While there are different ways to accomplish that task, this article will focus on adding this functionality via WordPress plugins.
Each WordPress social media and sharing icon plugin offers a different look to their icons. Some possess different features, such as floating or sticky icons. Others include multiple social media icon designs within the single plugin download so you can choose what you want and, as your theme changes over the years, you can switch out the look of your icons without having to find a new plugin that offers a matching style.
Social Media and Share Icons by Ultimately Social
Are you already tired of combing through plugins looking for the perfect look to match your site? If so, take a peek at this plugin. There are sixteen different designs so finding something that fits your theme shouldn’t be difficult. This plugin provides icons for RSS, email, Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, Instagram, LinkedIn, YouTube, and 200 other social media platforms. If you don’t see an icon set that you like, there is even the option to upload your own.
Social Media and Share Icons Fast Facts:
- There are sixteen different social media icon designs to match a variety of themes
- One social media icon can possess multiple actions
- Enable social media icon animation to make readers notice them
- Sticky or floating social icons
- Add “counts” so your readers can see how many times a post has been shared or liked
- Display your icons at the end of every post to snag more shares and likes
Social Media Flying Icons by Acurax
This powerful set of icons features thirty different designs, a way to instantly resize them all, plus drag and drop to tweak their display order. Only the big social media players are available. You will find Twitter, Facebook, Google+, Pinterest, YouTube, LinkedIn, and Instagram.While most social media icon plugins provide the ability to add your icons to your posts, pages, and sidebar widgets, this pack lets you insert the icons from within the middle of your posts.
Social Media Flying Icons Fast Facts:
- Choose from thirty different social media icons
- Drag and drop to reorder your icons
- Choose from different sizing options to make any of the included icon sets fit your site
- Use as widgets or from within a post or page and even in-between content
- Only major social networks are supported
- Enable or disable the floating option
Social Media Share Buttons | MashShare By René Hermenau
MashShare Fast Facts:
- Includes video tutorial for easy setup
- Premium option to extend the functionality (and add in extra networks)
- Only loads the JavaScript and php object functions it needs
- Sprinkle into your content using the MashShare shortcode
- Includes share counts
- Integrates with All in One SEO Pack and WordPress SEO by Yoast
They call themselves the world’s leading all-in-one Content Amplification Platform. It’s easy to see why. More than a simple sharing plugin, Shareaholic includes related content recommendations so your readers will see related content that they will also love. There’s also following, social analytics, and site monetization apps like affiliate links, promoted content, and native ads. It can work hand-in-hand with the Shareaholic app but is not necessary to achieve basic shares and follows.
Shareaholic Fast Facts:
- Social sharing and follows
- Includes related content suggestions to increase time spent on page
- Formerly known as Sexy Bookmarks
- Easily decide where you want your icons to appear with a simple click
- View your social sharing activity
- Include ads to monetize your travel blog or choose where you want sponsored content to appear
WP Font Awesome Share Icons by Spyros Vlachopoulos
Simple, lightweight, and easy to configure, the WP Font Awesome Share Icons include social network faves like Twitter, Facebook, Pinterest, LinkedIn, Tumblr, email, and more. There is no complicated code to add. Enable or disable the different networks based on what you need. There are multiple sizes and different styles like rounded, square, or simple. Drag and drop them into place in the order you want to appear on your travel site.
- WP Font Awesome Share Icons Fast Facts:
- Drag and drop ordering so you can arrange them easily
- Enable or disable whatever networks you want (or don’t want)
- Choose from square, circular, or simple icons
- An assortment of sizes ensures a perfect fit
- Use icons on your posts, pages, or widgets (with shortcode)
Premium Social Sharing Icons
With so many free WordPress social sharing plugins, why would anyone resort to a premium plugin? There is no one reason. Just like snowflakes, fingerprints, and calico cats, no two are alike.
Some people have specific options they want included within their plugin. It could be that they want social networks that aren’t typically included in the freebie WordPress plugins or perhaps they want a style that is different from the rest. If you haven’t found the type of sharing icons you want, consider the premium options below.
Many WordPress share and like buttons slow down sites. Some slow it down more than others which is why it is so important to test those site load times before committing. This premium WordPress plugins promises to keep your site slowdown to a minimum. Sites supported by this social sharing plugin include: Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, Google+, LinkedIn, Delicious, StumbleUpon, Reddit, Buffer and vkontakte.ru, in addition to an email sharing button.
Ultimate Social Fast Facts:
- Control the color, size, position, and appearance of the social icons
- Lightweight for faster load times
- Works with plugins that include WooCommerce, Jigoshop and Easy Digital Downloads
- Advanced settings allow you to increase the dimensions of a social sharing popup
- Insert the icons into posts or pages automatically or use shortcodes
- More than eight different skins to change the look of the icons
Monarch Fast Facts:
- More than thirty-five social networks to choose among
- Use shortcodes to place your buttons in any widget
- There are three button shapes, five sidebar button hover effects, and four inline button hover effects
- Decide if you want to highlight the network names and/or the individual or total share or follower counts
- Vertical or horizontal orientation
- Use the traditional social network colors or choose your own
Easy Social Share Buttons for WordPress
If you want options, and sleek social media icons, take a look at Easy Social Share Buttons. This premium plugin is mobile optimized and features more than forty-five templates so you can choose the style that best fits your travel blog. Make your selections from one simple screen in the dashboard where you can control everything with a few simple clicks.
Easy Social Share Buttons Fast Facts:
- More than forty-five social networks included
- Choose from twenty-seven different placement areas
- There are multiple counter styles so you can choose what works the best on your site
- Show off your social counters or not, the choice is yours
- Use animations to attract your readers eye
- One click styles
Have a lot of social network activity? Then Hello Followers could be for you. This WordPress plugin supports thirty different social networks. There are sixteen different looks to decide on with multiple columns and a style customizer. Use a shortcode, a widget, or the Visual Composer element to put the icons where you need them the most.
Hello Followers Fast Facts:
- Discover more than thirty of your favorite social networks
- Select from an assortment of sixteen different templates for light or dark backgrounds
- Choose if you would prefer to display the icons with or without spaces between the buttons
- Single row or six column display
- Pick one color or go with multi color mode
- Use the shortcode to display it wherever you want or use the widget
Social Share and Locker Pro WordPress Plugin
How do you want to display your social networks? If you would like to use a specific template, you have that option. If you would like to choose a horizontal or vertical position, if you want to include the name of the social network or the social counts, you can do that too. You can choose to hide the buttons for those accessing your site from a mobile device if you so desire.
Installing Social Media Like and Share Plugins
Then, take a look at your site from a reader’s perspective. Is anything thrown off or wonky about your travel blog theme? If so, it’s a plugin conflict with another plugin you already have or it just doesn’t jive well with your theme. If it’s a plugin you really want, deactivate your plugins one at a time to see which plugin is the one causing the conflict.
When you’ve found it, decide which of the plugins you would prefer to have. If your site has been around for awhile, make sure that the plugin in question has been updated recently. If it has been a year or longer, the plugin is likely to have been abandoned, and may not be worth hanging onto anyway. There are frequent improvements to WordPress and outdated plugins are more likely to be incompatible with the newer, more secure versions.
For premium plugins, dig deeper. Browse through comments and read the reviews. What are people saying? Keep in mind that people are much more prone to complain and leave a mean review than they are to take the time to leave a glowing and helpful review.
Has it been sold many times? Is there a review system and, if so, has it receive many five star reviews? Is there a way to get your money back if you aren’t satisfied or will the developer make sure things are made right? Double-check when the plugin was last updated. If it’s quite awhile, you might want to think twice.
What social media icon and sharing plugin did you end up choosing? Are you happy with your selection? Why or why not?