If you’re an author with a WordPress website, social media integration can go a long way.
It is a way to connect with readers, share your work, and grow your audience.
When you link your site to platforms like Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram, you end up boosting visibility, encouraging engagement, and even improving SEO.
The more the shares, the more your exposure, and social media insights help you understand your audience better.
In this guide, we’ll show you the best integration methods of social media into your WordPress author website.
This way, you can focus on what you do best: writing!
Let’s dive in.
Why Social Media Matters for Authors
Social media isn’t just for sharing cat memes—it’s a game-changer for authors!
Here’s why:
1. Gets Your Books & Content Noticed
The internet is crowded, and standing out is tough.
Social media facilitates sharing book news, quotes and teasers to a wider audience.
A catchy post or a trending hashtag can bring your work in front of new eyes.
2. Builds a Loyal Community
Readers love connecting with their favorite authors!
Their interaction through comments, live chat or interactive posts makes them feel like an integral part of your story.
A strong community means more word-of-mouth recommendations.
3. Drive More Traffic to Your Website
Your website is like your home office, and social media is one of the vehicles that can get visitors to it.
Whether it’s a new blog post, book release, or special event, sharing links on social platforms keeps people coming back for more.
4. Chat Directly with Readers
No middleman—just you and your audience!
Social media lets you answer questions, respond to feedback, and discuss your books in real-time.
This personal touch builds stronger connections.
5. Learn What Your Readers Love
Likes, shares and comments provide the feedback as to what the readers like best.
This is how you can optimize your content, marketing, and next book idea based on what your audience is interested in.
6. Network with Other Authors & Industry Pros
Social media is more than just for readers, it is a good environment to connect with other writers and publishers and even agents.
Joining writing groups and industry forums can provide access to open doors.
7. Promote Your Books for Free (or Cheap!)
Marketing doesn’t have to break the bank.
Social media enables you to go viral with free promotion/sponsored promotion at a low price.
And, it’s ideal not just for small indie authors but for small budgets that can be used as well.
8. Collaborate & Grow Your Audience
Cross-promotion with other authors – for example, in the form of joint giveaways, guest blog posts or collaborative media – increases your audience.
Their audience gets to know you, and vice versa—it’s a win-win!
9. Strengthen Your Author Brand
Your online presence tells readers who you are.
Spread of behind-the-scenes, writing-tip and personal anecdote information helps to create a robust and authentic brand profile that inspires readers to keep coming back.
Best WordPress Plugins for Author Social Media Integration
Integration with social media into your WordPress site is the smart thing to do!
To add the cherry on the top, there are really good plugins that make it really simple.
Here is a comparison of the top choices:
Plugin | Best For | Key Features | Pricing | Free Version |
Smash Balloon | Displaying social media feeds | Customizable feeds for Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and YouTube; mobile-friendly design | Starts at $49/year | ✅ |
Blog2Social | Scheduling and auto-posting | Auto-posts to various platforms, customizable posts, content calendar, analytics | Free & Premium options | ✅ |
Revive Old Posts | Sharing old blog posts | Automatically shares past posts, customizable intervals, multi-network support | Free & Premium options | ✅ |
WP Social | Simple social sharing buttons | Lightweight, customizable button styles, supports major social platforms | Free | ✅ |
Uncanny Automator | Automating tasks across platforms | Multi-step workflows, auto-sharing new posts, integrates with apps like Google Sheets & Mailchimp | Starts at $149/year | ✅ |
1. Smash Balloon
Connects to Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and YouTube
Lets you display stylish, customizable social media feeds
Mobile-friendly, so it looks great on any screen
2. Blog2Social
Automatically shares your blog posts on social media
Customizable posts for different platforms
Includes a drag-and-drop content calendar for easy scheduling
3. Revive Old Posts
Keeps your past posts recent by posting them to social media again.
Lets you set up custom schedules for posting
4. WP Social
Incredibly easy to set up and not that heavy (won’t bog down your site).
Lets you customize button styles and placement
Supports all major social networks
5. Uncanny Automator
Automates tasks like sharing new posts on social media
Works with Google Sheets, Mailchimp, Slack, and more
No coding required—set up workflows in a few clicks
How to Add Social Media to Your WordPress Author Website
Let’s now embed the social media icons with links to your site:
Method 1: Using a Plugin
The simplest and most convenient method to integrate social media to your website is via a WordPress plugin.
Follow these steps:
Step 1: Install the Plugin
Log in to your WordPress website’s admin dashboard.
Click on “Plugins” in the left sidebar, then select “Add New.
Type in a keyword like “Social Media Share Buttons and Social Sharing Icons” or use popular options like Smash Balloon or AddToAny.
Click “Install Now”, then hit “Activate” once it’s installed.
Step 2: Configure Plugin Settings
After activation, go to the plugin settings.
Select which platforms you want to display (Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, etc).
Adjust the icon size, style, and placement to match your website’s design.
Click “Save” to apply your settings.
Step 3: Add Icons to Your Site
Open a post or page in WordPress.
Select the page where you want to add your social media links.
Click the “+”(Block Inserter) button and look for Widgets.
Embed the “Social Icons” block and paste your social media links.
Method 2: Using the Built-in Social Icons Block
WordPress has a built-in Social Icons block that lets you add clickable icons without a plugin.
Step 1: Open the Page or Post
Go to Pages or Posts in your dashboard.
Select the page where you want to add your social media links.
Step 2: Add the Social Icons Block
Click on the “+” button in the block editor.
Search for Widgets, then “Social Icons” and add it to your page.
Use the Social Icons block to display logos that link to your social media profiles.
To add a social media account to the Social Icons block:
Click the + block inserter button:
Search for the name of the social media platform you would like to add.
Click on the newly-added icon once, and a box will appear for you to enter the URL of your social media profile.
Type or paste the link to your social media profile, and click the arrow icon to save it:
Click the + block inserter button to the right of the icon you added and repeat the same steps to add additional icons to other social networks.
Step 3: Customize the Icons
Select the social icons block to adjust the alignment, size, or style as needed.
Method 3: Setting Up Auto-Posting to Social Media
Want to automatically share your blog posts to social media?
Here’s how:
Step 1: Install an Auto-Posting Plugin
Some great options include:
Jetpack Social – Automatically shares your posts to Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn.
Blog2Social – Customizes your posts before they go live on social media.
Revive Old Posts – Automatically resharing old content to keep it fresh.
Step 2: Connect Your Social Accounts
Go to the plugin’s settings and authorize your Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram accounts.
Step 3: Customize Sharing Settings
Choose whether to share posts automatically or schedule them for later.
Adjust post formatting, hashtags, and captions.
Step 4: Save and Start Auto-Posting!
Click Save Settings, and your new posts will be automatically shared to your audience.
Method 4: Customizing the Look of Your Social Icons
No matter which method you use, customizing your icons can make them more noticeable and engaging.
Choose a matching color scheme – Align the icon colors with your website’s theme.
Pick a shape – Rounded, square, or minimalistic—whatever fits your style.
Use hover effects – Make icons change color or animate when hovered over.
Best Practices to Boost Your Social Media Presence as an Author
Post Regularly – Keep a consistent schedule.
Time It Right – Post when your audience is most active.
Mix Content – Use images, videos, and polls for variety.
Engage Followers – Ask questions, reply to comments, and share fan content.
Track Performance – Use analytics to see what works.
Use Eye-Catching Visuals – Quality images and videos grab attention.
Go Live – Host Q&As or behind-the-scenes sessions.
Add CTAs – Encourage likes, shares, and comments.
Run Contests – Giveaways attract new followers.
Conclusion
Social media integration into your WordPress author website is a real deal to reach more readers and build a loyal following.
By adding simple tools you can easily link your site to your social media accounts.
To get the most out of these tools, post consistently, encourage engagement, and track your results.
Social media can help you boost your visibility and grow your audience—so make the most of it and watch your author brand flourish!