Should You Screen Negativity?

Preventing negativity is not necessarily the same thing as eliminating it.  We had a couple questions posed from our last article about screening out negativity.  While screening out negativity can be a viable option on your own channels, it needs to be handled objectively to ensure you aren’t disregarding valid concerns or criticism.

There are typically three ways to screen out negative content:

• Block/Report a Comment
• Hide content
• Remove a user

Your options for using these screening tools varies from channel to channel.  For instance a negative review can be hidden on some platforms but needs to be reported to a moderator for removal on others. Understand the process for screening negativity on any channel before embarking to do so.  Nothing will rile up an agitated user like a notification that they are trying to be silenced.

If you are considering options for screening out negative comments or reviews, re-imagine yourself as an online forum moderator.  Just because you don’t agree or appreciate a negative response, doesn’t mean it’s inappropriate.  You want to encourage users to interact on your platform so only egregious negativity should be considered for screening. If you truly do not see any credibility or relevancy to negative responses, then taking next steps to block, hide, or remove the offending person or content is warranted.

However, the more likely scenario is that you’ll find some catalyst that drove the negative response.  In this case, it’s better to respond earnestly and helpfully.  Nothing counteracts a negative comment online as succinctly as a firm or company responding publically to inquire about the problem and strive to resolve it. Make sure your focus is on resolving a problem, not proving a point.  Starting an online argument will only serve to tarnish your reputation more.

You also have the option of redirecting people to alternate points of view.  For example, if you only have a couple Facebook reviews that don’t have a high rating, include a link on your page to your more relevant and positive Google reviews.

Screening out negativity usually comes down to a judgement call.  If online negativity is disrespectful, insulting, or inaccurate then a digital marketer might chose to remove it but should first exhaust options for responding reasonably before removal.

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