WordPress’s Jetpack plugin has a lot of nifty features for bloggers. If you have a WordPress.com blog, you already have Jetpack and access to all its handy functions. If you blog with WordPress, you’ve probably seen some of the ads for it and wondered if the hype has any substance. Well, Jetpack definitely brings some value to the blogging table.

I have a self-hosted WordPress blog and went without Jetpack for the longest time. As I heard it, all the features Jetpack offered could be gotten through other specialized plugins. Plus, it wasn’t the fastest or most efficient option out there. But then I heard about a few of its handy features and decided to give it whirl. After all, if I didn’t like it, I could always delete it anyways.

So then over the next few months, I took some time to explore WordPress’s Jetpack plugin and start using some of its best features.

You Can Use Jetpack for Your Blog’s Social Media

You have to have your blog closely tied to social media if you want traffic. That’s a sure thing. This means promoting posts yourself and making it easy for your followers to share them, too.

Jetpack has a feature called Publicize that allows you to connect your social media accounts. Once you publish a post, Jetpack will automatically post the link and post title to all the accounts you’ve connected. This includes Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and more. This is a super-easy way to keep your followers in the loop the moment you make a new post.

Jetpack also has options to add sharing and like buttons to your blog. Having a like button makes it convenient for everyone logged into their WordPress accounts to show your posts a little extra loving.

Sharing buttons are crucial to your blog. You need readers to share your posts around the web with their friends! So you’ve probably got a dedicated plugin for adding social sharing to your blog, but if not, Jetpack can do it for you. Plus, if you’ve already got buttons on your posts, Jetpack can still add a second set to nudge your readers to share one more time before they click away.

To use these features, head to Jetpack’s settings and hit the tab called “Sharing.” This will bring you to all these options.

The Jetpack Plugin Can Help You Manage Blog Comments

Jetpack also has a few things to help out in your comments section. The plugin allows you to make a unique introduction to your comments section. For example, mine is “Let’s Start Talking.” This allows you to attract visitors’ attention with a unique line and strengthen your branding.

Also, you can add the option for commenters to subscribe via email along with commenting. No need to head to a different sign-up form, your readers can follow and comment at the same time. This is a convenient way to snag a few interested followers. By making it super-easy to subscribe, you stand a much greater chance of converting commenters into subscribers!

Photo by Cristian Dina from Pexels

Just look at the “Discussion” tab under Jetpack’s settings to enable these features.

Jetpack Can Automatically Suggest Other Posts to Your Readers

This is the feature that really seals the deal for me. By turning on the “Related Posts” feature under “Traffic” in Jetpack’s settings, you can start improving your bounce rate instantly.

Jetpack will automatically find a few other relevant posts on your blog and feature them to your readers just above the comments section. So, your readers will get a chance to click on some more interesting posts and keep exploring your blog!

Your readers get inspired to look at more of your awesome content, you get more readers, and it’s a win-win. Featuring other related posts under your blog posts is just good blog design.

WordPress’s Jetpack Plugin Gives You Access to Whole New Dashboard

Don’t like looking at your blog’s stats in the traditional WordPress admin dashboard? Google analytics drive you crazy? Or maybe you just hate the standard WordPress admin dashboard, period. Then you’ll like this part.

Jetpack lets you look at your viewer stats in the form of a nice, neat graph. It also tells you who your best referrers are (AKA which websites are sending viewers your way) and which of your posts are doing best. It also tells what search terms are landing visitors on your site and which links they’re clicking on.

This is my favorite way to view my stats. I find Jetpack’s layout so much easier and more intuitive than others. Just click on the button saying “Dashboard” under your Jetpack plugin, and it’ll take you there.

But like I said, maybe you’re not so keen on WordPress’s entire admin dashboard. It is a little clunky and cluttered sometimes. You can also leave the traditional dashboard behind and go to a whole new interface with WordPress.com.

The WordPress.com dashboard is a simple and streamlined version of the admin dashboard. It makes everything clearly labeled and easy on the eyes. It’s still a fully functional control center for your blog, but set up differently. So if you want a simpler WordPress experience, Jetpack will provide it.

Photo by Eduardo Dutra from Pexels

Plus, the dashboard on WordPress.com gives you easy access to your WordPress Reader and all the sites you’ve followed there. That makes it easier to follow, read, and comment on your fave WordPress blogs.

To use Jetpack to access the WordPress.com dashboard for your site, first, click on the button saying “Dashboard” under your Jetpack plugin. Then tap the blue button saying “View More Stats on WordPress.com.”

Jetpack Premium Also Has a Crazy Amount of Features

When you first download Jetpack, you have to login or make an account. If you’re a self-hosted WordPress blog, you can choose between a free basic version of Jetpack and a paid premium version for your account.

The premium version of Jetpack comes with a huge number of features. It can do automatic back-ups of your blog, it can give search engine optimization tips, and it can even place ads on your blog similar to Google Adsense or other networks.

Plus, it can do a little bit of website optimization, like cleaning up your code, caching your files, and hosting your images (so your site can be an extra little bit faster to load). And there’s built-in support for getting payments via Paypal.

I haven’t tried Jetpack Premium, so I can’t recommend it yet. But I certainly wouldn’t be afraid to try it if I needed those features. And if you don’t want to download a dozen different plugins or apply with other ad networks, it could be perfect for you.

That’s really one of the biggest things about Jetpack (free or premium). Jetpack can perform the basic function of dozens of different plugins, all in one. Jetpack may not be as good at any given function as a dedicated plugin, so you may prefer to use Yoast for SEO, Shortpixel for images, and other dedicated plugins for important functions.

But, if you don’t like downloading and messing around with the settings on tons of different plugins, then Jetpack is the all-in-one, Jack-of-all-trades plugin you need. Jetpack is a simple way to cover a lot of your blog’s needs in one plugin.

So if you’ve got WordPress’s Jetpack plugin, those are all the features you have to look out for. If not, then it might be time for you to start downloading it and getting some new features on your blog.

Have you used WordPress’s Jetpack plugin? Did you have a good experience with it, or maybe a bad one? Do you have any tips on how to use it wisely? Share them with me in the comments!

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Mint Miller

Mint is a writer and digital marketing pro who lives in coastal Virginia with her family and one lovable pitbull. Her passions include helping people and businesses display their best side through the power of communication, buying her dog costumes he doesn’t want to wear, and talking all day about Batman.