Episode 5: You Mad Bro? Recognizing and Dealing With Trolls

Show Notes

  • What is a troll & What is NOT a troll
    • Someone who is not a raving fan is not a troll
    • A mad customer is not a troll
    • A family member of a mad customer isn’t necessarily a troll
  • Should You Ignore them?
    • Is this their modus operandi?
    • Can/Should you block or ban them?
    • If you ignore – you need to move their stuff down the page. Get to work!
  • If you DON’T ignore them
    • Screenshots are a thing – THINK before you engage publicly or privately
    • If you do engage, don’t argue, just state the facts
    • Let the tribe handle it
      • Make sure they’re HELPING, not being a troll to someone else
        • Being negative on your behalf is bad
      • It’s powerful if your community says “this doesn’t sound like them, give them a call – it’s worth a discussion”
  • Report ’em?
    • Trolls – yes
    • Abusive customers – yes
    • Disgruntled customers – no
  • Delete/Don’t delete their posts.
    • If it’s a true troll, I’d probably just let it sink to the bottom
    • If your brand advocates rise to your defense, leave it
    • If it’s REALLY inappropriate – IE nasty stuff on a pediatrician page, then delete it.
    • Utilize the report feature. Let the platform decide if it should come down.