How to Deal with Controversy in Blogging

In an interview I gave about social media, I gave advice for dealing with negativity: Diffuse it.

After being attacked on my blog in what was a parody gone wrong, diffusing the negativity worked wonders.

As my blogging experience grew, I heard controversy was not only acceptable, but was to be encouraged on a blog.

This time, I argued both sides of the proverbial coin in my question for writers: Should cultural idioms be encouraged or discouraged? I actually argued both positions and encouraged readers to voice their views.

My readers were indeed engaged, and the comments flowed.

I pushed the controversy envelope further. I found a blogger who disagreed on the merit of self-hosting. Instead of arguing both sides and encouraging readers to tell me which side is correct, I encouraged readers to take sides, not just with positions, but with the bloggers who hold the opposing views. This time, the comments overflowed.

Have I changed in the 16 months since I started blogging? No! I am just as sensitive and thin-skinned as I ever was. However, I love to see my readers engaged, and I love page views. So my response to writers who fear controversy is to quote a Taylor Swift song: “Shake it Off!”

Blogging can be a pretty innocuous topic, but for the sake of interest, I don’t play it safe at my site. For more edgy blogging topics and secret blogging tips revealed, check out MostlyBlogging.com