This guide explains how the WordPress plugins ‘Add Link To Facebook’ and ‘WP To Twitter’ are used and how they appear on the social media sites once published.
Custom Facebook Posts and Default Twitter Publishing
On the image below, the numbers on the WordPress post editor relate to the numbers on the Tweet and Facebook post. Further explanation of the numbered points are below the image.
Default Twitter
- The default format of the tweet is shown where indicated (1a).
It has ‘New Post:’ The Post Title (1) and the article URL.
Custom Facebook Posts
- The Post Title is used for the link title shown on the FB post.
- Custom Excerpt is the description text used to precede the link area within the FB post.
- Custom Text is the text description show within the link area in the FB post.
- A featured image can be used with the Facebook post. In this example an image has been added to the main text area. A guide on how to set the featured image is below. First of all click the ‘Set Featured Image’ link in the right column, (4).
4. Set Featured Image (below)
- In this example an image has been added to the post. Once you click ‘Set Featured Image’ on point (4) above you are presented with this WordPress dialogue box. Select the Gallery tab.
- At the bottom click ‘Use as featured image’. The featured image will now be set.
- Close the dialogue box.
Custom Tweets and Default Facebook Posts
On the image below, the numbers on the WordPress post editor relate to the numbers on the Tweet and Facebook post. Further explanation of the numbered points are below the image.
Custom Twitter Posts
- (1a) You can enter customised tweet text in here. Take note of the use of hash tags here: #url# adds the URL to the post. The other tags available are shown under the text box.
Default Facebook
- The Post Title is used for the link title shown on the FB post.
- The Excerpt is the description text used to precede the link area within the FB post.
- The main text area is used for the description text within the link area in the FB post.
- No featured image in this example, therefore the image will be the default Link picture (4). This is set in the WordPress Settings.
Summary
The Twitter post is relatively straight forward, as a rule of thumb for the Facebook post remember the ‘Excerpts’ will be the preceding text before the link area. The rest is within the link area.
Happy posting!
AK