I know this post may be a strange one to put in our series 28 Days to Build a Successful Blog, but if you are not willing to do or consider these 10 points, you shouldn’t be.

My reason for this post is the fact I get questions from people almost daily asking me if they should blog. I also find it a bit troubling there are so many blogs failing before they are given a chance to even be successful.

To answer the question “should you actually be blogging?”, I went to one of my favorite post called 10 Reasons Your Company Shouldn’t Blog.

I am going to take some creative license with the list and apply them as I think they work best for our readers.

Consider these 10 items before you start a blog:

1. Don’t be boring. One of the biggest reasons your blog is not going to be successful is because you are so boring no one can stand to read it. Don’t be a blogging drone.
2. Give your blog a personal voice. Don’t sound like a robot. Your readers are going to come to know you by your blog. And they are going to hire you because they come to know you, like you and trust you.
3. Make sure you do some original content. This doesn’t mean you shouldn’t take a post from another blogger and add your take to it. Just don’t copy it word for word. And don’t just post news items. Your readers can read the news anywhere.
4. Blogging takes a time commitment and if you are not willing to put the commitment into blogging, don’t even start a blog. If you don’t commit to it, your blog will not be successful.
5. Subscribe to and read other blogs in your niche and mainstream media. You need to be informed in your topic so you can have the fodder to write about.
6. Even a well done blog is not a substitute for other marketing efforts. A blog should compliment your other marketing.
7. A blog will not replace advertising when you need to get a quick word out about a time sensitive item.
8. If you expect your new blog to be a quick fix to a down business or the lack of clients, you are going to be disappointed. A blog takes time and it is a long term process.
9. Blogs are not cheap but they are less expensive as other marketing efforts such as the yellow pages. Don’t overlook the importance of having your blog professionally designed and launched for you.
10. If you are not willing to learn how to drive traffic to your blog, don’t bother starting one. You are not going to have a successful blog if you don’t. You need to be willing to use both online and offline efforts to drive traffic to your blog.

Before you go any further reading this series, or for that matter, any more of the post we write here, I want you to take these 10 points and consider them. And only than should you decide if you should have a blog or not.