Hey there, WordPress user! Are you looking to expand your site‘s social media reach and make it dead-simple for visitors to share your content? Then you‘ll definitely want to consider adding a Skype share button to your posts and pages.
In this comprehensive guide, I‘ll walk you through exactly how to get a Skype button up and running on your WordPress site. No technical headaches, no confusion – just clear, actionable steps.
Whether you‘re a WordPress novice or a seasoned pro, you‘ll discover the best way to harness the power of Skype shares by the time you‘re done reading. Let‘s get started!
Before we dive into the how-to, let‘s talk about why you should care about Skype as a content sharing channel in the first place.
Here are some eye-opening stats:
- Skype has over 40 million daily active users as of 2022 (source: BusinessofApps)
- Skype is used by people in almost every country in the world (source: Skype)
- The platform supports sharing to individual contacts or groups via Skype chat
By giving your visitors a one-click way to share on Skype, you‘re tapping into a massive global user base. And since Skype is all about personal interactions, shares there can drive highly engaged traffic.
Plus, Skype share buttons have an average clickthrough rate of 0.6% – higher than other popular social channels like LinkedIn (0.2%) and Pinterest (0.1%) (source: AddThis).
The bottom line? Adding Skype to your sharing mix is an easy win for expanding your content‘s reach and generating buzz.
Now for the good stuff – actually getting that Skype button on your site! Here are the two primary methods at your disposal:
- Use the Skype Share Button Plugin
- Manually add Skype share button code
Let‘s break down each approach step-by-step. Feel free to navigate directly to the section that fits your needs:
By far the simplest way to add a Skype share button in WordPress is by using a plugin. And the best one for the job is Skype Share Button by Novashare.
Here‘s why I recommend this plugin:
- It‘s 100% free and open-source
- Over 20,000 WordPress sites use it
- Lightweight and won‘t slow down your site
- Easy setup with no coding needed
- Lets you customize button size and placement
To get started, install and activate the plugin by going to Plugins → Add New in your WordPress dashboard. Search for "Novashare Skype", click Install Now, then Activate.
Once activated, head over to the plugin settings by clicking Settings → Novashare in the WordPress menu.
On the settings page, the first thing you‘ll want to do is enable the Skype button. Just check the box next to Skype.
Next, choose your button size. You‘ve got four options:
- Small: 16 x 16 px
- Medium: 32 x 32 px (default)
- Large: 64 x 64 px
- X-Large: 128 x 128 px
Consider which size fits best with your site design and content layout. When in doubt, start with Medium and adjust if needed.
You can also select your preferred button shape: Square or Circle. This is a matter of visual styling preference.
Now it‘s time to choose where the Skype button appears. Under Button Locations, tick the box next to:
Poststo show the button on single post pagesPagesto show the button on static pagesHomepagefor the front page of your siteArchivesfor category, tag, and other archive pages
For most cases, I suggest enabling the button on Posts and Pages at minimum. Think about which parts of your site get the most traffic and engagement.
Finally, click the Save Changes button to lock in your settings. That‘s it! The Skype share button will now automatically appear on your site according to your configurations.
Here‘s an example of how the Skype button looks with Medium size and Circle shape enabled on a WordPress blog post:
If you ever need to adjust your settings, just head back to Settings → Novashare in your WordPress dashboard. You can toggle button locations, tweak sizing, and more.
Method 2: Manually Add Skype Button Code
If you want maximum control over exactly where the Skype share button appears on your site and how it‘s styled, you can opt to manually insert the code.
Here‘s a high-level overview of the steps:
- Add the Skype Web SDK script to your site header
- Paste the Skype share button HTML where you want it
- Customize the button parameters as desired
To begin, open up your active theme‘s header.php file. If you‘re using a child theme (recommended for any theme tweaks), edit the child theme‘s header file instead.
Locate the </head> tag and, just before it, paste the following code snippet:
<script>
(function(r, d, s) {
r.loadSkypeWebSdkAsync = r.loadSkypeWebSdkAsync || function(p) {
var js, sjs = d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0];
if (d.getElementById(p.id)) { return; }
js = d.createElement(s);
js.id = p.id;
js.src = p.scriptToLoad;
js.onload = p.callback;
sjs.parentNode.insertBefore(js, sjs);
};
var p = {
scriptToLoad: ‘https://swx.cdn.skype.com/shared/v/latest/skypewebsdk.js‘,
id: ‘skype_web_sdk‘
};
r.loadSkypeWebSdkAsync(p);
})(window, document, ‘script‘);
</script>This JavaScript code loads the Skype Web SDK asynchronously, which enables the share functionality on your site.
Next, decide where you want the Skype button to appear within your content. Common locations include:
- At the top of the post, near the headline
- After the post content
- In a floating sidebar
- As part of a "Share This Post" section
Once you‘ve chosen your location, open the relevant theme template file. For example:
single.phpfor individual postspage.phpfor static pagesarchive.phpfor category/tag archives
Locate the appropriate spot in the file‘s HTML structure and paste this code:
<div class="skype-share" data-href="<?php the_permalink(); ?>" data-lang="en-US" data-text="<?php the_title(); ?>" data-style="small"></div>Let‘s break down what each part of this code does:
data-href: Dynamically inserts the URL of the current page using WordPress‘the_permalink()functiondata-lang: Sets the language for the Skype share pop-up window. The default isen-US, but you can change it to any supported Skype language codedata-text: Specifies the default share message, which is set to the post title usingthe_title(). Customize this as you see fit!data-style: Determines the button size. Options aresmall(16px),medium(32px), andlarge(64px). I‘m usingsmallin this example.
Here‘s how the code might look pasted into single.php, right after the post content:
<article>
<?php the_content(); ?>
<!-- Skype Share Button Code -->
<div class="skype-share" data-href="<?php the_permalink(); ?>" data-lang="en-US" data-text="<?php the_title(); ?>" data-style="small"></div>
</article>Feel free to adjust the button size, language, and share text to suit your preferences. Once you‘re happy with the code placement and settings, save the template file.
Now, when you view a post or page on the front-end of your site, you should see the Skype share button right where you added it. It‘ll look something like this:
To add the button site-wide, you‘ll need to repeat the process of pasting the code snippet into each relevant template file. A little tedious, but it gives you pixel-perfect control.
Whichever Skype button implementation method you choose, there are some general best practices to keep in mind:
Users shouldn‘t have to hunt for your Skype share button. Place it in a prominent, easy-to-find location on the page. Near the top of your content or in a dedicated sharing section are good bets.
2. Use an enticing call-to-action
Adding a short phrase like "Share on Skype" or "Skype this" next to the button can increase engagement. You can append this to the data-text attribute or add it in your template file.
3. Optimize for mobile
Be sure to test how your Skype button looks and functions on mobile devices, not just desktop screens. Avoid placements that crowd small screens or lead to errant taps.
Skype should be part of a well-rounded social sharing strategy. Complement the Skype button with other top networks like Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and WhatsApp to give users choices.
5. Track your results
Use Google Analytics or another web analytics tool to monitor how many clicks your Skype button gets over time. You can also track Skype referral traffic to see how much of your site‘s traffic comes from Skype shares.
Before we wrap up, let me address some common questions you might have about Skype sharing on WordPress:
If you‘re using the Novashare plugin, you can enable/disable the button on a post-by-post basis using the Settings meta box on the post editing screen.
If you‘re manually adding the code, only paste it into the template files where you want the button to appear. You can also wrap the code in conditional tags to target specific post types or categories.
Yes! Both the plugin and manual methods give you control over the button size and shape. If you‘re handy with CSS, you can further style the button by targeting the .skype-share class.
To track Skype button clicks as events in Google Analytics, add this code snippet to your site‘s header (replacing GA_TRACKING_ID with your actual tracking ID):
<script>
document.addEventListener(‘click‘, function(e) {
if (e.target && e.target.className.indexOf(‘skype-share‘) !== -1) {
ga(‘send‘, ‘event‘, ‘Social‘, ‘Share‘, ‘Skype‘, {‘nonInteraction‘: 1});
}
});
</script>What if I need more Skype sharing features?
If you find yourself wanting additional Skype sharing options, like share counts or pop-up customization, you might consider using a more robust social sharing plugin like Social Warfare or Monarch.
Wrapping Up
Well, there you have it! You‘re now fully equipped to add a Skype share button to your WordPress site and start driving more social engagement.
Whether you opt for the simplicity of the Novashare plugin or the flexibility of adding the button code yourself, the key is to make sharing your content on Skype as easy and enticing as possible for users.
I hope this guide has been a helpful roadmap for your Skype sharing journey. Remember: a little effort goes a long way when it comes to expanding your audience and getting more eyeballs on your brilliant content.
For more juicy tips on turbocharging your WordPress site‘s social media game, stay tuned to our blog. And if you found this guide valuable, I‘d be honored if you shared it on Skype. 😉
Happy sharing!
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