In my profession I am helping people to achieve whatever they want in life.

Any subject anyone would like me to post?

Something you have been searching for an answer for a long time?

Visit my blog and ask a question.

I am looking forward to your visit.

Amanda Devine

Thanks for the tips. In my effort to increase traffic on my new blog and appeal to readers (when they do start coming :), I have been trying to follow your tips.

Am I being effective? Well, the initial results are less than inspiring but I have faith that by using tips like this I will begin to build a reader base and gain a little bit of a following. Thanks again for this series as it is very helpful!

A technique employed to round off pieces nicely is to return to the hook at the end of the post. So, for example, ask a question at the opening but don’t answer it until the very end. Not only does this keep the reader interested, it completes the circle and makes for a satisfying experience.

And Brian, no prob. :)

I find it is amusing that Darren has a controversial entry on his hands without trying to be controversial! I don’t think you need to Be Controversial but rather Speak Your Mind and Have An Opinion, this will do just as well and regularly create discussions and controversies.

I wrote a controversial in Harry Potter and it got a huge response. That led me to you since you posed there. Probably back in 2000 or 2001.

So controversy works.

I don’t advise being controversial just for the sake of it but it is a way to get people to notice you if you genuinely have something to say on a topic.

Also – I think you can be controversial without being attacking or hurtful to others. I know some people like to linkbait by attacking others – this is not my style at all and I would advise people to be very careful if they want to do that as it not only hurts the person’s reputation that you might be attacking but can quite easily hurt your own (sometimes more so than the other person).

For example – I know that if I do a post on the topic of whether people should use full feeds or partial feeds on their blogs that it’ll get people talking and expressing their opinions very passionately. It’s a controversial topic. It doesn’t hurt anyone to bring it up – but it definately stirs people up a little (not sure if that’s the best example I can think of but it’s early here and I need a coffee).

In Darren’s defense, controversial topics can be extremely compelling without amounting to trolling. It doesn’t have to be an attack, although that’s what most people first think of in the blogging world.