Should brands delete or turn off comments on your social media accounts?
Is your brand inadvertently providing a platform for trolls, haters, and bots to broadcast their venomous opinions to the audience you've worked so diligently to cultivate? That's a question all brands must consider.
We inhabit an era where social media has become an inseparable component of our lives. This platform grants people the liberty to express themselves, share their perspectives, and build connections with others. Nevertheless, like everything else, it carries its own pitfalls.
Being a brand, it's not about attempting to censor or restrict people's opinions. Instead, it's about preserving a respectful and healthy space for all. If mismanaged, these negative comments can severely affect a brand's reputation and yield long-lasting impacts.
We're aware that the algorithm is driven by likes, comments, and re-shares, but it doesn't differentiate between negative and positive interactions.
By not actively monitoring your communities, which exist on profit-oriented platforms, you risk damaging your brand, alienating your customers, demoralizing your employees, and may be seen as complacent or naive, even with the best intentions.
As brands aim to foster more supportive and inclusive environments, failing to understand the repercussions of their posts and how they shape the narrative (after all, these social platforms are essentially marketing channels) can exacerbate the issue, making certain communities and groups feel threatened and targeted.
Take a recent post from The North Face, for instance. Consider a member of the LGBTQ+ communities or their allies reading comments on this post, witnessing The North Face allowing these comments to multiply, expand, and be disseminated among its five million followers.
Some social media managers opt not to delete derogatory comments for a variety of reasons. A recent justification we encountered was their intent to highlight the prevalence of positive comments over negative ones. Theoretically, this sounds promising, yet as humans, we are often more drawn to negative remarks over positive ones. People are often drawn to conflict and drama, much like how they would slow down to observe a car crash on the side of the road.
Who's behind these vile comments?
The truth is, we don't really know. It could be a misguided individual, someone who enjoys inciting conflict as part of 'hate networks', or even bot(s) designed to manipulate susceptible users. For instance, Harper's Bazaar reported that 70% of anti-Meghan Markle tweets originated from merely 20 troll accounts.
Trolls can instigate a range of negative emotions online, including anger, frustration, sadness, and anxiety. Their inflammatory or offensive comments can make individuals feel targeted or harassed. Furthermore, trolls may disseminate misinformation or engage in other disruptive behaviors, causing confusion and uncertainty, contributing to negative emotions.
Now layer this on with emerging tools in Ai where users will be able to fake almost everything…these tools are ripe to be exploited and used for nefarious purposes.
This is not unique to The North Face. Time and again, we witness such hateful rhetoric gaining momentum in numerous posts. It's high time we reevaluate our online community management and establish guidelines for comments and posts.
How trolls hijack your audience:
Permitting trolls to comment on social media can unintentionally amplify their disruptive messages. Trolls typically seek to provoke reactions and, if their comments gain significant attention, they achieve a larger platform to propagate their views. Regardless of whether the attention is negative, it can enhance their visibility and potentially reach a wider audience. Also, by creating hostility and chaos, visible troll comments can damage the overall community.
Moderation in these instances may include comment moderation, blocking or banning users who violate community guidelines, and providing resources to help users handle online harassment.
Given this context, let's explore some strategies your brand could adopt to ensure a safe, positive, and welcoming space for all.
Guidelines to Consider:
Key Strategies:
Utilize platform moderation tools designed to combat trolls, fake accounts, and dangerous comments, like Facebook Moderation Assistant>. This will help immediately moderate posts without ever having a human see the comment.
Develop and implement a comment moderation policy.
Consider turning comments OFF on posts that may provoke negative responses.
Talk through the pros and cons of this with your team.
Ask yourself, "If a person came into my physical store and behaved this way, would they be asked to leave?" If the answer is yes, consider banning them from your online space.
Generally, companies should consider removing offensive or inappropriate comments from their social media accounts. Such comments can negatively affect the company's reputation and create an unpleasant environment for other users. Additionally, social media platforms usually have community guidelines against specific types of content, and removing such comments aligns your brand with these standards.
Nevertheless, transparency and fairness are crucial when moderating social media accounts. This might involve leaving some negative or critical comments visible, provided they are not inappropriate or offensive. Companies should avoid deleting comments merely due to disagreement with the content or expressed sentiment. For example, if a customer has an issue with your product, this is a great opportunity to respond and help that person in a public way. This is a good way to show customer service and to humanize your brand.
In essence, companies should establish a clear moderation policy and consistently enforce it. This approach fosters a positive, respectful environment on their social media accounts and builds trust with customers and other stakeholders.
Understand how employees who are moderating are impacted:
Moderating social media accounts can be challenging, time-consuming, and emotionally taxing. Moderators might face an array of negative or offensive comments regularly.
Read an in depth blog on The Hidden Consequences of Moderating Social Media’s Dark Side from the Content Marketing Institute>
Stress: Moderating social media accounts can be stressful, particularly when dealing with negative or offensive comments. This can lead to burnout and other mental health issues.
Emotional exhaustion: Reading and responding to negative comments can take a toll on emotional well-being. Moderators may feel overwhelmed or drained after extensive engagement with negative comments.
Decreased job satisfaction: Without appropriate support, tools, and resources needed to effectively moderate social media accounts, moderators can experience decreased job satisfaction and potentially turnover.
Keep an eye on your employees who are managing your communities and be proactive with your conversations around these topics.
What impact do negative comments have on users?
Negative social media comments can have a profound impact on users who read them. This interaction, much like witnessing a heated public dispute, can evoke feelings of unease, discomfort, and even distress. Negativity in a digital environment can contribute to an overall hostile atmosphere, fostering a sense of insecurity and promoting divisiveness among users.
Furthermore, consistent exposure to adverse comments can influence a reader's mood, leading to increased anxiety, sadness, or feelings of anger. This is becoming more apparent as we see a correlation between social media usage and mental health problems, especially among teens.
These interactions can also affect a user's perception of a brand or topic, potentially damaging reputations or inciting unwarranted bias. It is, therefore, essential for brands and platforms to manage such comments effectively to preserve a positive and safe social media environment.
Takeaways
It's crucial for brands to understand the significant impact social media comments can have on their reputation, their audience's perception, and the overall online community health. While it's important to promote open dialogue and respect freedom of expression, brands also bear the responsibility of protecting their digital environments from the harmful effects of trolls, haters, and bots. This task requires thoughtful strategies, effective tools, and a consistent moderation policy.
Remember, your social media platforms are a reflection of your brand, and by fostering a positive, respectful, and inclusive space, you not only protect your audience but also enhance your brand's credibility and trustworthiness. Don't be a bystander in your own community - step up, take control, and provide a safe, engaging space for your audience.