Our Top 10 Picks For 2012 – Getting Social Online With WordPress Plugins

One of the ways to improve your WordPress-powered website in 2012 is by using plugins that make it more social media optimized – this is a wonderful and free way to generate traffic to your site.

As you might have noticed in your search to find the best WordPress social media plugins available, there are so many to choose from.  So how do you really know which one is the best one for your site?

I did a lot of trial and error myself, so let me save you some time and share with you what I believe to be the top ten social media plugins that will be popular in 2012 and beyond:

[button type=”engraved” color=”blue” link=”http://wordpress.org/extend/plugins/getsocial/”]1. Get Social[/button]
GetSocial adds an intelligent yet easy to use floating social media sharing box on your blog posts. Like many of the most current social media stars, this plugin allows you to re-order buttons with simple drag-and-drop. It auto-adjusts itself to all screen resolutions and window sizes, an important feature as mobile and tablet browsing continues to increase.

[button type=”engraved” color=”blue” link=”http://wordpress.org/extend/plugins/socialize/”]2. Socialize[/button]
I like that socialize provides a box at the bottom of your posts that asks readers to subscribe and comment. This is a great opportunity to make some sort of call to action for your readers – ask them to do something, like check out one of your services or to leave a comment and subscribe.

[button type=”engraved” color=”blue” link=”http://wordpress.org/extend/plugins/tweet-stream/”]3. Tweet Stream[/button]
This baby displays both your tweets and recent mentions. I think it’s kinda cool to be able to display your Twitter avatar and the number of tweets you’d like displayed – extra incentive to keep tweeting!

[button type=”engraved” color=”blue” link=”http://wordpress.org/extend/plugins/digg-digg/”]4. Digg Digg[/button]
This is just a simple to use plugin with plenty of support and lots of great customization options. It has its own look and feel, but it helps that it works a lot like the uber-popular Mashable. It looks amazing; from the most basic themes to Genesis WordPress themes.

[button type=”engraved” color=”blue” link=”http://wordpress.org/extend/plugins/add-to-any/”]5. AddToAny[/button]
This is one of the most used plugins on WordPress (over 2 million downloads and counting!), so that alone is a pretty strong reason to give it a try. One of the features I think is really impressive:  the context menu has three different tabs: Share/Save, Bookmark and Email. This allows your readers to find what they want easily without wasting much time. And we all know time is of the essence when it comes to being online!

[button type=”engraved” color=”blue” link=”http://wordpress.org/extend/plugins/sharebar/”]6. Sharebar[/button]
Call me picky, but I like the variety of sizes Sharebar uses for its icons: Big Buttons are used in the vertical Sharebar to the left of your post, while the Small Buttons are used in the horizontal Sharebar that appears under your post title. It’s the little things that can help make you look more professional.

[button type=”engraved” color=”blue” link=”http://wordpress.org/extend/plugins/facebook-like-box/”]7. Facebook Like Box[/button]
Facebook fanatics and freshmen alike, you know that a “Like” is an important thing to get. So here’s the easiest way to be liked more often by more people.  Everyone wants to be liked, and here’s your chance. Maybe Ralph Waldo Emerson was onto something when he said, “A man’s growth is seen in the successive choirs of his friends.”

[button type=”engraved” color=”blue” link=”http://wordpress.org/extend/plugins/social-media-tabs/”]8. Social Media Tabs[/button]
Here is one of the best ways I have seen to have all of your social media platforms on your page without having them take up too much space on your site.  They are all in one place, and the reader can click on which profile they want to see by clicking on the tabs to the left of the widget.

[button type=”engraved” color=”blue” link=”http://wordpress.org/extend/plugins/follow-me/”]9. Follow Me[/button]
This useful plugin puts a discreet icon on the left or right side of the page uses some of the most important social media vocabulary and icons:  “Follow Me” to “Follow Us” and “Grab This.”  Sometimes, that’s all you need to say to get your readers to act.

[button type=”engraved” color=”blue” link=”http://codecanyon.net/item/simple-share/117355″]10. Simple Share[/button]
No matter how wise the words on your website, your readers will occasionally have the tendency to leave your page before they get to the bottom of the post, where most social network sharing links are. Simple Share is always in view, making it easy and immediate for people to share your content even if they don’t have time to read it.

[box]About the Author: Jason Monroe freelances from home, and is currently writing a series of articles on getting social with your online business. Using robust tools like the Thesis WordPress Theme he’s sharing tips and techniques to take your business to the next level.[/box]