I could spew all the stats about mobile browser usage, but the cold hard facts are that more and more people are using their mobile devices to browse the web.  It’s just a matter of time before it eclipses normal computer usage.

So is your WordPress blog mobilized?  Mine really wasn’t.  So I took an hour or so using some incredible free tools and like magic, I’m good to go.  It’s quite easy and all you need to do is take the following steps.

1.  If you are using a hosted blog on WordPress.com, you’re already set.  If for some reason you want to deactivate the new mobile themes, instructions are located here.  For those using a self hosted blog, you can download the WPtouch plugin here, and follow the same process you do for any plugin install.  Once installed, there are a multitude of options to choose from to display your theme as you wish.

2.  Once installed, you may want to consider creating a custom icon for your new mobile theme that will also act as a potential home screen button for users who especially like your blog and are willing to devote some screen real estate.  Check out this incredibly slick and easy to use iPhone icon and favicon maker here.  Once created, you can upload this icon in the control panel for WPtouch, and when iPhone users add you to their homepage, you custom button will appear.

Both free applications are extremely impressive, especially considering they are both free.  Easy to use, and within 30 minutes, you can have your hosted or self-hosted WordPress blog completely mobile friendly.

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The WordPress platform never ceases to amaze me. It’s by far one of the greatest pieces of software ever built, and to think that it is free is the icing on the cake. What really makes the platform as successful as it is, are the thousands of themes and plugins that the WordPress community contributes. These add ons turn what essentially is a blogging platform, into just about any type of site you want from community to content management systems to storefronts. It truly is amazing.

Over the years I’ve found some very useful plugins, and lately there have been some great developments with social media plugins as well.  Below are my 9 favorite WordPress social media plugins.  If you are running a hosted WordPress blog you should definitely check these out.

1. Sexy Bookmarks – I had been using Sociable and Add To Any for awhile, but stumbled across the Sexy Bookmarks plugin and just think this one looks better.  A unique design, simple to use, and…well sexy.

2. Tweetmeme – Certainly you’ve seen plenty of blogs with retweet buttons on the top left of postings.  Chances are they are using the Tweetmeme plugin.  Easy to use, does what it’s supposed to do.  Retweet.com has recently launched offering a similar service, but I like that Tweetmeme has established themselves already with a proven service.

3. Fbshare.me – This just recently launched and mimics the functionality of Tweetmeme but for Facebook.  The facts are Twitter and Facebook are the kings of social media so having both prominently on your blog posts increases the chances that your readers will use them and spread the love.

4. Disqus Comment System – The Disqus plugin transforms your WordPress comments into a true social media friendly experience.  The plugin integrates social media mentions in addition to your blog comments which helps consolidate all the “chatter” about your blog articles into one place.  Comments load in real time, and users have multiple options regarding how to log in using any of there social media profiles.  Very cool stuff.  Oh, and did I mention it’s free?

5. Twitter Tools – The Twitter Tools plugin simply helps you be more efficient by automatically tweeting your blog posts once you publish.  It also allows you to pull your tweets into your blog posts and offers a ton of customization features to fit your needs.

6. WP Greet Box – Anytime you can give your readers the impression of a custom or personalized experience, that’s a good thing.  The WP Greet Box plugin uses Ajax to automatically identify how your users found your blog articles, and displays the appropriate referrer message at the top welcoming them and suggesting they share accordingly.

7. Fotobook -While Flickr still offers a more robust photo hosting experience, the reality is, most people are consolidating their sharing, and post the majority of their photos on Facebook.  This nifty plugin allows you to easily “import” your Facebook photos and albums into your blog seamlessly.

8. Smart YouTube – This plugin is all about making it quicker and easier for you to embed YouTube videos into your blog posts.  I’m personally more of a fan of Vimeo (check out a plugin here for them), but the fact is, most of the free world is using You Tube.  Regardless, these plugins speed things up considerably.

9. Yet Another Related Posts – While this plugin may not directly be categorized as a “social media” plugin, it’s a must have.  Social Media is all about sharing information, and when you get users to your blog, you should do all you can to share relevant information to them.  This plugin automatically identifies similar articles in your blog, and displays them as related posts.  It’s a great way to keep your readers engaged on your site and to drive down bounce rates.

Those are my favs.  What are yours?

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