Adding WordPress follow button to your self hosted sites

One of the main reason I switched over to WordPress years was the nifty follow button that shows your follower count and more importantly the ease of new posts showing up on your WP feed Reader. So imagine my surprise when I found that the self hosted WordPress sites do not have the follow button natively? 

Of course there is a way to get it added, and it is not too difficult. And I did the WordPress follow button on to my sidebar here and my home page here. 

Adding the button on self hosted sites

In fact it is one of those basic things that every blog or site should have! So with no further ado, can we get to adding those buttons on our self hosted wordpress site?

Jetpack plugin

1. Ensure your self hosted wordpress site/blog is Jetpacked powered. Basically check if this Jetpack plugin is installed. It usually is, but if it is not just do it.

Where do you want the button

2. Choose where on earth your site you are going to add the button. Just make sure it is a prominent place. 

The most obvious choices are

• sidebar header 
• footer
• But in some cases, like this post, you can add it to your posts (see the end of the post).
• And your ‘about me’ and contact pages, as well

Get the code

You can use this code generator from WordPress to generate your WordPress Follow button. 

The options here are pretty simple.You can choose to show your site name (better to leave it on).

And show/hide the count of followers, as you wish.

Click the generate button.

Add the code to your site

Now for the important bit.

Insert the code to wherever you want the follow button to appear.

This is how my code below my ‘about me’ looks.

I am adding it to a custom HTML widget to display on my sidebar. 

I am also adding the code snippet to this post, for good measure. 

And you are DONE!

How does it work?

Now you can have your blog posts sent directly to others WordPress reader, without them signing up with an email address. 

If you have problems implementing any of these or would like to hear more on these feel free to chat up.

And don’t forget to follow me!

Previously on blogging tips for book bloggers

• Why Book Blogging Is Different From Other Niches?
• Blogging Terms You Have To Know As A Book Blogger
• Getting More Comments On Your Blog – Things You Can Do Today!
• Commenting On Other Blogs – Commenting Etiquette
• Does your blog have these? A checklist for new bloggers
• SEO For A Book Blogger

Check out this link for more of blogger resources posts and how to guides.

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Let us chat

So what do you think about this little ‘how to’ guide? Do you have your WordPress follow button enabled? If you want any other guide for book blogging let me know. Let us talk.