Getting blog comments is always something to look forward to…unless of course they’re spam or unnecessarily critical. Here are some tips for creating a strategy to deal with the inevitable negative comments you’ll face at some point.

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Don’t take it personally

Negative blog comments can be hurtful, but remember that they say more about the person who’s written them than you! If you can take any constructive criticism from them then use that to your advantage to improve your writing and your website. If the negative comments are purely abusive and designed to grab your attention more than anything else, don’t be provoked – that’s what the commenter wants.

Don’t react in the same manner

It’s tempting to respond with the same attitude, especially when it’s a deliberately provoking comment or you’ve spent a lot of time on the post. But resist temptation and don’t let yourself get dragged down.

Turn it into a positive

If someone’s misunderstood something you’ve said or has offered a correction, even if it’s in an aggressive way, take the opportunity to edit your piece to clarify and thank them for their time.

Alternatively, you can always gently correct them if they are in fact wrong. How you respond to criticism says a lot about you as a person, so be firm but professional. In some instances it may be that the commenter just hasn’t got their point across in the way they thought or one of you has used sarcasm and it’s been misinterpreted.

Delete it

Sending negative comments to the trash can be worth doing. It nips conflict in the bud and the commenter is likely to refrain from leaving more comments or extending the argument once they realise you’re taking control.

If you’re blogging for business, you can encounter competitors and competitors’ brand fans posting comments on your blog in an attempt to stir up trouble. Be the bigger person and just delete the comments and carry on as usual.

Don’t think about it

If you think about it, you run the risk of letting it get you down. Everyone has experienced (and given) negativity on the internet, so just forget it and move on. After all, it’s better than no one visiting your website or reading your writing at all!

What do you think? Do you let comments get to you? Leave us a (positive!) comment below.