As an influencer you’re going to run into a hater at some point, and the bigger you get the more often it will happen and after a while those comments can really wear on you, so here are a few ways to deal with it so it doesn’t effect you in a negative way.
Use Filters
Social media platforms are fully aware of the bullying that takes place on their platforms every day, which is why so many of them are implementing filters, this is a space where you can type in the words commonly used against you and comments that use those words will not be shown, you can manually approve them if you want, but typically there is no need to even read those comments that end up in the filter; act like they aren’t even there.
Comment Moderator
A comment moderator is someone who is paid to go through all the comments if there is anything there that shouldn’t be, it’s deleted and you never see it.
Clap Back
This has to be done very delicately; if you clap back too hard your fans will find it really disappointing, so when responding to a hater focus on the current comment, don’t get personal, never call them names, or send your followers to attack their social media. This is an example of a balanced clap back:
“I see that you’re unhappy I’ve gained weight, thankfully for you, you don’t have to follow me, it would take less than a second out of your day to click unfollow, in fact, I’ll do you a favor and click block for you #ByeFelisha”
In the above response, you’re addressing the comment, and showing your followers that you will not tolerate bullying on your accounts, you’re also keeping it sassy without addressing the commenters appearance or mental state.
Not everyone will like you, but that’s OK.
Come to terms with the fact that you don’t like everyone you see on social media and not everyone will like you, it’s a matter of remembering that you know yourself and you’re a good person.
Most of the hate comments we see online have nothing to do with the person they’re being thrown at and has everything to do with the person writing them, and learning that their opinion of you should have no bearing on your life. This is a tough one to learn but for your own mental welling being you have to learn to disengage from other peoples opinions.
Online bullying is an epidemic right now; we feel so safe behind our screens that we say things we would never say in real life. When communicating with your followers, remember that you are setting an example for them, so keep yourself levelheaded when responding to hate.
Create an Alter Ego
I’m reading a book right now that I’m going to add to my fave list, it’s called The Alter Ego Effect by Todd Herman. I think everyone interacting online should read this book. Creating an alter ego is a peak-performance strategy used by a lot of elite athletes, performers, and business leaders. Probably the most famous is Sasha Fierce, Beyoncé’s alter ego.
Beyoncé says she crafted her stage persona to help her overcome challenges and give the best performances she can. “It’s kind of like doing a movie. When you put on the wig and put on the clothes, you walk different,” she says. “It’s no different from anyone else. I feel like we all kind of have that thing that takes over.”
Read more: https://www.oprah.com/oprahshow/beyonces-alter-ego/all#ixzz5ry3jLsWG
Creating an alter ego adds an extra layer of “insulation” between the vulnerable part of you and the haters.
The book gives detailed exercises for creating your alter ego, it’s well worth the time to protect your peace of mind.
If you have any tips for handling haters please leave in the comments as we could all use a little help in this department.
