There has been a saying that I have always found true in any line of business or blogging…
If your competitors are complaining…you must be doing something right.
In business and in blogging, you are going to have to grow a thick skin and realize that criticism is often times a measure of success. Think of it this way…if you were not doing something good…would they really take the time to stick their head above water and try to put you down? Of course not! They have to publicly bash you in order to try to discount your growth and what you are trying to accomplish. Otherwise, they might lose readers or market share to the competition.
Luckily, in the blogging world, there is a unspoken unity among bloggers that typically results in a team work affect that genuinely helps serious blogs realize success. Throughout the course of our blogging, it is recognizing the causal critics and ignoring their random rants that separates the successful bloggers from those that take what others say too seriously and give up. Successful bloggers and businessmen know how to separate constructive criticisms from the occasional rants.
I Am Not Back On My Bike For You
I know what you are thinking…I see another commercial down there…what is it this time? During the Tour de France coverage, there was a Nike commercial that really touched my heart as a cyclist and business owner. During this sequence from Nike and Lance Armstrong, Lance silences his critics and shows…once and for all…exactly why he stepped back into professional cycling after his “retirement”. His passion for raising awareness for cancer research and survivors was the driving goal behind entering back into professional cycling. By ignoring all of the critics that claim he was washed up, he was able to realize his dream and eventually landed on the podium in the overall results in the 2009 Tour de France.
What can we learn from this?
Down deep…we all want everyone that reads our blog to soak up the content and fall in love enough to subscribe and spread our blog to everyone they come in contact with.The reality is that not everyone is going to agree with what we have to say, or even like us. That is just part of the game as you continue to throw out your unique voice and opinion to the world wide web. You have the right to publish your writing and they have the right to say whatever the hell they want to about it.
It is always easier to criticize than create. As you go through the process of growing your blog, remember that it is those that have nothing to create that jump on the criticize bandwagon first. If they had the ability or drive to create something of their own…instead of throwing rocks at others desire to achieve…then they would not be on their pedestal screaming at the world. Successful people use these naysayers as a driving force to continually do better…not a reason to give up and throw in the towel. If you are getting negative attitudes…check out this blog post on “Don’t Feed the Trolls” to get a grasp on how to handle negative waste. In the meantime, keep pushing forward to your goal and keep the dream alive. As you find more success, you are going to find more critics…it is just part of the game. It is how you deal with the critics that will separate you as a successful blogger and one that gets obsessed with convincing that one critic they are wrong…and eventually alienates the readers that were attracted to what you were doing well.
Watch the commercial…get motivated…and continue to see success.
Turning Negative Blog Comments Positive – A "How To" Tutorial
Over the past 2 weeks, I have been capitalizing on a negative comment left on Bike198.com by turning it into conversation and positive outcomes. During your blogging, you are going to come across differing opinions. That is normal! The trick is how to turn the blatantly negative comments into positive assets on your blog. Now…before we jump straight into this and I show you exactly what I did and how I accomplished it…there needs to be something clarified…
I ignore 99% of rant comments in my emails and comments sections. I get a very small amount of these types of comments and emails, but there are some people in this world that are just out to bring others down. Most of the time, it is better to just ignore them and move on unless you think by answering them…you can bring value to your blog. They have nothing to lose by spouting off and you have everything to lose by reacting in a way that can lose you credibility in the long run.
My Negative Rant Comment on Bike198
As most of you already know, I am an Aweber cheerleader for newsletter distribution. Part of Awebers features provides you with quality feedback on why a reader unsubscribes to your newsletter by providing that reader with a comment section. Once they unsubscribe and fill out that comment section, you get the info so you can better tailor your newsletter. Here is the comment I received from the reader that started this story.
You have to admit…the amount of force and anger in this comment is pretty laughable on its own, but – like any cycling based blog owner – I had a defined opinion on his rant. Once I decided that I wanted to answer this reader back on his claims, I also decided it would be great feedback and conversation to post on the blog. The next day, I posted up this readers comment and my response.
You can find that response article here…The #1 Most Interesting Comment Left On Mountain Biking by 198
By reading that article, you can see I did one of a couple of things.
I did not jump into the mud with him – I created a well structured “you are allowed to have your opinion, but here is mine” response that did not flame the commenter. He can have his opinion, but that doesn’t mean I can’t have mine! So…I responded in a way that was not antagonistic…just a response.
I invited the opinions of my readers – By increasing the conversation around the subject, you are further engaging your readers on your blog. Controversial topics in your niche can be a huge source of traffic and comments when done correctly.
The Short Term Result Of The Response?
That article got a ton of traffic as my readers spread it through the web on Facebook and Twitter. I also got some of the most involved/deep responses out of my readers as they responded to the commenter with their own opinions and ideals. These comments ranged from just a difference in opinion to some readers really getting irritated that the guy would even type something like that!
One of my readers even went as far as saying…
(See…your readers do want you to make money with your blog!)
By creating a conversation around a difference of opinion, I was able to create a valuable asset to my blog that brought my readers closer together. As a blogger, that should be your goal as you continue to grow a community around your words. In the short term, the article was a huge success and I gained a lot more than the 1 reader I lost.
The Long Term Result – You Never Know Who Is Watching…
In the long term, this article and my response benefitted my blog in a HUGE way and this is a perfect lesson in “you never know who is watching your blog”. Several days after I posted the article, I received an email from Breezer Bikes. In this email, one of the employees (who follows my newsletter and blog) thought it would be a great idea if I interviewed his boss about the comment left on my blog. For those of you that do not already know, his boss is Joe Breeze who is the founder of modern day mountain biking. Joe was the first one to make an offroad specific bike frame back in the ’70′s.
I was stoked!! I wanted to take the opportunity by the horns, so I drafted up my questions and shot them off. After several emails back and forth, we got to talking about the direction that Mountain Biking by 198 was heading. I sent him over my new logos and we talked about my expansion into the other cycling disciplines. Breezer Bikes happens to make some of the best commuter bikes on the market, so…due to the article and conversation…I know have a fantastic $2,000 commuter bike in my garage to review on the new urban section of Bike198.com getting released next year!
You can find the interview with Joe Breeze here…Interview: Joe Breeze – Founding Father of Mountain Biking
What Should You Take Away From This Story
Negative comments are not a bad thing. Sometimes there is a little bit of truth in negative rants, but you need to get a thick skin and realize that negative comments are just part of blogging. Sometimes, like in this case, you can actually turn those negative rants into quality content that can be a real asset in your blogging. If the comment is a hot button topic in your niche, capitalize on the opportunity and structure a well educated response. The communication with your readers will be amazing.
The part that makes me laugh through this entire ordeal is that the reader was trying to bring me down with his rant…but instead…he actually helped me by doing the following:
So…a huge thank you goes out to my rant comment leaver…you brought me a lot these past two weeks through your several lines of words.