Welcome to My Blog

While brand-bashing is nothing new, the internet and social media platforms make the comments from these meanies even more lasting and impressionable.

And because some social networks like Yelp and Twitter make it easy for people to set up fake profiles, the anonymity that people can achieve on the internet makes some more comfortable with losing all sense of decency, respect, and good manners.

So what’s the best way to deal with the negative comments that crop up from time to time? Let’s find out.

Let’s discuss these strategies in detail.

1. Respond to the comment as soon as possible.

Don’t delay. Don’t let negative comments linger. The more time you let them go unanswered, the more time others have to see that someone has complained and you haven’t responded.

Instead, address negative comments as quickly as possible to prevent them from bubbling up into something potentially more damaging. A negative post on your Instagram post or a tweet at your company’s Twitter account, for example, is much less of an issue than a nasty blog post, which can have a much longer-lasting effect.

Responding quickly will show the naysayer you’re listening, and you care. It will also alert others of your dedication to your community members.

2. Be apologetic.

If someone is complaining about your products, services, or anything else, say you’re sorry. It doesn’t matter if their complaint is warranted or not; you’re better off taking the “customer is always right” approach.

It doesn’t make sense to get in a public cage match over just one complaint, and others will respect you for apologizing upfront. If the person you’re dealing with is complaining over something silly, others will realize that, too, and won’t think anything of it.

3. Discuss the problem privately.

React publicly first, then take it privately. For example, if someone is being particularly difficult, take your communication with them to a private channel.

First respond publicly, whether it’s via a tweet or a comment on their Facebook wall post, and then send them a private message so you can chat with them over email or the phone, explaining to them you’d like to discuss the matter in a way that offers them a more personal experience.

This way, you give them the attention they’re vying for without making your interaction public for all to see.

4. Appreciate their feedback.

Treat complaints as constructive criticism or feedback. Sometimes that’s all they are. People want to be heard, and they want to know they’ve been heard.

So after you’ve apologized for their unsatisfactory experience, let them know their feedback is appreciated and that you’ll seriously consider their suggestions for improvement.

Then actually follow through. Send their feedback to your product team or the appropriate person within your organization. By responding to negative feedback, you can turn angry customers into happy, loyal ambassadors.

5. Ask them how you can help, and help.

If the comment you’re dealing with is blatantly offensive and lacks context, tell the commenter you’re sorry they feel the way they do and ask them how you can help make the situation better.

Then, one of two things will happen: They’ll reply with something you can actionably deal with, or they’ll be so taken aback that you replied and have nothing more to say. Either way, you’ll have responded tactfully.

6. Don’t delete all negative comments.

There are some times when it’s fine to delete negative comments. For example, if they use offensive language or are commenting off-point, there’s no danger in deleting the comments.

However, if they have genuine complaints, deleting their comments is a huge mistake. Those with legitimate complaints can be incensed by your censoring, and remember, current and potential customers are also watching. If you delete their comments, it’ll look like you’re hiding something which isn’t good for your brand.

7. Pick your battles.

Some people make noise just for the sake of making noise. They’re attention-seekers, and they just want to stir up some controversy.

It’s important to decide what’s worth responding to. Does this person have a following? Are other people responding to what they’re saying? It’s essential to keep these people on your radar and monitor what they’re saying, but it might not always be worth engaging with them.

Here’s what each type means and tips on how to handle them.

1. Customer Complaints

These are the most common negative comments you’ll receive and the most important of the four. As the name indicates, these comments are from customers that have problems using your product or service.

How to respond to complaints:

You should respond swiftly to all customer complaints. Apologize for any inconvenience, verify the problem, and offer customers a solution.

2. Trolling

Trolls are the bane of social media, especially Facebook and Twitter. These people (or robots?) just want attention and cause problems for you. Their outrageous comments are oftentimes untrue and intend to get other people riled up. This, in turn, detracts from your social media posts and redirects attention onto themselves and their ridiculous comments. Unfortunately, they aren’t genuine customers with real complaints and are pretty annoying.

How to deal with trolls:

Engaging them might be your first reaction, but that’s exactly what they want. So, once trolling has been identified, ignore the comments altogether.

3. Malicious Comments

Comments that contain profanity and offensive language fall into this category. This goes a bit further than trolling – malicious comments are mean and insulting and may attack your brand or the character of your staff or leadership. The intent of malicious comments is to inflict emotional distress on your team.

How to deal with malicious comments:

Have clear rules of engagement and enforce these rules. For example, you can have a “no profanity” rule and enforce it by deleting any comments that contain them. Repeat offenders can be reported and blocked.

4. Threatening Comments

These comments harass or threaten your social media team, leadership, or staff. They may even target customers and other followers of your social media accounts. Threatening comments are typically violent in nature — physically, emotionally, or otherwise.

How to deal with threatening comments:

You may be tempted to respond to threatening comments by sharing your boundaries as a brand or even informing the commenter about the terms of use of the social media platform, but it’s best to refrain from engaging. Hide the comment if you can, then, screenshot the comment and report it to the social media platform, local authorities, and your legal team.

Snappy Responses Wins The Battle, But Kindness Wins The War

It may feel good in the moment to make a snarky comeback and put a troll or negative person in their place. But the majority of the time, it’s just not worth it to respond.

You can stay on top of negative comments on your social media pages by using the tips we’ve provided in this post. You can also create a social media crisis management plan to help you turn nasty comments into positive PR.

Editor’s note: This post was originally published in July 2011 and has been updated for comprehensiveness.

Imagine you spend hours working on a cool graphic for a social media post. You finally get it just right and post it on social media. The next day, you log on and see that someone else has posted your image without your authorization and is purporting your work as their own.

Creating a watermark would help protect you against this common issue and help you with your brand recognition. In this article, you’ll learn about the type of watermarks that exist and how to create your own.

Typically, a watermark has its opacity set to 50% or less. If it’s too bold and opaque, it can distract viewers from noticing other details in the content. However, if it’s too transparent, it will easily be ignored.

 

 

 

 

View this post on Instagram

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A post shared by Bill Barbosa (@billbarbosaphotography)

The opacity will depend on the type of image you have and its purpose. For instance, photographers and videographers will go for a higher lower opacity because every detail of their image matters. They’re also more likely to place the watermark at the bottom of the corner of an image.

For a brand sharing content marketing tips, the watermark will likely be very opaque and placed prominently on the asset for easy recognition.

Types of Watermarks

There are two types of watermarks: visible and digital. They’re used for different purposes by different users.

A visible watermark is what most people think of when we use the term. It refers to a visible stamp, usually a logo, phrase, or pattern, that has been superimposed on an image. Content creators use this type most frequently to prevent theft and help their brand recognition.

A digital watermark, on the other hand, isn’t visible to the naked eye. Instead, the watermark is embedded into the data of the image. While this can also be used by content creators, it’s used more often by banking institutions and news organizations to authenticate media and identify its source.

Why are watermarks important?

Online, particularly on social media, content creators and brands don’t have many reliable resources to protect them against theft. Someone can easily take a screenshot or screenshot work from another user and post it as their own.

While most social media sites do offer reporting tools, there is still a lot of work to be done to protect users online against copyright infringement. One of the few social channels where repercussions are seemingly swift is YouTube, where the use of music and videos is closely moderated.

Image Source

As a result, a watermark can help you protect your work. It’s not foolproof but it does offer a layer of security.

Brand Recognition

On social media, content can take off at any time.

If you’re lucky enough to go viral, it’s likely that other pages will repost your content. You want to make sure your content has something identifiable to lead users back to your page.

Reaching a larger audience is also a great opportunity to get your brand out there and build your brand recognition.

Watermark Examples

Adobe

To prevent the illegal download of its creative assets, Adobe adds watermarks to every image a user previews.

Notice that they use two types of watermarks: One located across the entire image in gray with the words “Adobe Stock” and another on the bottom left corner in black.

This allows users to easily preview the image without using it before purchase.

Buzz Media Agency

This media agency uses watermarks in an Instagram post to share their work without the risk of another user stealing it without proper attribution.

Image Source

You’ll notice that their watermark is their logo, which makes it easy for users to find them if the image is shared on the platform or anywhere else.

In addition, it’s noticeable without taking the attention away from the other elements in the image.

PR Girl Manifesto

This brand uses a more modern approach to watermarking, one that many companies leverage when posting engaging, shareable content on social media.

Image Source

In this case, there are a few things that are different from your average watermark:

• The opacity is at 100%, making it very visible. However, it’s balanced by small font size.
• It’s not a logo or pattern, it’s the page’s Instagram handle instead.

When marketing content on social media, watermarking this way is always a good idea. It keeps your brand at the center and makes it easy for users to find your profile.

How to Create a Watermark

There are many ways to create a watermark. As such, the method you use will depend on the tools you have available and the type of asset you want to watermark.

The most popular tools to create a watermark are:

• Canva
• Photoshop
• Microsoft Word

Because Canva is the most accessible option, let’s cover how to make a watermark with this tool.

1. Visit Canva.com and create an account.

2. Select a template type or create a custom template.

   

3. Create your watermark and select your desired opacity.

   

4. Once you’re done creating your watermark, click “Share” on the top right corner. Then, select “Download.”

   

5. Check “transparent background” and download your watermark.

   
   Note: This feature is only available on Canva Pro. To complete this step for free, download the image then visit removebg.com to upload your image and remove the background for free.

6. Use your watermark on videos, images, and other content.

There you have it! Creating a watermark is a preventative measure that can help you both protect your creative assets and help you build brand recognition.