ShareThis Share Buttons

Overview

ShareThis is a popular platform that offers a range of tools designed to enhance website engagement and content distribution. Primarily known for its social sharing buttons, ShareThis also provides features for content analytics, pop-ups, inline forms, and related content recommendations. The company aims to help website owners increase traffic, build their audience, and gain insights into content performance by making it easier for visitors to share content and for publishers to understand user behavior.

Key Features

• Social Share Buttons: Customizable buttons that allow users to share website content on platforms like Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Pinterest, and more. These buttons can be configured in various styles and placements.
• Share Buttons Analytics: Provides data on which content is being shared, by whom, and on which social platforms. This helps publishers understand what resonates with their audience.
• Engagement Tools: Includes features like pop-ups and inline forms to capture leads, promote content, or offer special deals.
• Related Content: Recommends other articles or pages on the website to keep visitors engaged and reduce bounce rates.
• Audience Insights: Offers analytics on visitor demographics and interests, helping publishers tailor their content strategy.
• Personalization: Allows for customization of sharing options and engagement tools based on user behavior or demographics.

Typical Use Cases

ShareThis is widely used by a variety of websites, including:

• Blogs and News Sites: To increase the reach of articles and drive traffic through social sharing.
• E-commerce Stores: To promote products and encourage user-generated content through social recommendations.
• Publishers and Media Companies: To track content performance and understand audience sharing habits.
• Small Businesses and Personal Websites: To enhance visibility and engagement without requiring extensive technical expertise.
• Non-profits and Educational Institutions: To disseminate information and encourage community involvement.

Pricing & Hosting Model

ShareThis operates on a freemium model. Basic social sharing tools and analytics are available for free, making it accessible for most website owners. For more advanced features, such as enhanced analytics, greater customization options, lead generation tools, and ad-free experiences, ShareThis offers paid subscription plans. These plans are typically tiered based on the features required and the scale of website traffic. The service is cloud-based, meaning it is hosted by ShareThis, and websites integrate it via a JavaScript snippet, requiring no server-side setup from the user.

Alternatives

Several other services offer similar functionalities to ShareThis:

• AddThis: A long-standing competitor offering social sharing, analytics, and audience targeting tools.
• AddToAny: Provides a simple and customizable set of share buttons with a focus on user privacy.
• Jetpack (Sharing Module): A popular WordPress plugin that includes social sharing features among its many functionalities.
• Monarch (by Elegant Themes): A premium social sharing plugin known for its attractive design and integration with other Elegant Themes products.
• Social Warfare: A premium plugin focused on maximizing social shares with features like click-to-tweet and image sharing optimization.
• Buffer / Hootsuite: While primarily social media management tools, they also offer ways to track and promote content sharing.