your audience is lying to you...

Apologies for the clickbait-y title, but it’s kinda true. Now no one is intentionally lying to you, but rather their comments can be misleading. For example, my recent “Hopeless Romantic” top comes in two colors and I was curious which color people would prefer. I asked in a post and I left a poll in my stories where people could vote. Overwhelmingly the response in comments and in the poll was that the blue was the most popular. However, when we checked on sales the pink has outsold the blue two to one.

This confirms something I’ve often seen online: comments and even polls don’t reflect how the majority feels.

Ultimately, no one is actually lying to you. The person who comments “I love this post, it’s my absolute favorite type of post” is being honest—they mean what they say. But their comment doesn’t always reflect the majority; it only represents their point of view. This is also an important reminder with those ever-present critical and unkind comments we receive. While it can hurt that someone is typing those words to us, it’s good to remember their opinion is one drop in the bucket and there are plenty of people who are engaging with and enjoying your work in other ways.

As a creator all of this information is merely data and we can choose how we respond to that data. It’s wise to know both sides because when it comes to something like my top—the quiet majority that is actually purchasing the top in pink is the one I’m going to keep in mind when working on future designs and collaborations. However, a post going viral but being filled with throwaway comments isn’t necessarily better than a post with lower reach but more meaningful engagement in the comments. Comments aren’t just something to receive or accept as feedback, but a way for us to connect and build deeper bonds—you know, the “social” part of social media. So even though these comments might not reflect the majority, they still carry weight and meaning and give us something to engage with or a chance to connect with a kindred spirit.

All the best,
Rebecca

P.S. Last two days to purchase this top--in pink or blue!