OK, so that’s not always true, but for the most part, even a nasty comment from a blog troll can provide an opportunity for something good to come of it.
Rather than acting upon your gut reaction to delete a nasty comment on a blog you worked hard to create (and/or a topic you feel strongly about), consider leaving it there and respond to it in a way that reinforces your professionalism and expertise. Or, if it is a complaint about a service you provide, use your reply to address the concern and hopefully change that person’s feelings by impressing them with your responsiveness.
It’s also a chance to inject some humor into the topic if, for example, you got a particularly snide comment from someone who chooses to remain anonymous (or at least fictitious!). Laughing it off shows the troll—and your readers—that you can roll with the punches as well.
Lisa Barone of Outspoken Media offers some great tips for minimizing the negativity and increasing the comments you do want on your blog. They include:
- Setting (and enforcing) ground rules
- Rewarding positive participation
- Responding to comments
- Setting a good example for the tone and content of your blog
- Not letting the trolls get to you
Bloggers, what do you do when someone posts a negative comment? Blog readers, do you read blogger responses? How important is a timely response?