Jon has some excellent advice for those of you just getting started on YouTube. Too often, people give up before they even really get started producing content due to the haters and idiots you’ll find running amok in the comment threads. You have to remember that no matter what you do or how good you are, there are going to be negative – and even hurtful – comments. The complete anonymity that YouTube commenters have leads itself to them posting things they would likely never say to someone’s face.

You’ll get rude comments, racial slurs, and sometimes even threats to your safety and well-being. You have to develop a thick skin if you’re going to read your comments, and realize that they mean nothing in the grand scheme of things. Negative feedback on YouTube videos has nothing to do with who you are as a person and what you’re doing with your life. Don’t let them wear you down.

There are several tools at your disposal. You can delete comments you find offensive or undesirable. You can vote them down so that they eventually disappear on their own. You can even block the worst offenders completely, disallowing any future comments from them. You’ll find that as you start blocking these people that the overall comments in your future videos will start to improve.

You will also get some positive stuff, of course, and even serious feedback. You’ll want to take the constructive criticism and ask yourself how you can use it to make what you’re trying to do even better. Don’t expect everything to be positive and that everyone will love you. It’s never going to happen.

Take in what people say, discard that which does not help you, and learn from the rest. You can also check out my Top YouTube Tips eBook for more information to help you be successful on the popular video site.