Top features to look for in your commenting platform tool

Commenting tools or platforms are just spaces allotted in the digital world for readers and any external audience who wishes to interact. This is a space that often has content rolling in regularly without any need to reward for it. It’s simply providing a space for people to carry out discussions and using that data to understand readers and the impact of the content shared. 

Comments are also a good way to understand the penetration level of the content on a website or social media page. It is an easy metric to measure - it helps understand performance of content as well as reader behavior. 

Your commenting tool should help provide a section in your website/app for readers to submit their comments. It should further update the recent/relevant comments. You’d want to regulate your comments as well because some of them could just be spam or inappropriate. 

1. User identity 

Commenting tools can help you gain insight over how your readers perceive your content. However, some tools help you ensure that only registered users can comment on your website. This helps avoid anonymous commenting and also lets you blacklist users if needed. 

The logging in is made easy by supporting google sign-ins so users can carry on with their journey without having too many restrictions. This way they’re able to share their thoughts and opinions more freely and find reasons to come back if the engagement is done right. 

2. Toxicity control

Commenting tools today can help you manage comments all over your website without having to take tally everyday. As the admin, you can set filters in place to avoid any spam comments that you have noticed go around. There are many comments that only intend to take readers away from your page to another. Something else you can do is have sensitive words listed - this way if the comment uses the word, it’ll be blocked from view. The filters help you manage and review a set list of comments rather than the whole thing. 

You could also bar comments that hold links - this is an easy way to keep away spammers. 

3. Integration

Your CMS could offer a commenting system or have plugins that help enable these features. MeType, for instance, is a tool that integrates and comes with Bold CMS. It’s a product that integrates with all major CMSs out today and especially well with Bold CMS. You need a flexible solution that doesn’t need to be changed around a lot. MeType helps you manage integration easily with complete tech support available at all times. You can integrate it with your new platform whenever you want without any hassle. The tool is user friendly and will not intimidate journalists. 

4. Engagement capacity 

You need to look at your engagement capacity as a content provider. Yes your readers gain information but are you able to engage with them. You can have authors interact with your readers so the content expands over the 1000 word article carefully drafted and edited. A smart commenting tool helps you manage engagement with ease. Having elements like reactions can also urge readers to send a quick impression. 

5. Using the UGC power 

You can personalize the content on your website. This is easy access to a world of information that is often targeted to the pre-existing content. You can have a complete section dedicated to pinning some of your best comments, you could have write ups made on the comment, and encourage discussions on a comment thread and more. The possibilities are endless. It’s important to understand that you’ll have subject experts on your comment section and therefore it’s important to fact check and validate. Once you have credible data, you can venture into content building, UGC is unique and available freely - don’t let it go to waste. 

MeType is a commenting tool developed with journalists in mind. It meets the industry standard for a solid engagement platform that empowers both readers and publishers. You can enjoy ownership of your comments and manage comments with ease. It is available as a SaaS and now available as a wordpress plugin. MeType can take engagement to a whole new level where you not only engage with your audience but also have meaningful conversations that lead to better content and content evolution.