Tag: Social Media

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9 Important Options on Your WordPress Blog to Check Now!

Published on by Hugh W. Roberts26 Comments

I’m surprised by how many bloggers miss the opportunity of having their posts shared for free by not displaying sharing buttons on their blog posts.

Of course, some bloggers don’t want any of their posts shared, but they tend to be in the minority.

In today’s digital age, having social sharing buttons on your blog is crucial for expanding your reach and boosting engagement. This post will guide you through the steps to add sharing buttons to your WordPress blog and emphasise the benefits of including them.

For the purpose of this guide, I’m using an iMac desktop computer.

To add and edit sharing buttons on your WordPress.com blog, follow these steps:

  • Log in to your WordPress.com account.
  • From your dashboard, navigate to ‘Settings‘ and select ‘Sharing.’
An image that highlights Settings and Sharing on the dashboard of a WordPress blog.
Click the ‘Sharing’ option.

You’ll be taken to the ‘Sharing Options‘ page of your blog, where you will see a variety of options that include –

  • Available services
  • Enabled services
  • Live preview
  • Button style
  • Sharing label
  • Show buttons on
  • WordPress.com Likes are
  • WordPress.com Reblog button
  • Comment Likes are

Let’s have a look at each of these options and what they mean.

Available services – This displays any sharing buttons not currently visible on your blog. To add an available sharing button, drag it to the ‘Enabled services‘ box and click the ‘Save‘ button at the bottom of the page.

There is also an ‘Add a new service‘ link that, when clicked, allows a user to add new sharing services that are not currently available on WordPress.

Enabled Services – This section shows all the sharing buttons currently on display on your blog. Here’s an image of the sharing buttons available on my blog posts and pages.

An image showing the sharing buttons on a WordPress blog
Sharing buttons on Hugh’s Views And News blog.

Notice the ‘Customise buttons‘ link under the buttons. Click this to be taken straight to the ‘Sharing options‘ page of your blog.

You may also have noticed the ‘More‘ sharing button. This is where you can group certain sharing buttons under one button. To do this, simply drag the buttons you want to hide to the ‘Services dragged here will be hidden behind a share button‘ box. On my blog, the ‘More‘ button includes sharing buttons for ‘X’, ‘Email’ and ‘Print.’

An image showing hidden sharing buttons behind a 'More' button on a WordPress blog.
Hide sharing buttons behind one button.
  • To rearrange the order of how sharing buttons display on your blog, simply drag the buttons to the order you want them in. Remember to save any changes.
  • To remove a sharing button from your blog, drag the button to the ‘Available services‘ section and click the ‘Save‘ button at the bottom of the page.

Live preview – This section shows how the sharing buttons display on your blog.

Button style – There are four options to choose from.

  • Icon + Text
  • Icon only
  • Text only
  • Official buttons

On my blog, I have chosen sharing buttons to show ‘Icon + Text’ as this helps those using speech software know which sharing button is which. If you use ‘Icon only,’ speech software won’t know what each sharing button is.

Sharing label – This section allows users to change and display their own message above their sharing buttons. Simply add the text you want and click the save button.

Show buttons on – Choose where on your blog you want sharing buttons to appear. Place a tick next to the options and click the save button.

An image showing the options available as to where sharing buttons display on a WordPress blog.
Choose where you want the sharing buttons to display on your blog.

WordPress.com Likes are – This is where you can turn off (or on) the ‘Like’ button on blog posts and pages.

WordPress.com Reblog button – This is where you can turn off (or on) the reblog button on blog posts and pages.

Comment Likes are – This is where you can turn off (or on) the availability of a ‘like’ button on comments on your blog.

  • Once you’ve added sharing buttons to your blog, remember to always test them. The best way to do this is to visit one of your blog posts to ensure the sharing buttons appear as intended. Click on each button to check that it links correctly to the respective social media platforms.

Top tip: If you have an account on a social media platform, remember to ensure that there is a sharing button for that platform on your blog. You don’t need to remove share buttons where you don’t have an account, as other bloggers and readers may want to share your posts and pages to their own social media accounts. For example, I don’t have a Facebook account, but I allow visitors to my blog to share my posts and pages on their Facebook accounts.

But, at the end of the day, it’s your decision as to how many sharing buttons you want to display on your blog.

Advantages of Having Sharing Buttons on Your Blog

  1. Increased Visibility: Sharing buttons allow visitors to easily share your content with their networks, leading to greater visibility and new readers.
  2. Enhanced Engagement: When users share your posts, it engages their followers, creating conversations and interactions around your content.
  3. Improved SEO: Social shares can boost your search engine rankings. Search engines often view shared content as more credible and relevant.
  4. Brand/Blog Awareness: Every share increases exposure for your brand/blog, helping you capture a larger audience over time.
  5. Traffic Boost: Each share potentially drives more traffic back to your blog, increasing your overall reach and influence in your niche.
  6. User-Friendly: A streamlined sharing process enhances the user experience, encouraging visitors to interact more with your content.

By integrating sharing buttons into your WordPress blog, you not only make it easier for readers to share your posts but also create new opportunities for engagement and growth.

Summary:

  • Many bloggers miss out on free content-sharing opportunities by not displaying sharing buttons. These buttons are crucial for expanding reach and boosting engagement.
  • It’s easy to add and display sharing buttons on your WordPress blog. Follow the guide in this post.
  • Ensure you deal with each option available to you on the ‘Sharing options‘ page of your blog.
  • There are many advantages of displaying sharing buttons on your blog, including increased visibility, enhanced engagement and improved SEO ratings.
  • If you have a social media account, ensure you display a sharing button for that account on your blog.
  • Add as many sharing buttons as you like, even for those social media platforms where you don’t have an account.
  • Test that the sharing buttons are working correctly at least once every few months.
  • Make the most of the other options available on the ‘Sharing options’ page of your blog, such as switching on/off the like button and whether or not you want a ‘Reblog’ button to show.

I want to open up the conversation and hear from you. What social media platforms do you find most effective for sharing your blog content? Have you noticed an increase in your blog traffic after adding sharing buttons? How much of a difference has it made? Have you experimented with the different button styles? Which one do you think looks best on your blog? If you could add one feature to the sharing buttons on your blog, what would it be and why?

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The featured image on this blog post is taken from Pixabay. AI checked spelling and grammar mistakes. Images, which were taken from screenshots of my blog, were created by me.

Copyright @ 2025 hughsviewsandnews.com – All rights reserved.

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Simple Blogging Tips And Insights Every Blogger Needs To Know

Published on by Hugh W. Roberts41 Comments

Occasionally, I receive questions or comments about blogging and social media that inspire me to share key insights with my readers. Here are three recent examples of those topics. Hopefully, you’ll learn something from them.

How to get less spam!

In my recent post, “Astonishing! Some Bloggers Disable Comments on Their Blogs. Why?” many readers mentioned that they turn off comments due to the overwhelming number of spam comments that often come through. This is a valid concern! However, it’s worth noting that WordPress offers a setting that can help prevent you from seeing most spam comments. Activating this feature is simple.

  • On your blog’s dashboard, go to Jetpack – Akismet Anti-spam.
Image highlighting Jetpack - Akismet Anti-spam on the dashboard of a WordPress blog
Click Jetpack – Akismet Anti-spam
  • On the page that opens, look for the Settings box. Under Spam Filtering, ensure ‘Silently discard the worst and most pervasive spam so I never see it‘ is selected.
Image highlighting the 'Silently discard the worst and most pervasive spam so I never see it' setting on WordPress.
Ensure ‘Silently discard the worst and most pervasive spam so I never see it’ has been selected.
  • Click the ‘Save changes‘ button.

You’ll now see much less spam in your blog’s spam folder. On average, I’m seeing no more than a few spam comments every week.

For more details, check out my post, ‘Turn This Setting On To Stop Seeing Too Much Spam On Your WordPress Blog.’

How do you find the people you want to follow?

Author Liz Gauffreau recently left a comment on my post, ‘The Ultimate Guide to Engaging on Bluesky: Tips, Features, and Strategies for Success,’ saying she was struggling to find other users on Bluesky who read or write literary fiction.

I asked Liz if she had checked out the Bluesky Starter Pack directory, where users can search for other users with similar interests. I included a link to the directory. This is how Liz replied.

An image showing a reply from a blogger thanking me for the information I sent her.
Job done!

If you’re a Bluesky user, I recommend checking out the information about Starter Packs. They are an excellent way to discover other bloggers, writers, authors, photographers, and more. Starter Packs are also great for getting noticed and connecting with other users. Click the following link.

What are Bluesky Starter Packs?

And click the following link to check the Bluesky Starter Pack directory I sent to Liz.

Bluesky Starter Pack Directory.

I recently passed a milestone on Bluesky: getting over 5,000 followers. Given that I’ve only been on Bluesky since November 2024 and it took me nearly 12 years to reach 9,000 followers on X, I can’t emphasise enough how every blogger and writer should consider using Bluesky.

If you haven’t already, give Bluesky a go.

How to stop the theme you’re using from crashing your blog.

Amanda, who blogs at ForestWood, recently published a post titled ‘It’s Time For A Change Of Theme.’ She was referring to a change of blog theme. I’d recently published a post about WordPress themes, so I was interested in what Amanda had to say. Needless to say, Amanda’s post inspired me (and many others) to leave a comment.

You’ll have to read Amanda’s post to find out what she and I had to say, but it contained an important lesson some readers may have forgotten or may not know about regarding WordPress themes. Do not attempt to change your WordPress blog’s theme unless you’re using a theme still supported by WordPress.

If, like Amanda, you are using a retired theme and click ‘activate’ on any of the current themes WordPress offers, you won’t be able to return to your retired theme!

If you are using a retired WordPress theme that isn’t causing you any issues, you can continue using it. However, be cautious, as there are drawbacks to using a retired theme, including those related to online security. For more information, check out my recent post, “WordPress Themes: Something Exciting Is Happening,” which provides further details.

Let’s wrap it up!

  • Use WordPress’s Jetpack – Akismet Anti-spam feature to significantly reduce spam comments. By enabling the option to “silently discard the worst and most pervasive spam,” users can keep their spam folder manageable.
  • Use the Bluesky Starter Pack Directory to connect with other users with similar interests. This resource helps you discover other bloggers, writers, authors and photographers and gain visibility.
  • If you are thinking of changing the theme of your WordPress blog, be aware that if the current theme you are using is retired and no longer supported by WordPress, you won’t be able to return to it.

Do you have any questions about blogging or social media? Leave them in the comments section.

The featured image in this blog post is taken from Pixabay. AI checked spelling and grammar mistakes.

I’m getting tough with non-engaging comments. Comments such as ‘Nice post’ are marked as spam.

Layout, content, settings, and format might differ on self-hosted blogs.

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Copyright @ 2025 hughsviewsandnews.com – All rights reserved.

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Did You Miss Any Of These? Monthly Round-Up – March 2025

Published on by Hugh W. Roberts8 Comments

I only published four posts (including this one) this month, compared to eleven in March 2024. Yet, compared to March 2024, my blog only got around 100 fewer views.

SEO (Search Engine Optimisation) continues to play a big part in bringing new visitors to my blog, so don’t allow those who say that SEO doesn’t matter to tell you otherwise. SEO is important if you want more visitors and potentially new followers to your blog.

If you have any questions about SEO, leave them in the comments section.

Here is your opportunity to catch up on my three blog posts published in March 2025.

  • Bluesky is an engaging social media platform for bloggers and creators. It fosters community despite challenges from bots and scammers. My ultimate guide to Bluesky includes details on engaging with other users and dealing with bots and scammers.

The Ultimate Guide to Engaging on Bluesky: Tips, Features, and Strategies for Success

  • Engaging blog post titles are crucial for attracting visitors; they significantly influence click-through rates and post engagement. My post details how to create the best titles for your blog posts.

11 Tips to Craft Irresistible Blog Post Titles That Attract New Visitors

AI enhances blogging by improving efficiency, creativity, and SEO, but it also presents risks, such as a reduced personal touch and potential dependency. This post explores the benefits and drawbacks of using AI in blogging. Do you support using AI for blogging, or do you oppose it? Share your thoughts by joining the discussion.

Harnessing AI in Blogging: Benefits, Challenges, and Personal Insights

Don’t forget to add a BlueSky sharing button to your blog.

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Copyright @ 2025 hughsviewsandnews.com – All rights reserved.

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Did You Miss Any Of These? Monthly Round-Up – February 2025

Published on by Hugh W. Roberts31 Comments

You may have noticed that I’m publishing fewer posts than usual and be wondering why. Let me reassure you that everything is well with me. I would like to thank those who contacted me out of concern.

The main reason I am publishing fewer posts is to ascertain whether it affects the stats. So far this year, I’ve published seven posts (eight, if you include this one) and have had just under 9,500 views.

This time last year, I had published 20 posts and had 7,500 views.

So, publishing fewer posts is affecting my stats, but probably not in the way some of you would have thought.

Here is your opportunity to catch up on my three blog posts published in February 2025.

  • Discover the exciting possibilities of BlueSky for enhancing your WordPress blog! Connect easily, share your posts, and engage with a growing community of users.

Boost Your WordPress Blog’s Reach: A Step-by-Step Guide to Adding a BlueSky Sharing Button

  • An ‘About’ page is essential for bloggers, promoting connection, credibility, and engagement with readers through personal insights and mission statements. This post outlines the key elements of what information to include.

Why Every Blogger Needs an Engaging ‘About’ Page: Key Elements and Tips

  • Email notifications from WordPress may prevent comments on some posts. This easy solution will help.

How to Fix Commenting Issues on WordPress Email Notifications: A Simple Solution

Hugh’s Views and News is at the heart of fascinating conversations and engagement. Have you participated in the debates and discussions? If not, why not join in and share your thoughts with us?

Don’t forget to add a BlueSky sharing button to your blog.

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Copyright @ 2025 hughsviewsandnews.com – All rights reserved.

Image of a desktop computer, keyboard, mobile phone and camera with the words Did you miss any of these blog posts on Hugh's Views And News. Your chance to catch up. January 2025.

Did You Miss Any Of These? Monthly Round-Up – January 2025

Published on by Hugh W. Roberts

You may have noticed that I published fewer posts than I usually do this month and wondered why. I wanted to see if this affected the number of views my blog gets. And guess what? It did.

However, you would be mistaken if you think my blog received fewer views due to the reduction in the number of published posts. Perhaps a discussion for another day as to why?

I’ll just mention that you don’t need to burden yourself with the notion that you must publish blog posts every day to achieve good viewing figures. Overdoing it only results in blogging burnout and, ultimately, the abandonment of your blog.

In the meantime, here is your opportunity to catch up on my three blog posts published in January 2025.

  • Have you set any New Year’s resolutions? This is what you should do with them.

What To Do With New Year’s Resolutions

  • Social media can significantly enhance blog traffic, but managing an excessive number of platforms can reduce effectiveness. Discover how I transformed social media into a success for both myself and my blog.

Navigating the Social Media Landscape: My Journey with Five Platforms

  • Would you like to participate in a vibrant online programme that encourages interaction among authors, bloggers, writers, and readers? This post offers comprehensive details and an invitation to join.

Discover the Magic of Story Chat: Join the Conversation with Talented Authors and Unique Short Stories

Hugh’s Views and News is at the heart of fascinating conversations and engagement. Have you participated in the debates and discussions? If not, why not join in and share your thoughts with us?

Comments are closed here. Please leave any new comments on the original posts.

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Copyright @ 2024 hughsviewsandnews.com – All rights reserved.

Image of a tree with social media branches.

Navigating the Social Media Landscape: My Journey with Five Platforms

Published on by Hugh W. Roberts125 Comments

Social media is a powerful tool. When used correctly, it can connect us with thousands of individuals and bring visitors to our blogs, resulting in new followers and connections.

However, social media is a ravenous beast. Before you realise it, it’ll consume all your time while scattering you far and wide without delivering results. It’ll take everything from you and give little back.

Image of a tree with social media branches.
Image by Gerd Altmann from Pixabay

One of the first pieces of advice I received from another blogger was to join as many social media platforms as possible to attract visitors. It turned out to be one of the worst pieces of advice I followed, as it wasn’t long before I found myself spending too much time on numerous platforms.

I realised that spreading myself too thinly on social media was not the solution, so I reduced the number of accounts I managed. This freed up significant time, allowing me to engage more on those platforms. Before long, I noticed increased visitors coming to my blog from various social media sites. Social media was finally paying me back for the time I was investing in it.

Since starting my blog in 2014, I’ve tried most social media platforms. Today, I will discuss five of them and explain why they have worked or not for me.

BlueSky 🦋

Profile Name: @hughsviewsandnews.com

I joined BlueSky in November 2024. It’s one of the new kids on the block. When this post was written, it had gone past the 27 million milestone of the number of users. That number is rising fast.

Not only have I found BlueSky a friendly place to engage with other users, but it’s simple to use, running a similar platform to X. Like any social media platform, the more you engage with other BlueSky users, the better the results.

I’ll write more about BlueSky in an upcoming post, but early indications are that it’s a rising social media platform that all authors, writers and bloggers should seriously consider joining.

I’ve also found a lot of photographers on BlueSky. If you have a photography blog or host a photography challenge, ensure you join BlueSky.

Don’t forget to add the BlueSky sharing button to the sharing buttons on your blog posts so visitors can share your posts to BlueSky.

Flipboard

Profile Name: Hugh W Roberts

I joined Flipboard in 2019. It has brought incredible amounts of traffic to my blog and has an excellent customer service team that reaches out whenever problems occur.

Users add information to magazines, so, as in blogging, setting up categories is essential. My most popular magazines are Blogging Tips, Entertaining (short) Stories You’ll Enjoy, LGBTQI, and Writing Tips.

Mastodon

Profile Name: @HughWRoberts

Mastodon is a big part of the Fediverse, which WordPress promotes heavily. The Fediverse is a global, open social network of independent servers that communicate with each other using a common protocol.

Users create posts in much the same way as on X and BlueSky. Posts appear on the timelines of those who follow the person who created and published the post, but other users can also see them.

I’ve had a steady flow of traffic from Mastodon to my blog, although out of the three social media accounts I use, it’s the one I use the least.

X/Twitter

After 14 years, I deleted my X account on December 31st, 2024, for reasons I won’t go into. This means that I will no longer share my blog posts or other bloggers’ posts on X.

Given that I had over nine thousand followers on X, I hope those who followed me there will now follow me on BlueSky. Some already have, but given that this post is my first mention of joining BlueSky, many will not know I am now active there.

Join me on BlueSky at @hughwroberts05.bsky.social

Instagram

I recently gave Instagram another chance. I did my best to boost engagement, but I struggled significantly. While some people interacted with my posts, it was difficult to stand out amidst all the self-promotion on the platform.

There is nothing wrong with self-promoting your own books and blogs, but I find it too overwhelming when it’s every post. I only saw a little of others promoting the posts of others.

Maybe I was following the wrong accounts?

Instagram wasn’t for me. I deleted my account in December 2024.

Avoid following the accounts of those who only promote their own work and who give nothing back to others.

Other Social Media Platforms

There are many other social media platforms that I have not mentioned, and other bloggers, writers, and authors use them successfully. But how?

I would love to know which social media platforms you use and which ones have been the most successful. In the comments section, feel free to share which platforms you use and your username so that anyone reading the comments can follow and connect with you.

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