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How to Deal with Critics, Haters, and Trolls – 059

August 22, 2016 by kirstenoliphant@gmail.com 4 Comments

You haven’t been online long if you haven’t had to learn how to deal with critics, haters, and trolls. They are everywhere. Your Facebook page, the comments section of newspaper articles, and even your blog comments. The more traffic you get, the more critics you’ll have.

I’m sure I’m not the only one with a distinct memory for those mean-spirited or otherwise critical comments on Facebook, Twitter, or my blog. In this episode I talk with Kami Huyse from Zoetica Media about her experience with online critics. She spent two years with a critic who followed her to every online space she frequented, calling her names and publicly attacking her. Yowza!

Kami offers advice on how to deal with criticism and even when we should consider criticism a GOOD thing.

Listen to Episode 59 – How to Deal with Critics


You can find Kami at the Zoetica Media, on Twitter, LinkedIn, Facebook, and Instagram. Check out her SlideShare for more great content!

How to Deal with Critics - interview with Kami Huyse

This year, she was able to launch the CiviliNation Harassment Barometer, a quarterly report that monitors online harassment in the US. You can sign up to receive that report for free!

 

Highlights from the Episode

  • You will not be able to avoid conflict online, but you can minimize it by the type of content you post and the ways you interact.
  • Many times conflict in the comments deals with character of the commenter, not the issue at hand. (Make sure you don’t fall into this trap!)
  • Deleting your Facebook account is pretty drastic, but it is not a bad idea to evaluate whether online interaction is something you can handle.
  • Don’t react. RESPOND.
  • Criticism stings, but can also sometimes help you see where you have room to grow. Take some time to think about whether the criticism has any truth before you dismiss it.

 

Easy Traps to Fall into with Criticism

  • Defending yourself TOO much
  • Taking things too personally
  • Unleashing your fans on the offending commenter
  • Responding in the moment without taking time to think about it

You can't avoid them. Learn how to deal with online critics and trolls.

How to Handle Critics & Trolls

  • Prepare yourself from them and know that they WILL come.
  • When you receive a negative or nasty comment, pause.
  • Type out a response in another program that is not online so you won’t be tempted to hit send. Come back and read it later to see if you REALLY want to send it.
  • Remember that you are not likely to change someone’s mind about you.
  • Keep some amount of separation between your online world and your real world.

 

Questions to Ask before Diving into the Fray

  • Is there any truth to the criticism or comment that you might grow from?
  • Do you really NEED to respond?
  • Are you adding value to the conversation?
  • How will the readers watching perceive your handling of the situation?
  • Does a response to the critic fit with the brand or persona you have built online?
  • What will you gain from engaging? What will you lose if you don’t?

Helpful links:

  • CiviliNation
  • Civility in the Digital Age
  • How to Deal with Social Media Trolls
  • Should You Turn Off Comments on Your Blog?

 

Have you experienced criticism online? How did you deal with it?


Thanks to our sponsor, Holly Homer! Hit up HollyHomer.com for blogging and Facebook tips!

And if you want to know more about Nick Stephenson’s course or get in on his free training, you can find all that HERE!

 

Filed Under: Platform, Show Notes

Comments

  1. Cath @ This Mama Learns says

    August 25, 2016 at 12:03 am

    Wow that’s crazy, following someone around for 2 years.
    These are great tips on dealing with the haters. If only we all never had to use them…

    Reply

Trackbacks

  1. Quote from Kirsten over at “Create If Writing”. | D. Bryan King says:
    August 22, 2016 at 10:53 am

    […] If you want to know about about the “Create If Writing” podcast or the episode I mention,  check out: https://createifwriting.com/059/. […]

    Reply
  2. Create If Writing – Civilination says:
    August 23, 2016 at 9:36 am

    […] CiviliNation director Kami Huyse is featured in the Create If Writing podcast How to Deal with Critics, Haters, and Trolls. […]

    Reply
  3. A La Carte (August 26, 2016) | D. Bryan King says:
    August 26, 2016 at 7:39 am

    […] How to Deal with Critics, Haters, and Trolls — You haven’t been online long if you haven’t had to learn how to deal with critics, haters, and trolls. They are everywhere. Your Facebook page, the comments section of newspaper articles, and even your blog comments. The more traffic you get, the more critics you’ll have. […]

    Reply

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Hey, I'm Kirsten!

(Rhymes with BEER-sten.) I am the author of Email Lists Made Easy for Writers and Bloggers and the host of the Create If Writing podcast. My goal is to help writers, bloggers, and creatives like YOU turn readers into raving fans and learn to make a living doing what you love...without being smarmy. Questions? kirsten at kirstenoliphant.com

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