Author: Neil Patel / Source: Quick Sprout Online trolls are an unfortunate part of life. While the Internet connects us, it also enables p
Online trolls are an unfortunate part of life. While the Internet connects us, it also enables people to spew hate for no apparent reason.
A survey from The Daily Mail, a leading UK news agency, provides insight into some of the platforms that attract the most trolls, with Facebook taking a commanding lead.
I ignore them.
That’s my method, so I’m not telling you to do the same. It’s simply been an effective method that has allowed me to stay sane and keep my personal brand intact. Ignoring it.
Obviously, not every brand can ignore the hate.
Some companies respond in creative and humorous ways that turn into huge wins.
As brands such as Nestle, Amy’s Baking Company, and Dark Horse Cafe found, managing your online reputation by responding to attacks can backfire, creating havoc for the brand.
Because of the high risk of big mistakes in online reputational management, I put together this guide for what to do if someone attacks you online.
But first, we’ll review what trolls are and the true costs of negative comments.
What is an online troll?
Online trolls are people who frequent forums, chat rooms, comment wells, social networks, and other corners of the Internet to incite strong angry responses from their victims. These people are typically proud of their accomplishments. This troll even brags about his exploits.
When you get upset with trolls, you are playing into their hands—you are feeding them.
Do not feed the trolls.
Feeding the trolls only makes them stronger, and they push harder. It also lowers you to their level, where they’ll always win because of their vast experience. You’ll only get upset and act irrationally—while doing it on public forums.
This means it’ll stay on the Internet forever for other people to see. Sometimes, your reactions will be saved as screenshots so you can never delete them.
It makes the costs of negative comments left by trolls high.
The cost of negative online comments
While there’s an old adage that purports that all press is good press, this isn’t necessarily true, as Amy’s Baking Company found in its war against trolls.
Despite what insurance commercials on TV say, people turn to the Internet for information. They especially trust product and company reviews.
A negative review left by a troll can have a lasting impact on sales numbers.
A recent survey by Moz found that nearly 70% of respondents were turned off of buying a product or service because of negative online reviews.
And that’s not all. Online reviews aren’t the only trustworthy source. Word of mouth on social media has been shown to effectively work both for and against brands.
Recent research by the Internet Sales Group found one negative social media review can cost you 30 new customers.
Unhappy people simply enjoy banding together and making their voices louder, so while a happy customer will discuss your brand with 3-5 people, an unhappy customer will tell over 20 people about their bad experience.
This inspired Adrien Chen and Jason Pontin at the MIT Technology Review to explore the true costs of trolling, although they ended up focusing more on what it costs the troll than the victim.
And it turns out, responding to trolls (although not directly) may actually be the most effective policy.
How to respond
I don’t respond to trolls, but others do. It’s a stigmatizing issue, and clearly even adults don’t know what to do about bullying.
Some marketers, like Curtis Snyder at Make Your Mark Media, recommend confronting trolls head on. There’s value in that although Kendall…
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