Influencers are often targets of online negativity, and how they respond to this feedback can have important ramifications for their personal brands and the effectiveness of their product endorsements. Recent research shows that one commonly employed tactic — turning off social media comments — can undermine influencers’ key assets: their persuasiveness, likability, and perceived sincerity.
Public figures, from Oprah to Selena Gomez, have restricted access to their social media comments in response to online criticism, whether on a temporary or permanent basis. This decision seems rational; those in the public eye are often highly scrutinized, and disabling comments can be a first line of defense to protect their mental health.
