9 tips to help you handle haters on the internet.

Hey, it’s Laura Landers! Let’s jump right in! Whether you’re getting dunked in the hater-aide, or you haven’t even been splashed with it yet… knowing how to handle yourself when haters invade your territory is a good skill to have. I’m here to help you manage everything that goes along with trolls, haters, and the people that seem to be out to get you.

Want to watch me talk about this topic? Click here. If not, keep on reading!

Firstly, there are a couple reasons why haters are throwing shade your way:

1. They are having a bad day and need to get the anger out and for whatever reason they chose you.
2. They may be trolling for fun – trolls like to hang on to hot-button issues and they want to see you lose your cool.
   

Here are 9 tips to remember next time a hater or troll comes for you…

1. Don’t feed the trolls (I used to have a shirt that says “don’t feed the models” which is sooo 2003 and I love it lol – ok, back to the topic!) – this means: don’t respond to the taunts – not even politely. Ignore them, they are looking to pick a fight.
   
2. If you have a short fuse with people being mean to you on the internet, set up a filter using your friends, family, or employees so you don’t say something you’ll regret. Remember, once it’s posted on the internet, it’s there forever… even if you delete it. People can screenshot! Yikes!
   
3. Feel free to delete hateful comments! It’s your page after all! For a business, I am a big fan of “bad reviews” because it shows you’re human and not paying for bots to review your business. However, if there are a lot of hate comments, there is no benefit to those being there, so delete away!
   When I would teach dance classes to kids, if there was a horrible student that was acting absolutely horrendous to me or another student, I would kick them out of my class. It didn’t even matter that they paid for that class. As a matter of fact, their parents agreed! There are rules, so why should the internet be any different?
   
   4. When all else fails, block and mute the haters. Period.
   
   5. If it’s something you really want to respond to, what I find works best for me is to take a moment. This goes for those times that you think could be educational, honoring, and beneficial for all. When I take a moment i’m allowing myself to respond, not react. Now that I’m ready to respond, I ask myself this: if I was on Jimmy Fallon and he pulled up my response on a big screen behind us sitting down and asked about that moment, would I be proud of what I said? That usually does it for me!
   
   6. Don’t take it personally – when people communicate online, they are not interacting with you… they are interacting with a computer or phone screen. They would probably never tell it to your face! Which brings me to my next point…
   
   7. Humanize yourself! Responding to your haters with class, grace, and humility allows them to see that you’re a human, and that they overstepped their manners. 
   
   8. Use the hate to get better – if what they said stings, it may have hit a nerve and that means it’s something to work on, as long as it aligns with your morals. 😉
   
   9. Lastly, don’t focus on the negative. I’ve let haters ruin my day. They don’t deserve to steal your joy. It’s not personal. Let it go and move on.
   
   

I highly encourage you to go back and read these 9 helpful tips when dealing with haters when you need a reminder! It will keep you focused and give you time to cool down.

Save this blog and put it in your back pocket so you’re prepared when a hater comes at you and you’re emotional, shaking, hot headed, and ready to attack. I want you to handle haters without heightened emotions, because you’re classy and we need to keep it that way! 😄

Comments? I’d love to hear your thoughts! Leave them below!
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– Laura Landers