New visitors are rarely ready to join your email list, but many will happily follow you on social media with one click. A social media widget in your sidebar or footer makes that easy and keeps readers connected to your blog.
Most of the plugins in the original version of this post are no longer maintained (and some supported networks, like Google+, no longer exist). Here are the 5 best options for 2026.
1. WordPress Social Icons Block (Built In)
You may not need a plugin at all. WordPress’s built-in Social Icons block adds icon links to dozens of networks, including Facebook, Instagram, X, LinkedIn, YouTube, TikTok, Pinterest, Threads, Bluesky, and Mastodon.
- Go to Appearance > Widgets (classic themes) or Appearance > Editor (block themes) and open your sidebar or footer.
- Add the Social Icons block.
- Click + inside it to add each network and paste your profile URL.
- Choose a style (logos only, pill shape, or default), size, and colors in the block settings.
It is lightweight, free, and maintained by WordPress itself, so it is the best choice for most blogs.
2. Simple Social Icons
Simple Social Icons (100,000+ installs) adds a classic widget with clean icons whose size, colors, hover colors, border, and alignment you can customize. A good option for classic themes.
3. WPZOOM Connect
WPZOOM Connect (formerly Social Icons Widget by WPZOOM) offers hundreds of icon styles as a widget or block, plus share buttons and click-to-chat features, with about 90,000 active installs.
4. Social Snap
Social Snap is an all-in-one social plugin. Besides share buttons and click to tweet boxes, it includes a social followers widget that shows your follower counts, a nice touch of social proof once your audience grows.
5. Smash Balloon Social Feeds
Want to show your actual posts, not just icons? Smash Balloon’s free plugins display your Instagram feed or Facebook feed in a widget. Feeds are heavier than icons, so use them only if social content is central to your brand.
Tips for Social Media Widgets
- Show only the 3 to 5 networks where you are actually active.
- Place icons where people look: top of the sidebar, header, footer, or author box.
- Use icons rather than embedded feeds when speed matters.
- Ask for the follow in your posts too, with a clear reason to follow.
Also add share buttons to your posts with these social sharing plugins.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need a plugin to add social icons in WordPress?
No. The built-in Social Icons block covers most needs.
Will a social media widget slow my site?
Icon widgets are very light. Embedded feeds load more data, so use them sparingly.
Which social networks should I link?
Only the ones you update regularly and where your audience spends time.
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