Display Social Media Followers Count as Text in WordPress: A Comprehensive Guide

In the digital age, social proof is a cornerstone of building trust with your audience. When visitors land on your WordPress website, seeing how many people follow you on social media—whether it’s 1,000 or 100,000—immediately signals credibility, authority, and popularity. While social media icons with follow buttons are common, displaying follower counts as text (e.g., “12.5K Followers on X” or “50K Subscribers on YouTube”) offers a clean, uncluttered way to highlight this social proof.

Whether you’re a blogger, business owner, or content creator, showing follower counts as text can complement your site’s design, reinforce your brand, and encourage visitors to engage with your social profiles. In this guide, we’ll walk you through everything you need to know to display social media followers count as text in WordPress, from beginner-friendly plugins to advanced manual methods using APIs. By the end, you’ll have the tools to showcase your social growth effectively.

Table of Contents#

  1. Understanding Social Media Follower Counts: Why Display Them as Text?
  2. Prerequisites: What You’ll Need Before You Start
  3. Method 1: Using WordPress Plugins (Beginner-Friendly)
  4. Method 2: Manual Integration with Social Media APIs (Advanced)
  5. Method 3: Using Gutenberg Blocks (No-Code/Low-Code)
  6. Styling Your Follower Count Text: CSS Tips & Tricks
  7. Troubleshooting Common Issues
  8. Best Practices for Displaying Follower Counts
  9. Conclusion
  10. References

1. Understanding Social Media Follower Counts: Why Display Them as Text?#

Social media follower counts are more than just numbers—they’re a form of social proof. According to Psychology Today, people are more likely to trust or engage with content when they see others doing the same. Displaying follower counts on your website:

  • Boosts credibility: A high follower count signals that your brand or content is valued by a large audience.
  • Encourages social engagement: Visitors may be prompted to follow you if they see others have already done so.
  • Reinforces brand consistency: Aligns your website with your social media presence, creating a unified brand experience.

Why Text Display?#

Most social media plugins focus on icons (e.g., a Twitter bird or Instagram camera) with follow links. However, text-based displays (e.g., “50K Followers on Instagram”) offer unique benefits:

  • Clarity: Text explicitly states the number of followers, leaving no ambiguity.
  • Customization: Easier to match your site’s typography and color scheme without relying on icon sets.
  • Minimalism: Ideal for clean, modern designs where icons might clutter the layout.

2. Prerequisites: What You’ll Need Before You Start#

Before diving into the methods below, ensure you have the following:

  • A WordPress website: Self-hosted (WordPress.org) is required for full plugin and code access (WordPress.com free plans have limitations).
  • Active social media accounts: You’ll need admin access to the social profiles (e.g., Facebook Page, Twitter/X account, Instagram Business Account) you want to display.
  • API keys (for manual methods): For advanced users, you’ll need API credentials from platforms like Twitter Developer Portal or Meta for Developers.
  • Basic WordPress skills: For plugin methods, no coding is needed. For manual API integration, familiarity with PHP, HTML, and WordPress shortcodes will help.

3. Method 1: Using WordPress Plugins (Beginner-Friendly)#

Plugins are the easiest way to display social media follower counts as text in WordPress. Most plugins handle API authentication, data fetching, and display automatically. Below are three reliable options:

3.1 Social Media Follow Buttons & Feed by WPZOOM#

Social Media Follow Buttons & Feed by WPZOOM is a popular plugin with over 300,000 active installations. It supports follower counts for major platforms and lets you display them as text, icons, or both.

Steps to Set Up:#

  1. Install the plugin:

    • Go to Plugins > Add New in your WordPress dashboard.
    • Search for “Social Media Follow Buttons & Feed.”
    • Click “Install Now” and activate the plugin.

  2. Connect your social accounts:

    • Navigate to Settings > Social Media in your dashboard.
    • Under the “Follow Buttons” tab, click “Add New Profile.”
    • Select a platform (e.g., Twitter, Instagram, Facebook) and enter your profile URL (e.g., https://twitter.com/yourusername).
    • For platforms requiring authentication (e.g., Instagram), follow the on-screen prompts to connect your account (you may need to log in to your social profile).

  3. Enable follower count display:

    • In the “Follow Buttons” settings, scroll to “Display Options.”
    • Check the box for “Show follower count” and select “Text” under “Count style” (options include “Icon + Text” or “Text Only”).
    • Customize the text format (e.g., “{count} Followers on {platform}”).

  4. Add the widget to your site:

    • Go to Appearance > Widgets.
    • Drag the “Social Media Follow Buttons” widget to a widget area (e.g., Sidebar, Footer).
    • Configure the widget: select the profiles to display, choose alignment, and save.

    Result: The widget will show text like “12.5K Followers on Twitter” on your site.

3.2 Smash Balloon Social Photo Feed#

Smash Balloon is known for its Instagram Feed plugin, but its Social Wall add-on also supports follower counts for multiple platforms. While the core plugin is free, the Social Wall add-on (starting at $49/year) unlocks follower text display.

Steps to Set Up:#

  1. Install the core plugin:

  2. Connect social accounts:

    • Go to Instagram Feed > Social Wall.
    • Click “Add Source” and select platforms (Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, etc.).
    • Follow the prompts to authenticate (e.g., log in to Twitter and grant permissions).

  3. Enable follower counts:

    • In the Social Wall settings, under “Display Options,” check “Show Follower Count.”
    • Choose “Text Only” under “Count Display Style” and customize the text format (e.g., “{count} Followers”).

  4. Display via shortcode or widget:

    • Use the shortcode [custom_social_wall] in posts/pages, or add the “Smash Balloon Social Wall” widget to a sidebar/footer.

3.3 Simple Social Icons#

Simple Social Icons by StudioPress is a lightweight plugin (100,000+ active installs) focused on icons, but it can be configured to display text alongside follower counts using custom CSS (see Section 6 for styling tips).

Steps to Set Up:#

  1. Install and activate the plugin:

    • Go to Plugins > Add New, search for “Simple Social Icons,” install, and activate.

  2. Configure social profiles:

    • Go to Appearance > Widgets and drag the “Simple Social Icons” widget to a widget area.
    • Enter your social URLs (e.g., Twitter, Facebook) and save.

  3. Enable follower counts (via add-on):

    • Simple Social Icons doesn’t natively support follower counts, but you can use the Simple Social Icons Follower Count add-on (free) to add this feature.
    • Install and activate the add-on, then return to the widget settings. You’ll now see a “Show Follower Count” option; check it and select “Text” as the display style.

4. Method 2: Manual Integration with Social Media APIs (Advanced)#

For full control over design and functionality, advanced users can fetch follower counts directly via social media APIs and display them using PHP/WordPress code. This method requires API keys and basic coding skills.

4.1 Step 1: Choose Your Social Platform and Get API Access#

Each social platform has its own API for fetching follower counts. Below are links to developer portals for major platforms:

Example Workflow for Twitter (X):

  1. Go to the Twitter Developer Portal and sign up for a developer account.
  2. Create a new “Project” and “App” under the project.
  3. Navigate to “Keys and Tokens” and copy your Bearer Token (used for app-only authentication).

4.2 Step 2: Fetch Follower Count Data via API#

Once you have API credentials, use a tool like Postman to test API endpoints. For example, Twitter’s API v2 endpoint for user details (which includes follower count) is:

GET https://api.twitter.com/2/users/by/username/{username}?user.fields=public_metrics

Headers:

  • Authorization: Bearer {your_bearer_token}

The response will include public_metrics.followers_count, which is the number of followers.

4.3 Step 3: Display the Count in WordPress (Shortcode, Widget, or Theme File)#

To display the fetched count in WordPress, you can:

  • Create a shortcode: Embed the count in posts/pages using [follower_count platform="twitter"].
  • Add a custom widget: Display the count in sidebars/footer via the Widgets menu.
  • Edit theme files: Hardcode the count into header.php, footer.php, or sidebar.php.

4.4 Example: Fetching and Displaying Twitter (X) Followers#

Let’s walk through a complete example to display Twitter followers as text using a WordPress shortcode.

Step 1: Get Twitter API Bearer Token#

Follow the steps in 4.1 to get your Bearer Token.

Step 2: Add PHP Code to Fetch and Display Followers#

Add the following code to your theme’s functions.php file (use a child theme to avoid losing changes on updates) or a custom plugin:

// Twitter Follower Count Shortcode  
function get_twitter_followers() {  
    $username = 'your_twitter_username'; // Replace with your username  
    $bearer_token = 'your_bearer_token'; // Replace with your Bearer Token  
 
    // API endpoint  
    $url = "https://api.twitter.com/2/users/by/username/{$username}?user.fields=public_metrics";  
 
    // Set up request arguments  
    $args = array(  
        'headers' => array(  
            'Authorization' => "Bearer {$bearer_token}",  
        ),  
        'timeout' => 10,  
    );  
 
    // Fetch data from API  
    $response = wp_remote_get($url, $args);  
 
    // Check for errors  
    if (is_wp_error($response)) {  
        return 'Error fetching followers.';  
    }  
 
    // Parse JSON response  
    $body = wp_remote_retrieve_body($response);  
    $data = json_decode($body, true);  
 
    // Extract follower count  
    if (isset($data['data']['public_metrics']['followers_count'])) {  
        $followers = $data['data']['public_metrics']['followers_count'];  
        // Format number (e.g., 12500 → 12.5K)  
        $formatted_followers = number_format($followers / 1000, 1) . 'K';  
        return "{$formatted_followers} Followers on Twitter";  
    } else {  
        return 'Followers not found.';  
    }  
}  
add_shortcode('twitter_followers', 'get_twitter_followers');

Step 3: Use the Shortcode#

Add [twitter_followers] to any post, page, or widget (via the “Shortcode” block in Gutenberg). The result will be text like “12.5K Followers on Twitter.”

4.5 Example: Fetching and Displaying Instagram Followers#

Instagram’s API is more restrictive (requires an Instagram Business Account and Meta App). Here’s a simplified example:

Step 1: Get Meta Access Token#

  1. Create a Meta App at Meta for Developers.
  2. Add the “Instagram Graph API” product.
  3. Generate a User Access Token with instagram_basic and pages_show_list permissions.

Step 2: PHP Code to Fetch Instagram Followers#

// Instagram Follower Count Shortcode  
function get_instagram_followers() {  
    $access_token = 'your_meta_access_token'; // Replace with your token  
    $instagram_account_id = 'your_instagram_account_id'; // Find in Meta Business Suite  
 
    $url = "https://graph.facebook.com/v19.0/{$instagram_account_id}?fields=followers_count&access_token={$access_token}";  
 
    $response = wp_remote_get($url);  
 
    if (is_wp_error($response)) {  
        return 'Error fetching Instagram followers.';  
    }  
 
    $body = wp_remote_retrieve_body($response);  
    $data = json_decode($body, true);  
 
    if (isset($data['followers_count'])) {  
        $followers = $data['followers_count'];  
        return "{$followers} Followers on Instagram";  
    } else {  
        return 'Instagram followers not found.';  
    }  
}  
add_shortcode('instagram_followers', 'get_instagram_followers');

Use [instagram_followers] in posts/pages to display the count.

5. Method 3: Using Gutenberg Blocks (No-Code/Low-Code)#

Gutenberg, WordPress’s block editor, offers built-in and third-party blocks for displaying social follower counts.

Option 1: Custom HTML Block#

For static counts (if you update manually), use the “Custom HTML” block to add text like:

<p class="follower-count">12.5K Followers on Twitter</p>

Option 2: Third-Party Blocks#

Plugins like Stackable or Kadence Blocks include social media blocks with follower count support. Simply add the block, connect your account, and enable “Text Display.”

6. Styling Your Follower Count Text: CSS Tips & Tricks#

To make follower counts stand out, customize their appearance with CSS. Add the following to Appearance > Customize > Additional CSS:

Example 1: Basic Styling#

.follower-count {  
    font-size: 1.2rem;  
    color: #1DA1F2; /* Twitter blue */  
    font-weight: 600;  
    margin: 10px 0;  
}

Example 2: Platform-Specific Colors#

/* Twitter */  
.twitter-followers { color: #1DA1F2; }  
/* Instagram */  
.instagram-followers { color: #E4405F; }  
/* Facebook */  
.facebook-followers { color: #1877F2; }

Example 3: Responsive Design#

@media (max-width: 768px) {  
    .follower-count {  
        font-size: 1rem;  
        text-align: center;  
    }  
}

7. Troubleshooting Common Issues#

7.1 Follower Count Not Updating#

  • Caching: Plugins and APIs often cache data (e.g., for 1 hour). Clear your WordPress cache (via plugins like WP Rocket) or wait for the cache to expire.
  • API rate limits: Platforms like Twitter limit API requests (e.g., 450 requests/15 mins for free tiers). Use a caching plugin like Transient Manager to store data locally.

7.2 API Authentication Errors#

  • Expired tokens: Refresh your API tokens (e.g., Meta tokens expire after 60 days).
  • Incorrect permissions: Ensure your API app has the required scopes (e.g., public_metrics for Twitter).

7.3 Plugin Conflicts#

8. Best Practices for Displaying Follower Counts#

  • Prioritize key platforms: Only display 2–3 platforms to avoid clutter (e.g., focus on where your audience is most active).
  • Use consistent formatting: Keep text style (e.g., “X Followers on Y”) and design (colors, spacing) consistent with your theme.
  • Avoid outdated counts: Use caching but set reasonable refresh intervals (e.g., 12–24 hours).
  • Be transparent: Never fake counts—trust is critical for audience retention.

9. Conclusion#

Displaying social media follower counts as text in WordPress is a powerful way to build credibility and encourage engagement. Whether you’re a beginner using plugins like Social Media Follow Buttons & Feed, an advanced user integrating APIs manually, or a no-coder using Gutenberg blocks, this guide has you covered.

By following the steps above, you can seamlessly add text-based follower counts to your site, enhancing your brand’s social proof and connecting with your audience more effectively.

10. References#

2025-11