Recently, I wrote a post laying out what I think of multi-level marketing (MLM). I thought long and hard before I wrote that post. I knew that there would be a lot of people who wouldn\’t like it. I knew that some people might even stop reading my blog as result of it.
And I also knew I wanted to write it.
The easiest way to deal with controversial topics on a blog is… to avoid them. They carry the risk that you\’ll lose readers, respect and income. If people stop reading your site because they didn\’t like what you said on a topic about which they feel strongly, you could get fewer clickthroughs and a smaller check from Google.
Usually though, the opposite happens. People love a controversy and they respect people who aren\’t afraid to speak their mind. Just think of all the radio presenters being paid a fortune to say exactly what they think, with no holds barred.
If you hold an opinion strongly enough to want to share it, there\’s a good chance that there will be enough people out there who agree with you to keep your advertisers happy.
But I don\’t think that\’s a good reason to write on controversial topics. Stir up a fight because you think a fight is good for your clickthrough rate and you\’ll find online publishing to be much harder and much less fun that it should be.
It\’s perfectly possible to create a very good income from AdSense without putting anyone off.
The only reason you should speak out on a controversial topic is because you think it\’s important. Yes, you should consider what effect voicing your opinion could have on your bottom line — and if your post is going to seriously drive it down, maybe you should save it for a private, non-profit site — but ultimately, you should be able to say exactly what you think… and without worrying about the effect on your site\’s finances or your image.
While you might not make more money from a controversial post, you should show that you\’re the sort of person who gives their honest opinion. And that\’s a good basis for any blog.