Facebook announced that it will be launching an updated Comments Box plugin to help marketing partners improve the quality of site comments, better broadcast Like data and offer new moderation tools.

Today, Facebook announced that it will be launching an updated Comments Box plugin to help marketing partners improve the quality of site comments, better broadcast Like data and offer new moderation tools. Social media is gaining ground as a site referral source, and marketers should consider integrating this tool into their sites to better amplify their social recommendations and engage Facebook users.

One of the new features involves broadcasting Like data and comments to users’ Facebook homepages. Whenever users leave the “Post to Facebook” boxed checked while adding a comment to a web page they Like, the comment is added to their news feeds. Then, as users add to discussions about a page – whether on a website or via their Facebook homepages – the conversation will be distributed across Facebook and the business’ site.

Conversations will not only be better broadcast across the web, but they will also become more relevant to site visitors thanks to a new comment quality-check tool. Facebook explains, “The upgraded Comments Box uses social signals to surface the highest quality comments for each user.” Friends' comments and active discussion threads will be placed prominently on sites, where conversations marked as “spam” will be hidden.

Additionally, Facebook is offering site developers more moderation tools. Site admins will be able to specify the visibility of certain threads to reduce irrelevant content, blacklist words and ban users, all through the updated moderation dashboard.

While search portals are still the most popular channels to start online shopping, comScore's Digital Year in Review indicates that time spent on social media sites is rising. Moreover, Facebook accounts for the majority of Americans' time online, which suggests brand conversations on the site – and Facebook mentions shared on a site – could be key to engaging an online audience.

These new features could help brands build their Facebook fans and presence, and marketers should remember that content which acts as Like-bait is still core to catching comments and clicks from users. Brafton has reported that social content marketing is becoming a competitive necessity this year.

Katherine Griwert is Brafton's Marketing Director. She's practiced content marketing, SEO and social marketing for over five years, and her enthusiasm for new media has even deeper roots. Katherine holds a degree in American Studies from Boston College, and her writing is featured in a number of web publications.