How to Handle Online Hate Comments Without Losing Your Momentum
The troll who called you Kermit the Frog is actually helping your content reach more people.
Published May 8, 2026
The troll who called you Kermit the Frog is actually helping your content reach more people.
That is not a consolation prize. It is the math of how social platforms work. Negative comments drive engagement. Engagement signals the algorithm to push your content further. Joseph Lewin has received comments comparing him to Kermit the Frog and Tina from Bob's Burgers, and his response is not defensiveness. It is this: "At this point, I'm like, hey, they're helping boost me in the algorithm." This article breaks down exactly how to handle online hate comments so they build your pipeline instead of draining your energy.
What should B2B content creators know about handling online hate comments?
Hate comments are not a sign that something went wrong. They are a sign that your content is reaching people outside your immediate circle, which is exactly what you want.
- Hate is a byproduct of reach, not failure: The more successful your content becomes, the more people outside your audience will encounter it. Some of them will be hostile. That is not a problem to solve. It is a condition to manage.
- You owe no one a response: There is zero obligation to reply to every comment. Ignoring a troll is a complete and valid strategy.
- Negative engagement still feeds the algorithm: One specific video Joseph cited performed well precisely because opposing camps were arguing in the comments. Neither side was his audience. Both sides were doing his promotional work.
- Self-deprecation disarms the attack: When you are willing to make fun of yourself, the insult loses its power. It is not as satisfying to mock someone who is already laughing at themselves.
- Curiosity can convert a critic: Reaching out with a DM and saying "that was an interesting perspective, I'd love to learn more" has turned hostile commenters into loyal followers.
- Deletion is always on the table: You are entitled to delete toxic comments. Protecting your mental energy is not weakness. It is resource management.
Why does taking online criticism personally hurt your content output?
Taking hate comments personally is the fastest way to slow down your content production. The moment you start spending real energy on what a stranger typed in a comment box, you are pulling that energy away from the work that actually builds your authority and pipeline.
"The online world, you really can't afford to [take things personally] because as soon as you read too much into comments or you put too much of your energy into the negative things that people are saying, it's really only going to tear you down.". Joseph Lewin
The problem is not that criticism exists. It is that creators treat anonymous opinions as meaningful data about their work. Most hate comments say nothing about the content. They say something about the person writing them. Recognizing that distinction is what separates creators who build momentum from those who stall out after their first rough comment section.
The practical move is simple. Read it, make a quick decision (ignore, delete, or respond with intention), and move on. Do not let a single comment occupy mental real estate for longer than sixty seconds.
How do negative comments actually boost your social media algorithm reach?
Every comment, regardless of sentiment, registers as engagement. Platforms interpret high engagement as a signal that the content is resonating, and they respond by distributing it to more people.
Joseph described one video that performed well specifically because two groups with opposing views were arguing in the comments. He did not have to participate. The argument ran itself. The algorithm saw a high-engagement post and kept pushing it.
"Part of the reason it's done super well is because there's people who totally disagree with each other who are arguing in the comments.". Joseph Lewin
This is not a reason to manufacture controversy. It is a reason to stop panicking when your comment section gets heated. A troll showing up is not a crisis. It is often a catalyst. Other people respond to the troll. The thread grows. The platform notices. Your content travels further than it would have with a quiet, polite comment section.
The math is straightforward: more comments equals more reach. The content of those comments is secondary to their existence.
What is the best way to respond to a troll without damaging your brand?
The worst response is the most natural one: arguing back out of frustration. It looks bad to everyone watching, and it gives the troll exactly what they came for.
"If you respond out of anger or frustration or you're trying to be right and argue, be argumentative with them, I find that really off-putting when I see people doing that.". Joseph Lewin
There are three responses that actually work.
First, ignore it entirely. If you are busy and the comment is low-stakes, scroll past. You lose nothing.
Second, respond with grace or self-deprecation. A simple "thanks for watching" or a joke at your own expense removes the fuel from the fire. Joseph draws a direct parallel to parenting: when one of his kids tries to instigate a sibling, the sibling who ignores it or laughs wins. The sibling who reacts gives the instigator exactly what they wanted.
Third, reach out with genuine curiosity. This is the move Joseph credits to his friend Todd Clouser. Send a DM. Say something like: "That was an interesting perspective. I'd love to have a further conversation and learn more." This approach has a real conversion rate. People who are active enough to post a negative comment are engaged. Engage them back on your terms and some of them become the loudest advocates for your work.
FAQ
Do I have to respond to every negative comment on my content?
No. There is zero obligation to respond to every comment, negative or otherwise. Ignoring a hostile comment is a complete strategy. If a comment is genuinely toxic, you are fully entitled to delete it and move on without explanation.
Can hate comments actually help my content perform better?
Yes. Platforms measure engagement, not sentiment. A comment section full of arguments still signals high engagement to the algorithm, which responds by distributing your content to more people. Joseph cited one specific video that performed well precisely because opposing groups were debating in the comments.
What is the smartest way to respond to a troll without looking defensive?
Use self-deprecation, grace, or genuine curiosity. Responding with anger or trying to win an argument publicly looks bad to everyone watching and rewards the troll. A short, good-humored reply or a private DM asking to learn more are both more effective and more on-brand.
When should I delete a comment instead of responding to it?
Delete when the comment is excessively toxic, personally abusive, or damaging to your community. You do not owe anyone a platform on your content. Protecting your mental energy is a legitimate business decision. Deleting one bad comment does not affect your reach.
Hate comments are not the price of failure. They are the price of reach. The further your content travels, the more strangers it encounters, and some strangers are going to be hostile. That is the deal. The creators who build durable authority in their space are the ones who internalize this early, stop treating anonymous criticism as meaningful feedback, and keep producing.
Respond with curiosity. Respond with self-deprecation. Or do not respond at all. Just do not let a troll with a keyboard slow down your pipeline.
About the host
Joseph Lewin
Host of B2B On Air · The Podcast Launch Guy | 45 B2B Podcasts Launched | Hosts I’ve worked with have closed over $17M in revenue | 100 Million Views On My Personal Social Video
Transcript
Read the full transcript
Joseph Lewin [0:00]
You sound like Tina from Bob’s Burgers. That’s a real comment I got on my YouTube channel. Welcome to B2B On Air. I’m your host, Joseph Lewin. And in today’s episode, I’m going to tell you something that you’re not going to want to hear if you’re going to put yourself out there with content, and that is people are going to hate on you. You’re absolutely going to get hate comments. And the more successful you are, the further your content does, the more people that you’re going to have in the comments who are going to say something negative or nasty. Or somebody’s gonna screenshot something that you commented or said and they’re gonna make fun of you for it. And that’s just the name of the game. So if you can’t take it, then probably best not to put yourself out there at all. But I just
wanna preempt this because if you’re new and you get a comment like that, or when you get the first negative comment, and that one’s not that big of a deal, there’s a few of them in there that I don’t even wanna read on air, but there’s some funny ones like, you know, another one around the way I sound. You sound like Kermit the Frog, or this is the biggest waste of time that I’ve ever had. And my favorite one with that is, well, you took the time to write a comment on it, which seems like even bigger waste of time than watching the video itself. But the point is that we can take things very personally, and in the online world, you really can’t afford to do that because as soon as you read too much into comments or you put too much of your
energy into the negative things that people are saying, it’s really only going to tear you down. And sometimes it’s worth responding to those people. But you don’t owe them anything. If somebody comments on your podcast or on a video clip that you put out or whatever, and it’s something nasty, and you are absolutely entitled to just delete it. You don’t need to tolerate super crazy negativity on your posts. Now, for me, at this point, I’m like, hey, they’re helping boost me in the algorithm. And in fact, on that particular video, part of the reason it’s done super well is because there’s people who totally disagree with each other who are arguing in the comments. And so sometimes getting a troll, attracting trolls can actually benefit you because then other people can argue with them and you don’t even have to do the arguing. They just
go back and forth with each other. But something that I think is really important is to be careful about how you respond, because if you respond out of anger or frustration or you’re trying to be right and argue, be argumentative with them, I find that really off-putting when I see people doing that. And it is the natural response, but it’s going to end up making you look really bad. So my recommendation and what I try to do is look at the comment, and if I don’t have a lot of time, I’m just going to ignore it. Who cares? They’re annoying. I’m going to move on with my day. If I am going to respond, I’m going to try to respond. And I’m taking this from my friend Todd Clouser, who did this, and he recommended this. You can go to them and either comment on
there or write them a DM and say, hey, that was a really interesting, interesting perspective. I’d love to have a further conversation with you and learn a little bit more. And then you can actually take what they said as negativity and you can test it or you can iterate on it or you can kind of take them not super seriously, but take them a little bit seriously and have commentary on what they said. So that’s where you can kind of engage that person and they could end up becoming a super fan because these are the kinds of people who are actually active enough to say something negative. And so if you engage them and you get on their good side, sometimes they can actually end up becoming raving fans. The other way is just to respond in grace, maybe say something self-deprecating or just go,
hey, thanks for watching, appreciate it, or whatever. And that way you’re kind of taking the fuel out of the fire. It’s like when my kids are fighting with each other and, you know, one of my kids just absolutely loves to instigate the other ones constantly, constantly trying to instigate the siblings. And so, you know, what I tell the other kids is like, look, I can correct him on that. I can’t correct him all the time. I’m not always there. But when you respond, you’re giving fuel to the fire. So if he gets a huge reaction from you, he wins. But if you either ignore him or you’re self-deprecating and you kind of laugh at yourself about it, then it takes all the wind out of the sails. And it’s just not as fun to make fun of somebody who’s willing to make fun of themselves.
And so anyway, don’t worry about the negativity. Put yourself out there anyway. And when you get the negative comments, don’t take it too seriously. Just brush it off your back, look at the people who love what you’re doing and appreciate what you’re doing, and just know that when somebody’s going to be negative, that there’s more than likely people who are going to love you even more for what you’re saying. And with that, thanks for tuning in, and I’ll see you on the next episode.