<b>The 'reply to every comment within an hour' rule is half right</b>

<b>The 'reply to every comment within an hour' rule is half right</b>

Everyone says: "Reply to every comment in the first hour — it doubles your reach."

The claim: author replies in the golden hour are a multiplier; miss the window and you lose distribution.

What's actually true: replies help — they extend threads, and thread depth is a real signal. Credit where due, this one isn't pure myth. But "within the first hour" is invented precision. A reply that triggers a back-and-forth at hour three still adds a fresh engagement event the model counts.

The distortion: people fire off "Thanks!" to 40 comments to beat a clock, which ends every thread and adds nothing. Speed isn't the signal — continuation is.

Tested alternative: reply with a question that demands an answer, whenever you see it. One good thread beats forty dead-end thank-yous.

It's not the hour. It's whether your reply makes them reply again.