Controversy can be fantastic for an online community (I consider a blog to fall into this category), just as long as it doesn’t get out of hand. The rewards are high, but so are the potential risks!

- Martin Reed

Controversy can be fantastic for an online community (I consider a blog to fall into this category), just as long as it doesn’t get out of hand. The rewards are high, but so are the potential risks!

- Martin Reed

btw, design comment — I like your pull quotes — however, I think you overused them. Two would’ve been enough.

btw, design comment — I like your pull quotes — however, I think you overused them. Two would’ve been enough.

“Openness is a two-edged sword. Sometimes you can share too much and put off the very readers you were wanting to get closer to”

and I’d add: “…and sometimes you find out too late that you have been too open and have gotten closer to readers you didn’t want to get close to.”

I think it boils down to one word: Discernment.

I work on it constantly:)

“Openness is a two-edged sword. Sometimes you can share too much and put off the very readers you were wanting to get closer to”

and I’d add: “…and sometimes you find out too late that you have been too open and have gotten closer to readers you didn’t want to get close to.”

I think it boils down to one word: Discernment.

I work on it constantly:)

But, for a blog that is business-related? I would do my best to avoid these topics. If I did mention them, I’d try to do so in a value-neutral way.

But, again, it really depends on your audience and your blogging goals. To use offline situations as an example: you might discuss religion and politics with your friends at every opportunity, but you likely wouldn’t discuss these things while at lunch with a client. When you’re thinking about writing about controversial topics on your blog, think about your audience. Are you at the pub with your friends, or are you having lunch with a client?

But, for a blog that is business-related? I would do my best to avoid these topics. If I did mention them, I’d try to do so in a value-neutral way.

But, again, it really depends on your audience and your blogging goals. To use offline situations as an example: you might discuss religion and politics with your friends at every opportunity, but you likely wouldn’t discuss these things while at lunch with a client. When you’re thinking about writing about controversial topics on your blog, think about your audience. Are you at the pub with your friends, or are you having lunch with a client?

Seth Godin’s good at discussing politics as an example in a neutral way, although if you’re careful you can (I think) glean his point of view. But he talks about political marketing the same way he talks about marketing of any other product, and that seems to work fine. Then again, Godin doesn’t allow comments.

The big trouble with discussing religion, IMO, is the possibility of saying something that’s ill-informed or misleading about someone else’s faith. Discussing one’s own religion is much safer territory, though it can sometimes seem oddly off-topic to me.

Seth Godin’s good at discussing politics as an example in a neutral way, although if you’re careful you can (I think) glean his point of view. But he talks about political marketing the same way he talks about marketing of any other product, and that seems to work fine. Then again, Godin doesn’t allow comments.

The big trouble with discussing religion, IMO, is the possibility of saying something that’s ill-informed or misleading about someone else’s faith. Discussing one’s own religion is much safer territory, though it can sometimes seem oddly off-topic to me.

One time, I went a little too far, and lost a few readers. I think you have to ask the question:

“Who do I want to read my blog?”

If that includes only people with similar religious or political beliefs then say whatever you want to say, otherwise keeping quiet is the best option. On the other hand, if it is controversial enough you will get tons of traffic and that could ultimately help your blog.

I quite often struggle with this issue. If I had it to do over again, I would have made a decision about this up front.

PS. I do have a political humor blog that I haven’t done much with in the last year, and I mention anything I want to on it. Maybe I should work on that again… it was fun.

One time, I went a little too far, and lost a few readers. I think you have to ask the question:

“Who do I want to read my blog?”

If that includes only people with similar religious or political beliefs then say whatever you want to say, otherwise keeping quiet is the best option. On the other hand, if it is controversial enough you will get tons of traffic and that could ultimately help your blog.

I quite often struggle with this issue. If I had it to do over again, I would have made a decision about this up front.

PS. I do have a political humor blog that I haven’t done much with in the last year, and I mention anything I want to on it. Maybe I should work on that again… it was fun.

What wonderful ‘hard’ issues you tackle!

To speak or not to speak (about religion or politics) …

that is the question.

It’s a bit of a tight-rope, isn’t it?

We all have a constitutional right to believe what we choose in both religion and politics.

And we also have a right to speak what we think/believe. So, we’re being quite ‘political’ to discern when, if and how much we’ll talk about religion and politics, right?

In a broader sense, isn’t everything political?

All things being equal, I much prefer to work with a client I like than to work with someone who’s a real dud, pessimist or anything else I find yuky. Wouldn’t you?

To wax philosophical for a moment, I find it sad for anyone to have to be disingenuine, in order to NOT offend those who might adversely affect our income.

This presupposes that one will be tasteful; not bamblasting, accusing or cursing another’s POV toward religion or politics … but rather, simply stating what they think/believe and why.

However, most people most of the time are not mature or evolved enough to allow for this kind of discourse.

For example, taken to the farthest extent in religious differences, one could say:

My God’s better than your god. And if you disagree with me … that means I can kill you.

I, personally, think both of these issues are totally man-made- up, in order to keep the bleating sheep in line. (Ooops, I made a statement that some may disagree with.)

It’s all nuts to me. We live in a world where the sane are crazy and the crazy are really sane, IMO.

Try to make sense of it, and it’ll drive you crazy … IMO. In fact, I talked about all of this in my book, “The Wacko From Waco.” (Amazon or bn.com)

Truthfully, though, I’m struggling with the same kinds of questions for my own copywriting blog.

Do I just keep prattling on and on about copywriting … or do I talk about BIGGER things??

If a copywriter doesn’t think deeply and observes everything around them … who’d want to hire them anyway?

Excellent questions, Chris. And I still don’t know the answers!

Ciao,

Carolyn
http://www.kickasscopywriter.com

What wonderful ‘hard’ issues you tackle!

To speak or not to speak (about religion or politics) …

that is the question.

It’s a bit of a tight-rope, isn’t it?

We all have a constitutional right to believe what we choose in both religion and politics.

And we also have a right to speak what we think/believe. So, we’re being quite ‘political’ to discern when, if and how much we’ll talk about religion and politics, right?

In a broader sense, isn’t everything political?

All things being equal, I much prefer to work with a client I like than to work with someone who’s a real dud, pessimist or anything else I find yuky. Wouldn’t you?

To wax philosophical for a moment, I find it sad for anyone to have to be disingenuine, in order to NOT offend those who might adversely affect our income.

This presupposes that one will be tasteful; not bamblasting, accusing or cursing another’s POV toward religion or politics … but rather, simply stating what they think/believe and why.

However, most people most of the time are not mature or evolved enough to allow for this kind of discourse.

For example, taken to the farthest extent in religious differences, one could say:

My God’s better than your god. And if you disagree with me … that means I can kill you.

I, personally, think both of these issues are totally man-made- up, in order to keep the bleating sheep in line. (Ooops, I made a statement that some may disagree with.)

It’s all nuts to me. We live in a world where the sane are crazy and the crazy are really sane, IMO.

Try to make sense of it, and it’ll drive you crazy … IMO. In fact, I talked about all of this in my book, “The Wacko From Waco.” (Amazon or bn.com)

Truthfully, though, I’m struggling with the same kinds of questions for my own copywriting blog.

Do I just keep prattling on and on about copywriting … or do I talk about BIGGER things??

If a copywriter doesn’t think deeply and observes everything around them … who’d want to hire them anyway?

Excellent questions, Chris. And I still don’t know the answers!

Ciao,

Carolyn
http://www.kickasscopywriter.com