Writing controversial content that some people may hate

Cristian Level X³

July 23, 2017, 8:50 am

Write the reason you're deleting this FAQ

How exactly can you stand out nowadays in terms of content if you just end up writing the same piece of information everyone dose using different words but maintaining the same "language" and the same general idea?

Well, you can try to be controversial! I'm not an advocate of writing controversial content just for the sake of being controversial and make people hate you. Far from it!

I just think there are plenty of subjects out there that you can treat differently. Write what you really think about a particular subject and not what is generally excepted in your niche, especially by main influential figures in that industries.

But by doing so you can later check specific details people hate about your idea and implement those things into your content as positive aspects. This way you will ensure that they'll go wild in the comment section, trying their best to convince you that you aren't right with big comments with loads of arguments. All of this will create traffic but most importantly will create free content!

Just do the opposite of what you would do to get people on your side.

So here are the main things you should do:

Bealive what you write and create. As I said, don't be controversial just for the sake of it, being false and not believe in what you state won't help and people will figure you out.
Have some hard facts ready, you need to have some solid proof to back your story up as much as possible. Good data, infographics, sources and everything in between.
Don't focus on one specific thing you need to have a broad approach, so multiple angles on the main idea are necessary.
You need to make sure you can find some notable people that share your views, quote them or include part of their beliefs while stating the source.

I also think it is important to note what you shouldn't do when it comes to creating such content:

Don't write such an article just to get comments and make people angry. This may be your main goal, but it shouldn't be your only goal, otherwise, the end quality will be most certainly low.
Make sure you can build a strong case for yourself. You nee to have some solid arguments to defend yourself against people once they start disproving your idea.
Don't be an amateur. You need to look professional for this to work.
Remember the fact that negative comments and negative feedback, in general, is what you are after. You don't need everyone to agree with you and this isn't the purpose of this article, if people hate it, good, it means you are doing something right, keep doing it and don't get cold feet.

So there you have it. I really believe that there isn't such a thing as bad publicity and this method of doing things is proof of that. Have the courage to state your ideas no matter how far from the mainstream they may be!

Comments

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TsuyoyRival

There are some topics that might hurt other people, so we are better not talking about it, although I always feel like something should, about faith and religion, politics, sexual preferences, and so others. The best way to avoid any confusion or misunderstanding is being very clear and respectful.

9 years ago

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kgord

I agree with the above poster. I think as long as you are respectful, you can say just about anything. Personal attacks or attacks on any sub group should be avoided, but posting on things that might not be generally accepted might be OK, as long as it is your truth.

9 years ago

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explorerx7

There are some topics that some people may not wish to hear about and some may even be offended by its existence. However, some things will have to be brought to light no matter how much some would want to be kept under the carpet. The main thing to do in this situation, it's to be factual, tell the truth, don't be disrespectful, you should not seek to bring about undue harm to anyone.

9 years ago

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Tronia

I have personally always avoided any controversial topics because it is generally not good. I prefer to focus on more neutral things. True, it might take longer to get the same amount of exposure but I believe it's the ''safer'' way. I'd hate to write a piece about some taboo topic or current issue then get a ton of hate from readers. It could potentially give me a bad reputation and if you get it, it's hard to get rid of it.

But I do agree with the general tips that you have provided. You should definitely have HARD proof prepared when posting such things because people will join your blog/site but they will argue full speed! Some won't stop even if you prove them that they're wrong, haha Writing controversial content that some people may hate

Writing controversial content that some people may hate

risky but it can pay off.

9 years ago

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coolavender

I'm an opinionated person but I have to exercise restraint when it comes to my blog. It's not that easy, but I do want an air of neutrality. It can be nice to attract traffic with a controversial post, but it can also backfire and turn a lot of people off. Just think about the impression a potential client will have when he or she sees the avalanche of hate comments on a post. I'd much rather state the facts and let the readers be the judge and attract traffic with a clickbait title.

9 years ago

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JoeMilford

I think that you hit the nail on the head head here when you said one should "exercise restraint"--there's plenty of negativity to be found out there on the internet, and I see no point in contributing to it. There are so many trolls out there who use their "platforms" nefariously, and there is no excuse to spread the cancer of negativity around.

9 years ago

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Corzhens

This happened to me in one forum yesterday. The thread was about the death of one band vocalist. All the comments were RIP or something like that. It was not my interntion to be hated but I was just being frank and honest of my opinion. I replied that some people were given the privilege of talent and fame and fortune, yet they waste their life just like that. I immediately got one DISLIKE for my comment and a long reply on the contrary. Okay, I respect that reply so I am not going to dignify it by another rebuttal. If they didn't like my opinion, it's up to them. I'd rather be honest than to be liked.... just like that.

9 years ago

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ballyhara

Yes, when you make an opinion on social sites or blogs this is a risk to take, to be disliked or criticized. I totally respect other's opinion, and if you make a question about a delicate topic, you are supposed to receive all kind of answers, some you will like them, some may not, but in the end, that was the whole idea right? to express your opinion, and doesn't mean you have to agree with the rest of the community.

9 years ago

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overcast

I have found that people who write on religion and politics often have those set of issues. You can see that posting controversial content often may cause issues. You can lose the traffic. And some people may end up telling yo how good or bad it can be for them to follow you after that. So setting the political and religious tone from the start is a good way. That's how I see things there as well.

9 years ago

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Corzhens

There is this not so popular local singer named Mocha. She turned to blogging with politics as her niche. Not really connected to the party of the country’s president but she seemed to be on the side of the president. Anyway, she got noticed because of her controversial blogs. In fact, it often speaks of fake news or wrong facts. But you know politics, you can be hated when are on the other side of the fence. Ironically, her detractors made her popular and she was appointed as an undersecretary in the information department.

9 years ago

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overcast

I think that sort of thing some of the time may work out. And some of the time it may not work. So we have to be serious about how we handle those things. And another thing is that some of the time politics can get people in trouble. And people have to be very serious on how they approach the content.

9 years ago

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iamawriter

I am famous for thinking differently and yes, you are right about making enemies when you are the odd man out (lol) As long as those who dislike what I write have nothing to do with my survival on earth I just do not bother but if it was my boss for example or the owner of a site I would think twice.

9 years ago

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arachnophobik

Amen to this, I couldn't have said it better. As someone who used to do Dark Humor writing in blogs and Youtube, these are the words I lived by. Not caring about what people think and believing in what you create. I didn't care what people would think or say, if they didn't like it then my content is not for them, I'm looking for a specific type of people. I used to say that there are only two types of negative feedback that you could get in an audience, either they're bored or they're offended. I'd rather offend them than bore them. This way they will know who I am and what I do, as compared to they don't know and they don't care.

9 years ago

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goldlady

I think that when it comes to controversial things, it is not about the topic your write about... but the way you write about, and more important... your opinion. You can write about books (something that is not controversial at all) and still hurting people with your opinions. And if you have a blog that is not so popular, that is ok. You can say whatever you want because you barely have a public. But if you have a popular blog, you definitely have to be more careful because you do have a public.

9 years ago

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overcast

I think controversial also has two sides. One that people ignore. And another where people share. So both can be good. Some if shared then that can lead to more shares. I have seen some of the way things can be done here. I personally think that controversia content should be in moderation. We can't post it all the time.

9 years ago

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jitendra0341

Yes, you are right in saying that some people write abusive and controversial content that spread hate among others. This practice nowadays has been common. People seek popularity by this type of activities. The best example of this is movies celebrity are often fall prey to such type of attack by spam mongers. These people try to mutilate the image of celebrity to make themselves instant hit by wrong way.

9 years ago

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joegirl

I think there has to be a careful delicate balance with regards to this. As much as we may want to create sensation with our topic, there is a line. As a rule, if the topic is regarding race or sexual orientation or religion, I do not post. People are very sensitive to these issues and with good reasons too.

9 years ago

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rosethornes

There is nothing wrong with controversial topic as long as you know what you are talking about and your stating it clearly. People can be very sensitive when it comes to their religion, sexual preferences and politics. They will just spread hateful words when they saw flaws in your topic or things that's not favorable with their belief.

9 years ago

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goldlady

Well, I agree with the people who say that you can talk almost about ANYTHING and not giving people reasons to be ofended if you do it with respect. Blogs and social media in general are spaces to express ourselfs. Still, if what you want is to have a big public... I know it sounds kind of sad, but people only supports people who tell them what they want to hear.

9 years ago

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PedroP

Indeed it's true. Most people will outright disregard your opinion unless it matches theirs. That is why I think it's important to stay loyal to your ideals. This way you can confront those who don't agree with you and maybe even convince some people to agree with you.

9 years ago

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JoeMilford

PedroP,

I think that you are correct that people just tend to gravitate towards those who have their same points of view--and you do have to hold your ground. I appreciate that you also point out that argument is also about possible persuasion and compromise, and I think the internet is an incredible place to learn this and to use it.

9 years ago

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PedroP

Indeed! Personally i try to listen to all opinions before i either agree or disagree with them. But most people are
not like that. Still you are right about the
internet. It's a wonderfulplace
to learn and share opinions.

9 years ago

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JoeMilford

I was a college English professor for over a decade, Pedrop, and there were so many times that I had to moderate, navigate, and dispense possible controversial issues in the classroom and with reactions to classroom content in literature. Things can get pretty heated, so I always tried to take these moments as teachable opportunities to keep everyone's minds open to the experiences of others. It can be pretty hard to do so.

9 years ago

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PinkTurtle

I used to be really opinionated and controversial in my blog but after a while I notice I was losing followers and people, so I stopped, and now I try to be as neutral as my opinionated writing can be. Because yes, I like writing my opinion but I don’t like losing followers either so I try to restrict myself a little bit with it now.

9 years ago

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limberg

Thank you for such a great share! I've noticed a lot of posts on social media lately that has been making my blood boil. Some of these articles even made me comment. Now I realized that it's such a smart marketing tool because it gets people engaged (although in a negative way for some). Being controversial usually gets a lot of attention.

I think topics about politics and religion are hot right now when it comes to controversy. But health topics, tech, sports, and business could also be made into something controversial.

I'm going to try and make something that others can disagree about and I'll give you the results later on. Thanks again!

9 years ago

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Pixie06

Writing controversial topics are normally more interesting as they open the way for some very good debates. However sometimes some topics might hurt others. I have seen things like that happening. I usually like it when people disagree with me as we can debate about our views and this also helps me to learn about many things. I have seen that such topics actually attract readers.

9 years ago

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ksundisk9

Well Some times the truth does hurt, and if you keep you topics general it may cause less trouble, but I strongly believe that the truth must be told, but the problem is the truth bothers those that have made big money from promoting lies, there is absolutely a filter on the truth, it's sad to see a world where speaking the truth can get you into trouble.

9 years ago

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SimplyD

When it comes to topics that I will submit, I am very careful. I choose it in such a way that I think of how people will react to it - positively or negatively. I am also careful with the words that I choose, as well as expressing my opinion.
In expressing opinions I always start with "in my opinion" so everyone who reads it will understand that it is just my opinion.
Besides, I don't delve into topics I cannot relate.
Two topics that I very much avoid is Religion and Politics. These two always gets bashings from those who don't agree with you opinion.

9 years ago

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fishmonk

I try not to select topics which might be controversial. So far, there has been no issues for me when freelancing. I try to be neutral when creating such content. It is important to put a disclaimer to notify readers in advance that the topic might be sensitive.I believe that it is important to be moderate and not create biased content which might incite hate from others.

9 years ago

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vinaya

You cannot please every one. Therefore, in order to gain volume traffic, you can publish controversial content. I have done this. Even if you are not writing on controversial topic, you may be disliked. Therefore, there is no wrong in publishing controversial topic. I once published an article about headscarf in Muslim women. The article had 200 comments.

9 years ago

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Soulwatcher

You're just asking to make a nut job mad and want to track you down If you're purposely writing a controversial topic that you know people hate. Trust me I tried it once and I made a nut job really mad and he threaten to come kill me and my whole family. I was super worried and the only reason he stopped is because I told him that I had his IP and I was going to go to the police if he didn't stop. And after that I will never write another controversial topic so long as I live!

9 years ago

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