Don’t Just Share Your Posts, Share Your Blog!
Post Sharing
The power of social media is a beautiful thing. It makes finding great writing, do-it-yourself tips, beautiful photography and a host of other topics easy to find. I love my twitter stream and 85% of the time that’s where I find great content to read. Many times in the past few months, I’ve come across posts that I loved and can easily retweet or share on facebook. This is just awesomeness. I like sharing posts. It’s like lending my favorite book to a friend, without having to worry about getting it back.
Now many, many times, I’ll find that I like the author enough to want to come back. The thing is, there’s so much info out there, so much great content to read, if you’re not IN MY FACE, I won’t remember you. Seriously. So how do you Get In My Face? How do you Get In Anyone’s Face?
Blog Sharing
Social Media Icons People. I’m not talking about the retweet, facebook like, dig it or the ultra add this button with 50 social media options listed. Not the ones that are found at the end of your posts. I’m talking about those little icons that tell people how to connect with you via twitter, facebook, etc. Those icons? People, if you don’t have them, bloody install them!
I come across blogs, that I read a few posts of and LOVE, and find no way of connecting with these bloggers. I understand, you’re new to blogging, or you’re too busy, or you haven’t bothered with social media much cause you’re busy with life and blogging is a passion but not a job. I get that. But hello, seriously, I won’t always remember to stop by and would love a reminder. So following you by twitter means I’ll see your newest posts announced in my stream or by facebook, your newest post will be in my feed. A subscribe by RSS means when I’m on the train, I can read you on my android and catch up! Awesomeness! So please, help a fellow blogger out and add those icons.
Shake what ya mama gave you!
Okay, So I’m not exactly talking ’bout your mama per se. But, there are a lot of plugins and widgets available on both the WordPress and Blogger platform to add to your side bar. It takes two minutes to install, maybe 10 minutes to configure depending on the widget. They’re being given away for FREE. All you have to do is give up some real estate.
Social Icons and Theme Consistency
Now, lets go a step further. You’re mama gave you a big bushy uni-brow. It sticks out like, well, a hairy caterpillar above your eyes. It doesn’t go with the rest of your face. Do you have to settle for what mama gave you? Ever heard of tweezers and hot wax?
Sorry went off topic there.
Anyway, you worked hard on making your site’s design look just right. Now you add these social media icons but they don’t “go” with your look. Wouldn’t it be nice to have icons that are consistent with your theme? They need to stand out, yes, but not stick out, ya’ know?
Take a look at these blogs and tell me that the way their icons blend in with their theme isn’t just awesome.
Hell, look at my sidebar, I think those icons look much better than the ones i had. And honey, loading those babies up was easier than using hot wax and didn’t cost $6. Totally free. And I’ll show you how. Tomorrow. I promise. Ok, no later than Wednesday. Quick tutorial on adding social media icons.
How will you know when it’s ready?
Social Media Icons in my sidebar peeps! There’s even a Follow Me button too.
Every post I write gets posted to Twitter, Facebook and Linkedin. Also, you can add me to your rss feed reader or signup to receive posts in your inbox. Too easy peeps. Too easy.
Hugs to all!
Photocredit:
Scott Maxwell via PhotoXpress
This is one thing that I actually had added recently. Easy to recognize icons, and placed where you can see them.
Matty recently posted..A Life of Crime
Exactly!
Vanita recently posted..Measure Me- if you must
I’m gonna let my readers know that they can contact me at 866-Waning-Woman-Is-A-Sexy-Beast. I am also fluent in smoke signal interpretation. Is that enough?
lol. yes. it is. cause that’s all YOU need. us mere mortals need icons.
Vanita recently posted..Measure Me- if you must
Bwahahaha
Chrissy recently posted..The State of My Union and The Little Things
awesoe tips as always
Adriana recently posted..The Tribe…
We are witnesses to the power of this kind of connecting. I love this post.
I plan on either designing or contracting a custom theme template for the site and I hope to have these buttons that go with the theme…………slightly off topic, it sucks that sexy bookmarks are blogger friendly.
Chrissy recently posted..The State of My Union and The Little Things
but are you gonna continue using blogger? i’m pretty sure you could have wordpress installed on your server. i remember that you wanted to expand the website. also, sexy bookmarks for blogger –> http://www.cssreflex.com/2009/08/sexybookmarks-v2-for-blogger.html/
As always V, right on point with this post! I’m actually on my A-game this time around, having installed similar buttons last week!
You should have seen me, hunched over my computer, copying and pasting, doing and redoing. I got the code from Single Dad Laughing. I like yours though…Totally matches your color scheme…
Tracie recently posted..Behind the Scenes- Against Medical Advice
Great post, Vanita! I agree that EVERYONE should have social media icons on their site as another way to connect with readers and potential readers! Twitter is how I found YOU and that my friend is awesome! (thanks for the shout out!!)
Eve recently posted..Writer’s Workshop- VlogTalk – Getting to Know Handsome
I remember my earlier blogging days when I didn’t know a thing about widgets, social media icons, adding html codes, and what-not. And then I kept revising my templates and stuff, until I found the “look” I really wanted (for now, at least!). Boy, I never knew how I did all that!
Anyway, what you said here is soooo true! It really is very important for bloggers to install those social media widgets, if only to make you and your blog have that “approachable” look about it. These only serve to connect you to your friends and readers even more.
I also think that, other than the social media widgets you mentioned, it is also important to set ‘ABOUT’ and “CONTACT ME’ pages on your site.
Mama Mia recently posted..Dog Day Afternoon
Mama Mia! Thanks for stopping by! You’re right, the About Me and Contact Pages are very important. I’m in the process of revising my About Me page again, for like the 6th time. Also? I’ve lost track of how many times I’ve revised the design of this site. I have a special group of fellow bloggers who put up with my craziness. I swear, it felt like everyday I was changing the design and colors and layout. And the logo and header, oh boy . . . I drove the wonderful artist who created my original logo nuts. But I’m good with where I am now, I think.
Oops….I misspelled my email address back there, and so my gravatar failed to load.
Mama Mia recently posted..Dog Day Afternoon
all fixed! I couldn’t let that awesome comment stand there without the author’s pic! I love gravatars. especially now that they “hover”. I even wrote a post about why gravatars are awesome. yeah, imma dork.