My fellow bloggers, how are you all doing? There was a time I got an email asking how I deal with negative comments on my blog; I’m not sure if I responded to that email but today I am responding publicly so that everyone can see.
Let me start from the beginning: story story….the first day I started blogging (then with the name GISTDOTCOM) …the first comment my blog was baptized with was a negative comment. It made me feel terrible and I cried like a baby to Bobo “they hate my blog!” …he was like “calm down, don’t take it personal”…how won’t I take it personal? Someone took their precious time to write something like “stop blogging, your blog is terrible”…how is that not personal?
Years later I have learnt.
People can be mean on the internet especially when they hide under the umbrella of anonymous. Thankfully I have not had to deal with a lot of negative comments because my readers are so sweet and evil commenters never come here *sprinkles more anointing oil on computer*. Bad belle people will not near here, even if they open my blog, the words will suddenly become blurry or begin to walk off the screen…
So how do I deal with negative comments?
1. I acknowledge the comment. My comments are moderated so I have time to ponder on what the person wrote…I don’t want to be in haste to judge the comment so I give it a day or two to simmer in the moderation section.
2. By now I can tell if it is constructive criticism or just empty bad belle comment. If it is constructive I publish it and sometimes respond, if it isn’t I delete because negative comments is not why we are here-Negative comments can be distracting to other “commenters”, and people will focus more on the comments than the topic at hand. Mba nu.
3. I don’t take it personally…the commenter doesn’t know me or my story and their comment cannot change the price of garri in the market. If they really have something important to say they wouldn’t be anonymous and they can always send me an email with their real name and details. LOL
How do I deal with positive comments?
I acknowledge it too and let it swell my head. I get high on positive comments…like I always say, your (good) comments are like delicious grains of jollof rice to me…feed me!
At the end of the day remember that feedback is always good, positive or negative, you decide how you want to respond to it, but no need to tear shirt if you get negative comments, let it slide like water on a ducks back.
As a blogger how have you dealt with negative and positive comments?
See my other posts on blogging: hot cake!
How to get more readers to your blog
Blog Resolutions For 2015
Blogger Of The Year
How Much Bloggers Should Charge For Adverts
How To Get More Traffic To Your Blog
