Use Controversy to Drive Traffic to Your Blog … Without Using Tabloid Tactics
This is a guest post by Catie Keeler. Catie is the primary researcher and writer for mortgagerates.info and her current focus for the site involves 15 year mortgage rates.
Creating compelling content is a great way to get traffic to your site. One of the best ways to create compelling content is to write about a controversy or to take a controversial stance on an issue.
When done poorly, however, delving into controversy can lead you to using tabloid-style tactics such as making exaggerated claims just for shock value or insinuating things that aren’t true just to get noticed.
There is a way to use controversy to pull in readers without having to use these kinds of tabloid-style tactics. Here’s how:
1. Deliver on Your Promises.
How many headlines have you seen like this: “Find out how AdSense might be killing your blog!” or “5 reasons you should stop using Twitter”? Then you read the article and find out the author is actually promoting AdSense and Twitter.
Many writers use controversial headlines or claims to draw readers in, but then present a totally different argument. It’s a bait-and-switch, and once your readers figure out what you’re doing, they’ll tire of it and move on. Deliver on what you say you’re going to deliver in your headline.
2. Add Meaningful Insight.
Don’t stir up controversy just to stir it up. All you’ll manage to accomplish is participating in a giant game of “he said, she said” – perpetuating the same tired claims and arguments that have been recycled on blog after blog participating in the “debate.”
If you want to really stand out, try adding meaningful insights to the conversation. Make a new observation. Change the conversation by discussing other relevant topics or pointing out the underlying issues behind the controversy. Establish yourself as an authority and show people what they’re missing in the conversation.
3. Know When to Walk Away.
Some topics of controversy will cause more problems for you than opportunities for traffic. Participating in conversations about some topics will just make you seem desperate or sensational or petty. You may even offend some readers by bringing the discussion to your blog and giving the controversy even more air time.
Recognize when discussing a controversy will turn off your readers and walk away. Any traffic that you might get from starting such conversations will be mitigated by the blow you suffer to your reputation and your credibility with your readers.
While controversy is often a great way to draw attention to your blog and bring you more traffic, it can also damage your blog’s image if you don’t engage in it appropriately. Make sure you are adding meaningful insights to the conversation and that you are delivering on your promises. Otherwise, opt out of the conversation.
How do you handle controversy on your blog? Share your thoughts in the comments!
11 Responses to Use Controversy to Drive Traffic to Your Blog … Without Using Tabloid Tactics
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Courting controversy does not come natural for me; however, this is the third time that I have heard this suggested as a way to draw traffic to my site. Thank you, Kelly, for this timely article and three good pieces of advice to follow.
This article is quite timely, my husband keeps telling me that I should write controversial content if I want to get more traffic. “Write something that will start a conversation, not just another how to tutorial”, he says.
I’m yet to try it, although first I need to feel comfortable with having a debate with my readers
Very good post. As they say, “any publicity is good publicity”. I think controversies attract more audiences and this offers a great opportunity to the writer to promote whatever he wants to promote.
Zain recently posted…Top 10 Best National Parks in the World
Hi Kelly,
Great post – And yes – I do agree… You don’t necessary have to take a controversial stance on an issue, you can always have a controversial topic or name of the article or post. This too makes for intriguing and interesting stimulation to the reader and can compel them to follow through to read the article and even elaborate or share socially etc.
Hi Catie and Kelly,
If most people are like me who can’t resist clicking on a post with an intriguing headline, then I agree that using controversy is a surefire way of driving traffic to one’s blog.
People are naturally curious and after having a taste of the appetizer and liking it, will want to get to the main dish.
The trick is to know the balance between using controversy that will start a meaningful conversation or stir up a sleeping nest of something that will prove to be harmful in the end.
Very good advice!
Theresa Torres recently posted…Famous People Who Have Gone Bankrupt
Yes, I agree, Controversy is the good way to bring traffic to our blog but sometimes it creates annoying situations. Controversy should be held in our blog but it would be better if we deal it amusingly without having bash or anything else between our visitors. A healthy discussion would cause people to come again to our blog.
Hi Kelly,
Great post and controversy is not used enough to help people and businesses stand out. But, as you point in number 2 you have to add something meaningful.
Case in point, I was lucky enough to be able to interview Frank Eliason, he of @comcastcares and one of the originators of social media customer service, the other day on my blog about his new book and he made (and makes in his book) a controversial statement: why customer service in social media is a failure (http://www.adrianswinscoe.com/blog/positivelysocial-and-why-customer-service-in-social-media-is-a-failure-interview-with-frank-eliason/). However, he backs it up with clear insight into what he thinks companies should doing to get better and what they should focus on.
Adrian
Adrian Swinscoe recently posted…Sponsored Video: You have to create a social business today – Burberry
hey kelly,
Great post!
And according to my opinion too the headline matters a lot cause that is what catches one’s gaze and compels us to read the post eventually out of curiosity. Plus posting about relevant and and most searched topics is another good way to increase your readership.
Prateek recently posted…7 Best Ways to Optimize your Wifi at Home
I have to admit that I might spend an hour writing a post and 20 seconds thinking of a title for it. Would it make a good test by renaming a post with a title like you suggest and see if it gets more traffic?
Jason recently posted…Should Christians Let Their Kids Believe in Santa Claus?
I hate bait and switch articles. They seem to be getting more popular lately. I have even been tempted to go to the dark side thinking that, though I hate them, they were at least effective. But how effective, in the long run, is insulting your reader’s intelligence?
I think an effective blog must aim for long term gains instead of short term froth…. the froth always flattens out (weird metaphor?)
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