Whenever you put any kind of content out on the Internet, there will always be good and bad reactions from the online community. You can’t please everybody - that’s just how it is and how it will always be. No matter how positive or wholesome your content is, there will always be people who won’t like it, get offended, and leave nasty comments. Some of them might just be online trolls or haters who have nothing else to do. Others might be entities aligned with your competitors with the express goal of damaging your reputation. Regardless of why they’re doing it, these comments can be highly severely detrimental to your brand if left unchecked.
Importance of PR in Social Media
As a content creator, you obviously put a lot of effort into conceptualizing, preparing and actually creating your content. You can just imagine the distress when the brand you’re working so hard to establish gets tainted by negative comments. Well, it doesn’t always have to end up so badly. To avert a potentially catastrophic outcome, all you have to do is to efficiently handle your brand’s online PR.
Public relations management involves a broad scope, including online reputation management, audience engagement, brand image promotion, and yes, handling negative comments. Looking at the big picture, great PR can also help a brand build a strong connection with the audience, foster collaborative relationships with influencers, and boost traffic through relatable content and authentic campaigns.
It is for these reasons that many large companies actually have an entire team dedicated to social media crisis management. One of their primary jobs is to keep negative comments on social media under control. In general, they take charge of the brand’s online reputation management.
However, for much smaller brands, hiring a team is generally not a practical option, financial-wise and so on. As a solo content creator, you have no choice but to handle your own PR. It would be a bit of extra work but once you get used to it, you’ll find that it’s really not that difficult.
5 Ways to Handle Negative Comments
There is no way to avoid getting negative comments. However, in these instances, much of the outcome relies on how the content creator handles these negative comments. They could lead to your brand's downfall, or you could turn it around and make them an instrument for growth. It is therefore very important to know what to do when such potentially destructive feedback makes its way into your comment box. So with that being said, here are five simple and effective ways to handle negative comments on social media.
1. Provide a prompt and professional response
First of all, replying quickly shows that you are on top of your social media accounts and are actually paying attention to your followers. Don't take longer than 48 hours to reply as this gives the impression that you don't value your customers' feedback so much. However, do take a few minutes to craft a professional and positive reply rather than blurting out the first thing that comes to mind. It is very important to avoid making rash and emotional responses. Even if you later realize your mistake and retract your reply, chances are that someone would already have seen it and perhaps even taken a screenshot.
Regardless of how negative or hateful the comment might be, your response should reflect professionalism. If they are dissatisfied with a service or product you offer, let them know that you are taking their feedback into advice as you further improve your offerings. Just make sure to address their concern if you can, issue an apology if you think it's necessary, and provide a clear and concise solution if possible. Maintain a neutral tone throughout your reply. You can also invite the commenter to send you a direct message or an email so that you can resolve the issue in a more private channel.
2. Do not engage
This is a direct contradiction of the previous tip, but some negative comments on social media are just meant to be ignored. Some examples of these are those that are not even made by real people but rather are generated by bots. Others are the comments that clearly come from trolls or are just spam messages. There are also comments that are downright rude or abusive. These kinds of comments do not warrant any kind of reply so it’s best to just ignore them. However, leaving negative comments on your post can be very detrimental to your brand. If the social media platform gives you the option to delete the comments or flag them as spam, feel free to do so.
Now, it is very important to use your judgment wisely and decide whether it is better to reply or disengage. For troll and spam messages, deleting would be the best course of action. However, when it comes to rude comments, some would advise against deleting them as this supposedly suggests being defensive or unprofessional. In these cases, if you think a constructive thread or conversation might arise from replying, then by all means do so.
3. Respond with a positive angle
There are many negative comments, including those with obviously malicious intent, that you can turn around so that they will ultimately be beneficial for your content. Let's say you posted a picture or video of you, for instance, and someone insults your physical attributes. Instead of being offended and treating it as a personal attack, you can use it as an opportunity to talk about body positivity and basic respect.
With a simple reply, you can snuff the negativity, show your followers a good attitude, and also invite encouraging comments from supportive followers. This way, instead of damaging your brand, that one negative comment could actually boost content visibility and traffic. In other words, your reply can be the silver lining around the cloud of negativity in the comment.
4. Learn from the negative feedback
It’s not fun to see negative comments on social media, especially if they show up on content that you worked so hard on. However, you simply can’t get upset because some of these negative comments can actually be very good for your brand in the long run.
An integral part of online reputation management is knowing how to interpret bad feedback and turn it into opportunities for growth and improvement. As a matter of fact, many people who leave negative feedback do so without the slightest hint of malice. Some of them might be loyal viewers or customers who just have suggestions on how you might further improve your content. Sometimes a pair of fresh eyes can help you see things from a different point of view, and really help you up your game. Therefore, it pays to analyze the comments and if there's something in there worth considering, you better do so.
Of course, you don't have to make changes to your content every time negative feedback comes up. As we said earlier, you can't please everybody so don't even try. But if there are concerns that are repeatedly being brought up by viewers, you can start with those and figure out how to improve your content accordingly.
5. Have an actual social media crisis management plan
The more content you put out there, the more comments you will get, and you can be sure that a few negative ones will always be able to make their way in. You’d be surprised at the variety of negativity out there. Even if you technically know how to handle negative comments on social media, there might be times when an occasional unexpected reaction might throw you off and you’d be at a loss on how to respond. It is for such cases that it is very important to have a reliable plan in place for social media crisis management or online reputation management.
In developing this plan, you would have to set the groundwork on how you manage responses, reactions, and feedback to your social media content. It should also include the methods of how you will monitor the comments, what tools you will use, and so on. In any case, having a plan will keep you on track and let you handle all kinds of negative comments professionally and efficiently. With these simple strategies, you can successfully manage your own PR, ultimately maintaining the positive image and reputation of your brand.
Conclusion
In conclusion, as a content creator, managing negative comments is a vital aspect of maintaining your brand’s reputation. While it may seem daunting at first, mastering these strategies will empower you to turn potential setbacks into opportunities for growth. By responding professionally, knowing when to engage or disengage, and learning from constructive criticism, you can protect and even enhance your online presence. Remember, your approach to handling negativity can make all the difference in how your audience perceives and supports your brand.
