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Fighters, hecklers and haters

What to do when social media gets ugly.

Submitted 4/21/2010 By actnow Views 774 Comments 0 Updated 4/21/2010



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If you’re using social media well, then you’re fans, followers and friends will be interacting with you. But what happens when you encounter an online meanie – someone who’s saying not-so-nice things, laying into other members of your group or just trying to start something. Just because you have lots of interaction on your Facebook, blog or twitter doesn’t guarantee that everyone will follow the rules and get along. If this happens, you’ll want to know how to handle it. Here’s our how-to guide on dealing with anger, hate and down-right pessimism on your social media sites.

Fighters, hecklers and haters
We’re not talking about complaints or a civilized difference of opinion. Debate over controversial issues is always welcome. Just like in the offline world, fighters and hecklers are there to make trouble. It won’t matter how many polite and logical counterarguments you throw their way, or how many times you ask them to tone down the language, more often than not you’ll find these people are just there for a fight.

When it comes to fighters and hecklers, you have three main choices:

  1. Keep it polite, and ask others to do the same. Issue a reminder about your ‘house rules’ or ‘community guidelines’ (these can be posted on your website, blog, or as a ‘note’ on Facebook).
  2. Give them the chance to say something constructive. If they don’t like your campaign, ask them for suggestions or what they think needs to be done around your issue.
  3. If all else fails, ignore them. Don’t engage them and they’ll probably truck off to somewhere they’ll get more of a fight.



Above all, avoid the temptation to retaliate. Focus on encouraging positive interaction amongst the rest of your community.

Anything offensive, racist or hateful has to go. Delete these comments ASAP and issue a firm warning to the offender. Refer them to your ‘house rules’. Make it clear that if they continue to post hateful comments further action will be taken – like banning them from your online spaces or reporting them to the social media site.

Who needs ‘em?
Remember, social media communities are about connecting and interacting with people of similar beliefs and values as your organisation. It’s not about evangelising your enemies. Your social media networks are there to foster constructive communication amongst your members and build better relationships. Getting online moderators on board can be a great way to foster this positivity and help manage the baddies.

If certain posts or posters are generating a lot of hostility and negativity in your community, consider they’re probably not worth keeping around. When considering blocking someone, here are a few points to consider: -

  • Tone: Are they really out of line or could they be reasoned with?
  • Damage: Are they having a serious negative influence on your community’s atmosphere and your organisations image? Or are they stimulating debate?
  • Frequency: Is this a one-off argument or a serial offender?



If you’ve warned a user about their comments or have established a policy around removing serial offenders, make sure you follow through. Just like disabling comments, you should be able to easily block users as an administrator of your webpage, blog, Facebook or YouTube account.

What’s that you say?
If your followers are as dedicated to your cause as you are, you’ll probably find you’re not the only one outraged. Listen to them. Keeping a close eye on member responses to the offender will help you gauge what the most appropriate action is to take. We’re all passionate about our cause, so sometimes it can be hard not to overreact or lash out at negative attacks. If you’re the only one who seems to be taking notice of a particular comment, maybe you’re taking the attack a little too personally. Start off with a polite warning or reminder of the house rules.

When members report bad behaviour or request action be taken against another user, take it seriously. Your members have joined your group for the same reasons you set it up – to interact with like minded individuals. Ongoing negativity and group-bashing can ruin the experience for the members that are actually interested in your group. Whatever action you decide to take, make sure you stay transparent. Give reasons for your decision to both the offender and the rest of the community.

Turn that frown upside down
An important reminder: it’s not all doom and gloom in the social media world. If you’re receiving the occasional negative post, try and keep it in perspective to the amount of support and encouragement you’re getting too. Running the risks of a few rogue posters on your website, blog or Facebook page is far outweighed by the positive community engagement you may be able to generate. In some cases, a negative commenter might even spur some of your users into action, making them more determined to advocate for your cause!



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This work is licenced under an Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs licence.
© 2008. First published on actnow.com.au

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