 or earlier. Otherwise, watch WordPress 5 Essential Training, which covers the new Block Editor experience.
- Creating posts and pages
- Formatting text
- Publishing and scheduling posts
- Adding images, audio, and video
- Bulk editing posts and pages
- Customizing themes and menus
- Using widgets
- Extending WordPress with plugins
- Editing users profiles
- Configuring settings
- Getting new readers
- Keeping WordPress up to date and secure
Skill Level Beginner
Duration
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Introduction
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Welcome1m 30s
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What's new in 4.7?1m 45s
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1. Getting to Know WordPress
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What is WordPress?3m 30s
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2. Getting Started
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How WordPress works2m 34s
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Using the WordPress toolbar3m 28s
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3. Creating Posts
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Understanding posts1m 59s
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Posts vs. pages in WordPress2m 19s
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Creating a new post1m 38s
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Creating and editing links5m 37s
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Using categories and tags6m 10s
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Using revisions3m 30s
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Using post formats3m 52s
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4. Adding Images and Media
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Creating image galleries5m 30s
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Using featured images3m 44s
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Working with audio and video2m 18s
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5. Creating Pages
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When to use pages1m 59s
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Creating a page2m 4s
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Using page templates2m 10s
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6. Managing Content
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Navigating the admin panel4m 25s
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Using the Media Grid5m 11s
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Using attachment pages5m 44s
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7. Changing the Appearance of Your Site
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Introducing the Customizer7m 15s
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Customizing your theme8m 33s
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Using widgets6m 44s
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8. Extending WordPress with Plugins
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9. Users and User Profiles
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How WordPress handles users1m 34s
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Editing your user profile7m 42s
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Adding and managing users5m 33s
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10. Configuring Settings
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11. Getting, and Interacting with, Readers
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12. WordPress: Behind the Curtain
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13. Maintenance and Security
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Keeping up to date6m 59s
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14. Diving Further into the World of WordPress
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Going further with WordPress2m 29s
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Video: Getting new readers through social sharing