The Troll Tax: How I Turned ‘Rage-Bait’ into a 125% Visibility Boost
As a web designer and digital strategist, I’ve been navigating the “wild west” of the internet for over 28 years. I started my internet marketing career in 1998 and launched a all-female roller derby league, South Side Roller Derby in 2006 in the era of Yahoo Groups and MySpace. Let me tell you—the trolls haven’t changed, only their platforms have.
The 20-Year Evolution of a Target
The first “cancellation” attempt happened before most modern skaters had even laced up. When I founded South Side in 2006, I was targeted on a popular Yahoo Group for roller derby. Because my background was as a Figure Skater, the critics were relentless. They said I’d ruin the sport and that a Figure Skater
couldn’t possibly understand the hard-hitting, physical reality of roller derby.
Then came 2020. During the COVID era, we faced a different kind of heat. While many leagues shut down indefinitely, we stayed the course. We followed the Texas mandates for those initial six weeks—but the second those mandates lifted, we were back on the track. We didn’t require vaccines, and we didn’t require masks.
The trolls went into overdrive. We were called “super spreaders,” “horrible people,” and accused of “putting lives at risk” just for keeping our business open and our community moving. We were the target of every name in the book for anyone who dared to breathe unfiltered air. But we stayed open, and our athletes stayed training.
Now, in 2026, we’ve hit a new trigger point: Being a female-only sports league. Who would have thought in 2006 that simply existing for women and girls would be the next big “controversial” stance?
The Experiment: From ‘Delete’ to ‘Hide’
For decades, my reaction to trolls was the same: Delete and Block. I didn’t want the negativity on my page. But this time, I decided to run an experiment. I wanted to see what would happen if I used the trolls as a free marketing engine instead of just shutting them out.
Instead of deleting the comments, I played with the “Hide” feature.
The Strategy: The ‘Invisible Shield’
Before I started, I took one vital safety step: I turned off my Reviews and Recommendations. Trolls are predictable. When they realize they can’t win the argument on the post, they head straight for your star rating to tank your business reputation. I put my reputation in a vault where they couldn’t touch it before the “raid” even started.
Then, I let the comments roll.
- The Trolls thought they were being heard.
- The Public saw a clean, professional page because the nastiness was hidden from everyone but the troll and their friends.
- The Algorithm saw the activity. Interestingly, it didn’t take thousands of people to trigger the spike. It only took about 20 to 30 angry comments to signal to Facebook that this post was “high velocity.”
The Results: 125% Growth & Real Conversions
Even with a small group of trolls, the algorithm flagged the post as “viral” and pushed my content to nearly 14,000 people. That surge in engagement acted as a rising tide that lifted every other post and ad on our page.
In just one day, the data was staggering:
- Total Reach: 13,800+ (a 125% increase in views).
- New Sign-ups: 8 registrations for our new class in 24 hours.
- Direct Attribution: 4 of those sign-ups were directly linked to the high-engagement traffic on our Facebook page.
The Bottom Line
I’ve survived the Yahoo Groups era, the “super spreader” accusations, and now the era of “outrage culture.” The secret to staying power isn’t avoiding the heat—it’s learning how to use it to power your business.
Don’t fear the trolls. If you have the right “invisible shield” in place, their rage is just an unpaid advertising budget. While they were busy typing those 30 comments, 14,000 new pairs of eyes were looking at my brand.
Work With a Strategist Who Goes Against the Grain
I specialize in Disruptor Businesses. If your brand goes against the grain, challenges the status quo, or refuses to follow the “politically correct” path of your industry, you need more than just a web designer. You need a strategist who knows how to build an invisible shield around your reputation while using the noise to fuel your growth.
Ready to grow without compromise?
Let’s talk: www.eyeappealdesign.com