Kim Wilson proposes three primary rules for dealing with negative comments on Facebook wall posts:
“Respond, respond, respond.”
Of course, not all social media commenters are created equally, and she does detail a fine line between ignoring them, responding minimally and engaging fully.
The commenter types she documents — haters, know-it-alls, potty-mouths, uninvited guests and spammers — all require slightly different approaches, but for the most part some response is typically recommended.
Wilson, who shares real-life examples from several local TV stations, says haters do not expect you to engage. She advises that if/when you do respond to them you should “be careful to stay positive and professional in your response; otherwise you’ll just add fuel to the fire.”
Creating a Facebook page sets a clear expectation that you plan to engage with your audience. Meeting that expectation, or surpassing it, requires bringing transparency and consistency to the process. Wilson’s pointers are a great step in that direction.
