One of the most rewarding things about engaging in social media is the feedback. It’s satisfying to see people commenting on your blog posts, tweeting you back on Twitter or posting on your Facebook wall.

But how do you handle things when the most rewarding thing about social media turns negative? Mainly, what do you do when angry, argumentative or disrespectful people engage you online?

Here are some tips on how to deal with negative feedback that you might encounter:

·         First, it’s important to decide what kind of negative feedback you’re getting. Is it someone spamming nonsense or ads? Is it someone just looking to cause trouble? Or is it someone having a legitimate problem with your product or service?

·         Some negative posters are simply trying to stir up trouble. If you see a negative, unwarranted comment posted about your company or product from someone who doesn’t seem to have an actual basis or true problem, you can actually nip it in the bud by responding – in a polite and positive way. Many trouble-stirrers plan on you not reacting, so by responding in a professional way, you can deter other potential disrespectful posters from commenting.

·         If an error or typo is posted on one of your company’s social media sites, people might rush to point out the error – some in a nicer way than others. If there is a mistake, don’t simply fix it without commenting. Be sure to admit to the mistake and thank those who pointed it out.

·         The same goes for someone offering up constructive criticism, or a poster who seems to have a legitimate issue / trouble with your service or product offering.  It’s important to respond and thank them for their feedback and offer up the opportunity for additional communication offline.

·         The time it’s OK not to respond is when you’re dealing with “spammers” or “trolls.” Spammers are people who post spam material such as ad links or links to other products / websites in your comments section. Trolls are people who take things even further and may post inappropriate language or content in your feedback section.

·         The best thing to do in these scenarios is to either delete their comments (especially if the comments could be offensive to other readers) or to ignore them. Whichever you choose, make sure to keep it consistent and take the same action every time in order to avoid being accused of censoring comments.