Controversy is Not a Rule of Blogging

By on October 16, 2006 in Blog Coach, Conversations with 9 Comments

Controversy may attract attention, but commonality keeps the attention.

There are those who believe that controversy is an unwritten rule of blogging. I’ve been getting questions about writing posts for the sake of controversy. Bad idea.

Frankly, business blogging itself may still be a controversy (it is in Iowa). Your goal shouldn’t be to start a firestorm, but to ignite a community.

In an effort to get on Digg, some clients are considering writing controversial blog posts as a tactic for success. Be passionate. Be provocative. Take a stand. But the goals for any business blogger should be:

  1. Engage in Conversation
  2. Establish a Community of Customers and Collaborators
  3. Engage in Commerce

Stick with stimulating, thought-provoking posts and you’ll find yourself building a community of readers that stick. Igniting controversy may find a spark of instant readership, but is it sustainable?

To borrow some of Mark Stevens, "Rules are for schools, Results are for business people."  -  "Purposeful Controversy is for talk radio. Passionate Conversation is for business blogging."

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  • http://www.qaqna.com/ Tom Vander Well

    Amen, Mike! You knocked this one out of the park. Conversation – not controversy – is the genius of blogging!

  • http://getanewbrowser.com Andy Brudtkuhl

    You should also think about sticking with your audience. You shouldn’t write something controversial just to get on digg when it may alienate your faithful readers. It’s not worth being on Digg, believe me.

  • http://www.converstations.com Mike Sansone

    Thanks Tom.
    I agree Andy – and that goes for search engines in many ways too, yes? We should be writing for our audience first and last. Everything else will fall into place just right if we do such.

  • http://www.msco.com/ Mark Stevens

    Well, I agree that controversy for the sake of controversy is dumb, but when you take a stand and build a community around that stand, those on the other side of your opinion see you as “the enemy” and attack.
    I am the most hated man on Madison Avenue. Why? Because my opinion of what that proverbial street stands for makes them wildly angry. So passionate opinions, like mine, are often seen as fire bombs when they are intended to be nothing more than passionate opinions.
    Mark Stevens
    CEO, MSCO http://www.MSCO.com

  • http://www.converstations.com Mike Sansone

    Mark, Thanks for chiming in. Being an avid reader of your books and blog, I’d think you’re just telling the truth. Can that be controversial? Yep (and you’re experiencing that), but it’s not controversy for the sake of controversy.
    Stay contagious! You’re truthful message is needed.

  • http://www.servantofchaos.com Gavin Heaton

    As you point out, bloggers are generally more interested in conversation than readership. This means the goal of blogging is to provoke conversation … not to build a larger soapbox for our own opinions.
    I particularly love Mark’s quote – “results are for business people”. Particularly relevant given the debate around the Wharton business school’s recent report on blogging.

  • http://www.converstations.com Mike Sansone

    Yes, Gavin…I’d rather a thought-provoking, concious-prickling conversation than just a rant for the sake of a Digg.
    If we’re thinking of the same Wharton report (?), I’m still stunned at what I read.
    Cheers to the gadfly who tells the truth.

  • http://www.servantofchaos.com Gavin Heaton

    Mike … that’s the one! And we wonder why marketers have a bad name! In one way it has given us all a kick in the pants — it is easy to preach to the converted (bloggers to blog readers) but we also need to reach out to others who are on the periphery and bring them into the conversation.

  • http://www.facebook.com/people/Don-Warren/100002069320596 Don Warren

    Controversy can get you some short-term publicity but it’s good quality blogging that gets you loyal return visitors. Good paid surveys

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