Social networks: how to deal with trolls on the Internet?

Troll (Wikipedia definition): In Internet slang, a troll characterizes something that aims to generate controversy. This can be a message (for example on a forum), a conflictual debate as a whole or the person who started it. Therefore, “trolling” means artificially creating a controversy that focuses attention to the detriment of exchanges and the usual balance of the community.

Here’s how it is! Man has always judged. Everything and everyone. And the arrival of the Internet AND social networks It didn’t help matters. Already leaning against the bar on the street corner, venting his rugged verve in front of an enthusiastic but small audience, the Troll now he has taken refuge behind the keyboard, benefiting from a larger audience and relative anonymity. Perfectly acclimated to this new environment, it now abounds with social networks, forums and blog comments.

We may try to escape him, but sooner or later his sharp claws (which hardly prevent him from typing on the keyboard) will grab you. Your work will then be destroyed by his verbose exchanges. Be careful, however, any criticism is not necessarily in vain and does not necessarily aim to discourage you. Some interviews allowed me to open my eyes to aspects of my work that deserved to be improved. This is what distinguishes the Troll from other Internet users: he has no desire to encourage you or see you improve and succeed, the only goal is to destroy and hurt.

This is the price of a public display of your work, some form of recognition of your visibility, be content with that, but how do you manage this indomitable individual within your communities?

Know how to recognize it

First of all, you need the acuity necessary to identify the animal. Don’t take all negative comments as an attempt to cause harm. We’re not going to lie, we all want praise and encouragement, however some negative messages have been just as helpful to me.

Don’t be afraid of criticism. The feedback from your customers, your readers is a significant resource for the improvement of your services. Read them, analyze the redundancy of these criticisms and question yourself. It is an opportunity to seize to retain your customers and make them loyal rather than hearing what does not fully satisfy them.

What characterizes the Troll is bad faith, obstinacy despite the search for solutions by his interlocutor, lack of listening and lying. Make a difference.

Troll is best enjoyed cold

Never respond directly to a negative comment if you don’t feel capable of handling it calmly. You could play his game and make the situation worse. Take time for reflection and serenity. So try to defuse the situation and calm things down. You could thus reverse a negative experience for one of your customers and win them back.

In the case of the Troll he does not allow himself to be reasoned with, this is his peculiarity. Try one approach and then…

Don’t feed the Troll

Popular expression among Internet users, «Don’t feed the Troll» simply means «Don’t feed the troll.»

Don’t give him any fodder, don’t get into the endless debate he’s trying to drag you into and is desperately waiting for. You would only stir up unnecessary controversy. Sometimes your community will take care of it without you having to do much.

I like to debate, I like to compare ideas because it shakes us in our «status quo», broadens our vision and pushes us to think differently. But when the debate makes no sense, when it is not supported by arguments, when it goes in circles, it is better to tiptoe away and let the Troll exhaust itself. Without an answer, he will end up looking for a new playground.

Remember the best

Have you noticed, in fact, that we more easily remember people who hurt us or try to get us dirty? Should you really waste your time following these people who predict your doom, who work to destroy you, and who troll your best work? Do you think taking the time to respond and fight will gain you anything?

On the contrary, you should not spend more time with those who encourage you, support you and help you achieve your goals? It will be a much more productive, enjoyable and favorable time for good things to happen to you!

In moderation… or not?

This is debated. Should we delete negative comments and ban trolls or not? I will recommend this to you: Don’t delete negative commentsstick with them and respond intelligently. Deleting negative comments sends the wrong signal to your community that you have things to hide. Accept criticism.

Don’t ban or block a dissatisfied customer. Let him express his dissatisfaction and try to resolve his concerns by contacting the concerned department. When you reply to this type of message, Don’t turn a deaf ear so follow the file and don’t hesitate to get news for you. Above all, be real! Never lie on social mediaWorse yet, never try to pass yourself off as a satisfied customer. I’ve seen it done too many times to even out a slew of negative comments.

Manage repeat customers

If you never have to silence a disgruntled customer, you can make yourself happy with a Troll instead. If he comes back too often and persists, ban him. I have encountered this type of situation with far-right exponents before and have not discussed it at length. After three or four tweets, I quickly blocked them no matter what they said next.

Ban trolls as soon as you identify them as such.

A touch of humor

Because laughing is always good, humor, used well, can be the best weapon. I remember an exchange that made me smile a few years ago. The community manager of the UCPA (National Union of Outdoor Sports Centres) then gave a very convincing demonstration of the use of humor in a tense situation. One tweeter (@Demoncratix) had called out the association in a tweet mentioning that it had » I have shivers down my spine having seen the children leaving on the bus accompanied by a North African with a 20cm beard« .

The Community Manager could have reacted in a thousand ways, trying to put this sad father in his place, denouncing the racist nature of the tweet, etc. He settled for a humorous response in the form of an animated Gif showing two bearded men kissing, with the following reply “And you haven’t seen anything yet.”

And you haven’t seen anything yet @DEMOCRATIX pic.twitter.com/p0EjCVF13P

— UCPA (@UCPA_Vacances) July 16, 2015

The humorous response hits home and leads to a wave of favorites and retweets. Driven by this momentum, the Community Manager launches a hashtag #Mabarbeenvacances. The reactions will follow, the vast majority of which are positive, from the internet users who will give their contribution to the creation. The deflection of the racist remark into a moment of humor and sharing with his community is an exemplary success. It not only gently awakens the Internet user in question, but also unites its fans and reignites their interest in the brand. Shortly before deleting his Twitter account, @Democratix will publish a final tweet in which he threatens to forward the answers to the supervisory authorities, complaining about the ridicule against him. Again, UCPA’s response is short but effective