The 20% Rule: If 10-20% of your reactions (comments, etc.) to a post aren’t negative, then the post may not have been successful as it could have been.

Ironically the better a post (or video, or movie, or book…) does, the more negative or negative attention-seeking comments and reactions a creator typically receives.

Therefore, rather than dreading the appearance of negative comments, you should instead look for them. It means you’ve been successful!

Let me explain in a little more detail.

As a post or idea you have are shared by more people, and geometrically expands outwards on a platform, or even on organic search, the more likely you are to attract negative comments. This is the mechanics and math of how ideas spread, either on platform, or off.

There are two main reasons for this. Number 1, it’s because you’ve said something and put a stake in the ground. And if that message spreads, it won’t be for everyone. Some will take issue with it, and that’s ok. If you had tried to say something for everyone, it will likely be general and generic. Perhaps true, but not really meaningful or helpful to the people you’re trying to reach.

The second reason is that web trolls sniff out success. They crawl out from under the proverbial bridges and uncreatively go to (and comment on) whatever’s working. They’re like the tiny percent of spectators that taunt a pitcher to try to throw them off their game.

To be clear, I’m not talking about being intentionally provocative here. If you share a controversial viewpoint, than of course you’ll get negative reacions. I’m talking about saying and creating things that are for many types, but not for everyone. And if that message spreads, well-meaning and legitimate commentary and couterpoints will (and can) be made; but so will trolls just following the scent of anything successful to bash it.

This won’t take away all of the pain of negative comments. Creators with any traction will feel it. It comes with the territory of putting ourselves out there, of sharing a viewpoint.

However, remembering the 20% rule of negative commentary can be highly effective at blunting the mental impact. At re-directing our attention to engaging with our thoughful and true fans, and focusing on what we’ll create for them next.. Yo’ure getting negative comments on successful posts? Good.

Not that you’ll internalize them. Not that you’ll dwell on them. You’re just looking for their existence. If you start getting them, it means you’re getting somewhere.

The 20% Rule is just a rough guideline I created, mainly to make myself feel better and more constructively deal with criticism. I noticed, as many do, that the most successful a post is (as measured by views, comments, etc.), particularly ones that go viral or near-viral, the greater the chance of receiving nasty, inappropriate, and/or random comments.

Remember, trolls sniff out success. They emerge from the dense obscure forest of the internet at the slightest whiff of a successful post, video, or other creation. Ironically, you’ll almost always find them on the posts that have clearly been successful for you. You think you’d see them on the unsuccessful ones, right?

So I flipped this on it head pschlogically. Basically the 20% Rule says that if 10-20% of your reactions aren’t negative, then you may not be. So instead of dreading the comments, you start to look for them. You hope for them! It probably means you have a very successful post.

This doesn’t mean you should be provacative for the sake of it. Or be nasty in your own right to try to elicit a resposne. It means saying something that others may legitimatgely have a strong reaction to, either way. It’s about resonating on something meaningful.

And hoping that among all of the amazing comments, the wonderufl peope you’ll meet in your feed, that yes, there will be trolls lurking. First see them, but don’t feed them.