Facebook is testing out a new option that would enable group admins to set up specific alerts for posts that are seeing increased engagement within their communities.
As you can see in these screenshots from Facebook group admin Karen Cummings (shared by social media expert Matt Navarra), in addition to ‘Keyword Alerts‘, which Facebook rolled out late last year, some admins now have a new option to create ‘Engagement’ alerts also.
As per Facebook, engagement alerts let admins know ‘when posts or comments in your group are getting a big response’.
When you choose to set up an alert, you can also select the specific types of engagement you want to know about – so if you’re keen to be made aware of posts that are getting a lot of angry responses in your group, you can ensure you’re notified, which could help you to maintain order, and/or amplify group engagement, depending on which you choose.
The tool provides another way for Facebook group admins to better manage their groups, even if they can’t be online constantly. Now, you can ensure you remain updated on key posts, which can not only help to take relevant action in response, but may also help to inform you as to what your group is looking to engage with.
If, for example, you wanted to know what gets people talking, you could set up a comment or reply alert, and the subsequent prompts could help improve your understanding.
The new option appears to be in test mode at present, with some Facebook group admins seeing the option and others not. We’ve asked Facebook for more information, and will update if/when we hear back.