5 Ways Haters Are Essential To Your Brand

As I grow older and mature, working to do away with my old ways, there is a small part of me that will always somehow become extremely frustrated at individuals who go out of their way to try and diminish my reputation. Because I haven’t 100% been delivered from my petty tendencies that seem to be a common theme in 2015, I immediately feel the urge to lower myself to their level and viciously strike back. This time, I won’t though. Instead, I wrote a blog about the benefits of haters.

When I look back I might be mad that I gave this attention. Yeah, but it’s weighin’ heavy on my conscience.

Today is the day that I take haters for what they really are; great marketing strategists.

There are perks to naysayers and liars hellbent on dragging your name in the mud. Take their free methods and capitalize from there.

In an odd way, haters can be beneficial to your brand.

5. Word-of-mouth Advertisement

The people who utterly despise you and just wreck their brains at the very thought of you doing better than them are likely spreading vicious tales about you. Are they true? Probably not, granted there is some truth in every lie. However, gossipmongers must have ears in order to get their message across. If the person on the receiving end of the mess has any true interest in you and want to know the truth for themselves, what will they do? They’ll do the research for themselves. Will your brand confirm the word on the street or paint a likable image? From here you will establish your target audience. Some will dig you, others won’t. At least you’ll know what group(s) to invest your energy on.

4. Marketing Strategy

I firmly believe, everyone who criticizes you isn’t a hater. Most of your analysts won’t have a personal vendetta against you, instead they have a low regard for your way of doing things. This carries no weight on your character as a whole. Think of them as surveyors. You have your “agree”, “strongly agree”, “disagree”, “strongly disagree” and “N/A” categories. Take their opinions for what they’re worth. Sometimes you are unable to see how you come off to others, until it’s plastered in front of your face. If you keep hearing the same negative feedback, you may want to change up your method. Knowing your weaknesses is essential to growth. You can’t strengthen what you ignore.

3. Writing Your Mission Statement

Your haters often see something great in you that they lack, and fear others will love you for. Discover what makes you so desirable and bank on it. You’ll always get a positive return on an investment that involves your personal growth. Define your stance on certain issues, know what you will and won’t stand for. Give your audience transparency. Let your customers know why you exist. Make your message and your mission clear. Your firm foundation is what drives haters insane, mainly because they can never break you.

2. Problem Solving

Do you engage with your haters or ignore them? As an entrepreneur, public relations consultant, or someone in any type of position that comes in direct contact with the public, you will undoubtedly encounter some sort of conflict. How well do you handle pressure? Can you take the heat? If you can fight the fray in your personal life, you’ll easily find tactics to successfully handle your professional opponents.

1. Charting Your Growth

Haters get a kick out of seeing you stumble and love it when you fall. They are secretly keeping record of your misfortune. This is golden in charting the success of your brand. Look at where you started and how things wound up. You should feel amazed when you accomplish what once seemed impossible. Where you began will come in handy for your portfolio. Haters are like your personal historians, preserving the past while you’re busy crafting the future.

Those who take interest in me for the wrong reasons are constantly scanning my social media, reading my blogs and carrying closed-door sessions, hoping to decode what’s going on in my life. You’re only drawing in more followers for me and providing additional traffic to my site.

Any blogger will tell you, we appreciate the clicks.