The fear of criticism makes most newbie bloggers shudder in their cyber boots.
Even some pro bloggers feel uncomfortable after receiving negatively charged feedback.
I want to help you benefit from criticism so you can coast seamlessly through your blogging day.
1: Get Clear
Being criticized always helps you get clearer on your blogging direction.
If criticism stings it hits close to home. You feel the critic speaks the truth, on some level.
Getting clearer by feeling the emotions honestly and clearing these energies helps you shine brightly in your niche.
The old me had many fears around my eBooks and audio books. The new me got clearer on my eBooks and audio books by feeling the sting of some negative reviews on both creations, helping me proceed while not being burdened with the fears I needed to clear.
See criticism as a clearing agent. Instead of fighting critics, send them flowers because they helped you face and release your fear baggage.
2: Profit
This morning I experienced a colorful encounter with a nice but somewhat crazy neighbor.
After getting a little ticked off I turned the experience into a video that benefits my readers.
Watch it here:
You can complain about criticism or turn the experience into something beneficial for you and your readers. Why not profit through the negative review or nasty comment by dissecting the experience and calling your readers to hire you or to buy your premium offerings via the video or blog post?
Help people. Profit. Convert criticism into free content and premium content to profit while serving your readers.
3: Spot Pain Points
I recall sifting through blogging criticism to spot reader pain points in the past.
Critics often cry out for help through their feedback because they are suffering in some way, shape or form.
One reader noted with biting criticism how some images on my blog loaded terribly slowly. Turns out I uploaded a few images in PNG format versus the traditional JPEG route. The reader lived in a developing country with largely slow internet connection speeds. He pointed this out, I identified the problem and solved it by only uploading JPEG images to my blog.
I felt my reader’s pain point buried deep within the criticism. Imagine if I wrote him off, ignored the criticism or flipped out on him, telling him to do what he has to do to access a high speed connection? Be compassionate. Spot reader pain points within criticism to better help your community.
4: Do Friendship House Cleaning
Along your blogging journey you will meet new people regularly.
Some new connections grow into lifelong friendships. Other connections may thrive for a few weeks then fade away quickly.
If a supposed friend criticizes you needlessly it is time to let go the unclear, unhappy person who has not the emotional intelligence to end the relationship themselves.
I recall a reader who followed Blogging From Paradise from day 1. Awesome person in all regards. But because she lacked clarity in her life, her blog and her direction, after an initial love of my work she noted how she felt the quality of my blog posts and eBooks quickly declined.
Since all criticism is a projection of the individual, the truth was, she felt that her blog post quality had declined.
I eventually ceased responding to her comments and she stopped reading my blog because although I am open to clear, loving feedback, I don’t waste time with folks who are not on board. Even enlightened beings like Jesus and Buddha surrounded themselves with friends who were disciples or devotees, not critical people who nitpicked and had not the clarity to part ways.
Your Turn
How do you deal with blogging criticism?