If you have been advertising on Facebook, you have likely noticed this wave of outright rotten (and seriously dumb) comments on your ads in the past 24 months.

I often wonder “Why?” because prior to 2020 we would very rarely see a nasty comment on an ad or even a post… I mean, we are a 16+-year-old business who sells authentic liquidation designer clothing, so there’s not really a ton of bad things you can say…. Or so you would think….

But, oddly, people find rotten things to say on the reg now. Checking ad comments has become the worst part of my day, because who wants to be sh*t all over for no reason?

With that being said, I began wondering if I should delete the comments. Let me mention; I am not a fan of deleting anything, ever. I like transparency. But it’s super disheartening when you see 15 new comments and 10 of them are douchebaggery.

Then I came across an interesting fact: studies show that ads with comments, whether positive or negative, get more click-throughs than ads without any comments. Ok, so a bunch of nasty comments can actually gain more business for your company than an ad with 0 comments. Hmmmmm…. Interesting.

Additionally, Dan Bongino taught me that when you are debating someone (whether it be in-person, or via the internet), your goal should always be to win-over the silent 3rd person who is listening, watching or reading. The person reading the comments, and your replies, will never say anything. Instead they will take action; that might be clicking through to go to your site or running away because you “got owned” by the hater. Regardless, always debate with the fly on the wall in mind.

After considering all of this, I started simply responding to the haters. Often I would have to read comments and NOT reply right away, because the worst thing you can do is act on impulse and make a fool of yourself. So, instead, I would “sleep on it” and reply the following day, once the anger has subsided.

Let’s look at some ways to respond:

The basic stupid, yet mean, comment: (the person lives in mama's basement)

“Your products and prices suck d*ck!”

Response: You can use this as an opportunity to ADVERTISE! Yes, seriously! “Hello! Our average price is 90% off retail and don’t forget, shipping is FREE inside the USA plus we offer awesome coupons! Thanks for the comment! Have a wonderful day! http://BigBrandWholesale.com”

The mid-level mean: (the person hates rainbows and also lives in moms basement)

"Your ads look like they were made by a 4-year old. I hope you go out of business, you piece of sh*t!"

Response: Because this person is clearly an a**hole, my suggestion is to smash them in the face with humor then advertise. Like this:

“Wow! This ad was actually made by a 2 year old! I always knew he was talented for his age! Thanks for the compliment!

We have been in business for over 15 years and proudly ship our amazing merchandise all over the world. Thanks for the comment and have a great day….or at least a glass of wine!”

The Total Meanie, for no reason at all.  (the person clearly kicks dogs, hates rainbows and butterflies and only leaves 1-star reviews... while wearing a Snuggie and living in moms basement)

"You’re a fat ugly b*tch! I hope CPS takes your kids away!"

RESPONSE: At this point, there really isn’t a way to debate this moron. The comment is so dumb and evil that they have made themselves look like a jerk. Your options are pretty much limited to humor (because humor always gets Likes!). You can check out our blog post 28 Ways to Reply to Online Haters (trust me, it’s a fun read!) or you can hit them with something like:

“Sounds like you’ve had a tough day! I made a coupon code just for you! Take 10% off your entire purchase with code FATCPSKIDS. Have a wonderful Tuesday!!” - then, actually make this code on your site and watch for redemptions!!!!

ALWAYS, ALWAYS REPLY…. NO MATTER HOW STUPID IT IS

The worst thing you can do is not reply.

The 3 reasons no response is bad:

1. It gives the impression that nobody is monitoring your Facebook account. A potential customer could assume that if you don’t reply to comments you won’t reply to them when they need help
2. Unintentionally, it can look like you agree. If the comment is “Worst prices IN HISTORY! Even Christopher Columbus bought shirts for less! Price Gouging!”, and you don’t reply, it can artificially make it look like you have nothing to say. The onlooker doesn’t realize that you simply don’t feel like dealing with the stupidity.
3. Again, unintentionally, it looks like you got owned. If you can’t think of anything at all to reply to such an idiotic comment, just respond with “Thanks for taking the time to check out our ad! (Then mention something positive about your company, then advertise) http://BigBrandWholesale.com”

NEVER, EVER LET THEM GET THE BEST OF YOU

As absolutely miserable as strangers can be, don’t ever let them know they got under your skin. Instead, respond to the comment with your business in mind, then bitch about the terrible comment privately to your friends all night long. Keep your frustrations private - like the saying goes, “Don’t feed the Trolls!” 

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