HOW TO HANDLE HATE COMMENTS & ATTACK (BLOGGING FOR SUCCESS PART 6)

When I decided to write this post, it reminded me of back in the day when people would tease me about my height, my weight, my legs, my hair and everything really. In their opinion, I was too tall for a girl, too skinny for a girl, my legs are too skinny and my hair wasn’t thick(full) enough.  Fast forward to now, everyone wants to be thin, everyone wants to be tall, everyone wants to have long legs and everyone wants manageable afro 🙂 My advice to you is to LOVE YOURSELF and BE YOURSELF. You are unique and gifted in your own way.

That is not the post for today, that was by the way. Today, I will share with you WHY thick skin is a must for you as a Blogger / Content Creator.

There is something called constructive criticism. This simply means when someone criticises your work meaningfully for correction. It can be something like this: “Moji, I like this blog but in my humble opinion, it is too long, maybe make it a 2 part in the future. I enjoy reading it. Thank you for sharing.” 

There is something called outright attack. It could be something like this: “I fell pity for you for not wanting to be a nurse. It is one of the most rewarding careers in the world. I feel pity for you”.

There are two scenarios there: 

The first one:  They Read, Benefited from Post and Gave Feedback. I could respond like this: “thank you so much for reading and for pointing out that the post was too long. I will make sure it is not too long next time but I am glad you found it helpful. My message here showed empathy and carries the tone of respect just like that of the writer of the comment.

The second one: It was a message someone left me on Facebook following this ARTICLE. 

My Response was this: Have you read the blog? You can click on the link to read the post, there is an unquantifiable message in it.

They came back to say: they have not read the blog. They did not read the blog but they criticised it. This is an attack!

You can see in the second scenario that the comment was offensive. Although offensive, I didn’t fight. I was clam about it and I got to know the real reason WHY they left the comment. If this person had read the blog, they would have got the message.

They later came back to say, “now I have read the blog but I think it should be reworded”. At this point, I did not respond again. I IGNORED this person because I do not have time to waste.

Here’s WHY I didn’t Respond:

1, The blog carries a powerful motivational / inspirational message that would transform the life of anyone who reads it.

2, The blog puts me in a vulnerable place because I shared my life, experience to help others. 

3, The blog delivered the message I intended for it to because a lot of you came back with positivity. This inspired me very much so thank you. 

Here are some of the positive comments I got:

1, “Thanks Moji for this you nailed it on the head, it is never too late to discover purpose. Ps. I’m a Nurse lol….Ife Oluwa. (Via the blog). 

2, “It is never too late to start walking in line with your purpose. I took a huge step 2 years ago to pursue my dreams. I am glad I didnt let my age discourage me. Bless you for this Mojisola”….Bola Awe. (Via the blog).  

3, “I found this to be an interesting article. I liked the fact that you are honest and can bodly say that you were not called to be a nurse neither are you against those who are. I must say that people do seem to think that if you are not in the caring industry or run a charity you are not providing a worthwhile role/service to others which I sometimes find very strange. We are all called to do different things in life as we all can’t do the same thing. Without being stereotypical I have seen people undertaking certain roles just because they feel it gives them money at the end of the month and yet they are not really passionate about it and it’s definitely not their calling. May God give us the grace to walk according to the purpose He has for our life’s”…..Veronica (Via Facebook). 

You can see the original post HERE to read more comments. 

As you can see from the little illustration above, people have different opinion and understanding. A lot of people judge you even before they read your blog or contents. This is normal so expect it as a Blogger. You have your point view and they have theirs. Your work is your work and their opinion is theirs. You get it?

As a Blogger, you will experience attack or criticism and much more but there is a way around this. By the way, the person who left me this comment is someone I know. They have never read or supported my work and neither have I ever seen any comments from them. The other 3 comments are from people I have never seen but only know through social media. Does that mean strangers support your work more than people who know you? This is a question for another day…..

How to Handle Criticism As a Content Creator / Blogger

1, It is a good custom to respond to messages on your social media channels and blogs. It is the best way to build an audience and connect with more people. Like I always say, if they can make the time to write it, you can make the time to respond to them.

2, Good comments: let them inspire you to do greater things.

3, Bad comments:

Is the comment a constructive criticism? Take it / them on board. Own and correct your errors and apologise. Don’t take it to heart.

Is the comment an attack?

Here’s what to do: Calm down. Read it. Digest it. Respond subtle by using the approach I used above which was to ask the person if they read the blog? They came back and said NO. At this point when they said they didn’t read the blog, I have formed my opinion of them because they did not read. Their next comment, I ignored because it is a waste of time to reply to such comments. Unfortunately, I do not have time to waste.

Listen, there is no need to fight with haters or reply to hate comments. It is not worth it. It is a waste of your time and it may actually discourage you from writing. 

As a Writer / Blogger, you are in the public eye. People are watching. In fact, brands / clients who may want to work with you may also be watching. You do not want to be caught up in bad PR (public relations) so be careful and ignore.

One of the worst things you can do as a Content creator / Blogger is to sound like someone else. Once you find your writing style and voice, stick with it. The people who get it will read it and the people who don’t get it (most of them don’t read) will not get it. And guess what? The more you write, the more you find your writing style and voice. 

Oprah Winfrey says: ” if you are not ready to be talked about then you are not ready for success”. My dear friend Stella from Fashion & Style Police always say and I quote; “if your work is not being criticised then you are not growing yet” .

So as a Blogger, be ready for it but don’t take it to heart and please don’t stop writing in your voice and style. Nobody tells you or has the right to tell you to reword your text or blog. That is BS. Wondering what BS means? Oh, it’s Bull Shit! Sorry I couldn’t find any nicer word for BS. Borrow me one below if you know one please 🙂

In case you are going to let anyone bully you to stop writing, here are some names to inspire you to keep writing:

Linda Ikeji is a No Nonsense-Blogger-Social Entrepreneur, Luvvie Ajayi is a No-Nonsense-NY Times Best Selling Author-Blogger-Social Entreprenuer, Claire Sulmers is a No Nonsense-Harvard-Graduate-Blogger-Social Enterprenuer and my friend Okechukwu Ofilli is a No Nonsense-No-BS-Best Selling-Writer. They are all successful in their own way and all started out blogging what they are truly passionate about. So I say to you again, ignore the BS, it is a waste of your time.

Keep Blogging. Keep Writing and Keep Thriving.  Check HERE for WHY You Should Get Paid as a Blogger. 

Want more out of life? Propel your life forward, find, live and fulfill your purpose and maximise the potential of your gifts? My Self Help Amazon Bestselling book, “Use What You Have” would help you do so. Get yours HERE (US) & HERE (UK)

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