Within your usual clutch of comments received on your blog, there will be some which are decidedly below par. Now's your chance to put in place your tactics to tackle bad comments.
This is much better than despairing at the low quality of interaction you have received. The majority of commenters will have no idea how to comment properly. But rather than throwing your hands up in despondency, some positive thinking is in order.
First determine what is a bad comment
The comment could be bad because of poor quality, usually comprising of single words or one liners which say very little indeed. The way to tackle bad comments like these is to either ignore or delete them. They are not worth publishing, and since they could be seen a spam, they could undermine the quality of your blog.
If the commenter's tone is being horrible, as if coming from a troll, again you have the opportunity to either ignore or delete it. It’s not worth reacting to a comment which is upsetting, makes you angry or is full of negativity and is out to undermine you. Life is too short and you’re far too busy anyway.
The last thing you want is to start conversing with a troll. They are much cleverer than you. As well as knowing all the trigger words to get at you, they have the ability to twist what they say to their advantage. You will have to be a thick skinned blogger to tackle bad comments such as these.
Or you could look between the lines
Sometimes a comment falls short because it is badly written. The commenter may not be a proficient writer, or may not be writing in their mother tongue. It is worth reading any comment carefully to work out what the incentive was. If it was kindly meant, or had an obvious purpose, then it deserves adequate focus.
Take a look between the lines. This will enable you understand what the commenter is trying to say. They could be helping by pointing out any mistakes or failings in your post. Or maybe they are unable to express themselves satisfactorily or in a polite manner? Take a positive view first before coming to a decision.
Because most inadequate comments contain very little content, there is usually not much for you to go on. Therefore you will need to substitute or add in what is missing, in order to make sense of the contribution. However, if you are unable to do this, then you can justify using your methods to tackle bad comments.
Take advantage of any arguments
If the comment creates an adverse reaction, and angers or upsets you, leave the comment for at least 24 hours before you answer (should it require one). This gives you time to calm down, see straight and compose a suitable answer in your head before you begin to write your reply.
If the comment is disagreeing politely with you, is well written and presents a good point, then take this in your stride. Convert this argument into a discussion. Defend your opinion with more evidence, and ask questions to encourage an answer. If they really know what they are arguing about, they will respond.
Publishing these kinds of comments, accompanied with your counteracting argument, makes your commenting section far more interesting to read. Attracting more readers this way increases the popularity of your blog, helps to gain further reach to new audiences, and is attractive to the search engines as well.
How do you tackle bad comments?
Do you get your fair share of unsuitable comments? And what tactics do you have to tackle bad comments? Are you a deleter in disgust, a hopeful scrutiniser for more evidence, or a happy defender of your point of view? Or do you have another method up your sleeve?
If you have any stories which have arisen from tackling bad comments, let us know in the comments below. Especially if you have any tips or tricks you can share. We would love to hear from you.
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