Before an online attack happens, a brand should already have a prevention and action plan in place to get through the crisis.
Their goal is to plant comments that negatively impact brand reputation, causing distress and bothering other users. That's what trolls are: anonymous users who roam social media for visibility, aiming to somehow rattle the person or company they're targeting.From those who post nonsense, to those who only post ads for other brands, to the most feared ones, who attack directly and generate a wave of negative comments that can spiral into an online crisis. A troll is easy to spot by their spelling mistakes, excessive use of foul language, disrespect toward other users, and mainly by making no sense when expressing themselves.
No brand is safe from an attack of this kind — in this post we share some tips to face down these terrible intruders.
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Reach out internally to whoever posted the message.
When a supposed complaint or comment about a bad experience with the brand shows up, it's necessary to reach out internally to the user to learn the details of their complaint. This first step will help rule out whether the accusation is true, or simply a negative intention from the author. -
Don't argue openly with the troll.
What the troll wants is to destabilize the brand and whoever runs its social media. An angry response without a well-planned strategy will let the attacker succeed in their goal. -
Protect the brand's identity.
Keep in mind that brand identity and reputation are among the company's most valuable assets. A poorly handled action can stir up the mood of the users following the troll's actions and hurt how the brand is perceived. -
Constantly review user comments.
Analyzing whether whoever posted the comment is an unhappy customer or a troll is essential to an online communication strategy. That's why constant monitoring of user comments will help determine which actions to take in either case. -
Counter each accusation with data to avoid damaging the brand's reputation.
There's no better response than one grounded in results or tangible facts. Look for information or data that disproves any false accusation the troll has made about your brand. -
Never delete comments.
Any act of censorship is questionable, and if the brand is positioning itself positively, this could hurt its reputation. Keep in mind that if we have a solid community identity, users will defend the brand on their own. It's advisable to remove comments that are highly offensive or contain foul language.