What to consider before starting a blog

[KristineS]

I intended this to be aimed at business people who might want to start a blog, but I suppose the list could apply to anyone who wants to start a blog. I'd like to compile a list of things that should be considered before anyone starts a blog.

I'll start things off.

Item #1: Can you consistently and frequently supply interesting content that will draw people back to your blog?

What are some other items for the list?

[vangogh]

Item #2: What are your goals for the blog?
Item #3: Will you write the blog yourself or will you hire someone to blog for you?

[Harold Mansfield]

#5) Self Hosting, or Free Hosted:
This is an important one that many people do not consider carefully when they start their first blog.
If you are blogging for your business, then you most definitely want to put the blog on your existing domain. (ie: www. mywidgets. com/blog). No need to confuse existing customers, and new clients with 2 different domains to remember......and there is no need to start from scratch promoting, linking, and driving traffic to a brand new domain. It's hard enough with one the first time around.

If your blog is the business, you want to be real about your goals. Are you of those, "Well, let me see how it goes..and if I make any money I will self host", or is you goal to blog for passion and money?

Don't waste the money on a new domain and hosting if you are going to half *ss it, or give up in 2 months if your adsense check is not $1000. A free hosted blog will do you fine if it's just a hobby, or you are not sure if blogging is for you.

If you are in it for the long haul...prepared to not make a dime for months, and passionate about your niche, then play to win...decide on your platform, get a domain, some decent, cheap hosting..and learn, and blog. Never stop learning . Never stop blogging, and you just may see success.

[Leatherneck]

I'm new to bloging and i just set up my blog a while back. Steve (Vangogh)has helped me alot on advise, I'm sure I will read more and learn more from this group of fine people with plenty of experiance. I have too work at writing some times, but I know it will get easier the more I write.

[vangogh]

Based on Mak's comment above I'll add a rule that's really for anytime before or after you start a blog.

#6 write, write, write - The more you write the better you get. This could alternately be states as blog, blog, blog.