Sometimes it seems like social media is angrier than it has ever been. Netizens on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram are eager to jump on the drama-train and eviscerate anyone at anytime, often for the most innocuous of deeds.

In today’s world, it can often seem like these tweet-storms are unavoidable – and that may be true – but if you find yourself on the receiving end of the Internet’s scorn, you can reduce the damage it does by following these five simple rules.

Rule #1: Don’t feed the trolls.

This line has been a motto of the Internet as far back as 1980s bulletin board systems. The idea behind it is simple: people who make drama online enjoy the feeling that being angry gives them, so the more material you give them to work with, the longer your public thrashing will continue.

“…the more material you give them to work with, the longer your public thrashing will continue.”

If you feel you must address the situation via a public social media post, keep it short, factual, and singular. The biggest mistake people and businesses make in these situations is responding frequently and off-the-cuff to all of their newfound haters, providing more and more content for these cyberbullies to pick apart and throw back in their faces.

Rule #2: The more they say, the less trustworthy they seem.

When met with silence or only a brief, public statement of reply, drama-lovers on the Internet will grow increasingly incensed with you, posting more and more outlandish claims about you or your business.

“…events like this can only continue so long as there is a crowd around the bully pulpit.”

While that can be hard to watch in silence, those watching the event unfold will begin to detach, feeling increasingly alienated by the trolls’ bombastic rhetoric. This is an ideal situation for dealing with negative publicity, because events like this can only continue so long as there is a crowd around the bully pulpit.

Rule #3: Silence must be strategic; listen when you can.

Silence is golden when it comes to bad publicity online. Never post a reply right away, instead of taking time to really listen to the complaints being made against you or your business.

“…use that kernel of truth to win over the level-headed crowd that is watching by acknowledging, but minimising it.”

Sometimes there is some grain of truth in them that is being vastly blown out of proportion, and acknowledging that fact can be your weapon in the social media war. After some time has passed, and your interlocutors have made fools of themselves as they have gotten more and more angry, you can use that kernel of truth to win over the level-headed crowd that is watching by acknowledging, but minimising it.

But again: your eventual response should be short and sweet, so don’t feel as though you need to respond to each and every claim made against you.

Rule #4: Performance and time overcome all bad press.

Fortunately, in this era of social media dramas, the attention spans of angry mobs are short, jumping from drama to drama on a weekly or even daily basis.

“…if you continue to perform well at your core competencies, as time passes anything negative that was said about you will fade from memory.”

No matter how bad it gets, keep in mind that if you continue to perform well at your core competencies, as time passes anything negative that was said about you will fade from memory.

Think about it for a second: every Fortune 500 firm has had their share of scandal, yet each still exists as a pillar of the business world. They survived by continuing their business as usual and letting the passage of time relegate their misdeeds to the trash heap of history.

Rule #5: Keep calm.

This rule is last, but it is perhaps the most important. Whatever you do, do not act out of emotion, no matter how out-of-context your newfound detractors are taking something or how much they misrepresent facts and figures.

“Whatever you do, do not act out of emotion…”

Whenever you plan to make a post or give a response, take a full night’s sleep before you hit ‘send.’ Nothing will prolong this unfortunate event as an off-the-cuff message to the wrong person.

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