You have set up a blog, are posting regularly and are receiving great feedback. You're participating in the conversation, building buzz around your company and getting to know your audience. But don't be fooled—not all of the comments on your posts will be positive, and dealing with detractors can be tricky.
Consider the following tips on how to respond when you are confronted with negative blog comments:
1. Be polite. Criticism stings, but give the commenter the benefit of the doubt and treat him/her with the same respect as you would someone who left positive feedback. They did take the time to fill out your comment form, after all, and getting defensive or rude will make you look unprofessional and unprepared.
2. Address the problem. If someone comments that your prices are skyrocketing, your customer service is lacking, or they had a bad experience with your company in general, comment back with concern for their issue and offer to work toward a resolution. Feel free to correct any misinformation they might have stated, but let them know that you're genuinely concerned about their issue. Obviously you can't lower your prices or change your business model for everyone who complains, but a simple explanation from the business owner's perspective might bring to light issues they hadn't even thought of and alleviate their concern.
3. Follow up. If a commenter's concern is valid but not something that can be resolved by a quick reply on your blog, offer to discuss the matter further via email or over the phone. Some people tend to be more understanding one-on-one, and also are less likely to be combative in a situation where they don't have an audience and cannot remain anonymous.
4. Delete sparingly. If the comment has nothing to do with your original blog post or is obviously the vitriolic work of a troll, you always have the option of deleting the comment. And while you do call the shots on your blog, keep in mind that completely scrubbing it of any less-than-glowing remarks comes off as disingenuous and can undermine your credibility. It's a good rule in general to not engage with trolls or in flame wars, and to use the delete option as a last resort.
Whether you blog for your small business, a large corporation or an association, leading the conversation is one of the most important aspects of that blog. By accepting all comments, responding to those that need it, and acknowledging the good and the bad, your blog will be one that readers return to for information and lively discussion of the issues most important to you.
