How to Add a Monarch Floating Share Bar in WordPress, Twitter First.

Monarch: Add a Floating Share Bar With Twitter First

Want more readers to share your posts without hunting for buttons? A floating share bar keeps sharing options in sight as people scroll, which removes friction and boosts clicks. This guide shows how to add a Monarch floating share bar in WordPress, put Twitter first, and style it for speed and clarity. The steps are quick and beginner friendly. By the end, the Twitter share button will sit at the top of your bar, easy to find and tap, on every post you choose.

Why a Floating Share Bar With Twitter First Wins More Shares

Sticky share buttons reduce the distance between intent and action. When a reader has a sharp insight midway through your post, the floating bar is right there. No scroll up, no scroll down, just a quick click to share. That simple change can lift your share rate, because fewer steps means more actions.

Twitter shines for fast reach. Tweets are public by default, timelines are quick, and network effects stack. When Twitter sits first in your share bar, you nudge readers toward the most viral channel. That small placement choice shapes behavior. Your best ideas land where they can spread.

Good UX matters. Use clear contrast so icons pop against the page, keep motion simple and brief, and avoid too many options. A short list beats a wall of logos. On mobile, space is tight, so consider hiding the sidebar below a certain width or switching to inline buttons on phones. The goal is a share bar that helps, not one that crowds the text.

If you want a refresher on Monarch’s features, the official page covers networks and display options in detail: Monarch Social Sharing Plugin for WordPress. For a second opinion on real-world use, see WPBeginner’s Monarch review.

How the Floating Sidebar Works in Monarch

The floating sidebar is a vertical column of share icons that follows readers as they scroll. In Monarch, this is called the Sidebar location. It appears along the left or right edge of the screen, depending on your settings. The value is simple. Readers can share at any point in the article without losing their place or breaking flow.

For a quick reference to the feature, try the official setup guide: Using the Floating Sidebar in Monarch.

Why Put Twitter at the Top

Twitter favors speed and public visibility. A tweet can spread in minutes if it hits a nerve. Placing Twitter first makes the expected action obvious, like a lit exit sign for sharing. Keep the total number of networks lean, ideally three to five. That cuts choice overload and makes each icon more likely to get tapped.

Design Choices That Get More Clicks

Pick high contrast colors so icons read at a glance. Use readable sizes, add light spacing between icons, and keep the intro animation subtle. Show share counts only after a minimum threshold, for example 5 or 10, so you avoid zeros that can dampen clicks. Test icon styles that match your site’s look, rounded or square, filled or outline. A clean, steady bar beats flashy effects that distract from the content.

If you are exploring more Twitter tools for WordPress, see this roundup of the best Twitter plugins and widgets.

Step-by-Step: Add Monarch’s Floating Sidebar and Put Twitter First

Follow these steps inside WordPress. It takes only a few minutes, and you can preview changes on a draft post.

Open Monarch and Enable the Sidebar Location

1. In WordPress, go to Tools, then Monarch Settings.
2. Open Manage Locations.
3. Click Sidebar to enable the floating share bar.
4. Look for the green check that confirms it is active.

Tip: If you need a visual walkthrough, the Elegant Themes docs for the Sidebar location are helpful and short.

Choose Networks and Put Twitter First

1. Open the Networks tab.
2. Enable Twitter.
3. Drag Twitter to the top of the list.
4. Keep only the networks your audience uses.
5. Order the rest by priority, for example Twitter, LinkedIn, Facebook, and Reddit.

Fewer networks can mean more clicks per icon. Remove anything that does not serve your readers.

Customize Look and Behavior for Higher Clicks

1. Open Sidebar Settings.
2. Pick icon style and shape that match your theme.
3. Pick a simple intro animation, short and smooth.
4. Turn on share counts with a minimum threshold, or hide counts if they are low.
5. Set total shares if you want a single number at the top.
6. Adjust icon spacing and colors for contrast.
7. Decide whether to hide on mobile, or show only on wider screens.

Example quick settings that balance clarity and speed:

Setting	Recommendation
Icon size	Medium
Shape	Rounded
Animation	Fade in, short duration
Share count minimum	5 or 10
Mobile visibility	Hide below 768 px

Control Where It Shows and Test on Real Pages

1. Choose display conditions, such as Posts only.
2. Exclude pages where the bar might clash with design.
3. Save settings, then open a post preview.
4. Scroll to confirm the bar sticks.
5. Click the Twitter icon to test the share workflow.
6. Test on desktop and mobile.
7. Clear your cache if changes do not show.

If you want a longer primer that covers more Monarch options, this independent guide is handy: Monarch: Guide to using the sharing extension.

Optimize Twitter Shares: Copy, Cards, Tracking, and Quick Fixes

Your bar is live, so now make shares look good and measure what works. A clean tweet, a strong card, and basic analytics can multiply results.

Write Share-Friendly Titles and Snippets

Keep it short and clear. Aim for an active headline that promises a payoff, like “Speed up WordPress with smarter caching.” Add one or two relevant hashtags, not five. Avoid clickbait. Make sure the share text reads well on a phone screen, with the key phrase up front.

Set Strong Twitter Cards With a Clear Image

Use your SEO plugin to set Twitter Card and Open Graph tags. Most people go with a Summary Large Image card. Pick a large, crisp image with minimal text and high contrast so it pops in the feed. Add alt text for clarity and accessibility. After publishing, check a live post on Twitter to be sure the card pulls the right title, description, and image.

Track What Works Without Extra Work

In GA4, check Acquisition reports for traffic from the Twitter source. Sort by landing page to see which posts attract the most visits after shares. Watch engaged time and conversions to spot winners. When you share your own links, add UTM tags to compare campaigns. A simple “utm_source=twitter&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=monarch” is enough to start.

Common Issues and Quick Fixes

• Icons do not show: refresh your cache, then check for plugin conflicts by disabling recent installs.
• Twitter is missing: enable it in Networks and drag it to the top.
• Counts look odd or low: raise the minimum share count or hide totals until they grow.
• Bar overlaps UI: increase spacing, switch side, or adjust z-index in your theme’s custom CSS.
• Mobile feels cramped: hide the sidebar on small screens and use inline buttons below the post.

If you need reference material at any point, the official overview explains locations, triggers, and design controls in one place: Monarch Social Sharing Plugin For WordPress.

Conclusion

You now have the path: turn on Monarch’s Sidebar, put Twitter first, style the icons for clarity, choose where the bar shows, then test on real pages. Start with your top posts this week and watch traffic from Twitter in GA4. Try one small tweak at a time, like a brighter Twitter blue or a higher share count minimum, and track the change. Want faster results? Keep a short list of networks and a bold, readable icon set. A focused, floating bar makes sharing effortless, which is exactly what your readers need.