Influential Voices of Authority Why I Ignore Podcast Critics (And Maybe You Should Too) - PTC Episode 051
There are a few reasons why I ignore critics, and maybe you should, too.
I was listening to Pat Flynn's “Smart Passive Income” podcast today. Pat received some feedback that was crtical of his style and motivation. The critic felt Pat was putting on a unauthentic persona in order to sell affiliate programs.
Pat spent a bit of time at the beginning of the episode explaining his approach and defending his character. He didn't get defensive. His comments were positive toward his critic. Some great points were offered which made me like Pat even more.
I love Pat's show. He sounds like a great guy. I just think he is wasting his time trying to persuade a critic to change his mind.
There are five reasons I tend to ignore critics like this.
Mic Time
By spending time on negative comments, you're just giving the trolls exposure. The time on your show is valuable. Use it for great content. Do not let the trolls hijack your podcast. You've worked hard to attract the attention of your audience. Trolls do not deserve the attention.
Constructive Criticism
Yes, I find constructive criticism valuable. However, critics are rarely motivated to help you. They typically have the desire to tear you down to their level. If they cannot have success, they do not want you to succeed either. Giving them attention just feeds their appetite to be critics.
Representation
One person is not representative of your entire audience. It is so easy for us to get derailed by a negative comment. We can receive 40 compliments. Then, one negative e-mail will completely destroy our confidence. Remember, one e-mail only equals one e-mail. It is one person.
Self Doubt
We all fight the impostor syndrome. Am I good enough? Will anyone take me seriously? Who am I to be an expert on this topic? It is common to battle that everyday.
Critics just feed that syndrome. You already have enough self doubt. There is no need to allow critics to feed that fire. Beat them down. Ignore them.
Your Target
Critics will never be your target audience. If you are selling an idea or product, critics will never be the group that buys what you are selling. No matter how hard you try to convince the critic that you are correct, they will always be skeptical. You are wasting your time on the critic. Focus on the people that love what you do.
Jeff Walker addresses this topic in his new book “Launch”. He says, “All of us have people we want to connect with better than others … The last thing you want is a lot of prospects and clients who aren't a good fit for you … You want to be sure you attract YOUR people into your business.”
Maybe You Should Listen
On the other hand, maybe you should give your critics some attention. If you have thick skin, giving your critics some attention can strengthen the support of your fans. When you read some negative feedback, you fans will step up to support and defend you.
I am not talking about trying to attract attention to yourself or manipulating your audience. However, if you have a strong, supportive community, you may find them defending you before you even have a chance to mention the critic.
Dave Ramsey does this on his show quite often. He makes it quite entertaining, and strengthens the support of his tribe.
You really need to have strong self esteem to make this happen. You need to be strong in battling the impostor syndrome to try this approach. If you truly believe in what you do, you can use critics to your advantage.
If you find yourself creeping into self doubt, remove the trolls from your life. Don't let them bring you down. You are great at what you do. Superserve your fans. Let the critics seep back into the darkness and feed on somebody else.
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