Making blogs has been one of the most profitable sidelines ever since the dawn of the Internet. People like posting content about their personal lives, viewpoints, trending topics, or anything under the sun. Creating content is, in fact, one of the most effective ways to start a digital marketing campaign. Some even have their own community app to grow, engage, and monetize their online community.
While launching your own blog or online community has its rewarding benefits, your time on the Internet can turn into a gruesome experience by dreaded Internet haters or the so-called Internet trolls. The growth of community platforms has paved the way for trolls who know nothing but cause damage to your brand, website, reputation, and even self-esteem. They’re known for abusing their victims by posting lies, insults, false accusations, assumptions, and other negative remarks.
Many would say that the best way to deal with Internet trolls is to ignore them. Although this is a piece of sound advice, leaving them in their own devices can do more damage to your blog or business. Whether you’re a blogger, entrepreneur, or public figure, there are smarter ways to handle Internet trolls on your platform without losing your temper.
Create a policy
The first step to troll-proof your blog is to establish a community policy. Most social networks establish community guidelines that set rules or standards of behaviors expected within the platform. This is necessary to create a healthy and safe environment where users can freely interact and have fun.
If you’re managing your own platform, whether it’s your blog, discussion forum, or social media page, you need to establish a clear set of guidelines, including a “no trolling” policy. You can also set a commenting policy that outlines which types of comments are acceptable to post. Having a community framework will protect your platform against unwanted statements.
Creating these rules promotes impartiality. When a person gets angry after you delete their comment, inform them about the policy and cite their violation as the reason for the removal. Although implementing a policy won’t completely eliminate trolls, this will give you more control over who stays on your platform. It will also establish the tone for engagement where your actual followers can feel more comfortable in leaving their comments.
Moderate posts or comments
If comments are insulting, attacking, or disrespectful, there’s no reason to let them proliferate on your platform. The best thing to do is moderate incoming comments before they go live. This allows you to filter everything and leave only the most appropriate contributions. This approach will inform your trolls that negativity has no space on your website. It will also encourage them to post anything negative since the public won’t see their comments.
Moderating comments work best if you have a huge following or your blog has a serious infestation of troll comments. Since this can be time-consuming, a team of moderators is an excellent investment if you can’t handle all the troll onslaught by yourself.
Moderators will handle policy violators and verify comments so you can devote your time to more meaningful tasks. If you lack the budget to hire a comment moderator, you can utilize the built-in moderation tool on social networks. Also, don’t forget to mention comment moderation in the community guidelines to inform everyone that their comments are being filtered before going live.
Block and report
To completely get rid of your trolls, report them first, and then block them. Don’t delete their post or comment because this will escalate their negative behavior. Block them instead, and then delete the comment so that they won’t return to your blog. Although this option can be tedious, it’s best to do this if the troll won’t stop. Social networks and blog sites provide the option of reporting abusive comments and other violations.
Although persistent trolls can always create a new account, blocking their accounts will eventually tire them out from posting anything negative.
Build a friendly and supportive community
Trolls are a staple part of social networking. If you don’t have the energy to manage their unruly behavior, make friends with them instead. This will send a message to your community of how good you are when dealing with critics or haters.
When responding to a troll in a friendly manner, make sure to think carefully before posting. Remember, your followers notice your every move.
It pays to be vigilant when managing a blog or business online. Internet trolls will always abound, so it’s crucial to perform critical steps to prevent them from doing any damage to your online platform. As long as you don’t stoop to their level, you create a community where healthy interactions can thrive.
