social media and blog design

Social Media And Blog Design

Have you ever thought about social media as being a key part in your blog design? If not, then let me be the first to tell you, it’s an essential piece of your blog design.

There are some experts who will tell you that making your social media links prominent in your web design is a bad idea. They’ll tell you that you don’t want to place anything in a users path that will lead them away from your site. This thinking is archaic, and out dated. It is also exceptionally irrelevant for a blogger. Let me explain:

This is part of the Blog Design Essentials series. You can find the rest of the series posts here.

Social Media = Life Blood

Social media plays a vital role in the growth of your blog. If you don’t make your social links prominent, here’s what you’re communicating:

  • Social networks aren’t important to me
  • Social media isn’t something I’m concerned with
  • I’m not socially accessible
  • I’m scared that you will be distracted by social media links because you obviously have severe ADHD.

Social media is where people are. Whether it’s Facebook, Twitter, or Google+, people are there having conversations, sharing, and developing relationships. By meeting people in this space, you begin to build a tribe of dedicated followers who will willingly share your content with a much wider audience. This is a catalyst for growth.

If you do social media right, it can be life-blood to your blog. Period.

How to Execute Well

1. Make the links prominent

My suggestion is to make your primary social media links visible above the fold. Meaning, make sure they can easily be seen without having to scroll down the page.

If you look at my blog as an example, my social links are right up top in my navigation bar. As an added emphasis, the navigation bar actually follows you down the screen so that they are visible at all times. You don’t need to take it that far, just make sure they’re visible as soon as your site is loaded.

2. Use icons

The use of icons simplifies, professionalizes, and just plain looks more legit than regular text links. So find an icon set that has all the necessary social networks you wish to display.

I recommend using a maximum size of 32px, and nothing smaller than 16px. Anything bigger takes up too much space and looks bulky; anything smaller looks insignificant and will be too hard on the eyes for anyone to care about.

3. Keep your icons relevant

You’ll want to make sure that the icons you use fit well with the overall design aesthetic of your blog. Additionally, make sure they are current as some networks have been known to change their logos over the years. The last thing you want is to incorporate out-dated icons, giving the impression that you’re out of touch with the current state of things.

Lucky for you, I’ve created an icon set that will allow you to stay relevant and look beautiful. A constantly updated icon set that has the most up-to-date social network logos in a simple, clean design that will work with any blog. You can download the set here.

4. Keep it simple

Only feature your most active social media accounts. If you’re a social media junkie like me, then you’re probably on over a dozen networks (active or not). Do not put a link to each of them. Instead, focus on the top 3-5 networks where you have the most engagement.

Reap The Benefits

Incorporating social media into your blog design and executing it well will ensure that your readers know that you are social, accessible, and relevant. This will build trust with your readers and help foster thriving community within your tribe.

It is both a functional and visual part of creating a visually stunning blog.

Have you incorporated social media into your blog design yet? Do you have any questions about this area? You can leave a comment by clicking here.