Nobody wants to read a namby-pamby blog post that’s all smiley and boring
How’s that for an opinion? It’s Day 16 of yeah write’s summer series following ProBlogger’s 31 days to build a better blog, and we’re talking about spicing up your blog by writing opinion posts. They’re a bold way to find your voice as a writer, engage your readers in a meaningful dialogue and, yes, drive traffic to your site.
What do we mean by opinion posts? If you primarily share vignettes about your day-to-day life with your kids, do you suddenly have to take a stand on the most controversial topics of the day? “Here’s a cute pic of the girls at the pool! And hey, Hillary 2016, y’all!” Um, no.
The occasional opinion piece needs to fit seamlessly and stylistically into the blog you already write. Opinion does not equal politics. There are lots of fun ways to tell it like it is within the niche you’ve carved out. Remember that elevator speech you unpacked way back on Day 1? Look at that again. Where, within that framework, can you add what you think about something to the mix?
Personally, I have opinions from dawn until dusk. I have opinions about the best order in which to pack lunches. I have opinions on how the dishwasher should be loaded. I have opinions about the best route to the grocery store. I bet you have day-to-day opinions about simple things too. One of my favorite opinion pieces on the grid was My Quest for Foam from yeah write #74 in which yeah write editor Stacie over at Snaps & Bits tested various organic milks to find which made the best froth for her latte.
You don’t need to write a shouty manifesto to share your opinion. Try these tips:
Tell a story
We experience even unfamiliar issues at a more personal level when we learn through storytelling. You’ll understand how mainstreaming children with special needs in schools affects individual children much better, for example, after you read yeah write editor Erica M’s piece about her daughter, “acceptance gone wrong: mental retardation and its profound loneliness and isolation.” It’s an opinion piece wrapped up gently inside a narrative account.
Create a dialogue
We’re not playing a spectator sport here with you shouting at your audience. The goal is to generate discussion. So share your opinion, and then ask your audience to weigh in. Don’t worry about alienating people. Yes, not everyone is going to agree with everything you say, but that’s okay. The well-crafted opinion piece will make your readers stop, look, listen, and jump into the fray. And that’s what makes a blog more interesting to read—and to write.
Be approachable
You can’t discuss anything with a person who is harsh and inflexible. It’s much more effective to have a soft touch if you want to persuade. For my Independence Day post, “America, You’re Being Kind of Weird,” I could have written a strident piece about the NSA spying scandal but instead, I chose to lighten up by focusing on what it might be like for the NSA to spy on my pathetic life.
Now try it for real
Tell us how you really feel. Keep is short and sweet – around 600 words – and link up below.
I actually wrote an opinion a few weeks back, and was TERRIFIED of judgement and lashing out from my hyper-conservative acquaintances and family. I tried to be as respectful as possible, but I was NERVOUS putting it out there.
My big thing is being very intimidated by facts: what if I get something wrong? What if the person correcting me (as has happened on Twitter) is being all douchey about it? So I tend to write “opinion” pieces from a very personal point of view since no one but a close family member could dispute it and no close family members read my blog. I have a stereotypical writer’s personality that hates confrontation and abrasive arguments. I also hate it when my husband turns to Google just to prove me wrong, but that’s a whole ‘nother subject.
I’ve had people correct me before and if they are right, I either update/edit or add a clarification in my response to the comments. If it’s done respectfully and not nastily, I’m good. I’ve been lucky not to have a lot of nastiness on my political posts.
It’s funny – when I read opinion piece my first thought is something controversial. I have opinions and mostly I’m not afraid to let anyone know what they are. Except when I think people are going to get mad or it’s going to drive people away. For example, I’m very opinionated when I know the crowd I’m with will agree. So on the blog? Not so much. I like the idea of having an opinion on things that aren’t as charged. I admire your ability to voice your opinion as you do. Maybe if I start with my lesser opinions, I’ll feel comfortable sharing my bigger ones.
It’s a lot easier for me to write about my opinions than to bring them up to people I know don’t agree with me. Like, I wouldn’t bring up politics or religion with my in-laws, but I know my mother-in-law subscribes and that hasn’t been a deterrent to me writing about things I know she disagrees with. I mean, it’s never been a secret we’ve been on opposite sides of lots of things 🙂 NOW THEY KNOW FOR SURE!
I just feel like I don’t have enough followers to afford to piss any of them off. But someday…
Thanks for the shout-out! These days my opinions are lost in a cloud of sleep deprivation, but I’m really good at posting puppy pictures 😉
Well, I need to know more about how you feel about hot beverages. Get on that, stat.