Unfortunately, when you have a social media presence online for your small business, one of the unavoidable and unpleasant sides of it is that you will, at some point, receive negative feedback online. This may be in the form of a snarky comment on one of your posts, someone may argue with the perspective you took on a blog post or you may receive an unfavourable review. People will always have their opinions, and the ability to say negative, rude or downright offensive things online with zero concerns about potential repercussions, means that people become emboldened to say things they would likely not say in person.
With that being said, hopefully these incidents will be few and far between for you, but in any case, you should have a contingency plan for when it does occur.
So, what are your options for tackling unwanted/unnecessary comments regarding your business and how should you respond to negativity online?
You can always simply ignore any negative comments, but this doesn't give you the chance to defend yourself or explain your point of view further, which can be frustrating.
Reply with equal attitude and sass; as tempting as this might be, it isn't particularly professional and you probably/possibly won't come across in the best light. There are instances when a business has been able to respond in this way and it's worked well, but it is usually when they've been able to show the instigator is being purposefully provocative or is making unfounded comments.
Reply politely to thank them for their comments and say you will take them on board; keep it short and sweet without actually needing to engage with them. This will, no doubt, irritate them because they didn't get a bigger reaction that they no doubt wanted.
Reply to ask them to explain their perspective further, and then go on to justify your initial statements.
However you respond, always ensure you remain calm and polite so that your professional integrity and reputation stays intact. And by being consistent in this manner, it will make you more trustworthy as a business to potential customers.
Although it may be tempting, try to avoid deleting negative comments or reviews, unless they are spam or horrifically offensive. But make a point of commenting to explain what you have done, so that other people understand.
Most importantly, and I know this is easier said than done, but try not to let the comments get to you. Do your best to ignore them; you know your business better than anyone and don't lose sight of that - you know your stuff and you've got this!
What other tactics have you found useful when dealing with unfriendly and unwarranted comments?