Internet trolls are everywhere, hiding behind their usernames, and seem to exist for the sole purpose of undermining your social networking strategy. They like to blast your company every chance they get. They leave negative comments about your business on every blog, forum and social media site they can get their devious claws on.

Nearly every company has to deal with these trolls from time to time.

To help keep your cool when handling these trolls who are living under your social media bridge, here are five things you need to know:

Set Rules and Play by Them

The goal of Internet trolls is to make you and your company look like the bad guy. Take control immediately when it comes to comments that get left on your social media profiles that you don’t approve of. Make it clear to your audience that certain behavior won’t be tolerated. Then, if a troll leaves abusive or offensive comments on your page, delete it and let followers know that it’s not because the person doesn’t like your company, you just don’t appreciate that kind of belligerence. Remember: it’s your page, so play by your rules!

Don’t Delete too Quickly

It may seem like the simplest solution: when someone leaves a nasty comment, just hit the handy-dandy delete button. When you start doing this too often, you could end up looking like the bad guy, as if you have something to hide. A few negative comments from time to time aren’t going to bring you down. In fact, leaving them up will tell your followers that you’re open-minded and are willing to take criticism square on the chin. When things start to get really ugly, that’s when you should take action.

Get Help from Your Friends and Followers

When your social network is going strong, you’ll have your own cheerleading squad. Your brand loyalists are likely to jump to your defense as soon as someone posts anything negative on your page, possibly even before you know something negative has cropped up. Don’t be afraid to ask your friends, followers and fans to tweet, blog or post their own comments about your company. Our users can smell a rat, so when one comes creeping in, they’ll take charge and throw back a few fighting words on your behalf.

Listen

Even though we’d rather ignore every nasty thing that’s being said by Internet trolls, you still need to read what’s being put out there. They may be acting in an extreme manner, but they may not be alone in their negative thoughts. That doesn’t mean you have to take every word they write to heart, but you may pick up on something you weren’t aware of. Once you figure out what the root of the problem is (bad customer service, dissatisfaction with your product, pricing, etc.) you’ll know what areas of your business need to be addressed.

It’s a nasty business, dealing with Internet trolls. But it doesn’t have to turn into an all-out brawl. Don’t give in to social media fights. It could spoil your reputation and you could suffer more damage if you do strike back. Remember to always be pleasant and polite and plaster on that winning smile.

Have you dealt with trolls on your social networks? What do you do to handle the situations, if and when they arise? Let us know!

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LinkedIn, like all social media sites, is constantly evolving. It’s not just a site where you can post your résumé as bait for companies that might be interested in hiring you. It provides a way for you to network and engage with other professionals in a wide variety of industries. And just as you can with the other leading social networking sites, LinkedIn is shaping up to be an excellent tool to use when promoting your business and the services you offer, or boosting your notoriety as an expert in your field.

Since LinkedIn is a horse-of-a-different-color when it comes to social networking, it’s important to understand and explore the unique ways you can promote your business through it. Here are seven of the best ways you can get started with LinkedIn and utilize a new tool in your business marketing arsenal that many companies tend to overlook.

1. Build a Company Profile. A company profile on LinkedIn is like a fan page and personal page combined. You’ll want to include a description of your company, the services you provide, your level of expertise, number of years in the business, and contact information.

2. Take part in Groups. Right now, you can be a member of up to 40 different groups on LinkedIn at one time, so be selective about which ones you choose to be a part of. Contribute to the discussions by giving thoughtful insights and feedback. With each post, your photo and name will be included, as well as any information you include in your signature, such as your business information. You’ll be pleasantly surprised by how many leads you’ll get when you start becoming a regular contributor.

3. Answer some questions. LinkedIn Answers is a great way to show off your knowledge and let the community know you’re an expert in your niche. You’ll also be reaching an audience of people who are interested in your business, which could mean more clients. People will pose questions and you have the opportunity to answer them, and over time you’ll become the go-to person for answers in your field.

4. Get recommendations. Nothing speaks louder than a recommendation. When a customer or former employer, employee or coworker, gives you a positive recommendation, it’s like getting a vote of confidence. Potential clients will be more eager to work with someone who comes highly recommended than a business that no one has anything to say about.

5. Create buzz. Self-promotion is a big part of internet marketing and with that comes the responsibility of maintaining your reputation. LinkedIn’s Company Buzz allows you to keep track of the good, the bad, and the ugly things being said about your company on LinkedIn as well as Twitter. This enables you to respond quickly when any negative comments creep up.

6. Post job opportunities. What’s one way you can tell a business is doing well? They should be hiring! So, by advertising the fact that you are in need of some more talented people will tell others that you’re having some success. People are drawn to successful businesses more so than those that are not.

7. Create ads. You can generate a targeted advertising campaign for your business with LinkedIn DirectAds. This is an excellent way to reach other professionals and company decision makers. You can specify your audience geographically, demographically, and by industry.

Are you using LinkedIn to its full potential? In what ways have you used LinkedIn or other social media to boost your business marketing? Tell us what you’ve found works the best and the least for your company!

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