Many people far more qualified than I have been reporting on the spread of mis and disinformation on social media. What I have been concerned with lately, and can safely contribute my two cents towards, is helping to equip nonprofits with the knowledge and confidence to navigate the choppy terrain of discourse on social media.
Some context: I work for and with nonprofit organisations, particularly in the context of campaigning, policy and advocacy. I am also, by and large, an optimist when it comes to tech, social media and AI. Yes, regulation, parameters, caution and a hefty dose of common sense are needed when employing them. No, I do not think they are inherently evil.
So, with that lens established, I’d like to share some very practical insights to help folks, especially those in the campaigning or advocacy space, navigate negative comments online. These fed into a recent training I gave to staff at the very cool and impactful Spanish nonprofit, Ecologistas en Acción.
Troll or not?
If you suspect the account leaving negative comments is a troll, do not engage.
Whether a bot, genuine human or hybrid, acting alone or as part of a more orchestrated movement, there are only two possible motives – to multiply the number of eyeballs on their content, and/or to experience the thrill of making you miserable. Block, silence or report these accounts through the platform’s safety features, but do not give them any more traction by replying to them in situ.
The ever-reliable WikiHow outlines some of the ways trolls reveal themselves, and I highly recommend the Center for Countering Digital Hate’s Don’t Feed the Trolls report to find out more about this issue.
Confront a genuine critique or piece of feedback
The advice above should not give you carte blanche to ignore all negative comments. Although these comments can be harsh, their purpose is often to share opinions or seek improvements. Responding to these comments with politeness, professionalism, empathy and facts can help defuse situations.
That being said, do not hesitate to move critiques on complex issues or from known accounts to a more private channel (DM, email or even a phone call) – this is social media, not a court of law. Acknowledge the concern, let them know how to connect and then you can take it from there.
Have a clear protocol on how to address social media comments
To create open and engaging forums – without allowing conversations to slip into abuse, hate speech or otherwise get out of hand – it is crucial to have clear guidelines and procedures at an organisational level for managing social media communities and comments.
These guidelines can be part of an existing social media policy or a separate document. Either way, they absolutely should cover:
- Your chain of command – from the platform manager/moderator to your executive management, make sure it’s clear when and to whom comments should be escalated
- Clearly define what is meant by positive, neutral, negative and hateful comments in the eyes of your organisation, and agree on how you will manage them.
- In line with the above, define what the organisation’s course of action is when staff accounts, rather than organisational accounts, are targeted.
- Provide links to existing policies, press releases or feedback on more sensitive/complex issues, and agree internally how to deal with these cases specifically.
- Consider posting a public set of “community guidelines” on your website, so that your followers know what will and will not tolerated on your platforms.
Don’t forget to reply to positive comments
That’s right! For every rubbish comment, there’s no doubt several decent or downright positive ones. Take the win, thank the commenter, and build positive engagement as well as addressing concerns and icing out trolls.
