The internet is an extremely social place. Since blogs and social media sites allow comments from others and most marketing content encourages it, there is always a risk of getting few negative comments on your posts. Unfortunately criticism is not always constructive criticism. How you handle those comments shows the true character of your business and helps build your online reputation. Below are a few tips on how to handle those less than friendly commenters:
1. Think before you act
When you have worked hard on creating valuable content to benefit your audience, it is frustrating when when someone leaves a comment that is not valuable in the social conversation. It is natural to get defensive over a nasty comment, but instead of arguing with them, take a step back and think of a more effective way to handle the issue. Other potential commenters will see how you respond, and you could discourage others from posting if your response is just as grumpy as the original one.
2. Stay Positive
Stay in control of the conversation, and do not let one negative comment ruin all of the other positive ones. We have all heard the phrase “kill them with kindness.” You can stay in control by politely thanking the commenter for their time, and elaborate on you article to prove your point. Some people might keep commenting in a nasty way, but many times when you are optimistic and friendly, they will let it go. Remember you never know who is going to be on your blog or social media site, and you don’t want to be known as a grumpy commenter too.
3. Move forward
With so many diverse opinions online, not everyone is going to love what you post. Don’t let the potential of negative comments make you afraid to post content. You cannot please everyone, and overgeneralized content can be boring.
Keep creating great content and don’t let negativity bring you down!
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