You can bring the conversations occurring on your Twitter, Facebook and Pinterest accounts to your blog by embedding html code that allows the posts to be shared.
Don’t worry. You don’t need to learn html to do this, although there are articles on the blogosphere that will show you how to do this. However, you do need to know how to add the html to your website or blog.
How to Embed Your Tweets
Go to your Twitter account and select a tweet. Then click the ellipses to the right of the garbage can and select “Embed Tweet.”
Next, copy the html code that appears highlighted.
Then navigate to your blog or website’s dashboard and embed the code on the text view of the page or post where you would like it to appear.
How to Embed Key Facebook Posts
Navigate to your Facebook page and select a post that you would like to promote on your website. In this case, I selected a post I wrote for Nina Amir’s blog, Write Nonfiction Now!
Hover over the top right-hand corner, and select “Embed Post.”
Similar to Twitter, copy the html code and added it to the text view on your selected website page or blog post. It should look like this when you add the html to your website.
Once you click Update, preview the changes.
Embed Your Pinterest Boards on Your Blog
You can your images, profile or pinboards from Pinterest on your WordPress blog or website. The process is exactly the same as it was for Twitter and Facebook.
First, navigate to Pinterest’s page where you can build widgets. Then select which option you prefer, buttons for following and pinning images or widgets to display your images and click on the widget builder.
In this case, I’m selecting the Board Widget for the pinboard that has images from all of my blog posts.
Pinterest will generate the html code you need, which you again will need to copy and paste on the text view of your blog or website. When you paste the html code, don’t forget to replace the URL in the widget builder with the URL to your designated pinboard.
If it appears that the widget isn’t working, check your preview page in a different browser, such as Firefox or Chrome. I often have trouble viewing uploaded images on Safari or Internet Explorer.
I tried using several WordPress plug-ins but I found Pinterest’s widget builder to be the quickest and most effective way to upload my pinboards.
If you’re wondering why you should integrate your social media here’s my answer: embedding posts is an excellent way to grow your following and a way for your blog readers to join conversations taking place off your website. The Pinterest embedded code is also a great way to add more color and images to your blog.
Let me know if you experiment with embedded posts. I’d love to hear from you.
About the Author: Frances Caballo is a social media manager for writers and author of Avoid Social Media Time Suck: A Blueprint for Writers to Create Online Buzz for Their Books and Still Have Time to Write, Social Media Just for Writers: The Best Online Marketing Tips for Selling Your Books and Blogging Just for Writers. Presently, she is the Social Media Manager for the Women’s National Book Association-SF Chapter, the San Francisco Writers Conference, and the Bay Area Independent Publishers Association. You can find her on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Pinterest, and Google+.
Practical Tips for Marketing Your Books on the Social Web
This is a great post especially for those writers who are still in the learning mode of handling social media. For the technologically challenged, of which I’m definitely one, this should be kept somewhere safe so you (I) can re-visit whenever needed. All you have to do is check out my basic website to understand how far I have to go. At the moment the learning curve is pretty steep. I am gathering knowledge step-by-step toward improving not only my writing but the presentation of that writing as well as myself. I keep wondering if I am the only one who has difficulty in the marketing of what I am writing. Is anyone else in my boat?
I think to some extent we all feel as though we need to learn more about marketing. The learning curve never stops but we do make progress!