Internet trolls are a tricky bunch. They can attack your company or business on social media, post nasty comments about you and your products, and they’ll even go so far as to create malicious websites designed to bring you down.
But there is hope! There are ways for dealing with internet trolls that will protect both you and your brand from their prying eyes.
This article discusses how to deal with internet trolls in the most effective way possible and why it’s essential that we all do our part in protecting ourselves against them.
Click here to discover even more ways as to how to deal with internet trolls, and get your online presence in tip-top shape.
Do Not Engage With Them
If you engage with an internet troll, then they have succeeded in their goal. The best way to deal with trolls is not to give any power or attention to their comments. If you reply, it will only encourage them and make the situation worse.
Avoid responding to the troll in any way. Even if you are tempted, just do not engage with them at all. If it is difficult for you not to reply, then simply don’t read their messages or look out for notifications from that particular person when they write something online.
Keep yourself insulated by refusing to rise to their bait and ignore them entirely so that hopefully, they will get bored of abusing others and leave other people alone as well. Trolls are just bullies who want to get a reaction from people.
If you give them the satisfaction of engaging with their comments, they will feel empowered and continue to push your buttons because it works for them.
Report The Comments To The Website Administrator
For websites that are not moderated, it is essential to report the comments to the administrator to remove offensive language or inappropriate content. You should also block trolls who make your online experience miserable for social media sites like Facebook and Twitter.
This will ensure trolls cannot engage with you on these platforms either by making more hateful comments. Moreover, if you feel that a troll’s statements are defamatory, you should consult an attorney to take the necessary legal action.
There has been an increase in the number of individuals who take legal action against internet bullies, so you should not be surprised if a troll faces jail time or fines for cyberbullying.
Block Their IP Address
Many trolls will use the same IP address when they attack your business. You can block them by using their IP address in your host file, an internal list that tells websites where to find servers and devices on a computer network.
If you’re unsure how to do this, it could be time for someone with more technical expertise to get involved. Fortunately, other options are available if you don’t have access to your server or know enough about computers.
To add to this, you can also try using a third-party app that stops trolls from reaching your site. This is done by filtering out any incoming traffic coming from users on the blocked list, which means you no longer have to worry about them getting through.
What Are Some Ways To Avoid Having Your Company Trolled?
You can start by monitoring what sort of things users are saying. If they start becoming inappropriate or using profanity, it’s easy for you to delete them before further damage occurs. If your company is large, you might have a dedicated social media manager to deal with trolling.
If not, you can always ask for assistance from an employee who is willing and able to handle the task. In some cases, a freelancer or virtual assistant might be the perfect person for this task.
However, you should always have one person responsible for ensuring that the trolls are being dealt with. The best course of action is to monitor your page for inappropriate comments or trolls.
You can then delete them immediately and, if necessary, ban the user from further commenting on future posts. These individuals can be challenging to deal with, but if they are given too much power or access, they cause even more problems.
Respectfully Debate Them
In some business forums, debating may be better than banning them as they can always come right back. In other situations, a ban may be more effective. A respectful debate can often work because it forces the trolls to show their true colors.
In many cases, direct contact is needed for this purpose, but some moderation should still ideally take place.
When fighting against Internet trolls who are trying to cause problems, one needs to remember that these people have a plan, and there’s usually little reason behind them acting out unless you give them a strong enough motive.
This would mean taking away any vulnerable target they might find too tempting if left unchecked. If someone has been trolling on your business blog lately, try asking yourself why they’re doing it before jumping straight in.
Conclusion
Now you know how to deal with internet trolls. Trolls can affect any company, but if your business is small, it’s essential to make sure that you are not allowing them too much power.
If they can’t be monitored or deleted by one individual, then maybe consider hiring an outside source like a freelancer or virtual assistant who will have the time and energy to do so.
