How to Handle Negative Comments on Social Media

We’re going to dive in with a fun little disclaimer. Unfortunately, I can’t tell you exactly how to handle negative comments on social media. That’ll depend on the comments themselves and your brand. 

For example, if the negative comments are that your product doesn’t work, a cheeky snack brand might respond with, well…something cheeky. Meanwhile, a professional wellness brand will give a more traditional response. Something like: they appreciate the comments and will share them with their team. 

If the negative comments are that the supplement claims are all lies (even if they aren’t)…you definitely don’t want me telling you what to say. That’s when legal needs to chime in.

But as someone who’s managed small business social media accounts with 1,000 followers all the way up to corporate social media accounts with 130,000 followers, I’ve seen some things. So I can give you my firsthand experience of handling negative comments on social media.

What is a Negative Comment?

The definition is up to you and your team, but for me, negative comments are anything a customer says to voice their unhappiness with you through your comments, DMs, or their own stories and posts.  

Maybe the product didn’t work for them and they want a refund. Or perhaps they find it smells weird. They could even think you’re false advertising. 

While there’s a broad range of negative comments, there are best practices for how to handle it all. 

I’ll preface this list by saying that most small businesses won’t run into negative comments too often. I saw it the most when I managed the social media accounts for a large, corporate company with over 130,000 Instagram followers. And even then, it wasn’t too often and usually wasn’t terrible. 

Social media is an easy, accessible way for customers to share their feedback so part of being present on social media is customer care. And most customers are genuinely looking for support or to share their honest opinions. They’re not trying to single handedly destroy your business.

P.S – that corporate company and their customers are exactly why I’m so obsessed with customer experience and helping my clients create a genuine community on social media. Not just a group of followers.

When Should I Get Legal Involved?

The relationship between social media and legal teams gets a bad rap on TikTok, but I’m quick to ask for their help. 

When you’re promoting food and wellness products on social media (or anywhere), there are guidelines and regulations as to what you can and cannot say, how you phrase claims, and providing evidence to support your claims. 

If a customer calls into question your product’s claims, your business policies or ethics, it’s time to ask the lawyers.

The Do’s of Handling Negative Comments on Social Media

• Do check in often. 

Check your comments, DMs, and tagged posts at least once per day so you’re in the loop about how your community is interacting with your brand. You don’t want to let negative comments linger!

• Do respond.

This person is taking the time to share their comments. They might be doing it in a less-than-ideal way, but take them seriously and respond. 

• Do move the interaction to DMs or emails. 

Keep customer-care interactions out of the comment section where others can see. Tell the customer to DM or email you to speak further and make sure you follow up!

• Do be kind…obviously.

Even if your brand is sarcastic or cheeky, you can still be kind. 

• Do loop in other team members.

Whether it’s to get their opinion on how to respond or so they’re aware of the feedback, make sure to loop in necessary team members (or legal!). 

The Don’ts of Handling Negative Comments on Social Media

• Don’t block them.

This is a big faux-pas and something I never recommend. If a customer has repeatedly been incredibly rude, you can restrict them on Instagram, but as a business, I never recommend blocking someone. If it’s a spam account, block away!

• Don’t escalate.

Most often, a kind and polite response does the trick. Questioning their motives or experience, being sarcastic, or ignoring them are all ways to escalate the interaction (and not in a good way). 

• Don’t take it personally.

In my first few years as a social media strategist, I took negative comments way too seriously, even if it had nothing to do with me or my work. Although I did receive negative comments about my face when I filmed a reel for my client. (This is why I rarely show my face on client accounts). 

Anyways, don’t take it personally. Even if your product didn’t work for them, or they had a less-than-perfect experience, it’s one person in a sea of hundreds if not thousands who will discover your brand and become obsessed with what you sell. 

What is important is learning from the feedback. If there’s something you could’ve done differently, do that going forward. But there’s no reason to be hard on yourself, we’re all learning each and every day. If you absolutely dread community engagement, hire me to do it for you or check out my fill-in-the-blank scripts here.

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Wait, Who Am I?

Hiiii! 👋🏻 I’m Sarah, an online entrepreneur & marketer of over 10 years. I went from starting a clean beauty blog right out of high school to managing social media for Canada’s largest wellness retailer. Now I live in the middle of nowhere in North Carolina, helping high-growth entrepreneurs get SEEN so they can build a crazy fun life their business supports, and not the other way around.

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