Negative Comments - To Hide or Not to Hide... That is the Question

To hide or not to hide… that is the question when it comes to negative comments on social media. The easy way out is to hide or delete these comments- BUT WAIT. Let’s think about what that action says to your followers. What are you trying to hide? Why are you trying to silence your followers? How credible is your brand if everything is all butterflies and rainbows all the time? 

Negative comments are bound to happen because you can’t make everyone happy all the time, right? Right. So let’s talk about how to handle these comments- the right way.

Resist the urge to delete or hide UNLESS the comment is inappropriate. Got a bad review? Leave it. Someone make an unhappy comment? That’s okay too. However, comments with inappropriate or hostile themes or language should be removed and the user blocked immediately to avoid such actions in the future. Read your comments often, and respond in a timely manner. Social media doesn’t sleep- it’s a 24/7 business, so check it often!

Ignoring negative comments is just as bad as hiding them, maybe even worse because others who see them will assume you just don’t care. But you do. So make sure to respond to all comments, whether negative or positive, within a day or so. This is your chance to interact with your followers- so have fun with it! Turn that frown upside down and offer exceptional customer service, no matter what. Customer feedback can be gold for your company- both the good and the bad. Use this opportunity to learn from your customer and offer your sincere concern for the situation. Be positive and empathetic. Move the conversation to somewhere private like e-mail or Facebook Messenger. There is nothing worse than seeing an awkward back and forth conversation in a comment feed. So don’t do it! Instead, offer up the opportunity to message your company directly through a private message.

By arming yourself with a clear game plan to deal with negative comments, you not only make your company look good, but your followers will also feel like there are actual people who care about them behind your brand. Because there are!

Don't have the time to manage the comments on your social profiles? That's where we can help. Quadsimia offers full social media marketing strategy and marketing, as well as consultation services! Contact us to see how we can help.