Facebook Rolls Out Subscribe to Comments. Improves Product and Promotes the Still-Hard-To-Find Subscribe Feature.

Facebook has begun integrating their new Subscribe functionality into Facebook Comments. It includes a small subscribe link next to each commenter's name / icon that allows in-line subscription. That does a few things: 1. It keep activity on the external site... so publishers love it. 2. It gives yet another incentive for users to comment... so readers love it. 3. And it provides more context for readers as Facebook helps sort content based on relationship, activity and 'following'.

And....

4. It is a great way for Facebook to promote the Subscribe feature which frankly is lost of Facebook.com.... findability, context and usefulness is better off-Facebook.com (just ask Twitter).

"So Far Facebook Has the Best Follower to Click Ratio", Kevin Rose

I recently touched on the potential importance of Facebook Subscribe, Facebook Subscribe: Opportunity for Publishers & Online Voices... and here is why Subscribe is important and not simply a "me too" product: - it is a natural fit for the Facebook environment - it gives personalities and big voice (subscribe is for personalities what pages is for brands) - it is driving real engagement and traffic (see below)) - which means that users are liking it - both the voice and the reader