Facebook - A Picture is Worth a Thousand Comments

On June 19, Facebook announced the global rollout of its brand new feature that allows users to comment with photos. 

Made convenient by clicking the camera icon in a comment box, this photo sharing system erases the previously laborious task to copy and paste a picture link. The new tool takes out third-party hosting sites such as Photobucket or Imgur, along with the cumbersome link preview and distracting hyperlink.  

Conceived at a Facebook hackathon, the tool enables JPEG and PNG image files to be directly uploaded within post replies.  GIFs remain unsupported, to the regret of cat meme lovers.

Calling the newly minted tool “the most exciting photos feature I’ve shipped to date,” head developer Facebook Product Engineer Bob Baldwin hopes that photo comments will “make threads with friends more expressive and engaging.”

Facebook’s photo comments seem an obvious yet revolutionary innovation.  Photos have the ability to stir a reaction, evoke stronger emotions or create a story better than words alone.  Sometimes a photo is all you want.  Now it’s all you’ll need. 

Photo comments are currently only available on Facebook’s web and mobile site for user-to-user interactions.  Mobile apps currently only have the ability to view photo comments.  Photo comments have not yet been activated for Facebook brand pages.

Companies should be on a close look-out for Facebook’s impending release of brand sponsored photo comments, especially to keep up with the newly updated PTAT (People Talking About This), which is now divided into four separate metrics that measure how users communicate with posts.  Studies have shown that photos are the most engaging types of posts on Facebook and also have the highest tendency for viral activity, which is why they are weighed the heaviest in Facebook’s engagement metrics.

Beyond liking a page, photo comments will increase a user’s ability to interact with their favorite brands by posting and sharing relevant content.  When Facebook does release photo commenting for sponsored pages, this will create an opportunity for brands to chime in on animated photo threads. 

Engagement is key to a brand’s success on Facebook.  Constant communication allows users to feel more in-tune with their favorite companies, and this new tool is another Facebook move to close the gap between brand and brand lover. 

Are you excited about Facebook’s new feature? Leave a (photo) comment below!