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ProBlogger: How to Use Your Inner Contrarian to Generate Endless Content Ideas

ProBlogger: How to Use Your Inner Contrarian to Generate Endless Content Ideas

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How to Use Your Inner Contrarian to Generate Endless Content Ideas

Posted: 17 Apr 2016 02:57 PM PDT

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This is a guest contribution from Matt Clough.

Whether your blog falls within a niche with apparently endless opportunities or a dreaded "boring" one, the one thing that all bloggers (and writers in general) come up against at some point or another is writer's block.

You might have covered every conceivable question your readers might ask; you may simply be burned out. However, by embracing the inherent psychological trait of contrarianism, you can unlock a veritable treasure trove of content ideas.

No matter whether you're someone who delights in playing devil's advocate or who just isn't convinced that OK Computer by Radiohead is the greatest thing since sliced bread, everyone has a little contrarian in them.

As a blogger, there's a constant temptation to tell people what you think they want to hear. There are of course benefits to this approach: you might make your readers feel fuzzy and warm by affirming their beliefs.

However, there's several significant reasons why you shouldn't always set out to bend to your reader's opinions and why instead you should allow your argumentative inner-self to speak out in your writing.

The Psychology of Contrarianism

At the most basic level, contrarianism makes you stand out from the crowd. If everyone in your niche is fixated on "Why [new product] is going to change the world", going against the grain and starting a discussion about how it might not revolutionise life as we know it is bound to get attention.

Then there's the significant scientific evidence that people love talking about controversial topics – provided they're not too controversial. In general, it's advisable to steer clear of blogging too frequently on topics that have, you know, caused wars; religion and politics are two topics to avoid.

If you're dealing with a subjective topic that has something like a 50/50 split of opinion, then you'll not only entice those who disagree with you, but those who agree with your stance and like seeing their views confirmed.

What's the upshot of all this?

  • Going against the mass consensus or coming down on one side of a popular debate will increase your click through rates by catching the eye in a sea of repetitive, parroted content.
  • We're also psychologically more likely to share something which challenges our views or makes us angry rather than a post that simply confirms our opinions, so you can expect to see your enhanced CTR amplified considerably via social shares.
  • Finally, the same reasons that encourage sharing will inevitably bring about engagement and, in particular, comments. After all, if you're tapping into a topic that people are passionate about and making them question themselves or what they've read elsewhere, they're bound to have something to say about it.

Sounds like a win-win(-win) right?

Refining your ideas and finding your angle

Stop right there.

Before you start firing off articles about how every influencer in your niche is a grade-A moron or how a patently terrible idea is actually a stroke of genius, you need to appreciate that controversial content is a volatile weapon, capable of backfiring if not executed with the same care and precision as the rest of your blogging efforts.

Be sure to follow these four tips to ensure that you can harness your inner contrarian without landing yourself in hot water:

1. Be as thorough as possible.

Simply saying a commonly-held belief is wrong with nothing to support your claim will smack of contrarianism for contrarianism's sake.

A well thought out argument – backed up with statistical evidence if possible – is absolutely critical if you're to avoid anything other than a maelstrom of derision. You need to formulate your ideas and make them watertight.

2. Pick your fights.

As I alluded to above, there's no point trying to fight your niche's King Kong of truth unless you have a truly ironclad argument (in which case you may be on to a real winner, such as the Copyblogger example below). Instead, find those debates that tend to be 50/50 – such as toilet paper orientation – or start ones where people will be engaged without being offended.

3. Stay relevant and focused.

While I'm all for letting your contrarian side off the leash, be sure to not lose sight of what it is you're trying to achieve with your content and who your target audience is.

Contrarianism is a primal psychological trait and, if left unchecked, can give your blogging an irrational, ranty style.

4. Carefully package your posts.

One of the most common mistakes that bloggers make when it comes to crafting contentious content is by being too confrontational.

Going for the jugular may grab the reader's attention, but crossing the line from controversial to offensive means they're unlikely to return for more. Just because the idea was borne out of thinking as a contrarian doesn't mean the end product need be quite so polarised.

Headlines are particularly crucial when it comes to picking the right angle.

3 examples of fantastic contrarian content

"Why Copyhacker is killing its Facebook page"

No matter if you love or loathe Facebook, it's hard to argue with nearly 1.5 billion users and countless businesses and blogs that have been propelled to success off the back of Mark Zuckerberg's brainchild.

By positioning their post as an explanation of why they're leaving Facebook rather than criticising those still there, Copyblogger avoid a possible backlash while retaining the attraction of their unusual stance.

"I went Paleo and now I hate everything"

The Paleo diet is a fantastic target for contrarian content, as it has passionate advocates and equally vocal detractors.

However, the Everywhereist does a good job of avoiding alienating either camp by appearing biased, as they clearly demonstrate that the position they eventually adopt on the issue – decidedly negative – is only arrived at after some pretty robust evidence; the writer herself trying the diet.

"The truth we won't admit: drinking is healthy"

In this post, Pacific Standard put together a compelling case for drinking in moderation being healthy. Not only do they offer reams of scientifically-backed evidence to support their claim, but they also debunk the evidence used by those on the other side of the argument.

Conclusion

Like so many things in marketing, harnessing contrarianism isn't an exact science.

However, by ensuring that you follow the example of the sites above – carefully picking your fights, keeping sight of your target audience, backing your arguments up and disproving the opposing point of view – you can hit upon countless new ideas for engaging, thought-provoking content that will have readers flocking to your blog.

Not only that, but contrarian content will also do wonders for brand building by allowing you to stand out from the crowd as being an honest, trustworthy authority blogger unafraid to say it like it is.

Contrarian content may make you the odd enemy, but it's certain to make your blog a lot more new friends.

Matt Clough is the content marketing manager at Cloggs and has covered a wide range of topics, including marketing, branding, SEO and entertainment and the arts for the likes of Search Engine Land, the Guardian and the Independent.

The post How to Use Your Inner Contrarian to Generate Endless Content Ideas appeared first on ProBlogger.
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3 Reasons Why Businesses Aren’t Getting Results on Social Media - DailyBlogTips

3 Reasons Why Businesses Aren’t Getting Results on Social Media - DailyBlogTips

3 Reasons Why Businesses Aren’t Getting Results on Social Media

Posted: 15 Apr 2016 09:53 PM PDT

Anyone who's run a business in the last 10 years has incessantly heard about the value of social media. Whether B2B or B2C, these social media channels have tangled the proverbial fruit of additional revenue and success in front of many business owners. Yet only about 15% of businesses have quantitative data to show success on social media. So why aren't these businesses seeing the results they have heard so much about?

1. Look past the hype.

Social media success is often like winning the lottery. You hear all about it but the odds are rarely in your favor. Well, that's to say that often times people also have expectations that are not realistic. Social media is like any marketing channel and tactic. It needs to be realistically looked at in terms of the results than can be generated. If you think that you can create a Twitter profile or Facebook page and wake up the next morning with a million followers and likes, you're setting yourself up for a rude awakening. Select only the social platforms that reach the most of your demographic and can be successfully maintained constantly by your team. Don't spread yourself out too thin and rather than doing "OK" on all the social media platforms, do really well on just one or two.

2. Content is still king.

Often times, businesses will think that simply participating in some fashion on social media will generate results. The reality is that the channels themselves are just vehicles and businesses must create engaging and valuable content to generate any real results. Really successful businesses generate content that does two things: A) provides useful information to a specific demographic and B) is in a format that is easily digestible and often times very shareable. Visual content, such as videos, photos, and infographics, is 40 times more likely to be shared on social media. Being able to create useful content consistently is key for businesses who want to generate real results. Many businesses create a content calendar to map out and track their content creation on a month-to-month basis. This is a very useful tool for long term planning.

3. Reuse, reuse, and reuse.

I can't tell you how many businesses have noted that they create a blog post, tweet it out and wonder why the website visits aren't rolling in. In a world of seven-second attention spans, you're going to have to post the same pieces of content multiple times to get people's attention. Think about how people use social media channels these days. They aren't going to your profile page and scrolling through all your wonderful content to see what you're all about. They are taking a few minutes out of their day to scroll through their own news streams to see what's happening. Often times, your content won't be in the window of time they are scrolling.

That's why it's so important to post the same content multiple times. On Twitter, you could post the same blog title three times in one day: 9 am, 1 pm and 4 pm. Very few people are going to see even two of these posts, but by posting multiple times, you greatly increase the chances of gaining clicks to your content. However, each platform does have its own unique characteristics and should be posted to by their best practices. You would never want to post the same content to Facebook three times day, but you could post it two times in the same week. You can also use software to help in the scheduling of these posts, to ease the burden on your business' internal resources when trying to post multiple times a day.

Eleonora Israele is an Analyst at Clutch. Prior to joining Clutch, Eleonora was a foreign language tutor and a researcher for a D.C. real estate firm. Originally from Argentina, Eleonora grew up in Bethesda, MD. She graduated from Georgetown University with a BA in Economics and Linguistics. She enjoys spending her free time running, traveling, crocheting and rooting on FC Barcelona.

Wanna learn how to make more money with your website? Check the Online Profits training program!

Never Get Writer’s Block Again with These 101+ Blog Post Titles

Posted: 15 Apr 2016 04:56 PM PDT

If you have had a blog or website for a while, you probably know that the hardest part of keeping it going is writing new and unique content on a regular basis. Let’s face it, getting ideas for interesting posts is hard!

That is why I am always searching around for tips and tricks on how to be more creative, and this past week I came across a really interesting post from the Wise Startup Blog titled Steal My Strategy: How to Create Blog Post Ideas Influencers Love.

On this post you’ll discover the strategies used by Andrew to produce killer articles that will get shared like crazy, and you will also find a list with 101 blog topics/titles you can use on your own site.

Here’s a quotation:

13. Tell a Joke

The old adage says that sex sells, but humor can go a long way too.

14. Write about Personal Life Lessons

Readers tend to appreciate when writers are willing to share their own personal experiences. Don't be afraid to relate your own challenges and failings. Others will learn from the lessons you share and take a moment to relay their own experiences.

15. Make a Video Post

Again, readers appreciate being able to view a variety of material and posting a vlog will also make you seem more accessible and personable rather than an anonymous voice on the web.

16. Write a Guide to Success

Everyone is looking for ways to improve. Offer your own advice on how to succeed and provide concrete steps that can be followed.

17. Share Marketing Secrets

Other bloggers and business owners will be interested in how you are able to successfully market your articles and expand your reach. Most of this information is readily available, but you can be the go-to source and make sure you standout as a reliable expert.

Some cool ideas huh? Believe me, you’ll find many more creative ones on the original post, so check it out.

Wanna learn how to make more money with your website? Check the Online Profits training program!

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