Facebook Adds New REPLY Option to Comments

Facebook is rolling out a new feature for comments posted to a Timeline that allows for a reply to each specific comment.  Once activated, this means no more replying simply by “@ tagging” the user somewhere down the comment thread!

Why the Reply feature matters

The ability for Facebook Page Admins to now directly reply to a specific comment in a thread is a welcome and helpful addition. It allows for more precise and specific commenting back, i.e. replying, to a specific comment.  The value to Pages and to fans of pages is the ability to more easily have a conversation within a conversation and for it to be more orderly in tracking responses.

The feature needs to be enabled by Pages in the Page Admin settings.  Facebook is currently alerting some Pages but if a Page has not be alerted yet by the image below, they can still find and activate the “Reply” settings in within their Page.

Facebook Alert Rolling Out to Pages:

Some Page Managers are now getting an alert from Facebook to make them aware of this new “Reply” feature option.  It appears on the Page Timeline as shown:

 

How to Activate the “Reply” Setting for your Page:

If Facebook has not yet alerted you as Page Admin of the “Reply” feature for your Page, there is still a method to access and activate it.  First, go to your Page Timeline and in the “Edit Page” drop down menu, select “Manage Permissions” from the menu.

 

Next, in the Manage Permissions area of your Facebook Page, simply check the box next to “Replies” and select “Save Changes” to activate this feature.  Note that the feature is not retroactive for comments on posts prior to this feature being active and it also can take a bit of time for the feature to activate once turned on.  Ours was active within a few hours after we enabled it.  Once active it will be available on any new post when a comment is created.

 

Facebook continues to roll out additions that are helpful in creating a better user experience.  Both for fans viewing comments and replies, and for Page Admins replying, the new feature really is a “win-win”!

Have you activated “Replies” on your Page?