Ever wonder how those American Idol contestants can stand up there and take harsh criticism from the judges so easily? Do they run home and cry themselves to sleep when no one is watching?
No person likes criticism, especially when it involves personal work. But, it’s unavoidable for bloggers who put their lives on the line every time they share their thoughts and views with their audience.
Here are some tips on how to manage your blog comments so you don’t lose sleep over them:
It’s Not You, It’s Them – In every blog audience, there is one class clown who never got his needs met as a child. This commenter will tear down anyone and anything, and by maligning others he will feel better about himself. Criticism from angry people is usually about them and has NOTHING to do with you.
Although you may want to fire back with a nasty comment, hold your anger. You invite more criticism by fighting back. Keep the comments focused on the post and away from people. An angry commenter wants more engagement, so by taking the focus off of him, you keep control and cut off the negative energy at its knees.
Don’t Take It Personal – Of course, this is easier said than done. But, most blog comments come from people who have never spoken to you personally. They do not know who you are. They are only criticizing your thoughts, not you personally.
It may sting for a while, but once you realize that your ideas will not be accepted by everyone, you can rest easy. If the criticism is true and constructive and it hits a cord with you, allow it to make you better. This type of criticism is valuable to you. You are not perfect along with the rest of the world and there is always room for improvement in anything you do online. If people offer constructive criticism, thank them for their ideas and tell them you value their input.
Bad Press is Good Press – William Hung was not exactly the next American Idol material, but he STILL became famous. When your content receives criticism, it usually means it was worthy of a comment and is most likely shareable. And most of the time, a criticizing comment opens the door for more people to get involved in the conversation. People LOVE a good controversy!
You Need Unbiased Opinions – If only your family sees your blog posts, you will never receive criticism, but you will also never know where you can change and grow. When people audition for American Idol, you wonder if they even listen to their singing voice before they try out. They can’t even keep a tune! You soon realize it was the contestant’s families who told Tommy that his voice was good enough for the big time, even though it was horrible.
Our family and friends are bias and are often afraid to criticize us. You must get out into the real world and face the criticism of people you have never met. It will only make you stronger.
Praise is wonderful and feels great, but criticism can be just as empowering. Praise isn’t always genuine, especially if it is in the form of comment spam or people who are kissing up. Criticism shows that people are reading your post and taking it in and they think enough of it to comment.
If you want to spread valuable content, you will ruffle people’s feathers and face contradictions. Consider this par for the course and realize that criticism isn’t necessarily negative; it simply means you are on your way up.
Jenna Scaglione is a content writer, internet marketer, and a lover of family, friends and life. Jenna enjoys learning, growing and discovering the newest and latest trends on the internet. Known as "Lady Content", she lives in sunny Socal where she helps her clients around the world increase brand awareness on the internet through content writing and social media.
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