First off, I want to thank Paul from One Spoon at a Time for devoting an entire post on his blog to one of my recent posts. Thanks, Paul. I really appreciate it.
There have been a few blog posts here on Blogging Bookshelf that I’ve been a little nervous about publishing. That nervousness usually stems from me not knowing how my readers are going to react to what I’ve posted. The funny thing is that those posts are the ones that end up getting me the most traffic.
So the questions is… Are you willing to take a chance with YOUR blog? Should you?
Here are 3 examples of some of the specific chances I’ve taken on my blog, followed by things you could do on your blog that might help you get past your competitors.
My Girlfriend Writes About How This Blog Harms Our Relationship
A few months ago I published a post written by my (now ex-) girlfriend, Amy. It’s called The Life of a Full Time Blogger’s Girlfriend (and Tips for Significant Others).
In it, Amy talks about how my blogging negatively affected our relationship. I didn’t know how my readers would receive it because it was something very different from posts you usually see on “blogging tips” blogs. Most are extremely impersonal; this one was extremely personal. And more than anything, I was nervous for Amy. I loved the post, but she didn’t think anyone would like it and was afraid that it might “wreck” my blog.
I published the post at around midnight and then went to bed. I didn’t sleep well because I was so concerned about the reaction the post would get and how Amy would feel about it. But when I checked in the morning, the feedback was overwhelmingly positive. Everyone loved it (and loved Amy), and the post currently has 100+ comments on it. For a while it was one of the top 10 most popular posts on the blog, and it’s still my favorite article here.
Tito Makes Everyone Angry
I have high standards for the guest posts I’ll publish on my blog. I’ve published a whopping 3 of them (Marcus’s, Paul’s, and Tito’s) and have turned down several. The most recent one was entitled Your Comments Suck and I Don’t Want Them: A Manifesto, written by Tito. I admit that the title was my doing was indeed designed to get people’s attention and get them riled up.
And I was nervous about the post for that exact reason. I was concerned that the post would offend people. Even though I didn’t agree with some of the things Tito said and how he said them (and I elaborated on this and gave my opinion in a long comment on the post), I was still responsible for giving Tito a platform.
Did it make people angry? Yes. Did it offend people? Yes. But some people really liked the post. And most, even if they didn’t agree 100% with what Tito said, found the post thought-provoking and interesting. A lot of people had something to say on the subject.
The post was voted for 25 times on Blog Engage and 27 times on Biz Sugar. Worth the risk? Worth taking a chance? You bet it was.
Hitler Finds Out About Blogging and I Get Called a Bigot
This was one of my posts from last week. In it, we see a movie scene with Hitler yelling in German and freaking out, and the subtitles (which I wrote) show that he’s talking about the harsh realities of blogging.
The main reason I was nervous about creating something like this was that I didn’t know if anyone would think my subtitles would be funny. When I first thought of it, I thought it was a good idea. But after spending a couple of hours working on writing and adding the subtitles, I just didn’t know if it was funny anymore.
There was another reason I was nervous: This is a “blogging tips” blog. While the video was blogging-related, it wasn’t really something that would make the viewer a better blogger.
The post was published early Thursday morning and I didn’t even check the post to see how many RTs or YouTube views it got until late afternoon; I was that nervous about seeing how people reacted. But then I looked and saw that the results were overwhelmingly positive. My readers loved it and people on Twitter loved it. Phew, right?
Not so much. I saw one tweet that mentioned something about how they didn’t think Hitler was funny in any context. And then I saw the comments on the BizSugar page. Several people HATED the video and I was called a bigot and an asshole, among other pleasantries. There were something like 13 comments there on BS when I first checked back, each of which was angrily directed toward me.
Oh, and someone on a Jewish news/opinion blog called me an idiot and several other things that I won’t repeat.
So it turns out I was worried about the wrong thing. The thought had never even occurred to me that people would find it offensive. The video makes Hitler look like a bumbling idiot and does not glorify him in any way. Let me just say that my intent was not to cause an uproar or to offend people. I have nothing against Jewish people, and I don’t like Hitler. “Hitler finds out” is a popular and common internet meme. There are thousands of videos on YouTube of the same clip with different subtitles. There’s even a New York Times article about how to create one. There was no malicious intent behind this video, I assure you.
I’ve written a couple thousands words in response to people. I’m not going to go into more. If the video upset you, I’m sorry. Please contact me in a civilized way and we can discuss it.
All that aside, in addition to the mostly very positive feedback that video received, I saw no sudden massive drops in Twitter followers or blog subscribers, showing that the people who felt negatively about the video were definitely in the small minority. The small minority on this issue was, however, very vocal about how it felt. Unfortunately, not a single person has contacted me directly and privately. People have said offensive things back to me because they felt that I had been offensive to them. I didn’t mean to offend; they (not all, but definitely some) did. I’m sorry it happened like this.
Was this one worth the risk? Was it worth taking a chance on this? If I had known beforehand that it would have offended people, I wouldn’t have done it. But it’s done and I’m not removing it. It’s a learning experience that brought me some new subscribers and lost me a few old ones. It will likely continue to bring me more and lose me more in the future. It has brought me more traffic than a usual blog post.
That video is now the most watched video in the Blogging Bookshelf YouTube channel.
How to Take Chances on Your Blog
So you’ve heard my stories. What about you? How can YOU take chances on your blog?
Here are a few ideas:
- Write about something that doesn’t fit in perfectly with what you normally write about
- Have someone else write for your blog
- Take a stance that could cause people to become very divided on the issue
- Present information through a medium that you don’t normally use
- Write something that doesn’t add much value but is really entertaining
- Ask your readers to do something out of the ordinary
- Play the devil’s advocate
Final Words
Do you HAVE to take chances about the things you post in order to have a successful blog? No. Can it help get you there faster? Yes. Can it backfire and totally alienate some of your readers? Yes.
Use common sense. Don’t make people angry just for the sake of making them angry. But if something you’re passionate about might make a few readers uncomfortable, that’s not necessarily a bad thing.
I love this quote:
The policy of being too cautious is the greatest risk of all.
- Jawaharlal Nehru
Risk taking is something most bloggers don’t do (Marcus wrote a great post not too long ago and listed some bloggers that DO). In the crowded world of the blogosphere, the best way to stand out is to be different. And taking chances is a great way of doing that.
- Do you take chances or risks with your blog?
- What risks have you taken with your blog?
- When does risk taking pay off, and when is it not worth it?
- Do you think taking risks is necessary in order to have a successful blog?
- How else can you take a risk or take a chance with your blog?
{ 80 comments… read them below or add one }
Hi Tristan,
A post on a totally controversial perspective could backfire you. But such a post will mostly become viral, given that there will be a lot of discussions, for and against such a topic. Personal posts also are controversial, because what matters to one may not matter to another. I have received controversial comments and unsubscriptions because of a post I wrote about what women want in a relationship!
So you never know :)
Cheers,
Jane.
People unsubscribed because you wrote about what women want in a relationship?? That’s pretty lame. It just goes to show how fickle blog readers can be.
You’re right; a controversial post is a double-edged sword. But I’d say that overall they’ve paid off for me and been beneficial. They’ve brought me more readers than I’ve lost. Can’t complain.
Thanks Jane!
I read that post on Biz Sugar and was actually promoting the video on my blog, because it was hilarious. I took it down though, and do think that way to many people take things like this way too seriously.
That point on taking a stance on a topic got me thinking too.
Imagine dividing your readers up so much but not wanting to loose half of them because of their different opinions – even though they hate each other so much. Two copies of posts, and giving people the option to select which side they are on as to what group of comments they see. Damn that’s stupid xD
I remember taking a risk with the “Has blogging turned into a religion?” post because of the general topic, but that one succeeded quite well. So if you get positive results then keep at it, if not then just move on.
Thanks for sharing the video, even if you did remove the link after a bit :)
Two versions of every post? Hahaha. Yikes! So like a “tame” version and a more, er… “interesting” version? That’s definitely more work than I’d care to do!
I remember your “has blogging turned into a religion?” post, too. That brings up an interesting point… It’s these risk-taking posts that people remember more!
I always say one’s blog should be a laboratory for experiments. Sometimes they succeed, sometimes they don’t. Maybe I wouldn’t have gone as far as the Hitler experiment just ’cause I never liked that video (in time I saw like a billion subtitles for it), but other than that, don’t be a slave of comments and page hits or you’ll end up writing just what someone wants to hear, and that tends to get boring.
“I always say one’s blog should be a laboratory for experiments. Sometimes they succeed, sometimes they don’t.”
That’s a great point, Gabriele. I really like that.
I think that long-term blogging really needs to walk that fine line between “write about what I want to write about” and “write about what my readers will like.” Too much of one or the other and your blog won’t be too successful. Ideally you can consistently and easily meet both criteria, but that’s not always the case.
Thanks for the great comment, Gabriele!
Break the rules. Many of the rules we follow are self imposed.
I work with people who want to design and build a lifestyle for themselves abroad. Many of them worship T Ferris, so needless to say when I wrote my opinion (which wasn’t flattering) of the 4HWW, I did have some hesitation before I hit publish.
My rule: if you don’t hesitate before hitting publish, then you aren’t trying hard enough.
Edit, re-write until you feel those little butterflies in your stomach before your hit publish.
As I was writing this I kept thinking about your climbing experience and this relates so closely to blogging (including the gf who complains that climbing/blogging is ruining your relationship).
I like that one JF- if you don’t hesitate before hitting publish then you aren’t trying hard enough. ….very well said man, great policy.
Marcus
John, if I recall correctly, that post of yours about Tim Ferriss got a lot of attention (RTs and comments), right? And I think it might be the first one that I read on your blog. It caught my attention simply because it DID go against the grain, and that’s what makes blogs worth reading.
Did you have much negative feedback about that post?
And I like your point about climbing and blogging relating to each other. It’s true. There is risk and reward in both, and you need to know where to draw the line or else you’re screwed!
Hmmm… I’ve been meaning to write a post about climbing and how it relates to blogging. After your comment and your post, I might have to do it sooner rather than later.
Thanks John!
Tristan, I look forward to reading this post.
I got a few people who disagreed with me on Twitter, RT the post saying I was lame and misunderstood TF. I followed them, started a conversation with them, and we actually agreed in the end, not on everything but on some main points. I love negative feedback, it shows passion towards my post and I will take that a thousand times over someone glazing over as she reads.
Hey Tristan
Firstly, no thanks are necessary.
Secondly, there’s some irony in some of the criticism. If you rant at someone and call them a bigoted, that’s also being bigoted too. Especially as there’s no anti-semitic or racist content in the sub-titles. I wouldn’t have embedded the video and put it onto my blog if I thought for a moment it was even slightly anti-semitic. (FYI back in the day I went out with a jewish girl who was so fanatical about being jewish that she changed her surname by deed poll because it wasn’t ‘jewish’ enough – plus my current business partner in my offline business is jewish, as was the previous two business partners. All of whom lost relatives in the Holocaust – so it’s something I’m reasonably attuned to).
Thirdly there’s no glorification of Hitler either – the use of the clip serves to ridicule him instead.
Fourthly, I’m guessing that the people who’ve attacked you on BizSugars and elsewhere aren’t people that have taken the time to engage with you, or get to know you via your blog. If they did they’d perhaps have more of a feel for who you are as a person and would have not taken offence. (Again, because I’ve been reading the blog for a while and interacting with you, I was 99.9% certain of your intentions. FFS if Mel Brooks can ridicule Hitler, why can’t others?)
Fifthly – online video is one of the things I’m interested in. Big time. It drives 90% of the traffic to my other online video. And my first revenue for my One Spoon site was built from a series of webinars on how to use video to build your audience. AND I WAS UNAWARE OF THE ‘HITLER FINDS OUT ABOUT…” Meme. Had i known about it it would have removed that 0.01% uncertainty I talked about above. Point is – I study online video and I didn’t know about it. So probably lots of these people attacking you didn’t either – had they known that, perhaps they would have been less vocal in their criticism.
Sixth – back to online video. It was a creative way to tell a story via video. Imagine how crap it would have been if you’d put those points on a Powerpoint Slide video? Or did a talking head video? Anyone interested in video should have sat up and taken notice (as I have) – and started thinking about ways to crib the ideas on show.
Seventh – you can’t please all the people all of the time. If you try then you won’t engage much of your audience on a deep level.
Eighth – I think some people can be over sensitive at times – I’ve not read your comments over at BizSugars…but I’m sure you’ve put in similar explanations as this post. Tie the knot and move on – the chances are high that those vocal critics aren’t part of your core audience anyway.
Keep doing your thing – it’s what gives Blogging Bookshelf its character and personality. I’m sure I wouldn’t be the only one who voted with his feet if that got watered down. That’s what we’re here for…..
Paul
Paul, I had a lot of great things to say until I read your comment, and realized you’d beaten me to it. I’ll add 8 ‘amens’ to what you’ve said here chief. Nice job.
Marcus
Marcus
Sorry to steal your thunder! Lions may be Kings of the Jungle, but Wolves hunt in packs (I have an evil twin who works whilst I’m asleep!).
Paul
Well said, Paul! I couldn’t have said it better.
I agree – especially when you say, “You can’t please all the people all of the time. If you try then you won’t engage much of your audience on a deep level.” There will always be people who don’t agree with you, especially if you’re writing an opinionated post and take a strong stance. It’s only normal that you’ll have a few people here and there criticizing what you have to say.
It’s how you take this criticism that matters – and I think Tristan did a superb job with his responses to the insulting comments in question.
Christina
Hot dang, Paul! That’s a freaking sweet comment. Thanks, buddy. I really appreciate the support!
I especially appreciate this: “Keep doing your thing – it’s what gives Blogging Bookshelf its character and personality. I’m sure I wouldn’t be the only one who voted with his feet if that got watered down. That’s what we’re here for…..”
Duly noted :)
And I don’t really have anything else to say except thanks again, Paul. You’re the man.
Tristan – got the book – thanks buddy!
I watched the Hitler video one more time this morning…that makes it my 5th time. I should it to my wife on watch 3…she didn’t get some of the blogging humor, but she still cracked up at the non blogging parts!
I honestly hadn’t taken much chances until a couple of weeks ago when I released, what has become my most successful article to date, and since releasing it has increased my overall traffic at least 25% on a daily basis since that post. The article was called “Keep it Real: If you Don’t Walk the Walk, Then Don’t Talk the Talk”. It basically challenged all the fakes out there that claim to be experts and gurus and there are nothing of the sort. They claim to be entrepreneurs but don’t even have a business.
I found my inspiration to do that article from two sources. First it was here with Tito’s guest post. I loved the guest post and took no offense because I tend to “bring it” (as Griddy would say) in the comments arena. But I thought the tone was perfect, backed by the reasoning. Also, Marcus did a post a couple of days letter about Gutsy Bloggers and the Power of Opinion.
After seeing you (and Tito) and Marcus lead the way, I published my article and it was huge, currently at 99 comments! (all time high for me).
So that’s as far as I’ve stretched. I certainly think that there’s something to say about stepping out of the zone of protecting feelings. For me, I’m soft-hearted so I don’t want to offend anyone – but at the same time, I have a responsibility for keeping it real – so at times I realize that it’s something I’m going to have to do. So, what you’ll starting seeing from me, more often, are highly opinionated topics because the community loves it, even if they disagree with my stance. This ups the traffic, RT’s, Likes and brings in more readers!
I think taking risk is an element that’s necessary in life in general. Risk doesn’t have to be grand, but everyone has their own opinions in some place in their heart and I think letting that out strengthens relationships because it brings out more human’ness and our personality. With me, being the self-proclaimed “hustler”, I surely better not be average and just mix in with everyone else on every topic. Because my life experience has been much different (as all of us have)
Great topic today. I could have kept going, but I hear my youngest waking up over the monitor…so I better grab her.
Have a great week Tristan, see you again on Thursday!
Sweet, I’m glad you got the book. Pardon all of the markings :) I freaking love that book. It’s an easy read, but as soon as I finished it I ended up quitting a couple blogs that just weren’t doing it for me. It turned out to be a really, really good decision for me.
Jk, it’s feedback like this that keeps me going. I love it. Thanks for the kind words, and I’m glad my blog is serving a purpose!
“So, what you’ll starting seeing from me, more often, are highly opinionated topics because the community loves it, even if they disagree with my stance.”
Same here. It’s just more fun to write that kind of stuff too, isn’t it? The thing is… I’m not really soft-hearted. I’m not very patient with other people and even less patient with myself. So I think I’m more prone to offend than the average person… Oh well. Again, that’s what makes things interesting, right? :)
Thanks for the great comment, man. I really appreciate it.
Taking chances is all that life is really about. What else would we be doing here if it isn’t about taking chances? A blog is not only what we should be taking chances with, even our very existence is expected to be risked in the pursuit of purpose.
Staying the way we are, or leaving things the way they have been without challenging the status quo is one efficient way of becoming obsolete. If we must remain relevant, taking chances is our ONLY option. I wish other options existed, but there isn’t any for now.
Somehow, someday, you will have to stand up for what you believe and proclaim that believe to the world even though it stands in contrast with existing popular opinions.
Blogging is a tool to help us achieve this and that is why it has become a phenomenon all by itself. People just don’t want to hide behind in their closets anymore, now that we have the platform for expression, by all means, we should NEVER hesitate to have our say!
Amen to that, Tito! Taking risks just makes life more interesting and fulfilling.
Thanks for taking your own advice and not leaving a comment that sucks :D
Huge props Tristan for bringing up this subject here. I’ll simply add a little to the tremendous comments above by saying it takes stones to do what you do– to put yourself out there, but it sure as heck is worth it in my book.
Take that video you did as an example. You felt inspired to do it but then once you got really into it, you started to really waver in your faith (of the initial idea). It’s interesting how this often happens in blogging, especially with some of the larger projects. But just like taking a test, I have found that going with our initial gut impression is one of the best moves we can make. Thus, we must hold the course.
So just keep doing what you’re doing and remember that there will always be complainers and poo-poo-ers, and we’ve just got to let them go about their un-merry way and continue to produce great stuff.
Have a great week T’.
Marcus
Thanks, Marcus. I really appreciate this kind of support, man. I agree; taking risks is definitely worth it, both for bloggers and blog readers. No one wants to read a cookie-cutter blog.
Regarding bloggers not finishing what they start… Yeah, I’m really freaking stubborn, so I do tend to finish what I start when it comes to blogging, even if it takes me forever (*COUGH* infographic course *COUGH*).
Thanks again Marcus. I love ya, buddy.
Hi Tristan,
You have my respect for TRYING. How else will you know what works for you and yours? I applaud that you take chances and then man up to them, whether they got the results you were looking for or not.
I’m even more impressed that you’re sharing your results and what you learned with us.
Thanks!
Peggy
Trying new things and then reporting on them (whether they work or not) is one of my favorite types of posts to write (and read! Like your forum commenting challenge). Glad to know you like reading them, too!
Thanks Peggy!
I Love this blog, Tristan. I am new to all this and just getting started. Thanks for the encourage ment and honesty. I follow and agree with Marcus and everything Paul Wolfe said ( will start following him, too ) You have to take chances. the Hitler video was Hilarious. It’s easier to ask for forgiveness, than permission. I am looking forward to blogging and making some crazy ass short videos in the near future. Thanks again and look forward to reading more great content from you !
Al
Now is the time to CARE: Communicate, Appreciate, Respect, Encourage.
Yesssss! Thanks so much for the kind words here, Al. This is the kind of support that I love and that keeps me going.
Making videos is a lot of fun! I think that video lends itself better to some niches than others. I have a rock climbing blog, for example, and those videos get a fair number of views. It’s harder to create blogging videos that get lots of views.
Thanks again, Al!
Tristan,
We are taught to play it safe. To follow the main stream. To be good and not rock the boat. Just look and how many movies are on this subject. Take a look at how much attention is paid to keeping kids quite and under control in school and at home.
How dare you think out side the box? You might have too much fun!
There is a big difference between making a scene and thinking you are exercising your freedom of speech and taking responsibility for your point of view. No matter which you choose there is always somebody that does not like it.
Keep shaking things up!
Sheila, that was an awesome comment! You nailed it. Forget about whatever downsides there might be to taking a risk… In my experience, the benefits always outweigh the risks.
Thanks for sharing!
I have always thought about taking chances as you have with my blog. There has always been a feeling of hesitation with me, and I chicken out. Taking chances seems to have worked for you.
While there are many times taking chances will work, there may be other times where it can backfire. There is a fine line that will need to be walked, and leaning too much to the controversial side can burn you after some time. Finding the right balance is the key.
As for my blog, many of my readers are looking for technical advice, so adding a controversial post, or taking huge chances, probably won’t work in my favor. Each blog is different, and understanding the blog’s audience is key.
Paul, you make some great points here. I especially like what you said about knowing your audience. It’s true; some audiences will have a higher “risk tolerance” than others.
You mention that since your readers are looking for technical advice, taking chances probably wouldn’t work too well. But I could say the same thing about my blog: “My readers are looking for blogging advice, so taking chances won’t work for my blog.”
Not too many posts from Engadget or Gizmodo stick out in my mind, but one that sticks out to me was a “Why I sold my iPad” post (though I can’t remember which blog it was on). I actually read the whole thing, and the post had 1000+ comments. That’s kind of a devil’s advocate-type post, and it’s also taking a chance because there are so many Apply fanboys and evangelists out there.
Just something to think about!
Tristan,
I haven’t taken chances like you have but I’ve been trying to make most of my posts be “outside the box”.
As for your post about Hitler — I didn’t even want to glance at it. The idiot isn’t worth recognizing even after 60 years. That’s just the way I feel.
I think that thinking “outside the box” like you said is a great way to summarize the message I was trying to get across with this post.
Thanks for sticking around, Glynis. I always appreciate your input and you comments :)
Hi Tristan,
I think we need to take risks as it brings the freshness to your blog and surprised your readers as well. I think everybody likes surprise including me. :D
That’s a great way of putting it, Riya: “Everybody likes surprises.”
Thanks for taking the time to comment!
This is a big risk, You’ve been successful with your chances but I don’t think that everybody can be successful like it. As I feel your readers like your niche and if you’re not giving them what they want then it’ll negatively affect them which is not good for the blog.
Anu, I’m not sure if I agree with you entirely. I mean sure, you don’t want to go and write about something waaaay outside of your niche (like if I talked about arts and crafts on Blogging Bookshelf), but I generally think it would benefit most bloggers to explore the outskirts of their niches a bit more. They don’t necessarily have to do it often, but every once in a while.
Also, I think a lot of times readers just don’t know exactly what they want from a blog; they take and they enjoy whatever the blogger gives them.
I dunno. Just something to think about.
Thanks Anu!
Agree with you of the importance of writing about unusual subjects. I do on a continous basis, and so far it’s worked out very well. Today’s post is about “Blood Diamonds on Linkedin?” because that’s unfortunately going on and we all need to join forces to stop those guys peddling conflict diamonds.
Have lived and worked all over the world, not least in the Middle East. There is one big exception to what you can write about. Anything that could remotely be perceived as anti semitism has to be avoided at all costs. That’s what happened to you with the Hitler video. You are lucky someon didn’t take you to court.
Since CommentLuv doesn’t work on your site (it’s something severely wrong with the plug-in and most sites have a problem) I will post the URL to my latest post below:
URL to my latest post “Blood Diamonds on Linkedin?” http://catarinasworld.com/http:/catarinasworld.com/blood-diamonds-on-linkedin
“Blood Diamonds on LinkedIn” is a perfect example of what I was trying to convey with this post, Catarina. Nice job!
You said that Anti-Semitism is the one thing bloggers can’t write about. I agree that no one should write (or think) about that kind of idiocy, but there are plenty of other topics that are bad, too. Anything that goes against someone’s faith or beliefs would be poor form.
Thanks for taking the time to comment!
Hi Tristan,
I think the Hitler video was brilliant, and the other posts you mention as well. Sometimes, the reason why we are subscribed to certain blogs are because we’re looking for things like that. I am looking for tips I can’t find on the other blogging tips blogs.
When it comes to my own blog, I haven’t been taking chances at all. I probably should, but on the other hand, I get too worried. I probably couldn’t sleep at all if I posted your Hitler-video :)
But, I am getting there. Let’s say that I am probably taking the biggest chance of all by publishing my novel.
“I am looking for tips I can’t find on the other blogging tips blogs.”
Exactly! Yessssss :)
And I think that publishing a novel is a pretty big chance to take, so congrats on that! But the question is… What chances are you going to take AFTER your novel is published :D
Hi Tristan,
I admire your courage for taking chances. People really under-estimate the value of getting a little personal on your blog. You don’t have to tell the world what you ate for breakfast or what color your know-you-what is… but people do enjoy a glimpse into your life and I think that’s probably why Amy’s post did so well.
I take chances with my blog all the time – I’ve actually found it be quite enjoying to think up the craziest thing to compare blogging to – I’ve compared blogging to salads, Wal-Mart and even mosquitoes.
At first, I was very fearful that people would think those posts sucked – I was surprised that they found them quite refreshing – I guess so since no one else on the internet has titles like “7 Signs you’re a Hacker and 5 ways it can help your blog” – who knew?
Kiesha, I really liked this: “People really under-estimate the value of getting a little personal on your blog.”
So true! My favorite posts to read are the ones where people get a little personal. Plus I think those are the most valuable posts because they share their firsthand information.
Thanks for the great comment, Kiesha!
I think it’s important to keep your objectives for your blog in mind, but within that framework we do need to take some risks. My last blog post was off-topic for me, and I had the most comments and feedback of any of my other posts. But because my blog is part of my company website I don’t want to risk scaring away potential clients.
“But because my blog is part of my company website I don’t want to risk scaring away potential clients.”
But what if you got more clients than you scared away? Because that’s the point I’m making with this post! While each of the articles I mentioned might have driven off a few people, they’ve brought me more.
What’s better: Make a small number of “everyone” happy, or make a larger number of “most” happy?
Of course I’m not saying that the way to get more people to your blog is to piss people off. But I’m just saying don’t be so quick to rule out the stuff that you might at first reflexively dismiss.
Hey Tristan,
Personally, I don’t see anything wrong with your Hitler video. It’s not like you’re praising Hitler or trying to make him appear in a positive light – you’re ridiculing him. And, like many of the commenters here, I thought the video was hilarious (especially the parts about ProBlogger ;) ) – and I was one of the people who promoted it on Twitter.
Honestly, I think some people take things way too seriously. Don’t worry about it – the people here who regularly read your stuff, get a feel of who you are and know that you wouldn’t ever try to offend in such an ugly fashion. The others who did take offense probably don’t know you all too well, and I won’t be surprised if many of them were first timers here on Blogging Bookshelf (I mean, TONS of people tweeted that video and it definitely got a lot of promotion and attention from readers who did enjoy the vid – so I’m sure you had a spike in traffic that day).
Keep your head held high, and just keep doing what you’re doing Tristan. I admire that you didn’t take the video down even after all of those insulting comments, and I know it probably wasn’t easy to take such criticism (and such insulting comments for that matter). I know that if it were reversed and the same thing happened to me, I would be seriously depressed and upset.
We know that you didn’t mean any harm, and you will always have my support (and, I’m sure, the support of many others here). :)
Christina
Ah, Christina. Thanks for being a calming voice of reason here!
Yeah, I’m definitely not seriously depressed or upset by the whole video thing. I’m more annoyed than anything else. But I’m OK with it. The video continues to get more view than any of my others (maybe even all of my others combined? Hmmm… I’ll have to look into that…).
Thanks as always for the great comment, Christina!
It’s a double edged sword actually. I once wrote an article in my old blog about translating cartoons from English to the Filipino language. It is one of my successful post. I received positive comments and negative comments. The downside was I was also getting a lot of flack from the people behind those translated cartoons. Calling me names, and the one that sting the most is when I was accused of being a non-patriot. I hung on and tried to defend it. But when I started receiving harmful threats on my email, that’s when my wife put her foot down and asked …..no … ordered me to drop it. :(
Wow, Dennis. That’s crazy that people got mad at you for doing that! People will get up in arms about pretty much anything, I guess. I can’t believe you got threats. That’s definitely something I haven’t gotten… (yet?).
It’s great that you’re still blogging though, even if it’s on a different blog.
Thanks for taking the time to comment!
Hi Tristan,
Very thought provoking post. I like to try and be creative and think outside the box with many of my posts. I’ll try to find a story or write about a parenting tip (personal experience) that I can relate to a blogging lesson. I haven’t done any controversial posts. I suppose I’m not very contrarian….
One thing I’ve noticed lately, it seems like negativity gets a lot more attention and viral growth than positivity. (e.g. Charlie Sheen, Alexandra Wallace, Rebecca Black, etc…) I suppose we live in a society that thrives on controversy.
I wouldn’t be controversial just for the sake of creating controversy, but this is certainly a lesson to not shy away from taking these kinds of chances on your blog.
Richard, I think you’re right. Negativity does seem to get more attention and air time than positivity. I think it’s always been like that, even on just the normal nightly news. There’s a lot more doom and gloom than anything else.
And yeah, I definitely don’t advocate being controversial just for the sake of being controversial. That’s stupid and will just come back to bite you.
Thanks Richard!
I used to have opinions but then I started doing shit. Whoever took offense to the Hitler thing is a giant box of tools.
Gotta agree with Susan there Dino. I know its your opinion and you’re entitled to it, but no-one on this green and blue Earth is a ‘tool’ :-)
I agree with Dino on this one. Some people get offended way too easily. They are just looking for any chance to act the victim.
Dino,
Know you do not have to but why do you say the people who objected are a box of tools?
Tristan, there will be always critics who don’t like your work. Who might even call you an idiot (and a dozen other names) to your face if they ever saw you.
Let them.
The sign of a great mind is one that is its own mind. Some people don’t like what you publish. So what? If they don’t like it, they can move onto the next blog which might be about kittens for all we know ;-)
The more famous people will get, the more people will criticise them. It’s a fact of fame, and if you want to be great, you will have to deal with them. Do you want to be great Tristan? I know I do, and I’m fully prepared to make my own decisions on my blog, to deal with any criticism or abuse that comes my way, and to lead the way for speaking my own voice on my own terms in my own style. If you want to get anywhere in life, that’s what you gotta do.
In fact, who cares what the naysayers think? They may be jealous of your awesome humour/moviemaking skills/blogging for all we know. They might even secretly like you but have deep inner fears that prevent them from expressing love! Who cares! Do what you want to do. Feel free to change your mind if you want to, but always stick to your voice.
You mention that if you could go back, knowing what you know now, you wouldn’t release this video. I disagree. I’d still release it, if it were me. There are no mistakes in this world, in this life. Everything you do at any point in your life, you do with the best intentions in mind. You act from the best that you know of, and if you learn more stuff along the way, you can put that to use for the next project, if you so wish.
It’s your blog Tristan. It’s your world. Take the reins and lead it.
Thanks for this great comment, Stuart!
It really does come down to what you said… If people don’t like what I’m doing here, they can leave. There are about a bazillion other blogs out there about blogging that they can read if they’d like.
And I’m definitely like you… This is my blog, and I play by my rules. I stand by what I do here because I OWN what I do.
“They might even secretly like you but have deep inner fears that prevent them from expressing love!” Hahaha. Yeah. This is a problem I’ve faced throughout my life :D
I still don’t regret the video. I’m glad I did it, but I don’t *enjoy* offending people, even if it’s accidental and unintentional. That’s why I said I probably wouldn’t release the video if I could go back. But I’m glad I did. I mean, it’s gotten me more traffic and given me a couple posts worth of blog fodder :)
Thanks for the awesome support and encouragement, Stuart. I really appreciate it, man!
Life’s another name is risk without risk no enjoyment of spending of life ,You tried well and you will get more success very soon.Life’s another rule don’t go back if you are right in your thought.
Awesome, thanks for the support, Sam! I really appreciate it!
Hey Tristan, fantastic post, and thank you for sharing – this was very valuable for me to read, because everyone talks about “taking risks”, without really mentioning that it is in fact risky, and what if it blows up in your face, etc. It’s reassuring to know that we aren’t alone with that concern.
I don’t know how to quantify how much risk we really take at Firepole Marketing – I can say that I definitely went out on a limb with all of our most successful posts; with the Guy Kawasaki interview I was pretty nervous, because I had never done something like that before, and what if people didn’t like it, and Guy thought I was an idiot (it didn’t, people liked it, and I don’t think Guy thinks that).
With the “Why Guru Strategies DON’T WORK” (63 comments, my all-time high), I was concerned because our focus isn’t just on online business, and I wasn’t sure how the audience would respond. I wasn’t sure how they’d react to the Pay With a Tweet idea, and I wasn’t sure if I was giving away too much. I also reached out to a lot of people to help me spread the word, and I was worried that people would see that as presumptuous. I was so nervous that I made two stupid mistakes:
1. Scheduled the post for the wrong day – it went up on the Sunday instead of the Monday.
2. Transposed names in an email requesting support. Really kicked myself for that one.
But it all worked out, so yes, I agree, take those risks – just double-check your work when you do!
Regarding the Hitler video, I thought it was funny, and showed it to my fiance, and her sister and sister’s boyfriend. I wouldn’t share it on Facebook or Twitter, though – I think people are too sensitive about this issue, and it’s understandable; when someone goes through a traumatic experience, their resistance and opposition to anything relating to that experience is sometimes past the point of rationality, but it is still offensive (I imagine it’s like showing a parody of a rape trial to a rape victim – even if there’s nothing offensive in the substance, just the connotation triggers all sorts of things).
Not sure if that makes sense, and I’m not criticizing you for running it (I thought it was funny) – but I can understand where the resistance is coming from. (But to be clear, I don’t think sending you rude or disrespectful messages, privately or publicly, is an acceptable response – people need to stop handling disagreements as though they’re still in the third grade!)
Freaking SWEET comment here, Danny!! Thanks for sharing your experiences, too. THAT is truly what makes a valuable comment.
And yeah, I get kind of tired of hearing people say “Take risks with ur blog!” but have nothing to back it up with or don’t really dive into the issue. So I’m glad you liked the post for that reason.
I tried the Pay With a Tweet thing a while back and was a tad nervous about it, too. But it was actually more successful than I thought it would be. Sweet :)
As far as the Hitler thing goes, I guess I don’t blame people for disliking it; that’s their prerogative. But I do believe there are much better ways of voicing disproval than name-calling, etc. Like I said, no one contacted me directly and privately about it (and STILL no one has).
Thanks again for the great comment, man. You just might win the best comment award for this one! I’m glad you liked the video and definitely don’t hold it against you for not sharing it on Twitter of Facebook. Still, thanks for the support!
What can I say, Tristan, you inspire me! :D
Hey Tristan,
“Do you HAVE to take chances about the things you post in order to have a successful blog?” Yes and more importantly if you don’t take chances you don’t grow, learn new things and everyday day begins to look like the previous day. How exciting is that? Your Hitler video was prime time stuff.
Riley
Riley, I’m glad you liked the Hitler video! Thanks for the support and the RT, too.
But I’m still not convinced that you *have* to take chances in order to have a successful blog. Look at ProBlogger. I don’t see too many chances being taken over there, yet it’s an extremely successful blog. I think there are other factors that come into play along with taking chances.
Thanks again!
Tristan,
I can so relate to that feeling of losing the humor in video after hours of editing. The brain just gets numb man! I totally have to leave it and come back fresh when I get to that point.
Just to add to everyone, props on the video and for the other risks you’ve taken. You’ve certainly broken some barriers.
Thanks for being awesome bud!
Oooo. Good point about leaving the video and then coming back! I’ll definitely implement that next time around.
Thanks a ton for the support, Jason, including the kind words and the comment. You’re the man!
Hi Tristan,
I am thinking to try some ideas of having risk on my blog.
This is an awesome post about Risk Management in Business.
Thanks Nazim. I’m glad you liked the post, and yeah, you should definitely mix a little risk in with your blog and see how it goes!
WHOA. Been gone for awhile and it looks like I missed a lot!
Good for you for taking risks and pushing the envelope, man. If not for the risk-takers this world would be pretty damn boring.
Alas, it’s the nature of the internet that when you step outside the box, there are humorless, sometimes antagonistic people who get left behind. Every time I see these guys come out and trash something without even trying to understand it I always go “WHEW! Glad I’m not one of THOSE people.”
You don’t wanna be one of those guys standing on the sidelines watching things happen, and neither do I.
Anyway, good work as usual and I’m gonna go catch up on your back catalog. KEEP DOING THE THING!!!
John, thanks man! I really appreciate it. It’s definitely been a… uh.. interesting week :)
Thanks for stopping by and for the kind words. It’s always great seeing you here.
Haters gonna hate.
Word <3
catching up on some reading, glad i’d saved this one
in my own blog, about integrating fitness yoga and the arts, i’m aware there’s minefields waiting to be stepped on: gurus of every discipline, fitness activity, and art form, so i try to acknowledge that in my article (as part of my own internal “integrating”), but -
i do stick a toothpick at the audience with my titles to see if anyone notices ;-)
and alternating the entertainment pieces from the more in-depth stuff also seems to help both the readers and myself!
nice article, thanks tristan
“i do stick a toothpick at the audience with my titles to see if anyone notices ;-)”
Hahaha. That’s awesome, Adan.
I think you’re right on as far as alternating entertainment posts and more in-depth stuff goes. That’s a great point. Like you said, that keeps things interesting both for you and for your readers.
Thanks for the great comment!
Hi Tristan you are right that sometimes we think that our blogpost will be liked by public or not and when we published our post and see a postive result then it will be really very surprising specially if we dont think like so and your points on How to Take Chances on Your Blog is superb and I will try these tips in future.
Thanks! Glad you agree and that you like the post. Good luck with your chance taking in the future :)
Nice ideas about taking the chances. To get some profit one should take some chances like writting the best content on which readers can discuss things.
I don’t think I’d say that writing the best content is taking a chance… Would you?
Sometimes I write about a blog post I read on someone else’s blog, and sometimes I do a profile on a well known person – a marketer or author or musician usually: I highlight their works and recommend books of theirs from Amazon. Sometimes I just add a video I have enjoyed recently and build a post around that to interest my readers.
I think a blog reflects life – as much or as little as you want, but no harm in occasionally going off topic!
Overall tip I think is that don’t be so predictable. Visitors want to see something different even not as always as possible but at least from time to time. Learn how to play the minds of your audience for you to get their attention.
it is a pretty slim chance, and i think it takes a few days for it to actually post. however, if it is rejected it usually will be rejected within 4 hours.
I appreciate bloggers who writes from their hearts out of passion and love for blogging (even if many would react to it). Some bloggers advise to stick on one niche but I really prefer those that are posting impersonal and personal posts. Guest posting can also be really helpful. Are you taking a risk when you accept guest bloggers? I don’t think so as I believe each is unique and can contribute a lot in a unique way.