This is part of a Four-part series on getting online influencers to notice your content. 

Scroll down for the others in the seriers. 

Part 3:  Controversial topics will bring traffic and danger.  Tread Softly.

Asking someone to view your latest post isn’t difficult, but because so many of these net influencers get hundreds of requests like this a day, you can understand that your request will probably go ignored if it sounds like the rest of them.  To make your email or comment get noticed, you may have to say something that is slightly shocking.

However, controversy brings visitors and danger.  Keep these things in mind:

1.  Be sure your article lives up to it’s controversial title.

There is nothing more irritating than to click a link and see fluff at the end of a promising headline.  Don’t advertise your site on a day when your posting isn’t up to par.  Wait until you have written a terrific piece or you risk alienating the very people you hope to impress.

2.  Avoid the triggers.

I have already warned you to keep your language family friendly, for the most part.  Also avoid touchy subjects like politics and personal issues that really shouldn’t be on your business blog anyway. 

3.  Keep your niche in mind when blogging. 

Don’t get mired down in a political debate that adds words to your site that aren’t reflective of what you want the search engines to see when they crawl your site.  Content is king, but when you add useless debates to your site you lower your rank in the search engines.

3.  No names.

Take care to not specifically mention another company (or person) by name unless you are ready to debate for the next several days with the company’s owner.  Gone are the days when you can say whatever you want online without repercussions.  Smart companies are using a system, like Blogsites, that allows them to keep track of any mention of their company name.  They’ll know in real-time if you call them out.  Be ready for a fight if you mention a specific name.

Whether someone agrees or disagrees, they’ve hit your site.  However, your job is not merely to create visitors, but to create readers.  Your writing needs to be something they NEED to read.  You want them to subscribe to your RSS feed. 

Consider a blog as a free service that your firm offers to your clients.  It’s not merely marketing, but their first taste of what your company has to offer.  Make it spectacular.