12 Tips on how to deal with negative comments on social media
Apr 14, 2022
Every business that has a social media presence would have received negative comments in the past and will most likely encounter them in the future.
It's okay, there is no need to panic!
Here is everything you need to know about the 4 types of negative comments and how to deal with each one.
- Legitimate Complaints It is okay to make mistakes, so sometimes clients are just letting you know that you might have actually messed up.
How to respond: Acknowledge the problem and apologise for their experience. Then take the conversation offline by adding your contact details.
- Trolls
Someone deliberately posts something controversial in order to get a reaction from your business or other users.
How to respond:
It is best not to engage. If there is nothing vulgar don't delete the post. There is power in ignoring a troll. This deprives them of the emotional attention and response they seek.
- Hateful Comments
A person posts something about your business or employees that is false, hurtful, and excessive.
How to respond:
Delete the comment. You can also consider reaching out to the commenter via direct message. If this doesn't work you can report it as spam and block the user.
- Comments with Legal Implications
Someone says something unlawful
How to respond:
Document the comment and report it to the appropriate authorities or law enforcement.
Other tips:
- Be Friendly But Professional
- Don’t Divert Blame
- Be Respectful
- Respond Quickly
- Make Sure The Customer Feels Heard
- Reward Positive Comments
- Be Thankful For Feedback
Beware of The Streisand Effect
This phenomenon is named after Barbra Streisand.
It's when your actions to hide information have the opposite effect and actually increase awareness of that information.
It sparks people's attention and this can add fuel to the fire and make the information go viral - especially online.