How Do You Deal With Negative Comments On Your Blog?
Today I wanted to share something with you that many people will experience at some stage. As bloggers and content creators we are constantly providing information and an opinion in various niche areas, subjects and products. But what do we do when someone disagrees with our opinion? Do you send negative comments to the trash can of your website or do you try to defend your opinion?
The thin line...
There is often a very thin line between a negative comment and an abusive comment. A couple of years ago I was sent negative and quite abusive comments to a site that I was working on at the time. The comments arrived on a daily basis and I found it rather upsetting.
looking back, these comments were nothing more that other marketers trying to stop me from promoting a particular product. And to be honest it worked! Although I knew that the product I was promoting at the time was good, I was called a scammer and a greedy affiliate out to scam people. This was not the case! But it made me wonder if it was all worth it, especially as the comments kept arriving on a daily basis.
I was eventually so effected by these negative comments that i decided it was best to take a break from online marketing.
It was whilst taking that break that I realized what was really going on. The comments that I had been receiving weren't from average members of the public, but from other online marketers who were afraid of the competition. They were trying to bully me into quitting!
How I Deal With Negative Comments Today
We all have different opinions and you can never expect everyone to agree on everything. And that's the approach that I like to take on my website. If I receive a comment that is clearly spam, then it goes into the spam bin! If I get an abusive comment, which hardly ever happens these days, I just delete it. That goes for people swearing too! I simply don't allow it on my site.
However, there are plenty of times where I can actually turn a negative comment into something positive. And that's the lesson that I wanted to share with you today.
Every comment that you can accept onto your website is a piece of additional content that will help your site rank better in the search engines. So it makes sense to make the most of every comment that you can allow onto your site.
So how do you deal with negative comments? Simply by being polite!
It doesn't matter how negative the comments are, they can always be neutralized with a polite and friendly response. It can actually be quite fun as well. Just remember that if you get a negative comment, there is usually a very good reason behind it. Normally that reason will be because you are stirring up the truth!
Little do these negative comment leavers know, but they are actually helping you to rank even higher in the search results.
An Example Of A Negative Comment And My Response
I want to show you an example of a negative comment that I received today. I recently reviewed a product called "WP Content Ranker". The software was yet another system that claimed to be able to create content in super fast time that got ranked really quickly. I've been around for quite a few years and I have seen and tested this kind of product many times. The software used a very old technique called "article spinning" to produce content. Although this method used to work pretty well, its no longer a technique that should be used to build an online business. And so I produced an appropriate review, giving my honest opinion.
My review ranked very well, currently sitting at No.2 in the search results. So it was only a matter of time before I received a comment...
Take a look at the comment that I received today and my response.
This comment alone, although negative might be enough to help me to move into the No.1 position with this review.
Don't Take It To Heart!
Just remember, if you receive a negative comment it doesn't need to have a negative impact on your business. Keep it polite and be one step ahead! Most importantly, remember not to take those comments to heart. Chances are, you are doing a good job of mixing up opinions if you start getting these comments.
Have a great and productive day guys and gals!
Take care,
Andrew
Recent Comments
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You have offered a great example of a great idea! You definitely turned his negative comment into something that can serve as another review of WA!
As a freelancer for many, many years, the product(s) of article spinners are simply horrible and can be noticed very quickly!
That, of course, is not the point. Making the guy see that you are (probably) not going to give up, (again) is and you are right, it might just help with SEO.
Yeah, I could have made a bit of money by promoting the product in question. But then I wouldn't feel like I had offered a decent service. Plus, if you promote rubbish you will only loose your commission through refunds. It's just not worth following what the other losers are doing!
Hi, Andrew that was such a good post, really taken with that one liner.
"Cheers fellow Greedster"
If by their observation helping folks with honest reviews is being ready then I obviously need to change my game plan and get greedy lol
I think in the niche you are in, there is a lot of that defending a position going on.
The big take home from your post for me is not to take things personally it can be trench warfare some days, sticking to your core values and offering an honest opinion will a position of integrity and I think long term that speaks volumes and folks definitely observe that in the market place. We think of the internet as being a big place but when it comes down to niching down there are relatively few players making a name for them selves just a couple of cents.
It's all about how we react at the end of the day thanks for reminding me it is not about following the status quo.
When I look at other online marketers out there I see a lot of sheep. Everyone is following the same rules and copying what everyone else is doing. You can learn a lot from watching others but if we all do the same thing we are not going to get very far. This is my way of standing out. I just hope it works!
The more I see that is the thing to do, if we can find a way to stand out it is a good way to ensure longevity. Even in the short time I have been going I have seen many folks that I thought were at the top of the game vanish, I guess they were just telling everyone that they were. I appreciate what you shared Andrew real good food for thought.
I like your response to the negative comment you gave. Like you said, "It doesn't matter how negative the comments are, they can always be neutralized with a polite and friendly response"
I alway answer any negative comments I get. The only ones I delete are the ones that are abusive or use foul language.
Yeah, that's exactly the process that I follow. I occasionally allow some mild bad language but block out some of the letters with stars!
Well written article Andrew and you got the message across perfectly,
If I may just endorse that this is an online business that we are creating here so treat it as such, business, not personal,
As a 25+ year business person, mostly offline, I learnt to differentiate and take emotion out of it,
An online business should not be treated any different.
Thanks once again for sharing your experiences Andrew, well taught.
Gary
I love negative comments simply because they create great engagement. But only if the comment is not abusive. If it is abusive I delete them because there is no point getting into conversation with a person like that.
And like you mentioned don't take it to heart. The reality is not everyone is not going to agree with you. And that's ok.
You'll resonate with the people you're supposed to resonate with and focus on those people. And don't worry about the one's you don't resonate with.
Precisely Leo! That's why I love those negative comments too! What I find quite funny is the fact that the person leaving the comment doesn't even realize that they are actually helping you.
I don't even have a blog yet but this is something that has worked on me. I have always wondered how site owners deal with that. Sooò as the saying goes " Let business be business." Everyone is not gonna embrace everything you put out there so I would thank them for their comment and I would not even recognize the negativity because people like to be mean and cause problems just because. ❤
That's a really good way of putting it. Yeah, let business be business. People will embrace what you do, so long as you keep it clam and polite. It's especially good if you can shoot the other guy down in the process though!
Good luck with your blog when you get it going by the way!
Thanks,
Andrew
Man, you're good. Not only was your reply polite, but brilliant and eloquently written. And there's really nothing he can argue with, because you agreed with him. It frustrates the bejeebers out of people when they can't draw you into a flame war. Well done, and thanks for sharing this exchange!
Thank you very much. I really appreciate your compliments! And yes you are totally right. The whole goal is to frustrate as much as possible whilst leaving no alternative but to walk away.
I'm pleased that you liked this, great to hear from you.
Take care,
Andrew
I once sent him an image, never heard of the dude again, if you can prove your right this way, don't hesitate How To Add An Image In A Comment
Great advice Loes and thanks for posting the additional training too. I never even considered the fact that you could post images within your comments. This has certainly got me thinking!
By the way, this is another great example of turning a negative comment into a positive.
Thanks again Loes!
Take care,
Andrew
Hi Andrew, this is such a perceptive article. It can be easy to forget the negativity out in the world after spending time safely working through the training and setting up an online business in the supportive, safe, learning environment here at WA!
I learnt the hard way that some women's size 10 seems to be easily mistaken as a size 8 label, whilst working on a well known online marketing platform! Now I make doubly sure my facts are correct and that my opinions are recorded as just that! But sometimes the hurtful comments still get through, so I try and rise above these petty, vindictive people. We are a caring, ethical community!
Soapbox back under the stairs now! Have a great weekend, Sue :)
Hi there Sue! You hit on a very good point here. It' true that we all go through the training here and because its a very nice and safe atmosphere and everyone is very kind, we forget that there are still some rather negative people out there. In the example above I suspect that the comment may have come from one of the creators of the product that i reviewed. But regardless, some people will always try to find a way to drag you down.
You are right to make a point of always saying that the points you are making are your own opinions. I always do that, especially when I can't give a brilliant review!
Those hurtful comments will always get through because there will always be that kind of person in the world. As you say, the key is to rise above it.
I actually enjoy getting the odd negative comment now and again, especially when I know that I'm right and they are wrong!
Anyway, thank you for sharing your story and your thoughts on this post. I hope you have a good weekend too!
Regards,
Andrew
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You handled it well. I have not gotten any negative comment but reading your response is preparing me for it. I have seen comments where other marketers are against Wealthy Affiliate and saying all sorts of negative things.
Deleting the comment will not solve the problem because they will just write more. Thanks for the. Post.
You will always find some people who will be negative. Even if they know nothing about WA, some people will always say its a scam. The point is to stand your ground and let them know that they are wrong. I can confidently do that through personal experience of WA. I doubt that they could ever say anything positive about the rubbish that they were selling without lying!