How to Add Social Media Share Buttons to Shopify Blogs?

Introduction

69% of bloggers say they use social share buttons (Source - OptinMonster). That's nearly 7 out of every 10 bloggers leveraging the undeniable power of social sharing buttons. If your Shopify blog isn't among them, you're missing out on a world of engagement, reach, and potential sales. But don't fret; by the end of this guide, you'll be equipped with all the knowledge and tools needed to seamlessly integrate share buttons into your Shopify blog.

In this comprehensive guide, we'll delve deep into everything there is to know about how to add share buttons on Shopify blog. From understanding the myriad benefits they bring to following a step-by-step guide for integration, and even the do's and don'ts to watch out for, we've got you covered.

Why trust us?

• We're the creators of Bloggle, a dynamic Shopify blog builder that fills the gaps in native Shopify blogging capabilities.
• We're a global force: 2000+ merchants across 60 countries have trusted us to amplify their e-commerce voices.
• Your peers adore us: We have a stellar 4.9/5 rating on the app store.
• We've already empowered 55,000+ blogs written using our app.
• Under our guidance, users have reported up to a 10x boost in Search Engine Optimization (SEO) traffic and revenue.

So, if you're a merchant looking to elevate your Shopify experience, you're in expert hands.

Table of Contents

• Benefits of adding a share button to your Shopify blog
• How to add share buttons on Shopify blog: A step-by-step tutorial
• Do's and don'ts: Best practices for implementing social share buttons on your Shopify blog
• Conclusion
• FAQs

Have you ever wondered how to share your Shopify store in a way that maximizes its reach? Or pondered over how to add a like-share button on your Shopify blog to boost engagement? Well, you're not alone. The fact is, share buttons are more than just tiny icons on your webpage; they're powerful tools that can significantly impact your online business. Don't believe us? 

Entrepreneur magazine found that websites with social sharing buttons are linked to 7 times as much as websites that don't have sharing buttons. (Source)

Improve SEO rankings

Let's start with the benefit that probably interests you the most: SEO rankings. Yes, adding social sharing buttons to your Shopify blog can actually help your site climb the ranks on search engines like Google. When your content is shared, it generates backlinks and increases the time-on-site—both crucial factors that search engines consider when ranking a website. So, next time you think about SEO, don't forget the social share buttons.

Boost user engagement and dwell time

If you're wondering how to add share buttons on Shopify blog to keep your visitors engaged, you're asking the right question. Share buttons not only encourage your readers to interact with your content but also increase the time they spend on your site, known as "dwell time". Higher dwell time is an indicator of quality content, and guess what? Search engines love it!

Skyrocket social proof

In today's digital age, social proof is as valuable as currency. When people share your content, it serves as an endorsement, which can be even more convincing than the slickest sales pitch. Essentially, every share acts as a mini-review for your Shopify product pages, building trust and credibility for your Shopify website.

Reach beyond your existing audience

One of the most underappreciated benefits of social share buttons is their ability to introduce your brand to new audiences. A single share can put your content in front of people you've never had access to before, exponentially increasing your reach. For Shopify store owners, this is particularly powerful. A broader audience translates to more potential customers, and ultimately, more sales.

Incorporating social sharing buttons into your Shopify blog isn't just a trend; it's a proven strategy for boosting SEO, increasing engagement, enhancing social proof, and expanding your reach. The best part? It's incredibly easy to implement, as you'll discover in our step-by-step guide up next.

1. Shopify Tutorial

Adding social sharing buttons natively via Shopify is possible but is a little tedious as it requires coding knowledge. Specifically, it involves adding code to your Shopify theme. But the following method adds buttons without the need to edit code. We demonstrate it for the Craft theme.

Step 1

In your Shopify admin panel, go to ‘Online Store > Themes’

Step 2

Click on ‘Customize’

Step 3

In the Template section, click ‘Add block’

Step 4

From the popup, select ‘Share’

Pro Tip: Depending on your Shopify theme, this button might not be called ‘Share’. It might be called ‘Social Share’, ‘Social Icons’, or something similar but it will do the same thing.

Step 5

Hit Save once you’re done

Step 6

On your published blog post, clicking on ‘Share’ will open up the Share popup. You can share your Shopify blog on multiple social media accounts from here.

Pro Tip: The final look and feel of your share button will depend on your Shopify theme.

2. Bloggle Tutorial - a Shopify App

Step 1

Navigate to your Bloggle Dashboard on the homepage.

Step 2

Create a New blog post / Open an existing one

Step 3

Click on ‘Add Content’ on the bottom left

Step 4

Click on ‘Social Share’

Step 5

Customize the content of your share buttons. You can choose to enable / disable share buttons as per your requirements.

Step 6

Play around with CSS elements like border-radius, background-colour, margin, padding, and more

Step 7

Hit ‘Save’ once you’re done

Did You Know? With Bloggle, you can also insert elements like videos, related blog posts, table of contents, products, and more to elevate the aesthetics of your blog.

When adding share buttons to your Shopify blog, it's not just about slapping on some icons and calling it a day. To maximize the impact, you need to approach this with strategy and finesse. Here’s how:

The do’s

1. Choose the right platforms

Why it matters:
Not all social media platforms serve the same audience or purpose. Your goal is to match your content with the platforms where your potential customers hang out.

Action steps:

• Review your Shopify store analytics to identify where your current social media traffic comes from.
• Conduct a brief survey among your subscribers or frequent visitors to find out which platforms they use the most.
• Based on this data, select 3 to 5 social channels to focus on.

Pro tip:
If you're selling B2B or more professional services, LinkedIn and Twitter might be more appropriate. On the other hand, lifestyle and consumer goods often perform better on Instagram, WhatsApp or Pinterest.

Source

2. Optimize button placement

Why it matters:

Randomly placed buttons can go unnoticed. Strategic placement ensures that your buttons are seen at the moment when a reader is most engaged and likely to share.

Action steps:

• Use heatmapping tools like Hotjar to identify where users spend the most time on your blog posts.
• Place share buttons next to key points or impactful statistics within the blog post, not just at the top and bottom.

Source

Pro tip:

When placing buttons next to statistics or compelling quotes, consider adding a brief prompt like, "Found this surprising? Share it!"

3. Use actionable labels for buttons

Why it matters:

A simple "Share" might not evoke action, but a well-crafted, action-oriented label can.

Action steps:

A/B test different labels to see which ones generate more clicks. Try options like "Share the love," "Tell the world," or "Spread the wisdom."

Update the labels based on what the analytics reveal.

Pro tip:

Action-oriented language often encourages more engagement. Phrases like "Share now to inspire your friends" can make a difference.

Source

The don’ts

Understanding what not to do can sometimes be just as valuable as knowing what to do. Let's explore the common mistakes to avoid when integrating social share widgets into your Shopify blog.

1. Don't overwhelm readers with a lot of choices

Why it matters:

Too many social media icons can paralyze your readers, leading to decision fatigue and ultimately, no decision at all.

Action steps:

Limit the number of social network buttons to those platforms you identified as most beneficial in the "Do's" section.

Remove any platforms that haven't generated any interactions over a period of time.

Source

Pro tip:

If you notice that a particular social media button is rarely or never used, consider replacing it with another platform that aligns better with your target audience.

2. Don't ignore analytics

Why it matters:

Ignoring analytics is like flying blind. You won't know what's working and what needs tweaking.

Action steps:

Use analytic tools that track button clicks and shares. This can often be integrated directly into your shopify dashboard.

Source

Periodically review this data to make informed adjustments to your button types, placements, and labels.

Pro tip:

Consider monthly or quarterly reviews of your social sharing metrics. These insights can inform not just your button strategy but also give you a glimpse into what type of content is most shareable.

3. Don't assume one size fits all

Why it matters:

Different content types and topics might appeal to different segments of your audience, and thus warrant different sharing platforms.

Action steps:

Tailor the share buttons according to the content type. For example, a how-to guide might be more suitable for Pinterest shares, while a product announcement could be more appropriate for Linkedin. A product page might be suitable on WhatsApp, while a pricing page would be good to share personally on email or WhatsApp.

Use conditional logic plugins or coding to display different buttons for different types of posts.

Pro tip:

Review the performance data for each post type to see if your tailored approach is effective. Make adjustments as needed.

You've reached the end of this guide. Implementing the share buttons on your Shopify blog can work wonders because of the benefits we discussed - great SEO, better engagement and dwell time, social currency and a wider reach of an audience. You also learnt how easy it is to add the share buttons on your blog template. And with the do's and don'ts at your disposal, implementing them to perfection will be a cakewalk. All the best in adding share buttons to your Shopify blog!

1. Can I actually add share buttons on Shopify?

Yes, Shopify has built-in features to make this easy for you. If you want more control, you've got a bunch of third-party social share button apps like Elfsight to choose from that are available on the Shopify app store.

2. Do these buttons slow down my site?

Most modern share buttons are optimized for speed. They won't drag your site down. But just make sure to test the load time after adding them.

3. Can I customize these share buttons?

Absolutely! Whether it's matching them with your brand colors or changing their shape, most options allow a good level of customization sometimes even without HTML/CSS or Wordpress editors.

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