How Companies Can Keep Trolls In Check!

How companies can keep trolls in check.

- Sonal Khetarpal

They are the Internet bullies. They spare no one. Hiding behind fictitious identities or absolute anonymity, trolls are infamous for spreading hate and negativity on social networks. Brands, especially, have to be cautious about posting or commenting, lest they fall into the troll trap. A seemingly innocuous post or tweet can be played up by trolls as being racist or misogynistic, setting a trail of hate messages on social media.

Turns out, there is no way companies can avoid getting trolled. They can, however, manage it deftly. The first step, according to Saurabh Mathur, Planning Director of VML India, a digital marketing agency, is to carefully differentiate between a genuinely anguished customer complaint and a troll, before drafting the reply. “Not all negative comments are trolls; some can be real concerns of consumers that have to be resolved.”

If it is a troll, companies have to decide if they want to take on the trolls playfully, or be conservative and not comment at all.