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Social Media Buttons

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Debbie has written 1 article for ComLuv.com
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July 30, 2011 By 60 Comments

I recently moved my blog from one blogging platform to another, along with setting up my own domain. I wasn’t going to just throw up a post call it “my blog” and not know some of the in’s and out’s this time. I did a bit of researching on different things but, one of the things that I really wanted to understand more about was “How did the social media networks help/hinder a blog/website”

Lots and lots of social links!

There are so many to join, linking you with other people in many different ways demographic location, similar likes, age, and so forth. Naming a few of the popular ones Facebook, MySpace, Google Profiles + etc., Twitter, LinkedIn, StumbleUpon, and many more.

My first thought was “alright add the Facebook like button, it will help connect your blog with Facebook” so I added it. Then the twitter, StumbleUpon and all the others. Now I have joined all these networks, but it seemed like a lot just to link them all to my blog.  Again remember at first I was thinking that it was a great way to “link them all to my blog” little did I know that I was actually setting up connections.

How does it work, well you get a “like” and the person that liked you, tweeted,  or stumbled you now showed your blog on his/her profile. Then someone that follows them see’s your blog and decides to visit and if  that person likes what they read, then they too will do the same. It’s a circle I create you like (share) then another sees and comes to visit liking it he/she shares etc. etc. In a matter of minutes you’ve just made connections, some may turn out to be a new reader, while others might be just an extra hit page for the hour either way its definitely good.

Now that I had a better understanding of how these media networks helped I wanted to know which were the best, am I helping them more than myself, and does it matter where I put these on my blog/website?  Tackling one question at a time I moved on to other things.

Do I need so many buttons?

The new hype Google +  I’ve noticed we are all starting to join, create our circles and share. Still being new to it I wanted to know more on how it worked, pros and cons etc. While researching I came across an answer to an earlier question. “Does it matter where you put the media buttons on your site?”

Let me explain my theory I tried not to put them all together, my reasoning was that it seemed like I was trying to confuse my readers. I mean they have 50 buttons in front of them which do they share with  and if there are to many will it discourage them from sharing? 50 is an exaggeration but you get my point.

The article said to display icons linking to your primary social accounts in the top-right corner of your website for optimal visibility. Well if this is where they say is the best location I am completely wrong, I didn’t want all those buttons on the top of my page messes with the whole “design” the “prettiness”.

Remember this is just one finding and I am sure there are plenty of other views on this and eventually I will do some more reading and do my own testing to see which works best for my blog.

Trial & Error

I still have more to learn about building a great blog but its something that can’t be discovered over night, it will take some time to research and of course do my own trial and error. The best way to finding out what works and what doesn’t is seeing for yourself so I will continue testing and keep everyone posted.

Share and you will be shared

In closing remember when you comment, tweet, like, share, and stumble you are creating a circle of connections. In most cases if you are a tweeter, stumbler, sharer, commenter and liker your “regular” visitors will return the share, tweet, stumble, like and comment.

How are your media buttons displayed on your blog/site? What made you choose the ones you are using?

Thank you for taking the time to read

Filed Under: Blogging, Guest Bloggers, Social Media, Tutorials Tagged With: ,

Comments

  1. webduck
    Twitter:
    says:
    July 30, 2011 at 5:14 pm

    My first foray into ‘real’ blogging was a few years ago when I began my genealogy blog. For me, choosing the ways to add social buttons was pretty easy because I used a plugin for them that is fairly unobtrusive.
    webduck recently posted..Windows Alt Key Codes For GenealogyMy Profile

    Reply
  2. Rebecca
    Twitter:
    says:
    July 31, 2011 at 4:12 am

    Hi Debbie – fun look at social media buttons! I really like the sexy bookmarks plugin. It goes at the end of the blog post and encourages people to share the post on the social sites. Here’s where to find it. http://wordpress.org/extend/plugins/sexybookmarks/

    Reply
  3. Richard
    Twitter:
    says:
    July 31, 2011 at 5:58 am

    Thanks for this article Debbie. I just re did my blog after taking some time off and was trying to find one that would have all the gadgets with the social networking buttons so that people could connect with me and find me easier. After finding the right theme, I see that I still haven’t mastered getting the right buttons added. I realize it takes time to get back into the swing of things. There might be few things that I am not doing properly. Maybe you can take a look at mine and let me know where to improve. Have an awesome day!
    Richard recently posted..After taking time off from marketing!My Profile

    Reply
    • debbie
      Twitter:
      says:
      July 31, 2011 at 2:52 pm

      Richard, it is often hard to get back into the swing of things after a break, or you come back with such a rush that in two weeks time your ready to break again. Welcome back to the blogging world.

      I also looked for a plugin that I could use on my site with as many buttons to the networks I belonged too. I found many but some couldn’t be customized which I didn’t like. Then I saw the sexy bookmarks plugin and love it.

      If you haven’t found your buttons yet try that one works great and looks good with commentluv. Looks of my blog was important to me and those two really look good together.

      I am going to stop by your blog, thanks for inviting me :)
      debbie recently posted..Blog -A- Licious Blog Tour 6 – Treasures In Your LifeMy Profile

      Reply
  4. Zarina Hussain says:
    July 31, 2011 at 6:27 am

    Great article! Definitely, the thought of having share buttons and linking our blog to numerous share sites is excellent. But yes, we have to make sure not to overwhelm our viewer and scare them away from sharing. I think the two best and classic share buttons are Facebook, number 1, and number 2 would ofcourse be Twitter.

    Reply
    • debbie
      Twitter:
      says:
      July 31, 2011 at 2:59 pm

      Zarina, thank you for coming by and sharing your thoughts. Yes, I agree “fb” and twitter are probably the most well known and used share buttons out there.

      I still haven’t given up on my search and although I’am starting to find more and more articles on “network media buttons” everyone is saying the same thing. Use then, use the ones that you are actively visiting and sharing too, etc.

      Thank you again :)

      Deb
      debbie recently posted..Blog -A- Licious Blog Tour 6 – Treasures In Your LifeMy Profile

      Reply
  5. sanjay
    Twitter:
    says:
    July 31, 2011 at 7:18 am

    Putting a Social media buttons will likely increase your traffic more (especially if you post it there like facebook). If the reader like your article he/she will likely look for the share button or retweet so all of her/his friends will know about the article that you wrote. Don’t forget to add Digg and StumbleUpon :)
    sanjay recently posted..How to create your own Opt-in Form in PhotoshopMy Profile

    Reply
    • debbie
      Twitter:
      says:
      July 31, 2011 at 3:03 pm

      sanjay, thank you for coming by and sharing your thoughts. You are so right and I agree if your article is good your visitors will share to every place they are associated too. :)

      I have added the Digg and StumbleUpon share buttons, I am thinking that I should do a follow up article to this one, sharing with everyone all the “new things” I’ve learned since this article.

      Thanks again

      Deb :)
      debbie recently posted..Blog -A- Licious Blog Tour 6 – Treasures In Your LifeMy Profile

      Reply
  6. Himanshu says:
    July 31, 2011 at 2:47 pm

    putting all the buttons is of no new. actually it depends on your niche. btw well written post
    Himanshu recently posted..How To Turn Your Mobile Device Into A Cutting Edge Trading PlatformMy Profile

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  7. debbie
    Twitter:
    says:
    July 31, 2011 at 3:07 pm

    Himanshu, thank you for coming by and sharing your thoughts. That’s also a great point your blog niche is probably the first thing to consider before adding share buttons.

    Thank you again

    Deb :)
    debbie recently posted..Blog -A- Licious Blog Tour 6 – Treasures In Your LifeMy Profile

    Reply
  8. Kevin says:
    July 31, 2011 at 3:21 pm

    Hi Debbie,

    Putting share buttons owned by different social networks is truly important but 50 share buttons is a real time-consuming. I like your idea on making this blog and thanks for the share.
    Kevin recently posted..cheap car insuranceMy Profile

    Reply
  9. Juliano says:
    July 31, 2011 at 7:47 pm

    Thanks, now i just need a good button set!

    Reply
  10. Mircho5 says:
    July 31, 2011 at 10:18 pm

    well you get a “like” and the person that liked you, tweeted, or stumbled you now showed your blog on his/her profile. we lioke that article situation. your topics really nice, thanks dude…
    Mircho5 recently posted..Matric Result 2011 BISE Bahawalpur BoardMy Profile

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  11. Ryan Eisenhower says:
    July 31, 2011 at 10:24 pm

    It’s amazing all the social networks that have popped up in the past few years. It’s hard to imagine sites like facebook manage to get a large portion of the people out there when the competition is so fierce. It will be interesting to see what happens over the coming years….
    Ryan Eisenhower recently posted..Smart Passive IncomeMy Profile

    Reply
    • debbie
      Twitter:
      says:
      July 31, 2011 at 10:48 pm

      Ryan, thanks for coming by and sharing your thoughts. I agree with you I wondered as my article says, who is really benefiting from all the buttons? I know it can’t be 50/50 or I might be wrong… But one thing is for sure like you said, it will be “very” interesting to see what’s happening in a couple years.

      Thanks again :)
      Deb

      Reply
  12. Mitz Pantic
    Twitter:
    says:
    July 31, 2011 at 11:18 pm

    Social Media buttons are now part of building a website. It is just a given that you include them!! If you do not then you haven’t finished building yet..:)
    Mitz Pantic recently posted..4 Cool Ways to add Social Media Buttons to your Worpress WebsiteMy Profile

    Reply
  13. Ray says:
    August 1, 2011 at 5:10 am

    All these social media, networking, bookmarks are a bit overwhelming. There are so many of them, and more popping up all the time. I tend to stick to a few of the more popular ones, and if I have time or an interest mess with new or others. I certainly don’t have time for them all, and can’t even keep up with a handful of the more popular ones.
    Ray recently posted..Is paying for a Tweet worth itMy Profile

    Reply
    • debbie
      Twitter:
      says:
      August 1, 2011 at 2:08 pm

      Ray, thanks for reading and giving your thoughts on my article. I agree there are so many now a days, it’s nearly impossible to try them all without overwhelming yourself. I have tried several and slowly weeded my way through a handful. In time more will pop up and we will hear ” try these they are great” many times over. I am pretty open minded and don’t mind giving others a test drive but, for now I am content with the ones I currently use.

      Thanks again :)
      Deb
      debbie recently posted..Blog -A- Licious Blog Tour 6 – Treasures In Your LifeMy Profile

      Reply
  14. Ricardus
    Twitter:
    says:
    August 1, 2011 at 5:11 pm

    I just put some of of the popular ones on my blog which i feel is essential/popular.
    Ricardus recently posted..We are sponsoring WordCamp Chicago 2011My Profile

    Reply
  15. Clark Minn says:
    August 2, 2011 at 12:10 am

    For me, trial and error will really help…Thanks for sharing this one…

    Reply
  16. Rina As
    Twitter:
    says:
    August 2, 2011 at 2:00 am

    I use google +1 button but the button is still not stable, sometimes appears sometimes also disappear …
    nice share…

    Reply
  17. grahamfoster
    Twitter:
    says:
    August 2, 2011 at 9:44 am

    I have noticed that in the majority of cases Twitter seems to be the most popular button to use for Social Media but I guess that might depend on the subject of the blog. For example some Niches might prefer the facebook page (which I suppose is more personal) but I am not convinced Google +1 will catch on that well as it seems a bit late to the party?
    grahamfoster recently posted..Weight Loss Camps Do They Work?My Profile

    Reply
    • debbie
      Twitter:
      says:
      August 2, 2011 at 4:46 pm

      grahamfoster, thanks for stopping by and sharing your thoughts!!

      Twitter is very popular, I think its the ease of it that helps it popularity. I my thoughts on google+ 1 haven’t been formed yet, its still new and fresh to me and I am still learning the ins/outs etc. It will be interesting to see a little down the road how it stands up.

      Thanks again
      Deb
      debbie recently posted..YouTube Tuesday – That’s What Friends Are ForMy Profile

      Reply
  18. Ryan says:
    August 2, 2011 at 12:38 pm

    Did you move from blogger to wordpress? I’m inthe process of moving at the moment and finding it pretty difficult.
    Ryan recently posted..The Edinburgh Festival FringeMy Profile

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  19. Jasmina Jak says:
    August 2, 2011 at 3:49 pm

    I agree with you on trial and error and everything you have written down.
    I haven’t yet started using social media buttons, but I really enjoyed reading this blog post! I realized right now, how important social media buttons get and why it can be effective. I guess it’s about getting your website out there and finding people who are interested, then creating a network.

    I think that is the major importance to social media. To find people who think your website is useful than the owner of the site to get known for their information that is presented, because I think, most users on the net would be uncomfortable when the website is anonymous. However, when a site has the social media buttons adjusted on there. Then online visitors can get to know you. They would feel more secure to notice that there is a website owner, wanting to get to know their audience. This way, you turn your visitors into friends. :-)

    Reply
    • debbie
      Twitter:
      says:
      August 2, 2011 at 4:38 pm

      Jasmina, thanks for stopping by!

      Yes everything is trial and error for me, in a sense I want to for myself if it works or doesn’t work. Media buttons are extremely important for any website, using the right ones is sometimes a bit trickier.

      I agree with you on the major importance of the social media buttons, it’s nice to know the man/woman behind the website and having the buttons shows you aren’t hiding anything in a sense.. Great comment thank you

      Deb :)

      Reply
      • Jasmina Jak says:
        August 2, 2011 at 5:49 pm

        Debbie, no problem!

        Thank you for replying! :-)
        That is exactly like myself! I have made many errors, but I guess that’s how we learn. Then the greater we learn, the better we get at what we do. Even though, it can be very time consuming when fixing many errors we create but then again, when we become becoming successful then it would be all worth it in the end, even after all the trial and errors. :P

        Yeah that is very true, I realized on your blog post that I am possibly missing out on loads of traffic. Since I wasn’t thinking about applying social media buttons. I guess, this post has now changed my mind, and I will create them soon enough for my website, when I have properly optimized my site to the full extent.

        Interesting quote:

        “Media buttons are extremely important for any website, using the right ones is sometimes a bit trickier.”

        Yeah true, it can be a bit tricky because there is an increasing amount of social media platforms and only a handful of them is known very well like: Facebook, Youtube, Twitter, Myspace, StumbleUpon, etc. I think the best choice, is choosing the most popular ones. :-)

        I might actually have a look up which social media network is most popular. This way, can get a gist of what the majority of users use nowadays.

        Yes, very true I agree! :-)

        Your comment is great too!

        Yours Sincerely,
        Jasmina

        Reply
      • Jasmina Jak says:
        August 2, 2011 at 5:55 pm

        I also wanted to know, can I put “comment luv plugin” on my website, or is it only used for blogs?

        Thank you.

        Yours Sincerely,
        Jasmina.

        Reply
  20. Martinez says:
    August 3, 2011 at 8:06 am

    thanks you for share great info, and use sexybookmarks plugin is best :D
    Martinez recently posted..LeapFrog Sing and Learn With Us (2011) DVDRipMy Profile

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  21. debbie
    Twitter:
    says:
    August 3, 2011 at 1:15 pm

    Martinez, thanks for stopping by I use sexybookmark plugin and it seems to be the best one for my site and as I said before it works/looks great with COMMENTLUV :) Which is important to me.

    Thanks
    Deb
    debbie recently posted..YouTube Tuesday – That’s What Friends Are ForMy Profile

    Reply
  22. Adam W. Prillis says:
    August 3, 2011 at 2:44 pm

    Loving these social buttons, I will make sure to put them on my website :)
    Adam W. Prillis recently posted..The 7 Best Selling Ipad 2 Cases 2011My Profile

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  23. Angelica
    Twitter:
    says:
    August 4, 2011 at 7:29 am

    Hi Debbie, I use Sharebar on some of my sites. Otherwise I just add a piece of code to my blog to show social media sharing buttons on top of posts. I think for most types of sites regardless of niche, Twitter, Facebook and the Google + button is accepted.
    Angelica recently posted..Gaggia Platinum Vision Automatic Espresso Machine with Milk Island, PlatinumMy Profile

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  24. George says:
    August 4, 2011 at 7:45 pm

    same here.. I also use sharebar.. with this sharing post or topic is a lot more easier. just a lick of a button.
    George recently posted..USDA Recalls Cargill Ground Turkey for Salmonella OutbreakMy Profile

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  25. Ron says:
    August 5, 2011 at 6:12 am

    Actually I like sexybookmark, I saw some of you have used sexybookmark plugin and I also use it before, but for now I don’t. . I have trouble with indexing google. Google indexed like this “Index of /wp-content/plugins/sexybookmarks” , “Index of /wp-content/plugins/sexybookmarks/images” any suggestion for that? to de-indexed / no-index that…

    Btw, thanks Deb for sharing this :)
    Ron recently posted..Gynecomastia SymptomsMy Profile

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    • debbie
      Twitter:
      says:
      August 6, 2011 at 4:00 am

      Ron, thanks for coming by! SexyBookmark is great, Ron I think this can be done through your Google webmaster tool area. I was poking around on mine last night and think I saw it there.

      Ok I did some checking around I’ve seen a couple options

      1. Add the url of the page you want to be di-indexed in the robots.txt file. Add the urls under ‘ Disallow : >url> ‘ it should solve the problem. As soon as google crawls your page again, the mentioned urls will be de-indexed.

      2. On you google webmaster tools page, click on your site name, then go to site configuration, under there you will see crawler access, click it will open up the crawler features. There you will see “test robot” “generate robot text” and “remove url” click that and add what you want Google to deindex.

      Hope that helps..

      Thanks again Ron :)

      Deb
      debbie recently posted..This Moment: Friday RitualMy Profile

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      • Jasmina Jak says:
        August 7, 2011 at 12:32 pm

        I heard robots.txt file is very important for SEO. However, I never got into putting it on my pages.
        Are robot’s files, for the keywords you want your website to be indexed and un-indexed for? So, it isn’t just about how they index keywords through the meta tags? I only used meta tags ._.’ I forgot about the robots.txt file.

        I thought that robots file, were only used for when you don’t want the SEO SERPS to crawl your site. However, instead of putting the robots file. I just used meta tags no follows, no index in pages that are like ” contact,” etc.

        Reply
  26. Ricky Strode says:
    August 9, 2011 at 10:50 pm

    You made me want to put social media buttons on my website. Thanks, it has boosted my traffic a bit and I have only had them on there a day. However, they also slowed my site down by half a second. So, it seems as if it is a give take kind of thing.
    Ricky Strode recently posted..Hypnotically Speaking about HypnosisMy Profile

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  27. Jennifer Rai
    Twitter:
    says:
    August 23, 2011 at 6:30 am

    The circle that social media, especially Facebook creates, seems so simple and productive! I think every blog that is heading towards success should put up a Facebook button with the LIKE option, regardless of using other social media buttons. Thank you for sharing this wonderful article.

    Reply
  28. debbie
    Twitter:
    says:
    August 24, 2011 at 6:33 pm

    Jennifer, thanks for reading and leaving your thoughts. I agree facebook is a nice source of media and a must have for any blogger :)

    Thanks again
    deb
    debbie recently posted..You Tube Tueday – My ImmortalMy Profile

    Reply
  29. Stephane
    Twitter:
    says:
    September 7, 2011 at 10:24 am

    Hi Debbie, I only run with Google+, Facebook and Twitter. I try to avoid over-cluttering my blog posts with sharing buttons to keep the interface clean and page load times low.
    Stephane recently posted..View-Through Conversions: Fact or Fiction?My Profile

    Reply
  30. Cheolsu says:
    January 15, 2012 at 6:18 am

    I have limited my social links to Facebook, Twitter and Google+ on the blog. Many wordpress plugins also give an option of adding/removing social media buttons.
    Cheolsu recently posted..iTunes loginMy Profile

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