Social media is an indispensable tool for e-commerce success. Integrating a WooCommerce product social share plugin into your store is an excellent way to boost brand visibility and sales. However, merely installing a plugin is not enough. Customizing it for optimal functionality and appeal can maximize your social sharing strategy, encourage customer engagement, and even offer attractive discounts to drive sales.
This blog will provide actionable tips on how to customize your WooCommerce social share plugin to achieve better results, ensuring your store stands out in a competitive market.
Why Customize a WooCommerce Product Social Share Plugin?
Customizing a social share plugin provides several advantages, including:
- Increased Engagement: Tailoring the appearance and placement of social share buttons makes it easier for customers to share your products.
- Enhanced Brand Recognition: Custom designs ensure social buttons align with your store’s branding.
- Boosted Conversions: Features like social share discounts incentivize customers to share your products on their profiles, increasing your reach and sales.
Getting Started: Choosing the Right WooCommerce Social Share Plugin
Before diving into customization, it’s crucial to choose a plugin that supports robust customization options. Popular options include:
- Social Warfare: Provides highly customizable share buttons.
- Monarch by Elegant Themes: Offers versatile designs and placement options.
- AddThis: Easy-to-use with analytics integration.
- Social Snap: Great for advanced customization and social media analytics.
These plugins can integrate seamlessly with WooCommerce and allow you to implement social share discount features effectively.
Steps to Customize Your WooCommerce Product Social Share Plugin
1. Configure Basic Settings
Begin by setting up the plugin to match your store’s needs. Ensure you:
- Enable Social Media Platforms: Focus on platforms where your target audience is active, such as Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, and Twitter.
- Set Display Locations: Position share buttons on product pages, checkout pages, or as floating buttons.
For example, adding buttons near the “Add to Cart” section can drive immediate action.
2. Customize the Design of Share Buttons
The appearance of your share buttons can significantly impact their effectiveness. A WooCommerce share product on social media plugin usually offers customization options like:
- Button Shape and Size: Experiment with rounded, square, or rectangular buttons that match your website design.
- Colors and Icons: Use brand-consistent colors and recognizable social media icons to enhance visual appeal.
- Hover Effects: Adding hover animations can make buttons more interactive and noticeable.
3. Add a WooCommerce Social Share Discount
One of the best ways to encourage customers to share products is by offering discounts. With a WooCommerce social share discount, you can reward customers who promote your products.
Steps to Enable Social Share Discounts:
- Integrate with a Compatible Plugin: Use plugins like Discount Rules for WooCommerce or built-in features of your social share plugin.
- Define Discount Rules: Specify the type of discount (e.g., percentage, fixed amount) for each social share.
- Automate the Process: Configure your plugin to automatically apply the discount once the share is verified.
Promote this feature prominently on product pages to attract attention.
4. Optimize Button Placement
Strategic placement of share buttons can drastically improve their click-through rates. Experiment with the following:
- Above the Fold: Place buttons near product titles or images for maximum visibility.
- Near the Call-to-Action (CTA): Position them near the “Add to Cart” or “Buy Now” button to encourage sharing before checkout.
- On Floating Bars: Use sticky or floating bars to ensure buttons remain visible as customers scroll.
Analyze customer behavior using heatmaps or A/B testing to determine the best placement for your store.
5. Enable Custom Messages and Hashtags
Adding personalized messages and hashtags to shared posts ensures consistent branding and improves the visibility of your products.
Steps to Customize Shared Content:
- Use your plugin’s settings to predefine post content.
- Include product-specific hashtags to boost discoverability.
- Add links back to your product pages for easy navigation.
6. Incorporate Social Proof
Leverage social proof by showing how many times a product has been shared. Many plugins allow you to display share counts alongside buttons.
Benefits of Share Counts:
- Builds trust with potential customers.
- Encourages more shares by showing the popularity of your products.
Ensure that the share counts update in real-time to maintain accuracy.
7. Monitor Analytics and Performance
Tracking the performance of your share buttons is essential to understanding their impact. Many plugins, such as Social Snap and AddThis, include analytics features.
Key Metrics to Track:
- Total shares per product.
- Platforms driving the most shares.
- Conversion rates from shared posts.
Use these insights to refine your social sharing strategy and make data-driven decisions.
8. Add Multilingual Support
If you operate a global store, ensure your social share plugin supports multiple languages. Plugins like WPML can help translate predefined messages and button text, making them accessible to a broader audience.
9. Ensure Mobile Optimization
With the majority of online shopping happening on mobile devices, optimizing share buttons for smaller screens is non-negotiable.
Tips for Mobile Optimization:
- Use smaller, responsive buttons that fit neatly on mobile screens.
- Test placement and functionality on various devices.
- Add a one-click sharing option for a seamless experience.
10. Encourage Post-Purchase Sharing
Encourage customers to share their purchases on social media with a post-purchase message or incentive. For example:
“Thank you for your purchase! Share your new product on social media and get 10% off your next order.”
Customize your WooCommerce share product on social media plugin to display this message on the order confirmation page or email receipts.
Popular Plugins for WooCommerce Product Social Share Customization
Here are some top plugins to enhance social sharing for WooCommerce:
- Social Warfare: Known for sleek designs and advanced customization options.
- Social Snap: Offers powerful analytics and customizable share buttons.
- AddThis: Features responsive designs and easy integration.
- ShareThis: Ideal for beginners looking for a simple yet effective solution.
Benefits of Customizing WooCommerce Social Share Plugins
Customizing your WooCommerce product social share plugin can yield several benefits, including:
- Increased Traffic: Encouraging customers to share products expands your reach.
- Higher Conversion Rates: Incentives like discounts drive more shares and sales.
- Improved User Experience: Tailored designs and placements enhance customer satisfaction.
- Brand Growth: Consistent branding through shared content builds brand recognition.
Conclusion
Customizing your WooCommerce product social share plugin is an excellent way to leverage social media for your e-commerce store. From tailored designs and strategic placement to offering social share discounts, these customizations can significantly improve customer engagement and sales.
Start by choosing the right plugin, experimenting with designs, and analyzing performance to fine-tune your strategy. By doing so, you can turn your customers into brand ambassadors and take your WooCommerce store to the next level.