Addthis to Every Forum Posts and Blogs

Quick Add?

Not so long ago, as part of a network release, Ning came up with a 'Quick Add' feature that can be found in the right-hand side column. The 'Quick Add' drop-down allows you and your network members to instantly post a discussion or a blog or even to share a page across 6 popular social networking platforms.

Now to me this was nothing new under the sun. In fact, a few weeks ago, I managed to find out how to have a ADDTHIS button above every posts/blogs and furthermore I had already added a 'quick-post' navigation drop-down menu. Plus I dont like all the fanciness of the Quick Add loading... So I had to remove it first thing...



Even if you do happen to like the QuickAdd feature, you should still consider using this trick to have a ADDTHIS button above every posts.

Why? First Because the Ning Quick Add only allows your users to bookmark a page across 6 platforms when the ADDTHIS button allows them to bookmark your site across 32 social networks!
Secondly because the ADDTHIS button is unobtrusive, discreet and is conveniently located above every posts, just below the date, so that network members can find it easily.

Finally because its FREE and will only take 10 minutes of your time to install it!

So what is ADDTHIS?

"Launched in September 2006, AddThis is the #1 bookmarking and sharing button on the Internet. AddThis has become the standard button for bookmarking and sharing. The AddThis button spreads your content across the Web by making it easier for your visitors to bookmark and share it with other people, again…and again…and again."

Please get to the Point...

First thing first, you need to get your own ADDTHIS code. Go to the ADDTHIS website, register (takes 10sec) and grab your piece of code (preferably the drop-down version - see screenshot).

In order to implement this trick, we will make use of the language editor. In fact we will integrate the Addthis button within the very text of your network. The first thing you will need to do is to sign in as the admin and go to your 'Manage' tab.

Then click on language editor, select your language of choice and type the following inside the search box:

"Posted by"

Hit Search.

Then spot this text:

Posted by %1$s on %2$s at %3$s in %5$s (this is for FORUM posts)

Posted by %1$s on %2$s at %3$s (this is for BLOG posts)

Posted by %1$s on %2$s at %3$s in %5$s (Change) (this is for FORUM posts also but for admins)

Edit each one of those by copying the original text and adding a couple of line breaks (?) followed by the ADDTHIS code.

Save and here we go you should have a ADDTHIS button on every posts and forums!

Here is a screenshot with more on-screen details (forum and blogs).


Now that you have it on posts and forums, what about adding it to Photos and Videos too?

Cant be simpler, all you need to do is to look for the follwing text in the language editor:

Added by %1$s on %2$s at %3$s (for PHOTOS)

Added by %s at %s on %s (for VIDEOS)

Again here is a detailed screenshot (photos and vids)!