Salacious Titles, Controversial Content, and Maintaining Credibility

I love to write headlines.  Loud, in your face, attention grabbing headlines. But most of the time I don’t.  It is rare that they fit the kind of content I like to write, and rarer that I can back up some screaming attention grabber like “Panda Bear Meat to Supplant Beef in 2012” with a story that actually merits that headline.

So the question is do you court controversy and link bait or do you avoid it?

I think the answer here is more subtle than bloggers often want it to be.   Like many things you want to see this as a complex issue and there are times when it is valuable to go big and times when it is better to stay within yourself and write the post and headline that reflects a more modest approach.

Before I get too deep into this next section, I want to apologize for the obscene amount of blogger name dropping.  I know all of these blogger names might be confusing to those new to blogging, but I think its worth laying out a little bit of a blogging landscape to understand how controversy has been used in the past and how its effected some established blogs.

This is a strategy that is often written about and I would like to bring you some of what has already been written on the subject of controversy and how it could effect your blog.

Arguments in Favor of Controversy

My friend Andrew Kolyvas has said of Controversy that “it solved (his) traffic problem.”  And that working with controversial material is the “tactic that works above all others.” What he sees in the strategy is the possibility for:

• Quick spikes in traffic
• Link Love (if you get people talking the will want to site what they are talking about)

Most bloggers whether they are entrepreneurs, looking to make money from ads need readers to make money, even those who blog for fun don’t want the work they have done to go unnoticed.  One sure fire strategy to being noticed is to say things that cause a stir.  Penelope Trunk, a much more successful blogger than myself, has parlayed controversial blog post, like this one, into appearances on CNN.

This is a strategy whose results shouldn’t be ignored

Arguments Against

I was inspired to write this article by Seth Godin who makes a great argument about how articles with racy headlines and tweets that beg for clicks can be counter productive.  To me the basic argument against boils down to weighing your short term goals against your long term goals.

As Darren Rowse from Problogger has often emphasized blogging is not a short term practice. It takes work and time to establish readers and gain the credibility that come from being a successful blogger.

Anytime you write something you have to think not only about how popular that idea or post is going to be but also how it fits into your online presence over all.  If you write a really popular blog post but its misleading and it torpedos your credibility you may lose more than you stand to gain.

In Summation

How you choose to approach controversy seems to me to be an important and personal choice.  Not every blogger can or should be Tucker Max at the same time I don’t want people to self-censor and avoid opportunities for their writing.  As a blogger I would evaluate the importance or relevance of controversy on a case by case basis.

In other words before you break the rules try and figure out what the rules are.  Once you know how the game is played then figure out whether or not to play by them.

A Final Word on Puppy Violence

Don’t do it

My blog, North and Clark, has existed for seven months. In the last two months I have begun advising others on blogging, building traffic and using social media.

After having several similar conversations with a number of different people, I created this document for a small business that was considering starting a blog but hadn’t yet.

While this document was created for a specific client, I think the points made in this document are relevant to all small business bloggers. It should also be food for thought for bloggers who want to blog professionally.

Increased Contact: Bring you closer to your customers.

• Increased traffic to the website. A recent Hubspot study showed that businesses with blogs got an average of 55% more web traffic than ones that did not have blogs.
• A user forum. The comment sections are a perfect place for your customers to engage with each other.
• A Voice in the Blogosphere. Many who consume media are more comfortable using online sources. Its not the only way to talk to costumers but it is a way that is growing in popularity.

Support: Bolster the things you already do.

• Press Releases. Anytime that Field Trip Factory has news or is covered in the news that story can appear as text, video or audio on your blog.
• Newsletter. Companies that already have newsletters have plenty of content that can easily be turned into blog posts. While it’s good that this information is available in the letter, there is no reason content from newsletters couldn’t remain active and searchable forever in the archives of a blog.
• Social Media. You already have a Facebook page, it would be easy to use a blog to connect with that page and any other social media you might already use or plan to use in the future (i.e. Linkedin, industry specific forums, Twitter, Digg and many others).

Easy to Maintain: Build as much or as little as you need.

• Easy to Use: Blogging software is some of the most user friendly you can find.
• Inexpensive: Blog costs are extremely low.
• More For Your Money: When compared with the cost of exposure in other media, blogs offer the most reasonable start up and upkeep costs.

What are you going to write today?

Bloggers have to create content on a regular basis. We aren’t students writing papers due at the end of semester or Olympians called on to perform every four years. In blogging you must create and be creative all the time. There are many who value consistency over quality.

But, some days are more consistent than others.

We all have days when it feels like there’s nothing to write…when we’re struck with writer’s block.   Anyone can be funny, interesting or insightful sometimes or successful in a single instance, but how do you generate what you want when you want?

When I don’t have ideas I try to focus on what I do have.

Write Your Way Out of a Problem

I always have at least one of these.

Problems always get my mind going — usually in a negative way. But, exploring a problem and looking for a solution can be a great way to compose an article. If your having a problem chances are your readers have encountered that difficulty too.

Much of what I write starts out as a problem. This article starts with the problem of having to write a post and not knowing what to write on. My first post here 5 Reasons to Pay Attention to the Little Guys came from the problem of being small.

Look at your problems as opportunities.

If you are not having ideas, I bet you’re having problems. If you are having problems, I bet you’re stuck thinking about them. Why not use that energy toward composing a post. You might be lucky enough to figure a way out of your issue while writing.

If this happens don’t be discouraged.

The nice thing about problems is there will always be a new one to write through tomorrow.

I’m not qualified to write a post for Site Sketch 101.

I wondered how I could help Nicholas Cardot teach folks to be successful bloggers. As a new blogger, my success and online income is modest at best. One of the few things I have done successfully is put myself in contact with more proficient bloggers like Nicholas. When I started to write a list post the only list I could come up with was 5 reasons not to listen to me:

1. I am not an A-list blogger.
2. I have only been at this for about five months.
3. I only average about 30 visitors a day.
4. I don’t publish on my own URL for now I am stuck at northandclark.blogspot.com.
5. I haven’t made a pot of money on the internet.

But there is one thing that is useful to you about me. I need connections and, if you’re reading this, chances are you do too!

The top 5 reasons you need a friend like me.

1. You need a place to write guest posts, even a modest forum for your ideas is a new forum and can get you in front of a whole new audience.
2. You need someone to write guest posts for you. I know what a blessing it is to have someone else helping me by creating content I would guess you could some extra free content too.
3. Even a novice on the internet is going to have some tips you haven’t thought of – we’re probably dealing with a lot of the same issues.
4. As someone new to the blogging game I need connections more than the established folks do, and am likely to give you more attention.
5. The internet is a great big, lonely place, chances are, I am going through the same things you are.

In short, you probably need a Blog Buddy.

The bad news is there’s no guarantee that a fellow blogger will even talk to you, much less be your buddy. Some bloggers can’t follow up with all their feedback and comments. They are too busy, too swamped or not interested. Often even the most thoughtful, well-crafted messages are ignored.

The good news is I need blog buddies just as badly as you do. If you send me an email at northandclark@gmail.com or, better still, write me a comment on this blog I promise to check out your site and personally write you back.

Maybe we won’t be able to share content or trade links, but I am going to consider, read, and respond to every email or comment I receive.

I want to get/write links and guest posts just like you do. And if I think you’re really sharp, creative or neat I will recommend you to Nicholas and maybe you’ll be the next one writing a post on this site!

I’m not qualified to give you advice, but that sounds like a good deal to me.

A Note from Nicholas Z. Cardot: Remember when you were just starting out? I do. I remember that a lot of people disregarded me as a small fish in the big pond. I’ve determined that I won’t treat anyone like that because you never know who might be the next Darren Rowse or John Chow.

Some small-time blogger could end up being the next blogging super star so take the time to interact with every person you meet. You won’t regret it. This article is a perfect example of a new blogger who wants and needs connections. Who are you reaching out to?