As we head towards the launch of my latest Ebook 'How a blog post is costing Kwik Fit 100 customers per day' which examines the nature of social media profiles, handling negative comments on social media platforms, and online reputation in general, it brought me to the interesting, but incredibly difficult, area of how to deal with critical comments from others on social media sites.
It's quite timely, really, given that recently I've seen some pretty strong criticism against one of my own social media articles online - the variety of comments have been positive and useful in terms of feedback.
But there have also been a couple of unhappy bunnies, as the comments thread here highlights.
When you get critical comments on a social media platform, I think there are a few things that are worth remembering - this is not a 'Do this' broadcasting post, as we're seeing increasingly-often on this site, but more of a 'here's a way to potentially think about it' article, based on how I deal with negativity on social:
* Firstly, define the kind of criticism you're getting: is it well-thought out, intelligent discourse, or an emotive rant? If it's a genuine, non-aggressive, well-reasoned piece of criticism, give it some time and thought and respond in a positive, professional and prompt manner. If it's an aggressive, emotive, negative rant, leave it well alone - something like 'Thank you for your opinions' is my preferred response.
Don't forget, your target client audience could well see this social media content too, so remaining on-message with your personal Brand online is really, really important here.
* Secondly, define where the criticism is coming from: if the comments are coming from an individual or business which has opposing or different views to you and the way you do business, there's nothing right or wrong with this. Differences should be embraced, particularly on social media platforms where 'social' means many different things.
Don't get personal, stay focused on the issues or criticism in hand - even if the other party gets emotive, let them get uptight on their own in their own space, not yours.
* Thirdly, define why the criticism is happening: if you have a popular blog, or have submitted social media content which contains your way of doing things, accept that some may disagree with your way of doing things! If, however, the criticism is coming from an individual or business which quite clearly has an aggressive, brash, brusque and - basically - unsocial tone, you may find that their criticism is just their way of operating online.
Don't worry about this too much, Karmic Law will ensure that they get it back, someday, somehow, somewhere. Leave them to it, and move onto the next positive thing you're doing.
* Fourthly, define if you actually want to engage with them. A strategy of silence is not recommended, but you do have a choice on how much time, energy and effort you give in response to critical 'shouters' as I call them on social media platforms. Let's face it, anybody being consistently aggressive, bullish, shouting/broadcasting and delivering nothing but negative criticism online generally gets little attention.
Particularly on social media platforms, where positive, useful engagement rules.
Give a reasoned, balanced response and move on. Don't dwell, let them continue on their own path. Focus your attention on delivering what you passionately believe in.
* Fifthly, define what you can learn from the criticism: as the saying goes, your biggest teacher is sometimes your biggest critic. Sometimes, of course, a critic is just negative and snarky because that's all they have to give. These are the biggest bores, and certainly highlight their true natures online via social media platforms very quickly.
For me, if I receive criticism from a bore-ish critic who is not teaching me anything, I stop engaging. Make your final statement on the subject and leave them to it. Again, my preferred response is 'Thank you for your opinions' here.
* Finally, define if it is worth replying to: my idea of Personal Hell is talking about social media point-scoring with negative, bullish, aggressive, blinkered, broadcasting, and generally 'not-my-kind-of-people-full-stop' social media consultants. And yes, there are a couple out there. Do you really want to spend your time inside the bubble of your industry, or would you rather be outside of it, delivering great results for your clients? No-brainer, really.
Luckily, the majority of social media consultants I come across and engage with on a regular basis are positive, thoughtful, open-minded professionals - passionately delivering for their clients. I often collaborate with peers I respect and admire.
Of course, the negative navel-gazers will always be out there, pulling down and criticising others. You can choose not to engage with them, but be warned: at some point, you're going to be on their radar, and a response of some kind will be needed.
Make sure you take the higher ground and respond in a way you're professionally comfortable with. Even if they get personal.
Make sure you respond in a way which you're proud of, in a way which highlights your professionalism, in a way which shows it's business as usual.