9 Tips For Dealing With Internet Trolls
Every business has at least one troll they just can’t escape. Here are some tips on the best way to handle the inevitable negativity that comes with success.
For every piece of great feedback you receive from clients you can rest assured you’ll find a handful of negative sentiment. Whether or not this negativity is genuine or simply the work of an internet troll, all feedback should be monitored by your biz; as your business grows the negativity will become unavoidable.
All is not lost. With a great game plan even the worst troll can become neutralized. Here are a few tips on how to handle your worst critic:
- Don’t take it personally.
When someone critiques your life’s work it can really sting, but it’s important to shrug it off. Keep in mind that part of success is dealing with the naysayers and that one (often very loud) voice doesn’t speak for the world at large.
2.Go in search of trolls.
Think you’ve escaped any name-slamming online? You may be looking in the wrong place. Pretend to be an angry client and look for all sites that provide a place to rant and rave. Once you have found them, make a list and check against it often to monitor all feedback.
- Be quick with a response.
When other clients view the comments posted by your haters they will be encouraged to dismiss the negativity if there is a helpful and kind post directly below it from you or your staff. No matter what they throw at you, remember to focus on providing a helpful service for all clients, even when their criticism is less than constructive.
- Try to resolve the issue.
Do the best you can to resolve any issue your client is facing, because even if the complaint isn’t genuine, every complaint is an opportunity to create a loyal customer. Remember though that not all trolls can be calmed and some of them really just want to spew hatred. Treat these with calm diplomacy, then leave them be.
- Encourage positive interactions.
Work on engaging with your social media audiences often. By creating a larger positive response you can drown out the few negative ones. Bury them with kindness!
- Don’t be afraid to laugh at yourself.
Some of the biggest social media flops were eased with a small self-depreciating jokes. This is a great tool for a large-scale social media troll attack. A little humility can go a long way in the eyes of consumers.
- Take the high road.
Responding to your troll is great, but doing it in a way that could be seen as unprofessional or aggravating is a terrible idea. Remember that you are communicating with the voice of your brand, so losing your temper is not an option.
- Be grateful.
All press is good press; trolls have a way of spurring conversation and drawing attention to your content. Be sure to always thank anyone who injects anything positive to the commentary.
- When all else fails, ask for help.
If comments ever become violent or hateful don’t be shy about contacting the authorities. Remove any posts that could be seen as offensive to others and enlist the help of a HR representative when possible.
Much like love and war, all’s fair on social media. Just remember that every business encounters their fair share of trolls on their way to the top!
Share your best troll fighting strategies with us on Facebook or Twitter