Social sharing buttons allow your website visitors to spread your content across their networks with just a click. Making it as easy as possible for readers to share can provide major traffic and engagement benefits.
According to HubSpot, social media drives 31% more traffic to websites than organic search. Additionally, Social Media Today reports that 90% of website traffic can come from social shares.
This guide will show you how to maximize those benefits using the Smart Sharing plugin to add a floating social media box in WordPress.
Benefits of a Persistent Floating Sharing Box
Traditionally, sharing buttons only appear at the top or bottom of posts. However, studies show that middle placement garners 68% more social shares compared to placement at the ends of posts.
A floating share box placed mid-page catches readers‘ attention as they scroll and enables immediate sharing when they become engaged. Rather than hoping readers make it to the bottom, you remove all friction right when they like your content.
According to Orbit Media Stats, articles with sharing buttons every 400 words receive 66% more tweets and 22% more Facebook likes than those with just top/bottom buttons.
In addition to significantly boosting social referral traffic, floating buttons also provide:
- Increased brand impressions when shared
- Quick feedback signals on which content resonates
- Lower bounce rates as visitors explore related posts
Now let‘s see how Smart Sharing makes it easy to add a stylish floating box on your WordPress site.
Step-by-Step Installation and Configuration
The Smart Sharing plugin seamlessly integrates persistent floating social buttons in any WordPress theme. Just follow these few simple steps:
Download and Activate
- In your WordPress dashboard, navigate to Plugins > Add New
- Search for "Smart Sharing" and click Install
- After installation completes, click Activate to enable
Adjust Plugin Settings
- Go to Settings > Smart Sharing in your dashboard sidebar
- Select which pages, posts or archives you want the box to display on
- Choose which social sharing buttons to show (see custom options below)
- Set the offset position from the top of pages
Customize Floating Box Styling
- Navigate to Appearance > Widgets
- Locate the "Smart Sharing" widget
- Expand widget settings to change padding, borders, background colors and more
Once configured, the floating box will display persistently as users scroll any posts or pages you selected.
Adding Custom Social Sharing Buttons
While Smart Sharing includes defaults like Facebook and Twitter, you may want to add other custom sharing options preferred by your audience.
Popular choices like LinkedIn, Reddit and Pinterest can lead to expanded reach as readers share across their niche communities. Messaging apps also drive engagement on mobile.
To add custom share buttons:
- Return to Settings > Smart Sharing
- Expand the Custom Share Buttons section
- Enter any additional HTML share code
For example, to add Pinterest:
<a data-pin-config="above" href="https://www.pinterest.com/pin/create/button/" data-pin-do="buttonBookmark" ><img src="//assets.pinterest.com/images/pidgets/pinit_fg_en_rect_gray_20.png" /></a>Popular Social Sharing Button Codes
| Site | HTML Share Code |
|---|---|
| lang: en_US | |
 | |
 |
Table data sourced from Social Media Marketing studies on optimal placement and performance.
Now your users have even more options to spread your content across their social channels!
Troubleshooting Smart Sharing Installation Issues
If you don‘t see the floating share box appear after installation, try these troubleshooting tips:
- Clear all caches and refresh page
- Ensure widget area is published in Appearance > Widgets
- Check that visibility settings enable intended pages in plugin dashboard
- Try disabling other plugins that could cause conflicts
- Switch to default WordPress theme and retest
- Deactivate and reactivate the Smart Sharing plugin
- Remove plugin and install the latest version if needed
Repairing plugin conflicts or theme issues typically resolves missing floating boxes. But don‘t hesitate to drop us a message in the comments below if problems persist!
Achieve Viral Content with Smart Social Sharing
Implementing mid-page social sharing can profoundly impact traffic and engagement. The Smart Sharing plugin makes it easy to add customizable floating boxes that capture attention and encourage immediate likes and shares.
Give your readers compelling content and persistent calls-to-action to spread it widely across their networks. Then watch your social referral numbers soar!
Let us know if you have any other questions setting up floating share buttons with Smart Sharing. We offer free website configuration support to help you succeed. Just ask below!
