How to Embed a Facebook Video in WordPress: The Ultimate Guide

As a webmaster with over 15 years of experience in the industry, I‘ve seen many trends come and go. One trend that‘s clearly here to stay is video content.

Videos continue to grow in popularity across all social media platforms, especially on Facebook.

In fact, over 8 billion videos are watched daily on Facebook, and 500+ million users watch Facebook videos every single day.

With such a massive viewership, Facebook videos represent an enormous opportunity to engage with your target audience.

That‘s why embedding Facebook videos directly in your WordPress website is a smart strategy to pursue in 2024 and beyond.

In this comprehensive guide, I‘ll walk you through everything you need to know to flawlessly embed Facebook videos in WordPress.

Let‘s get started!

Why Should You Embed Facebook Videos in WordPress?

Before we get into the nuts and bolts of how to embed videos, let‘s look at the key reasons why you should consider adding Facebook videos to your WordPress site:

1. Increase Engagement and Interactions

One of the primary benefits of embedding videos in your posts or pages is higher user engagement. Visitors are more likely to stay and interact with your content if you include relevant videos.

In fact, a study by Social Media Today found that posts with video generate up to 3x more engagement than non-video posts.

Allowing visitors to watch videos without leaving your website creates a seamless user experience that keeps them engaged. They‘ll stick around longer to watch more videos and consume related content on your site.

2. Lower Bounce Rates, Increase Time on Site

Bounce rate is the percentage of visitors that land on your page and "bounce" away without engaging. According to Moz, the average website bounce rate is over 50%.

However, pages with embedded videos tend to have lower bounce rates. This metric clearly shows that videos help visitors engage with your content for longer periods.

Multiple studies show embedded videos increase time spent on page significantly. For example, Wistia found that pages with video have 4x higher time on page compared to non-video pages.

Lower bounce rates and longer time on site signal that visitors find your content more engaging thanks to embedded videos.

3. Drive Traffic to Your Facebook Page

Embedding your Facebook videos is a subtle yet effective way to promote your Facebook page.

Visitors who enjoy your embedded videos may be compelled to check out more of your content directly on Facebook. Some may even hit the follow button!

HubSpot reports that posts with CTAs linking to Facebook pages see a whopping 5x higher CTR compared to regular links.

Strategically embedding videos and adding links back to Facebook in your posts or descriptions is a smart tactic to grow your Facebook following.

4. Repurpose Valuable Video Content

Creating great videos requires significant time, effort, and resources. So it makes sense to repurpose existing videos instead of continually creating new content from scratch.

The videos already published on your Facebook page represent a goldmine of content that you can reuse on your website.

Visitors may not have seen your Facebook videos before, so embedding them on your site gives this content a chance to reach a new audience.

Repurposing video content allows you to keep visitors engaged with fresh, dynamic content without taxing your content production resources.

5. Enjoy Higher Conversions

Here‘s an eye-opening stat:

Including video on landing pages can increase conversion rates by 80% or more.

This incredible figure comes directly from Unbounce, a landing page optimization platform.

Their research clearly shows that video significantly lifts conversions. So if you run ecommerce stores, online courses, lead generation sites, or any business with calls-to-action – you need to be using video.

Visitors are simply more likely to hit that purchase button, signup form, etc. when engaging video content is present on the landing page or website.

Clearly, embedding videos from Facebook directly into your WordPress site ticks all the boxes when it comes to engaging your audience. Let‘s look at how you can easily embed videos in WordPress.

Step-by-Step Guide to Embedding Facebook Videos in WordPress

Embedding videos in your WordPress site is straightforward thanks to the Custom Facebook Feed plugin by Smash Balloon.

Their plugin is hands-down the best way to effortlessly embed videos from Facebook in WordPress.

Here is a step-by-step walkthrough of how to use this plugin to embed a Facebook video feed in WordPress:

Step 1: Install and Activate Custom Facebook Feed

First, install the Custom Facebook Feed plugin from your WordPress dashboard:

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

Or, you can manually download the plugin from the WordPress repository here.

After installing, don‘t forget to activate the plugin to enable its features.

Step 2: Configure the Plugin Settings

Once you have the plugin activated, you need to connect your Facebook account:

1. Go to Facebook Feed > Settings
2. Enter your Smash Balloon license key if you have pro version
3. Ensure "Access Token" is set to "Connect with Facebook"
4. Click Save Changes at bottom

This allows the plugin to connect with your Facebook profile and pages.

Step 3: Set Up Your Facebook Video Feed

Now we can configure a custom Facebook video feed:

1. Go to Facebook Feed > Add New
2. Click Videos and then Next
3. Click Connect a Facebook Page
4. Follow prompts to connect Facebook account if not connected
5. Select the page with the videos you want to display
6. Click Add Page

You‘ve now successfully connected your Facebook page.

Repeat steps if you want to display videos from multiple Facebook pages.

Step 4: Customize Your Facebook Video Feed

Almost done! Under Facebook Feed > All Feeds:

1. Click Edit on the feed you created
2. Use left menu to customize feed layout, style, etc
3. Click Save when finished customizing

Take advantage of all the options to tailor the look and feel of your embedded videos.

Step 5: Embed the Facebook Video Feed

Lastly, embed your configured Facebook video feed in WordPress:

• On a post or page – Use the "Custom Facebook Feed" block
• In a widget – Add the "Custom Facebook Feed" widget
• Anywhere – Use the shortcode from Facebook Feed > All Feeds

And that‘s it – your Facebook videos will now be embedded directly within your WordPress site!

Pro Tip: Create Multiple Feeds

You can create separate Facebook video feeds for each of your Facebook pages.

Simply repeat the process above to generate a custom feed for each page. Then embed the different video feeds on relevant pages on your site.

Having tailored video feeds for your Facebook business page, creator page, groups etc. helps segment your content.

Customizing Your Facebook Video Feed in WordPress

One of the best parts about the Custom Facebook Feed plugin is how customizable it is. Let‘s explore some of the ways you can tailor your Facebook video feed.

Custom Facebook Feed Templates

The plugin comes packed with a wide variety of feed templates to choose from including:

• Grid template (default) – video thumbnails in a grid layout
• Carousel template – videos in a slider/carousel
• Story template – mimics Facebook stories format
• Single video template – highlight a single video

And many more…

Pick a template that aligns with the overall visual design of your website.

Customize Colors

You can customize colors like background, text, links, buttons, etc under the Style tab. Options include:

• Default – uses colors from your WordPress theme
• Light / Dark feed scheme – premade color palettes
• Custom – choose your own colors for elements

Tip: Match your brand colors for seamless integration.

Show/Hide Feed Elements

Granularly control what‘s shown in your video feed under the Layout tab:

• Video titles
• Descriptions
• Date stamp
• Page name
• Like / Share and View on Facebook buttons
• And more…

Hide elements that aren‘t relevant. Only show what enhances the user experience.

Adjust Number of Columns

Under Layout, you can set the number of columns for desktop vs mobile screens:

• More columns on desktop
• Fewer columns on mobile for better UX

Tip: 3 columns works well for most desktop layouts. 2 columns is ideal for mobile.

Enable Lightbox Popup

Let visitors watch the full Facebook videos right on your site by enabling the lightbox feature.

When enabled, clicking the video thumbnails triggers a popup lightbox player. Visitors don‘t have to leave your page to play videos!

The lightbox can be customized under the Lightbox tab.

Match Embed Color Scheme to Your Brand

Changing embed color scheme allows you to perfectly match the styling of embedded videos to your brand palette.

Go to plugin Settings > Advanced and set the Embedded Video Color Scheme:

• Default (will use website theme colors)
• Light (light background, dark text)
• Dark (dark background, light text)

A minor change that makes your video embeds feel cohesive.

Embed a Specific Facebook Video in WordPress

By default, the Custom Facebook Feed plugin displays your latest Facebook videos in reverse chronological order.

But what if you wanted to embed just a single, specific video from Facebook into WordPress?

You can by using the Single Featured Post extension for Custom Facebook Feed.

Here‘s how to do it:

1. Install and activate the Single Featured Post extension
2. Create a new Facebook video feed
3. Select "Single Featured Post" as the feed type
4. Configure settings and paste in URL of the Facebook video to embed
5. Customize feed and embed it

This generates a feed with just that single Facebook video you specified. Super handy for showcasing a particular video.

Embed Facebook Videos in Headers, Widgets, Footers, etc.

A common question is where to place embedded Facebook videos within a WordPress theme.

Here are some of the most popular options:

1. Embed in Posts and Pages

Inserting your video feed into blog posts and pages using the Facebook Feed block is the easiest option.

Simply add the block to any post or page, configure it, and the feed will be embedded inline when the content is viewed.

2. Sidebar Widget

Many WordPress themes have widget-ready areas in the sidebar, footer, or other locations.

To embed videos in a widget area:

1. Go to Appearance > Widgets
2. Drag the Facebook Feed widget into the desired zone
3. Configure and save!

This lets you add the video feed as a widget alongside other widgets.

3. Embed in Header

Embedding your Facebook video feed in the header is an excellent way to showcase videos above the fold.

Some steps to add it to your header:

1. Locate where your theme‘s header content is generated
2. Add the Custom Facebook Feed shortcode in the appropriate spot
3. You may need to tweak CSS to position it properly

Review your theme‘s documentation for exact details on customizing the header.

4. Use Custom HTML Block

Adding a Facebook video feed inside a Custom HTML block is handy for precise placement, for example:

• Above or below a header
• Between page sections
• Inside columns or split layouts

Determine the exact spot you want the video feed, then paste the [custom-facebook-feed] shortcode inside a Custom HTML block to put it there.

Expert Facebook Video Embedding Tips and Tricks

Over the years, I‘ve learned some useful tips and tricks when it comes to embedding Facebook videos in WordPress:

Showcase New Videos

Create a dedicated video feed that only shows your latest videos from the past week or month. This quickly shows visitors your newest video content.

Embed Playlists

Embed video playlists from your Facebook page to feature a whole series of videos. Ideal for episodic or related videos.

Match Website‘s Aspect Ratio

If your site uses a specific aspect ratio (16:9, square, etc), customize the video feed to match for design harmony.

Optimize Columns for Mobile

Reduce the number of columns on mobile to 1 or 2 so videos span the width on smaller screens.

Use Sparingly on Home Page

Avoid flooding your homepage with too many video embeds. Use sparingly and highlight quality over quantity.

Encourage Sharing

Ask viewers to share and react to videos right on Facebook. This helps increase engagement.

Add Descriptions

Well written descriptions provide context and make it more likely people will click to watch the videos.

Curate Videos

Selectively choose 5-10 quality videos to showcase rather than showing all videos. Curation attracts more eyeballs.

Troubleshooting Facebook Video Embedding Issues

Here are some common issues you may encounter when embedding Facebook videos in WordPress along with fixes:

Videos Not Showing Properly

Double check that the Facebook page access token is still valid in plugin settings. Expired tokens will prevent videos from displaying.

Missing Thumbnails

Facebook requires posts be public to show thumbnails and preview videos. Switch videos to public visibility.

Can‘t See New Videos

Flush your Facebook feed cache under Facebook Feed > Settings > Advanced if newly added videos aren‘t appearing.

Facebook Errors

Deactivate and reactivate the Facebook Feed plugin if you receive API errors. Usually resolves connection issues.

Embedding Limits

Facebook‘s API limits you to embedding 10 videos per page by default. Consider multiple video feeds to work around this.

Slow Load Times

Use video caching under Settings > Advanced to cache videos and improve page load speeds.

Conclusion

I hope this guide provided you with a complete overview of embedding Facebook videos in WordPress!

To recap, key takeaways include:

• The Custom Facebook Feed plugin makes video embeds easy
• Videos boost engagement, time on site, and social growth
• Tailor feed layouts and settings to match your brand
• Embed videos in posts, sidebars, headers, widgets, and more
• Troubleshoot issues like caching, expired tokens, visibility

Integrating your Facebook video content directly into your WordPress website is a proven way to captivate and engage visitors.

So what are you waiting for? Install the Custom Facebook Feed plugin and start embedding your Facebook videos today!

Let me know if you have any other questions in the comments section below. I‘m happy to help get your Facebook videos integrated seamlessly in WordPress!