by Lynette Chandler

As your blog becomes more popular you are likely to notice that you'll get more and more negative comments on it. Even if you are generally the calmest person who can take this type of thing in stride it can get to you when you get this type of feedback on your personal space. Don't lash out before you take a deep breath and sit back. Here are some pointers to help keep you sane and take back your blog.

Your Blog Is A Public Place. Yes, people should respect your home turf; it is your blog, your rules and all that. But you really shouldn't be surprised to receive attacks and criticisms. One of the most powerful things about blogs is its social nature and few people get that.

If you can't bear to receive anything negative (true or not) then you don't need a blog. You need a private fan club.

Respond to the comment. No matter how difficult, you should acknowledge and respond to the nasty comment. Keeping silent is simply sweeping the problem under the carpet and that person is not going away until you deal with them.

Respond calmly even when you feel nothing close to calm. Most people need to take a few minutes, hours, or maybe even days before they can respond in a way that does not appear hostile, let the post simmer while you take that time to cool off.

Ask yourself if you can learn from them. While you're taking time to calm yourself down, think it through. Does what that person say have merit? Sometimes we may believe so strongly about something it's easy to say "They're wrong and I'm right" but think about it seriously, are they really wrong or are you just letting your pride and emotions get in the way?

If you are right, there's always something you can learn from the situation. For one, do not behave like that when you comment on other people's blog.

Be gracious in your response. If you've ever heard the term “Killing them with Kindness” then now would be a great time to put that into practice. It will make you look very mature and will also make the person who posted the comment look petty and foolish. If they see you can't be pushed around they will likely quickly give up.

Choose your words carefully and be judicious. There's a world of difference between saying "I'm tired of you attacking my blog, leave me alone and go away" and "I'm sorry you feel that way. I stand by my decision but can understand where you're coming from."

There are always many more people reading your blog then commenting. Even though they may not leave their calling card behind, you should know there are more readers than people who comment and it's the readers you want to keep on your side. So, if you tell people to go away as in the example above, they might really leave and never come back.

There's no need to reciprocate an attack. Doing so only makes you look like you condone bad behavior and more than willing to get into a fight with anyone who doesn't agree with you.

A blog is personal, and it's a look into who you are, or what your business is about. So if you blog for business that's all the more reason to not get into silly arguments with your readers. Don't forget that the people who are visiting your blog and reading it are possibly future customers or even business partners, treat them with respect and you will earn theirs.

Lynette Chandler understands blogging can be confusing for some business owners. She helps them cut through the noise, and build blogs that make a difference in their business. Get a complimentary video, visit

Article Source: ActiveAuthors.com