Navigating the Wild World of Social Media Trolls
Social media is, without a doubt, one of the most powerful tools in modern culture. It has revolutionized the way we communicate as brands and as individuals and engage with each other. With great power comes great responsibility—and unfortunately, for every positive post, tweet, or pic that makes its way onto the web there is usually an equal and opposite negative comment or two waiting to be found. We’re talking about trolls. We’ve all seen them—those pesky little creatures that lurk in the shadows of social media platforms waiting to hijack a conversation or derail a trend with their malicious words and sometimes intimidating behavior. So how do you handle trolls? How do you navigate the wild world of social media trolls when you are in the business of social and digital media production and content delivery?
The first step is to know your enemy. Trolls come in many shapes and sizes. They may hide behind anonymous usernames, posing as real people, or they may masquerade as legitimate customers who have a bone to pick with your brand (or product). Some are harmless and just looking for attention, while others can be downright mean-spirited and potentially damaging to your or your brand’s online reputation. Once you know what you’re dealing with, it’s time to take action and manage it!
Suppose the troll is harmless or simply trying to get attention. In that case, you can ignore them or respond diplomatically by thanking them for their feedback (even if it’s negative) and asking if they need any help. However, suppose the troll is malicious or threatening. In that case, it’s best not to engage with them at all—instead, contact support staff on whichever platform they are using immediately so that they can take appropriate action.
Another way to combat trolls is by utilizing customer service strategies such as creating an official FAQ page on your personal or brand website, which answers common questions customers might have about your product/service before they even ask them (this works especially well on Twitter). You can also create a dedicated customer service email address for customers who have more complex queries that need answering—this allows customers who have genuine concerns about your brand/product to get help quickly without having their query buried beneath a mountain of angry tweets from trolls! Finally, make sure that customer service representatives or brand management staff are actively monitoring all social media platforms where conversations about your brand/product take place so that trolls don’t get too comfortable lurking around in the shadows!
Conquer the trolls of social media with an iron fist and top-notch customer service! Utilize helpful strategies such as creating FAQ pages & emailing customers to manage these pesky creatures while still providing genuine patrons with a stellar experience. To gain the upper hand in this virtual Wild West be sure to complement these tips with advanced training with The Beonair Network’s Digital Media Production Program– keep those infamous trolls from running rampant once and for all!
