There are some people who create blogs merely for the purpose of search engine optimization but there are innumerous others that make a blog because they want to share their unique ideas, thoughts and views with the rest of the virtual world.
The fact that some sites have allowed Facebook comments on blogs has proved to be quite a positive thing, however since there are two sides to every story there are also some obvious cons. Let’s start with by discussing with some of the benefits of using Facebook comments on your blog.
The Pros of Facebook Comments:
1. Everyone has a proper identity:
Owing to the fact that everyone who comments has their Facebook profile linked to the comment ensures that there are no anonymous comments.
Since everyone who comments has a proper identity therefore if by chance you would like to do a background check on someone who frequently comments on your posts then you can do so simply by a click of a button. Sometimes doing this background checks on some seemingly shady individuals, could really put your mind at ease.
2. No one posts things that are unsavory:
Since there is no one who can post anonymously this ensures that everyone thinks twice before posting anything unsavory or vulgar.
When people could previously post anonymously they would post any sort of crude things that come into their mind without even sparing a thought about the sensibilities of others.
However, one major pro off these Facebook comments on blogs is that there is a large degree of accountability and there is no façade to hide behind.
3. Increases the popularity of your blog:
Facebook is a form of social media that people constantly make use of even on the go owing to the fact that they can easily access it from their phones, laptops or tablets at all times, free of cost.
On great advantage of Facebook comments on blogs is that people can easily share the blog on their profile or even tag their respective friends if they come across some interesting tips or piece of writing which they think their Facebook friends too might like.
4. The blog owner can wield more power:
This is one of the major pros of Facebook comments being enabled on blogs as it increases the power of the blog owner. It is very important to ensure that as the owner is able to control the comments so that the numbers of comments as well the contents of the comments do not swing out of hand.
The Facebook Moderation Settings might seem complex to you at first however over time you will be able to master the art of moderating the comments on your blog.
5. You do not have to try hard to get increased traffic to your blog:
Previously bloggers would have to spend a great deal of time as well as even money thinking about ways in which they could increase the visibility as well the traffic to their blog. However now owing to the fact that people can tag as well as even share the contents of the blog or even the blog itself, your blog will gain popularity without you even having to lift a finger. Just make sure you do your part by ensuring that the quality of your blog is top notch.
6. Likeminded people might be friend one another:
Facebook is a fun social media site, where age-old friends can catch up with one another; however it is unlikely that people will befriend others who they don’t know.
However, one major pro off allowing Facebook comments for a blog is that many like-minded people can get acquainted with one another and even go on to become great friends, even beyond the virtual world. This is certainly a wonderful way to meet new people who have similar interests as you.
7. More visually appealing:
Before Facebook comments were permitted in blog most often that not people would post anonymously and because of this they would never have display pictures.
However, most people on Facebook have bright and colorful display pictures and these pictures certainly help to a large extent to increase the visual appeal of the blog.
The sense of sight is more important that you might think, in the online world. It is one key factor that attracts people to take notice of things they otherwise might have missed.
The Cons of Facebook Comments:
1. People shy away from speaking their mind:
Owing to the fact that people do not have any veil to hide behind, they often shy away from saying what they really would like to and end up saying what society expects them to say.
This becomes a major disadvantage, if for example your page relates to sensitive societal evils like experiences of rape or domestic abuse often victims prefer to share their views and experiences anonymously so that they or their loved ones aren’t threatened in anyway.
2. Great decrease in the number of comments:
One obvious con of this system is that the comments on your blog most often than not will suffer a setback, which is never a good thing.
In today’s twenty first century technological age everyone wants visibility as well as a lot of traffic to their online blog because the more traffic the more likely it is that you will earn a better income.
If you are a full time professional blogger then making money is, needless to say certainly one of your top priorities.
3. A sense of alienation among those not using Facebook:
It is quite natural that those who do not have a Facebook account are sure to not be able to share their views by commenting. This is bound to make them feel alienated and you might lose out on some loyal followers of your blog.
There are many people who choose not to use Facebook because they think that it is a waste of time, it is too addictive or even because it consumes too much net and this could certainly cost your blog!
4. Facebook is blocked in many college campuses or work places:
Many college campuses make sure that they block the Facebook website owing to the fact that they consider it nothing but trouble.
In addition to this there are also innumerable offices that do the same thing as they might believe it is very distracting and their workers will be channelizing their energy towards their social media profile without paying any attention to their pending office work. This is bound to seriously affect traffic to your blog.
5. If anything happens to the Facebook site, your comments are gone:
Probably one of the biggest disadvantages of Facebook comments for your blog is that is for example something goes wrong with this social media site then you can rest assured that all your comments are going to disappear into thin air.
Most bloggers love reading the comments both good and bad on their posts and they would never like even a few comments disappear let alone the entire lot. This would really spell trouble for your blog!
6. Many might consider it unsafe and choose not to comment:
Owning to the fact that a person’s comment is linked to their Facebook Profile and people can stalk them left right and center simply by a click of a button, is something that many find extremely disconcerting.
This fact even prevents them from dropping comments, even when they feel strongly on a particular issue. These people would have otherwise surely commented and shared their thoughts if they could do so anonymously.
7. Contrary to what you might think, there is no real accountability:
Though some might think that since people comment though their Facebook Profiles they will feel accountable for what they comment and are sure to think twice before posting something inappropriate, this could not be further from the truth.
Since people can create any number of Facebook profiles, free of cost they can even make fake profiles and then in that case, either way there is nothing stopping them from commenting in abusive or unsavory language.
8. What will happen when Facebook loses its popularity?
Sure, Facebook is at the peak of its popularity now, however in time to come something better is surely going to come along, then it is quite likely that you will find that there is no one commenting on your blog.
It is very unlikely that when Facebook becomes a thing of the past that people are specially going to log into their profiles so as to comment on your blog. As cruel as it may sound, it is a harsh reality.
These are in fact some of the main pros and cons of Facebook comments for your blog. There are naturally two sides to any coin so just as there are innumerous advantages of these particular features, there are also innumerable disadvantages that can be categorically listed. So if you are still on the confused about implementing this change on your own blog, then you could just try it out on a temporary basis and see if this system works for you.