Controversy is something that attracts people’s curiosity. It is the reason why
magazines and newspapers still sell, even though the Internet has made them
redundant. It is a good way of getting a lot of attention pointed towards your
blog. It is also a good way of making your blog a little easier (and fun) to
read. Many blogs are sterile and are trying to please the masses. They very
rarely have an edge or a voice. If your blog is controversial then you are not
pandering to the masses, and therefore you blog has an edge.
How is being
controversial a good thing?
People are more likely to
comment on things that they have feelings towards. Controversial topics are
often controversial because people have feelings for the issues. There are
often moral, spiritual and lifestyle issues that are wrapped with controversy.
If you choose controversial topics then more people will pay attention to your
blog. There is a chance that more people will read about it, and a bigger
chance that people will talk about it with others, blog about it, post on
social media about it, and link to it.
Your comment sections may
also become the host of a discussion forum. These conversations may often
spiral out of control so that your comment section becomes awash with abuse,
but this is a risk that you take when you write about controversial topics.
Nevertheless, you are more likely to have more people comment if you write
about controversial topics.
Negative
attention often comes through you taking a side (being biased)
Please remember that it is
your right to take a side. Taking a side on an issue is going to upset people
with differing opinions, but this is no reason to cower down to their will. You
will probably receive a lot of negative attention if you take a side on an
issue, but that is the risk you take when you write about controversial topics.
Isn’t
controversy a bad or evil thing?
Controversy does not have to
be intrinsically good or evil. There are some controversial topics that have
very good arguments on both sides. Quite often, it is the people arguing about
the controversial topics that cause the problems. A reasoned debate is a good
thing, but quite often with controversial topics, you will see a lot of
extremist arguers coming into the argument.
For example, many people
consider the abortion issue to be controversial. There are many arguments from
free choice groups, religious groups, and pro-life groups. One side may argue
that terminating life before it has had a chance to live is wrong, and others
may argue that children are forced to suffer if people do not have the right to
choose. However, you will then attract the extremists who will say that it is
the states right to choose, or extremists that will show fake graphics of how
abortions are performed, with gruesome (and not realistic/accurate) diagrams.
This is the sort of thing that gives controversy a bad name.
Can
choosing controversial topics be bad for your blog?
It can give your
blog a bad name. Even if you are even-handed in your blog posts, there are
always people who are going to dislike you for not taking their side. Some
people feel that anyone who does not vehemently agree with them is a fool, and
you will anger this type of person with your post. You may lose them as a
viewer, but you may also incur their wrath. They will post offensive things on
your blog comment section, and they may write bad things about your blog (or
you) on other websites and on social media.
You will also
find that if you create a post that favors one argument over another, then you
will lose viewers. You will lose the people who disagree with you, as they will
not wish to read or support a blog that disagrees with their feelings on the
chosen subject.
Sometimes, bad
publicity is good publicity. You may find that people who do not like your blog
will link to your blog in order to show people what a “fool” you are. This will
send more people to your blog than you may have otherwise had.
Bio: Kate Funk coaches individuals in SEO and business networking
skills at rushtutor.com and a Guest blogger of Review at 8