Blog Ideas: The Risks of Courting Controversy

Every day new bloggers enter the blogosphere, and each one has what he or she assumes is a great new blogging idea. But the fact of the matter is that there are now so many bloggers out there, it can be tough to come up with an original idea or slant on blogging, whether you simply want to blog about your own life and your adventures or you want to blog about something specific (also known as niche blogging).

The competition is fierce. How are you going to attract first time and returning readers to your blog? In order to distinguish your blog from all of the other blogs floating around out there in the blogosphere, it is important to try to come up with your own spin on the topic(s) about which you are blogging.

Look around at the blogs that are already out there. If you have an idea for a blog, you may want to type in your idea into your favorite search engine to see which blogs already exist that focus on this same topic.  Can you add something new to the ongoing conversation about this topic? Do you have a fresh spin, an exciting voice, a new way of examining the same subject that has not been covered before by other bloggers? In other words, what do you bring to the table in terms of original ideas and a unique way of expressing yourself?

Do you want to write in a humorous tone or a serious one, a casual/conversational tone or a more formal tone? (Your subject matter naturally plays a strong role in determining the tone you will want to use in your blog posts.) Look at what is working for other bloggers. Check out the comments they are receiving (if they accept comments). Comments can be very revealing. If a particular blogger is really striking a chord with his or her audience, he or she will likely be receiving a lot of comments.

One factor to consider is whether or not you might be willing to take a controversial approach to a specific topic. If you choose to blog about a topic that is intrinsically controversial in its own right, or if you decide to take a controversial approach to a topic, then you will likely attract readers and comments.

Be prepared, however, because a lot of people may not like what you have to say, and they will likely not be shy about telling you so. (People really let their guard down when commenting on the Internet because they can do so anonymously and often without consequences.) You may also want to use a pen name or a designated “blog identity,” if you decide to start a blog about a controversial topic or if you decide to assume a controversial stance in your blogging.