Summer 2009
ASU Cronkite School
Social Media Plug-ins New Media Academy Dr. Dawn Gilpin
Plug-ins Cheat Sheet
Two social media plug-ins have been uploaded into your WordPress accounts. Many more
are available by searching in the WordPress Dashboard, under Plugins/Add New. The
same installation instructions apply for other blog plug-ins, although specific settings will
vary for each.
Installing your plug-ins
1. Log in to your WordPress account to your blog at least twice during the week, making
sure to follow the guidelines.
2. On the left-hand side of the dashboard, click the menu item Plugins.
3. Select installed from the options in the drop-down menu. You will see a list of available
plug-ins, including Sociable and Twitter Widget Pro.
Sociable
1. Click activate to install the plug-in. If you ever want to disable it, select deactivate.
2. To see what the default version of the plug-in looks like, click the Visit Site button next
to your blog name at the top of the dashboard window. This will take you to your blog.
Click on the title of a post to see what it looks like with the plug-in installed. Use your
browser’s back button to return to the dashboard.
3. Click on settings. You will be shown a long list of social media services. Select those
you want your blog readers to be able to choose from.
4. You may also change the tagline and position of the social media options.
5. When you are satisfied with your choices, click the button Save Changes.
6. Follow the steps above to see the changes you have made. Continue until you’re
happy with the options you have chosen.
Social Media Blog Plug-ins: Cheat Sheet
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Summer 2009
ASU Cronkite School
Social Media Plug-ins New Media Academy Dr. Dawn Gilpin
Twitter Widget Pro
1. Click activate to install the plug-in. If you ever want to disable it, select deactivate.
2. On the left-hand side of the dashboard, click the menu item Appearance.
3. Select Widgets from the options in the drop-down menu. You will see a list of installed
widgets, or tools that you can install in your blog’s sidebar. Twitter Feed will probably
be the last in the list
4. Drag the Twitter Feed button into the box labeled Sidebar 1. If you do not have a
sidebar box, you will need to install another theme. Choose Themes from the Ap-
pearance menu and install a theme with at least one sidebar. If you have two sidebar
boxes, you can install the Twitter Feed in either one. Feel free to experiment with install-
ing other widgets.
5. To see what the default version of the widget looks like, click the Visit Site button next
to your blog name at the top of the dashboard window. This will take you to your blog.
Use your browser’s back button to return to the dashboard. Feel free to experiment
with installing other widgets.
6. Click on the inverted triangle next to the name of the widget in the sidebar box; this will
open a settings menu. You will be shown a long list of social media services. Select
those you want your blog readers to be able to choose from. Here you can give a title
to your Twitter feed, and change any other options you wish.
7. When you are satisfied with your choices, click the Save button.
8. Follow the steps above to see the changes you have made. Continue until you’re
happy with the options you have chosen.
Social Media Blog Plug-ins: Cheat Sheet
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