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In other words, are you the social media rep for a large corporation deciding how to address consumer complaints on Facebook, or are you a stay-at-home mom wondering how to deal with thatenviousfriend who keeps cutting you down on Instagram?
Receiving Comments on Social Media
Instead, we’ve devolved into a game in which the person who can look the best on social media wins, while everyone else feels less than and takes potshots. Not to mention that social media giants are now more focused on profit than connection, even as membership dwindles.
The Social Media and Mental Health Connection
When to Address Negative Comments
People Are Watching
When Responding Allows You to Engage
If you are running a business, engagement is the name of the game. For this reason, there really is no bad publicity, as long as you handle it well.
A negative comment on your business Facebook page could be the start of a conversation with a customer to learn how best you can serve them.
In the personal sphere, a negative comment from a relative on a personal post that you share could be the springboard for you to learn more about them and their opinions. If your immediate knee jerk reaction is to ignore or delete, you could be missing out on the chance for growth in these cases.
When Not Responding Looks Like You Are Hiding Something
If someone leaves a negative comment on your social media account, and you choose to ignore or delete, this can make it look as though you have something to hide. If you have nothing to hide, then it’s perfectly fine to choose this action so that you don’t have to deal with negativity on your page.
However, if there is a hint of truth in the comment, this may come across as you choosing to avoid a problem. If you feel as though people will question whether you are hiding something if you don’t respond, then it might be best to engage in a reply.
When You Need to Apologize
If you feel as though there is some sort ofappropriate apologyon your part, then it would be best not to ignore or delete a comment. For example, in the case of a disgruntled customer, a business should not pretend that a comment was not made about their product.
In the case of a personal social media page, if someone leaves a comment about something you’ve done that you do owe an apology for, it will be best to deal with it in some manner. At the same time, it’s important not to make false promises. Be realistic in what you can offer in the way of apology or restitution. We’ll discuss this in the section on how to respond.
To Protect Your Reputation
When to Ignore Negative Comments
When You Expect Others to Have Your Back
How Social Support Contributes to Psychological Health
Things You Don’t Want on Your Page
Another situation in which you will not want to engage or respond is if the commenter is putting things on your social media page that you don’t want to be there. That might include profanity, spam, random attacks that don’t make sense,aggression, cultural slurs,racial bias, harassment, threats, etc. In this case, you have the right and should exercise the right, to delete anything that you feel should not be on your social media page.
Trolls and Bullies
How to Respond to Negative Comments
Be Positive
First, it’s best to respond in a positive manner, no matter how negative the comment was that was made about you. This shows that you care about everyone else on your social media page. Don’t getdefensive, don’t be angry, and stay classy.
Be Polite
This goes along withbeing positive, but you’ll also want to stay polite. Stay out of the drama and keep a high ground. Even if you are attacked with aggression, don’t respond with emotion or lose your cool.
This is especially important if your social media account is being used for business or if you are an employee whose account is in the public domain. It might feel hard to be polite to someone who is attacking you or your business, but doing so gives you an edge over someone who is being nasty.
Ask Them to Contact You Privately
Next, there are some instances in which you will want to move the conversation out of the public eye and into a private domain. In fact, unless their negative comment can be quickly resolved in the comment section, this is usually the best choice.
However, don’t simply send them a direct message. Instead, leave a comment for them asking them to contact you to discuss in private. This shows everyone that you are willing to address the issue, without needing to make it a public discussion for everyone to see.
Have a Cautious Public Conversation
In cases where the negative comment can be easily addressed in the comment section, you could consider having a cautious conversation with them there. For example, if someone commented that they did not like your Elf on the Shelf display and thought it must have taken up a lot of wasted time, you could simply reply, “Thanks for the feedback! The kids really enjoy it and it’s helping to bring some magic to our Christmas.”
Ask Them to Remove Their Comment
If you’ve had a private or public conversation with someone and you feel as though the comment they have left is tarnishing your reputation, you could also consider asking them to remove the comment.
Respond Quickly
One thing to note is that if you are choosing to respond, it’s better to do it earlier rather than later, unless you are waiting for your community of friends to respond.This shows that you are not ignoring the problem or trying to evade the issue.
Be Funny
You may also wish to usehumorin your reply if you think the situation calls for it. If you aren’t sure, it’s better to stick with a serious tone, as that is less likely to be misunderstood. Humor can be helpful as a “clapback” that shows you have a sense of humor and aren’t taking the situation too seriously. It’s the same effect as being polite or positive, but also helps to give you a bit of the upperhand.
Laughter as a Coping Mechanism
How to Rebound From Negative Comments
In this case, remember that their behavior is more about their own problems than anything to do with you. They most likely behave the same way on other people’s social media accounts and it’s a reflection of their own envy orinsecurity. It’s okay to set boundaries about who you let into your social sphere.
Set boundariesand don’t reply if they try to start an argument. Focus on solutions to problems anddon’t dwell on negativityor give other people attention for being negative. Most often, these types of people will move on to bothering someone else.
Finally, seek out people who you feel will improve your outlook on social media. Curate your friends and following list to only reflect the people who make you feel uplifted.
How Resilience Helps You Cope With Life’s Challenges
Why Do People Leave Negative Comments?
Final Thoughts
Regardless of the path that you choose to take, the most important thing to remember is that your goal is not to “get back” at the person who left you the negative comment. Rather, your goal might be to defend your reputation, find a resolution, show others that your page is a safe space or correct any misinformation. Beyond that, exhausting your own emotions on a keyboard warrior who may or may not actually care whether you are upset is not worth it.
Make room for more positive sources of information in your feed, and you’ll notice that you start to feel better. The rest of your friends on social media will also appreciate that you’ve made your page a safe space for all. There’s no harm in taking a hard line on issues that you believe in and standing your ground.
How to Deal With Adult Bullying
3 SourcesVerywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.QS.com. How Should You Respond to Negative Comments on Social Media?Baker A.How Brands Handle Negative Comments on Social Media.Henderson C.8 Ways to Deal with Negative Social Media Comments.
3 Sources
Verywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.QS.com. How Should You Respond to Negative Comments on Social Media?Baker A.How Brands Handle Negative Comments on Social Media.Henderson C.8 Ways to Deal with Negative Social Media Comments.
Verywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
QS.com. How Should You Respond to Negative Comments on Social Media?Baker A.How Brands Handle Negative Comments on Social Media.Henderson C.8 Ways to Deal with Negative Social Media Comments.
QS.com. How Should You Respond to Negative Comments on Social Media?
Baker A.How Brands Handle Negative Comments on Social Media.
Henderson C.8 Ways to Deal with Negative Social Media Comments.
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