How to Leverage Negative YouTube Comments to Increase Positive Brand Image?

So, you have received a negative YouTube comment under your video and you are scared this may cause trouble. Now what?
Thanks to the public nature of comments, many brands fret over negative reviews. Some even go out of their way to avoid receiving them. Some others indulge in a blame game with the customers and avoid correcting their errors.

We understand, negative comments can discourage new customers from associating with you, more so when it has managed to garner a lot of unwanted attention. But it’s not the end of the world. In this blog, we have rounded up some helpful comment marketing tips that can help you increase your brand’s positive image while dealing with negative remarks.

1. Keep Track of Your Online Reputation

If you want to turn negative remarks into positive publicity, you need to stay on top of your game. You must monitor your online reputation in real-time. Know when and on what post a YouTube commentator has left a negative comment. Consider setting Google Alert notifications when someone mentions your brand online. Monitoring tools such as Hootsuite allow you to check for negative reviews under multiple platforms and not just YouTube making it easier to track when a comment appears.

2. Express Empathy

It is natural to think some criticism coming your way is unfair. Sometimes it may even seem like a personal attack. But, try to not let your emotions get the best of you and see things from the other person’s point of view. Even if a YouTube subscriber of your channel has left aggressive feedback, it’s probably because something has upset them terribly. Acknowledging their pain and approaching them with empathy becomes the need of the hour to tackle such a sensitive situation.

3. Don’t Delete Your Negative Comments

When a disgruntled customer leaves a nasty comment under your post, the first instinct can be to delete it. No one will know and you’ve managed to wipe the slate clean, you think. But we suggest you don’t do that. Once you do, chances are that customer will notice it and may end up lashing their anger in worse ways on your other social media channels too. Or, they may tell their circle of friends about their horrible experience with your brand and further discourage more people from coming to you.

4. Know You Can’t Please Everyone

A slight negative of being a popular content creator on YouTube is different people have different expectations from you. Since you are constantly under the spotlight, it is bound to happen that someone will be unhappy no matter how smoothly you operate. Find solace in the fact that you can’t please everyone all the time. The likes, dislikes, and opinions on YouTube views are subjective. Learn to take everything with a pinch of salt.

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5. Focus on Your Goals

It is quite easy to lose your way amidst criticism and start questioning or second-guessing yourself. But, power through these challenges and don’t lose sight of your goals. What is your YouTube channel about? Whether it is promoting your accounting services or posting cooking recipes, it is important to focus on what you set out to achieve. One negative comment should not send you spiraling out of control and alter your ideals. Your real YouTube subscribers will stick with you through thick and thin when you continue to work on your principles and give them a good experience.

6. Reply on Time

Today’s millennial generation is quite tech-savvy. They expect a response to their complaint or feedback within a reasonable time if not real-time. It is important you don’t let a negative comment sit unaddressed for days before you respond to it. It sends out a message you are simply not bothered or it is not your priority to attend to your customers. Timing is crucial. The faster you reply to a critic, the more manageable the discussion becomes. It cools down the commentator once they know they have your attention and you are willing to listen to what they have to say.

7. Correct Your Mistakes

The worst way you can possibly respond to a complaint is by blaming it on the customer instead. It is important to not overreact, take a step back and find out what the core issue is. If there has been an error on your end, learn to take full responsibility for it. For example, your video equipment wasn’t set up right and it resulted in a glitch in the video recording. If a lot of your viewers are not happy with what you have made, it is time to address those pitfalls. By doing so, you give your potential customers a reason they should give you a fresh chance.

8. Turn Negative Feedback into Insightful Tutorials

It is possible that some negative feedback may stem from the customer’s fault. For example, they may not know how to use your software properly. When you are faced with such a situation, help the customers correct their mistakes by incorporating ‘how to’ YouTube videos. Record and post a series of tutorials that can enlighten your customers and avoid any misunderstandings from cropping up in the future. Another benefit of consistently posting videos on your YouTube channel is that the algorithm picks it up and rewards you with more views. It auto-suggests the next video to your viewers resulting in a growth of YouTube views, counts and your subscriber base.

9. Know How to Deal with Trolls

Trolls are the people who want to cause trouble simply because they can. Sadly, having an internet connection and a mobile in your hand is all it takes today to spew venom online. Interacting with them can give them more fuel and encourage the notorious behavior even further. So, what can be done? If you know their only intention is to bog you down, take the high road and simply choose to ignore them. Once in a while you may use a typically flawed comment to put your point across with facts so your audience can see the true picture.

10. Propose a Fair Solution Publicly

Since the complaint or negative feedback was made on a public forum, it is only wise to respond to it publicly. When you propose a solution that the audience can see, it creates a positive image for your brand that you play a fair game. They will be able to see both sides of the story and not get discouraged to associate with your brand.

11. Get Fake Reviews Deleted

It can happen that your competitors may stoop low and post fake reviews on your channel through anonymous accounts. When you know they are inaccurate, false or written with an intention to defame you, consider taking them down. You can get more information on YouTube’s terms and conditions to report a review and keep your account positive.

12. Ask Customers to Update their Reviews

If you have been successful in resolving a complaint from a customer to their satisfaction, request them to update their reviews. Or, you can ask them to comment on the original thread of how you handled the whole issue professionally and were able to offer the right solution. This makes you stand out in the eyes of your customers when they can see your brand knows how to value them.

13. Be Respectful

Whether you handle negative feedback yourself or have a team who does that for you, it is pivotal to stay respectful to your viewers. Do not be afraid to apologize if the customer has had a negative experience. Do not add to the problem by being dismissive or rude. Even if the other person takes on an arrogant tone, stay polite, understanding and neutral to avoid the situation from escalating even further.

14. Find the Silver Lining

If not for the negative review, you would never know of your areas to improve. A world without healthy criticism would lack any customer interaction and make it difficult for the brands to understand the customer accurately. It may seem counterintuitive to be thankful for a negative comment. But, think of it as a golden chance to make things right. It is a positive sign allowing you to patiently work towards taking your brand to the next level.

Closing Thoughts

As you can see, negative feedback does not have to be a disaster for your brand. With the right technique, you can leverage the negative comments to your advantage by turning them into positive publicity. Remember, if you are respectful towards your customers and resolve their grievances in time, there is no negative comment that can ruin your business reputation. It all boils down to how valued you make them feel and how soon you can respond to them. At the same time, use the negative reviews to spot the flaws in your business. Work on them so you have a chance to win back your disgruntled viewers/customers.