Sometimes as a blogger you have to step up and voice an opinion. Not only do you have to voice your opinion, but you’ve also got to get other people to buy into that opinion.
Many bloggers are capable of writing purely informational posts. But the bloggers that tend to garner huge followings – names like Steve Pavlina, Gary Vaynerchuk, Tim Ferris, or Seth Godin – don’t just share information.
They share strong opinions. Then they actually move people to join them in those opinions. They make an argument so convincing that others can’t help but be sold.
When should you make an argument, instead of just presenting information? Why? And most importantly, how?
When and Why
The most important reason to make a convincing argument and try to win people over to your point of view is simple: It’s how you actually build a following.
In order to get people to listen to you, you need to take a polarizing stance. In other words, some people will see the world from the same point of view as you and become loyal followers of your work. On the other hand, other people will disagree and be turned off.
That’s how it works: The people with the biggest followings also have large groups of people who dislike them. From Opera to Eminem, Barack Obama to Jon Stewart, people love them or hate them. But their voice is so strong that the people who like them happen to be large groups. In other words, it creates a following for them.
What Happens if You Never Take a Stance
Don’t get me wrong: It’s possible to succeed without ever taking a stance. You can get by with SEO traffic while building a steady blog that gets visitors incrementally.
But unless you do take a stance that gets people fired up about something you believe in, your blog will never go viral. People won’t feel inspired to pass your work on.
If you want your blog to get backlinked to like crazy; if you want your blog to be “liked” by hundreds of people; if you want your blog to be talked about among people in the industry, then you need to pick a stance, something you believe in, and start converting others to your point of view.
How to Make a Convincing Argument
The first place to start from is your personal conviction. What do you personally believe in? Why?
Then ask yourself – Why do other people believe what they believe? Do you think your reasons for believing what you believe are better?
