Do you want more engagement, credibility, and visibility for your WordPress content? Embracing the power of social proof can help. Over 300 million active users are tweeting every day, offering a goldmine of embeddable social proof for your blog.
But how exactly do you integrate real, live tweets into WordPress posts? This step-by-step guide details everything you need to know—from the value of embedding tweets to customizing optimized feeds. Follow our techniques to help boost metrics that matter:
[table “” not found /]Let‘s dive in…
Why You Should Embed Real Tweets in WordPress Content
Beyond the numbers above, here are 5 benefits of tweeting your content:
1. Increase On-Page Engagement
Tweets layered into your posts become interactive social proof points. Instead of static screenshots, readers can now easily retweet, reply, and favorite the live content you embed. This helps them become invested in joining the conversation, which signals value.
[blockquote author="âDarpan Saxena, Bloggerâ"]Traffic coming from Twitter has one of the highest time-on-page metrics. Twitter can drive targeted users who are more likely to engage deeply with your content.[/blockquote]2. Establish Credibility via Social Proof
Did you know posts with embedded tweets from experts receive 64% more credibility than posts without?
Rather than telling readers you‘re an industry leader, show them by embedding tweet testimonials from recognized names. This builds authority and trust.
3. Spark Viral, Visual Discussions
Tweets that strike an emotional nerve often go viral quickly. For example:
https://twitter.com/Malala/status/1613814499512082432[/embed]
Just 5 days after posting, this tweet from influencer Malala Fund garnered over 597,000 likes and 234,000 retweets. Embedding visual commentary on trending issues shows you finger on the pulse of hot topics.
4. Refresh Evergreen Content Automatically
Do you spend lots of time updating outdated evergreen posts with new screenshots? That‘s tiring!
Instead, embed a search URL from experts like:
https://twitter.com/search?q=from%3Abillgates%20climate%20change&src=typed_query
Now your content will showcase Bill Gates‘ latest climate change commentary without any manual refreshing.
5. Promote Your Own Profile with Clickable Links
Brand building starts on your own site. When embedding your tweets, include your @handle in the visible tweet text. This makes it clickable for readers to easily follow you, growing your Twitter audience.
Next let‘s explore methods for effortless embedding…
2 Ways to Seamlessly Embed Tweets in WordPress
You have options when it comes to inserting live tweets in WordPress posts and pages:
1. The Native Twitter Embed Block
- No coding or plugins necessary
- Simple copy/paste of tweet‘s URL
- Multiple tweets supported per post
- Tweets stay mobile responsive
But no customization or feed capabilities
2. Custom Twitter Feeds Plugin
- Create/reuse unlimited feeds from accounts, hashtags, etc
- Customize tweet design with colors, spacing, etc
- Automate feeds to show latest real-time tweets
- Add customizable "Load More" buttons
- More setup work involved
Now let‘s walk through both processes with step-by-steps…
How to Effortlessly Embed Tweets Natively
Thanks to WordPress 5.0, you can embed tweets without ANY plugin. Here‘s how:
- From the post editor, click the + icon to add a block
- Search for "Twitter" and select the matching block
- Right-click your chosen tweet and Copy link to Tweet
- Paste the tweet‘s URL into the opened Twitter block
- The full tweet content will populate automatically
- Publish or update to embed live tweet on your page
See? No account connections or extra software required to start showcasing tweets from anywhere on the open web.
But for custom feeds and automation power, plugins open more advanced options…
How to Create Automated, Optimized Twitter Feeds
While the native embed method works for one-off tweets, plugins enable reusable feeds from specific accounts or hashtags.
We‘ll demonstrate setup for Smash Balloon Custom Twitter Feeds—the most popular, customizable embed solution with 5-star reviews and 10+ million installs:
Step 1: Install and Activate Smash Balloon
After installation, visit Twitter Feeds > Settings connect your Twitter account:
[gif src="https://uploads.wpbeginner.com/2020/11/twitter-feeds-smashballoon.gif"]This authorizes Custom Twitter Feeds to automatically pull in your latest tweets.
Step 2: Create Your First Feed
From Twitter Feeds > Add New, choose your feed type—hashtag, home timeline, user timeline etc. For example:
[gif src="https://uploads.wpbeginner.com/2020/11/tweets-user-timelime.gif"]Then click Next to customize.
Step 3: Customize Your Feed
Here you can tweak settings like:
Tweet Layout
- Number of tweets displayed
- Height/width
Color Scheme
- Light, dark, or custom colors
- Link colors
- Container style
Tweet Elements
- Show/hide date stamps
- Disable retweets or mentions
- Etc.
Load More Button
- Colors
- Button text
- And more
Preview changes in real-time until you‘re happy, then click Save. Repeat to create unlimited feeds!
Step 4: Embed Your Feed via Shortcode
To embed, copy your feed‘s [custom-twitter-feeds] shortcode from Twitter Feeds > All Feeds.
Then paste into a Twitter Feed embed block within any post or page:
[gif src="https://uploads.wpbeginner.com/2020/11/shortcode-apply-changes.gif"]And publish to showcase your fresh, automated Twitter feed!
Custom Twitter Feeds – Maximizing Value
With Smash Balloon‘s premium features, you can also:
✅ Schedule tweets to publish during peak times
✅ Filter feeds by keywords
✅ create "Follow" button overlays
✅ And more!
Wrap Up: It‘s Time to Tap into Twitter
Hopefully this guide provided an easy, fool-proof system embedding for tweets in WordPress using either built-in tools or plugins like Smash Balloon.
Just remember these key benefits:
💬 Increase Engagement
Let readers directly interact with tweets
📈 Establish Credibility
Citations from influencers build authority
🔥 Spark Viral Discussions
Embed trending commentary with visuals
⏰ Refresh Evergreen Content
No more manual editing!
🚀 Promote Your Brand
Share your own clickable @username
Soon you‘ll be embedding tweet proofs from raving fans who can‘t get enough of your content and expertise.
For more pro tips, be sure to join our active Facebook community group as well. We even cover advanced topics like displaying tweets in popups, headers, sidebars, and custom page templates using Smash Balloon.
Let us know how we can further help you nail tweet embedding in WordPress!
