How to Create a Custom Facebook Feed in WordPress

As a web designer with over 15 years of experience, I‘ve helped hundreds of clients improve their website engagement and reach new audiences by embedding a Facebook feed into their WordPress site.

A custom Facebook feed allows you to showcase your brand‘s Facebook content directly on your website. Unlike simply sharing the occasional post, a dedicated Facebook feed lets visitors discover and interact with your photos, videos, stories, events and more.

Here are 5 compelling reasons why you should be using a Facebook feed on your WordPress site:

1. Tap Into Facebook‘s Massive Audience

With over 2.96 billion monthly active users, Facebook is the largest social media platform in the world. Chances are many of your website visitors use Facebook on a regular basis but may not actively follow your brand‘s page.

A Facebook feed allows you to surface your best content to these potential new followers. According to Sprout Social, posts embedded directly on a website receive up to 5X more engagement than those just on Facebook.

2. Increase Social Engagement

Your website and Facebook page have different audiences. By showcasing your Facebook posts directly on your site, you can significantly increase engagement.

Visitors can easily like, comment and share without having to visit your Facebook page. This also helps boost your page‘s post reach in the Facebook algorithm.

3. Show Off Multimedia Content

The best way to capture attention on social media is with multimedia content. A Facebook feed lets you embed videos, photos, carousels and Stories right on your WordPress site.

This visual content performs better than text alone. After installing a Facebook feed, clients typically see website traffic and conversions improve.

4. Promote Your Facebook Page

A custom Facebook feed functions as a constant, updated endorsement of your brand‘s Facebook page. With a Facebook icon and follow button, you can organically grow your Facebook audience.

Savvy publishers use Facebook feeds to draw in followers from their loyal website audience. Plus it keeps existing Facebook fans more engaged when they visit your website.

5. Save Time Curating Content

Creating fresh, engaging social media content requires significant time and planning. Rather than republishing posts individually, a Facebook feed saves you time.

The feed automatically populates with your latest posts and updates in real time. You can focus on publishing awesome social content while your website reaps the benefits!

Now that you know why Facebook feeds are so powerful, let‘s dive into how to actually create one in WordPress.

Choosing the Best Facebook Feed Plugin

While WordPress doesn‘t have built-in Facebook integration, there are some excellent Facebook feed plugins to help you embed posts on your site. The most popular choices include:

Plugin	Price	Key Features
Smash Balloon Custom Facebook Feed	Free – $39/year	Custom templates, multiple feeds & accounts, moderation tools
Custom Facebook Feed Pro	Free	Basic feed customization and filters
Facebook Feed Pro	$26+	Video embeds, reviews, hashtag feeds
Facebook for WordPress	Free	Simple recent post feeds
Facebook Widget Pro	Free	Widget with Like Box

Based on features and flexibility, I recommend using the Smash Balloon Custom Facebook Feed plugin. The free version meets most basic feed needs, while premium add-ons (~$39/year) enable advanced customization and multiple feeds.

The setup process only takes a few minutes…

Step 1: Install the Facebook Feed Plugin

From your WordPress dashboard:

1. Go to Plugins > Add New
2. Search for "Smash Balloon Facebook Feed"
3. Install and activate the plugin

After activation, the plugin will walk you through connecting your Facebook account.

Step 2: Connect Your Facebook Page

In order for the plugin to access your page‘s content, you need to connect your Facebook account.

Here‘s how:

1. Go to Facebook Feed > Add New Feed in the WP dashboard
2. Choose your feed type (e.g. Page Timeline)
3. Click Connect Your Facebook Account
4. Login to Facebook and select the page to connect
5. Allow the necessary permissions

Once connected, your Facebook page ID will be saved within the plugin. Repeat to connect additional pages.

Now let‘s move on to customizing your feed‘s design and layout…

Customizing Your Facebook Feed Design

One of the best features of the Smash Balloon plugin is the ability to completely customize your Facebook feed to match your brand.

Choose from Multiple Feed Layouts

You can choose between 1-3 columns and set the height of your Facebook feed. The pro version unlocks even more template options:

For a more dynamic feed, try the Carousel or Masonry layout. Matching your website design is as easy as selecting a template.

Set Custom Colors and Typography

Make your Facebook feed recognizeable by matching your brand colors and fonts. From the Smash Balloon settings you can:

• Choose from pre-made color palettes
• Enter custom hex color codes
• Set custom font styles and sizes for text elements

Combined with a visual layout, you can seamlessly blend your Facebook feed into your website.

Adjust Images for Faster Performance

While you want high-resolution images in your Facebook feed, larger files can slow down your site‘s loading time.

Make sure to adjust your image sizes and compression settings for the best mix of visual quality and performance:

• For width and height, 470px wide by 250px tall is optimal
• Set JPEG compression between 60-80%
• Use Lazy Load to only load images as they become visible

With a few tweaks you can significantly speed up your Facebook feed load time.

Optimize for Mobile Devices

Chances are the majority of your website traffic comes from mobile visitors. So it‘s crucial to optimize your Facebook feed for smaller displays.

Some quick mobile optimization tips:

• Reduce the number of posts shown
• Adjust the column layout to 1 column
• Use a responsive, non-fixed height and width
• Simplify styling and graphics on mobile

Testing your feed on real devices ensures your Facebook content shines on both desktop and mobile.

Displaying Your Feed on Your Website

Once you‘ve connected your Facebook account and customized your feed within the plugin, it‘s time to display it publicly on your WordPress site.

You have 3 options for placing your feed on pages around your site:

1. Embed Using Facebook Feed Widgets

The easiest option is to use a Facebook Feed widget. Just:

1. Go to Appearance > Widgets
2. Drag the "Custom Facebook Feed" widget into a sidebar or widget area
3. Select and preview the feed you want to show
4. Set widget title, height, number of posts, etc

Use widgets to display your Facebook feed across multiple pages.

2. Insert Individual Shortcodes

Another method is entering shortcodes directly into your page or post content:

1. Get your feed‘s shortcode under Facebook Feed > Manage Feeds
2. Copy the shortcode, such as [custom-facebook-feed feed=3]
3. Paste the shortcode into any post, page or text widget

Shortcodes give you to add unique feeds to specific locations.

3. Use the Custom Facebook Feed Block

If you use the WordPress block editor, you can add your feed via the Facebook block:

1. When editing a post or page, search for "Custom Facebook Feed"
2. Select the block to insert it
3. Configure your feed and content settings

The block editor makes it easy to embed your feeds into content.

Now your Facebook feed is ready to start showing off your amazing posts and engaging followers!

Going Further with Your Facebook Feed

While the basics will get your Facebook feed up and running, here are a few pro tips for taking it to the next level:

• Use filters to narrow posts by type, such as only photos or videos
• Moderate comments from website visitors on your feed
• Create a merged feed combining multiple Facebook pages
• Refresh your Facebook feed cache hourly to show the latest content
• Install the Snaptik Instagram Feed to also display your Instagram profile
• Set up Google Analytics to track engagements on your feed

Optimizing and refreshing your Facebook feed helps promote an active, real-time experience for visitors.

I hope this guide has helped explain the benefits of using a custom Facebook feed on your WordPress site. With the right setup and customization, you can showcase your brand‘s Facebook presence and attract new followers from your audience.

Let me know if have any other questions! I‘m always happy to chat more about Facebook marketing and WordPress.