The Pros and Cons of Controversial Blog Posts
Whether you are a veteran or rookie, every blogger realizes that it can be tough to get noticed. According to Hat trick Associates, there are approximately 450 million “active” English language blogs in existence. This number certainly varies, and chances are a blogger is not interested in writing about every single topic blogs are centered around, but this is beside the point. There are a lot of blogs and therefore there is a lot of competition. For this reason, it seems as though people will do anything just to get noticed. We first saw this in the world of celebrities, but I am beginning to see this is the world of blogging.
A great way to get noticed on a blog is to write a controversial article, and if you can have a worked up, passionate voice in there somewhere, well then all the better. As somewhat of an introvert, having such a loud opinion about anything controversial is not my style. There are of course things that get me fired up, but I leave most of those heated topics to the professional debaters. Why? For a few reasons:
Controversial Posts are Risky
- I don’t want to turn readers away. A controversial topic often means I would offend 50% of those reading the post.
- I don’t want mean comments left on my blog. This can not only be hurtful, but cause my blog to turn into a ground for arguments.
- I don’t want to write on a controversial subject that I know little about, just for the sake of writing the article. This will produce bad content every time.
- I don’t want to scare away advertisers. Advertisers have to be very careful about what kinds of websites they endorse and utilize; one with a hostile tone would not bode well.
Most would agree that these are valid reasons to play it safe when it comes to blogging. After all, creating a successful blog is about capturing an audience and putting out engaging content, not scaring people into thinking bloggers now need a background check. However, I couldn’t deny the fact that controversial topics are certainly engaging. Many bloggers purposely write controversial topics for a few reasons:
Controversial Posts are Beneficial
- You do want passion to come through on your blog. Passionate people are exciting, and in most cases these people know what they’re talking about. For this reason, more people will want to read your blog (I have found even the most boring of topics—business phone systems, CRM software, etc.—can be made interesting by a passionate voice).
- You do want people to link back to your site. Many people who read a controversial piece will link back to it in order to craft their own rebuttal.
- You do want a regular audience. If you’re continually writing controversial pieces, you’re more likely to get the group of people who likes these posts hooked. If you write generic pieces, people might visit less regularly.
Although this may seem a bit overwhelming, blogging is really just like anything else—no risk, no reward. When deciding whether or not to take an article in a controversial direction, consider the type of articles you typically enjoy writing, and perhaps look into PR, not just marketing style PR, but reputation PR such as what Michael Fertik speaks on. Some people are generally more comfortable coming up with the facts and writing articles to help others. Other people are more comfortable writing out what they believe and debating it with other passionate writers. The important thing to remember is that you should never try to write something controversial. Write the way you write, and then you will draw in the perfect audience.
Photo Credit: stemresources.com
I write a lifestyle blog so it’s not really the right forum for controversial topics. My fear sometimes however is that people will see me as “fluffy”. I’m an intelligent girl with a tough job who does think and have strong opinions about politics, the economy and local hotly debated issues. But my blog is a party, it’s my fun time. It’s about things I love in dining, home decor and fashion. I have no desire to be the Huffington Post of Hawaii. It’s a creative release. I do write about some issues which are related to lifestyle and shopping…my concern over big box black friday gimmicks causing mob issues and obvious bait and switch practices but I’m careful not to insult anyone, especially my local owned retailers who I love to support.
Lifestyle blogs can receive nasty comments too though…I’ve seen more than my share on apartment therapy. I’ve seen many a post turn into controversial on AT which I’m sure wasn’t the intent. Debates over books versus ereaders have turned down right nasty (I say why choose?! No one said you had to do just one!!) . The original post? Look at this beautiful ways to display your book collection. Design sponge will also get some even though there is nothing controversial about their beautiful and artful posts. The green brigade or eco groups can also take offense to certain shopping posts which don’t appeal to their own beliefs. I haven’t received any of these yet but it’s because my readership is still quite small (~100 views/day) and is likely comprised primarily of people who know me and therefore like me….I think.
I feel as you do. I am aware of how much I don’t know and don’t choose to write a business or political blog because I don’t feel I have the time to do the research necessary to do an informed post. It’s my hobby, it’s something I do instead of staring vacantly at the screen after getting home from work.
Great post!
Great information! I think you bring up a good point–even blogs that aren’t supposed to be controversial can turn into being controversial. It’s unfortunate when this happens, but it’s good to always be on your toes and ready to discuss opposing viewpoints. I say, however, that if you want to have a fun blog, then there is nothing wrong with stopping some controversial comments. You can leave them, but remind people what the post is supposed to be about.
Nonetheless, I’m glad things are going well for you! It’s always good to have a clear vision of what your want your blog to be and where you want it to go.
@mauishopgirl
I think if a blog is geared towards “conversations” that aren’t the norm are fine for topics like this, but it’s not my style. I am pretty straight-forward, but not to the degree where I put off readers for the sake of sounding “stupid”.
There is a huge price to pay from blogs geared towards topics that might bring rude or hateful comments. I think it will just give some people the excuse to bring unwanted “drama” to your blog and that is never worth it. Always be yourself, but be tactful and professional as well because you never know who may or may not understand your tone behind your statements. Good post Amanda!
@Sonia (Sunnnee) I would have to agree! Thanks so much for reading!
Useful tips for every blogger especially newbies like me. I agree with this article and thanks for sharing with us:)
Hi, Amanda. I’d like to throw in my cent’s worth. Nothing in this world is never controversial. Everything simply has a plus and minus side to it–pretty much like the Force (LOL!). To publish something at all is already risky because of that fact. To create controversy, especially artificial controversy simply raises the risks. I think balanced writing (i.e., equal treatment of the pluses and minuses) is more like it, and just leave the intense debate to the vocal and highly opinionated readers. But, that’s just me.
@AndroidTidbits (Tossing in my 2 cents as well) I think there’s some truth to this. A post itself isn’t controversial until someone reacts to it. However, I do like inciting that, if possible. After all, it’s what has allowed the publishing world to succeed all of these years. No media outlet would be anything if it did not instigate reactions (both positive and negative).
Hey, @Tia Peterson ! Thanks for your 2 cents. Now we have 3 cents in total. Haha! Unlike you, I’m not naturally gifted for inciting controversy. But, if ever you do have some tips on how to incite controversy without making the deed look deliberate, I’d love to know.
I think both you and Tia are totally correct. Everything does have a plus and a minus, so bloggers shouldn’t get held up thinking about whether or not their post is controversial. It should just happen! Creating artificial controversy, however, is an entirely different story. This is what bloggers should worry about (in my opinion).
Thanks so much for the great comment!@AndroidTidbits
Hi, I’ve recently discovered this site and am slowly going through the last few posts. I’ve found a lot of interesting bloggers here and have been a blogger myself, on and off, since ‘days of yonder’. I’ve had personal blogs, a feminist blog, travel blog, news blog and currently I’m writing a fiction blog. What I find most important, keeps my interest in blogging AND keeps my readers interested, is being genuine. It doesn’t matter to me how many regular readers I have or how many clicks my site gets, as long as I’m writing for myself, because I want to, need to and feel like it. As soon as you start thinking too much about what will appeal to the readers, what they might think, wheter they get upset or disagree – then you’ve lost something. So my advise is always: ‘Write for yourself’, controversal or not, doesn’t matter. As a journalist I understand that sometimes you need to write about things you have little interest in or even an opinion, but that’s when it’s important to dive into the subject and find YOUR enthusiasm for it, your personal take on things is what counts. Don’t worry about getting noticed, worry about being genuine.
Great advice! It’s nice to hear an opinion from your personal experiences. I agree with you 100% @MissyBlueEyes
Controversy has nothing to do with this. My interest is more on valuable topic which concern the masses.Thank you for sharing your thoughts with us.Keep the good work up!
While controversial topics are definitely more engaging, you don’t want to come across as “starting a fight.” I agree with you – there are pros and cons to both sides!
I like the idea of writing controversial posts, it can really make your readers be always interested in your blog. All readers should always wonder what post will be the next
Amanda,
I think you nailed it in saying “The important thing to remember is that you should never try to write something controversial.”
I am not controversial at all. I am so much a middle of the road type of person that I bore myself at times, lol. So if my reader saw something on my blog that created controversy they may think I was trying to fool them or desperate for attention. Although, I am starting to give my opinion more, many times there is still many that believe that is not controversial.
If you are going to be controversial (often) then start off that way as to not throw people off.
~Allie
I’m the same way! I just don’t have that serious tone that is sometimes necessary when discussing controversial topics. I began to wonder whether or not I was doing my brand a disservice by being to “safe,” but quickly realized you can’t try and be something you’re not. Like you said…that would totally throw people off. @AllieRambles
I am the same way! I just don’t have that serious tone that is sometimes needed when discussing a controversial topic. I began to wonder if I was doing my brand a disservice by being too “safe,” but quickly realized you can’t try to be something you’re not. Like you said, it will throw people off. @AllieRambles
I think a bit of controversy is a good thing. There are always 2 perspectives to any subject, and therefore controversy should not be avoided when it comes to blogging. However, being controversial just be a jerk is ineffective (doing what you listed under the risks), and will paint you as such. Opposing viewpoints or controversial topics should be within good taste, depending on the platform. And personal attacks and insults should be barred from any conversation – verbal or written.
I completely agree. A big reason I wrote this article was because I felt like some people would try to be controversial to get a reaction. It seems like common sense, but I think those “look at me” articles are more common than we realize!
Nonetheless, most bloggers understand the art of tastefulness and can handle healthy disagreements. @onhighheelzPR
There is a thin line separating controversial topics and debatable topics. I think that its better to take one side on a debatable topic in the post and support the other side in the comments
Yeah, that is a controversial comment! 
I would have to agree with you. I never feel that “seeking out” controversial subjects is the best idea, but let them happen naturally. I think people will respect you for stating your opinion, but not for forcing something down someone’s throat. It doesn’t have to be risky…just edit your work and be smart!
I think it’s not only wise, it’s essential to be an individual, and that inevitably leads to controversy, since no two individuals think alike all of the time. I don’t suggest that bloggers seek out controversy, but they should let it happen when it does. I’ve seen some bloggers become well known after posts that ended up being controversial even though that wasn’t the goal.
@Tia Peterson That is true. There are times bloggers simply state an opinion they think may not spark opposition but it does. I watch my words carefully because words can take on a different meaning in others’ heads.
~Allie
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