Troll

Another troll? How many are there? Photo by Imamon via Flickr

We’ve all been there at one point or another. You pour your heart and soul into a product, article, podcast, etc and set it free for everyone to enjoy. Then you check back later and see that someone has made a comment. And that comment seems to be the harshest, most critical comment ever. Worse yet, it’s not even true. Not wanting anyone to see such a ridiculous comment go unanswered, you swing into action!

Whoa now! Hold on there for just a moment. I know when your business or personal brand is being criticized, it’s hard to hold back. Most people’s first instinct is to either defend themselves or their product by addressing the commenter’s concerns or to dispute the commenter’s claims. While those feel like the right ways to handle the situation, either one of those strategies could backfire in a big way. So, if you see a negative comment somewhere, whether it be on your blog, Yelp, Twitter or even as a review on someone else’s blog, don’t immediately jump in to handle the situation.

Do They Have A Point?
Before you do anything, you should assess the situation. (more…)