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Credit: Photo by 傅甬 华 on Unsplash

We have all been there - instead of contacting you directly, a reader posts their grievance about your article or service online for the whole world to see and provoke your reaction. The more hostile the tone, the more it hurts.

Once you get over the shock, follow these five tips on responding to negative social media comments by author Ashley Glenn, published by Mediabistro.

First of all, do not hide or delete the comments as that would make things even worse unless it is outright trolling. Then, be polite and say "thank you" - even when it is negative, all feedback is valuable. Most importantly apologise if you are in the wrong.

"Be sincere, authentic and helpful. You'll only strengthen brand loyalty and keep your company's reputation a positive one," the author advises.

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