Facebook Comments Vs Wordpress Comments

In our progressive web 2.0 landscape, the growing rise of social networking tools, and an increasing emphasis on real connection and high engagement sharing-over low value link building; i've noticed many people have implemented a Facebook comments option under their blog posts.

I've also noticed that many people who have added Facebook commenting on their blog had altogether replaced the traditional Wordpress comments system...

Understanding some of the social engagement, as well as spam reduction benefits, i've decided to examine the pro's and con's of both Facebook comments vs Wordpress comments in a blog or website - to flesh out the facts and help you determine which one is right for you.

At the bottom you can comment via either method and cast your vote for preferred choice and why.

Advantages of Facebook Comments

1) Real Identity vs. Abused Anonymity.

Facebook comments, because of the nature of it being a personalized account linked to a socially active human, (presumably) will cut down on spam… Whereas Wordpress comments increase and attract loads of comment and trackback spam.

Active conversations are just better in my book than one-off comments with little relevance or malicious intent under the mask of anonymity.

2) Viral nature.

When a visitor comments, they create a visible link on Facebook that shows up in their Facebook stream for their friends and others to see. (optionally you can check the box to disable this link back feature)

Obviously this means that interesting and exceptional content can be spread quickly to a large audience and "go viral".

3) Easier and More Convenient. Many people are auto-signed in to Facebook, or only have to click on the login button because their form is already filled out and saved.

A common complaint with Wordpress comments are that some people don't like filling in their contact info. So this can remove some friction from hesitant would be commenters. some report that it is "easier." (although i don't think it takes much time to do either commenting method.)

4) Visual Appeal.

Facebook comments look better. All Facebook comments will have a profile image attached while most blog comments will not. This just makes the comments look and feel more like a discussion from people, not bots and hired link builders.

5) Potentially Faster Page Load times.

Theoretically, since all the comments are really going to housed and owned by Facebook, that should be conducive to faster load times for your pages.

*Note, i said theoretically... I have actually read some people echoing this idea, but is not something i've tested personally, and am able to say with certainty. So don't quote me. But if you know definitively, comment below and let us know.

Disadvantages of Facebook Comments

1) Manageability and moderation.

Depending on the Facebook comments application you use, it can be hard to setup in some cases, and won’t always let you know when someone comments.

Also Facebook essentially remains in “control” of your comments... You cannot change them, and if Facebook goes away, so could your comments.

2) Anti/Non “Facebookers“

Many people do not use Facebook purposefully, nor do they want to use Facebook, while others have yet to setup an account, and wouldn’t necessarily do so just to make a comment on your piece of content. This eliminates active participation from a significant portion of your audience.

3) Not as good for SEO.

SEO suffers… One of the major revolutionary things about blogs is the commenting system. This encourages discussion and participation, and leaves the option for the visitor to build a link from that site.

Facebook comments are not yet indexable.

Wordpress Comments (Condensed)

So just a quick recap on the key points of what you should take into consideration about the advantages of wordpress comments, and then a final conclusion.

1) Wordpress is still better for search engines/SEO purposes, and traditional blog comments are still probably the best way to build active participation from the largest audience on your blog.

2) Not as intrusive to those who want to keep their Facebook wall super private. (But their isn't that much weight to that one, as you have the option to not post visible link backs in your stream.)

3) Wordpress comments are owned and managed by you. If Facebook ever decided to disallow all comments posted outside of facebook, for whatever reason... Bye bye comments.

This is probably of little concern, but the ability to moderate and manage YOUR comments is definitely more appealing to most people.

In Conclusion..

It’s of course a give and take... The right method, as in most things, means the one thats right for YOUR blog, your content, and your audience.

Now that we’ve covered the advantages and disadvantages of facebook comments vs wordpress comments, why not use BOTH?

This will require a little more work, and hopefully not become too taxing on page load times, but will offer people their choice.

As you can see, that is the route i've taken. At this time, its seems to me that would be the sensible solution to offer the best of both worlds on your blog. However, as i've learned, testing plus refining processes is the only way to truly find the best solution and determine what works and why.

This is something i will continue to monitor and assess in my blogging and analysis. If i uncover any counterintuitive or standout issues in going this route, i will let you know.

P.S. If i’ve missed anything that should be included, go ahead and let me know!

Best Regards, Jamie