How Should I respond to Negative Comments?

When writing blogs, Facebook posts, tweets, etc. it is always nice to know people are listening to you.  It can be encouraging when you see your views and clicks go up over the course of a day or two. Then, you get a few comments.   It is easy to respond to a positive comment.  But what should you do when the comment is not so nice?  Here are a few types of negative comments and how to appropriately respond to them.

It’s Spam or Profane

A lot spammers out there will comment “love your article from ‘Buy my product at the following URL.’ ”  Others are simply profanity. These comments are the easiest to deal with.  Hit the delete button and forget about it.

It’s a Personal Attack

Again, if someone is targeting you as an individual and not the business you are promoting, first document the comment(s).  Take a screenshot of the comment and either save it or report it.  Depending on the severity of the comment, these can also be removed.

It’s a Complaint

Never delete a valid complaint, whether it’s about your product or service.  Deleting valid complaints may aggravate the writer eliciting future negative comments and bad reviews.  Instead, respond to valid complaints with valid positive responses.  By offering an apology first, then a positive solution, you’ll be seen as a company that does things right for their customer.

By listening to your clients, you will learn what is working for them and what needs to be improved upon.  Your clients will be happier and you may even start to see more positive comments from them.

Take a proactive approach to your online marketing with a proactive reputation management strategy.