Are you thinking about starting a blog? Considering the various powerful permutations and profit potential that bringing one into your marketing mix can offer? Congratulations! It's a great decision, and one that I firmly believe is one of the brightest and most bodacious strategies you can use to exponentially explode, improve and amplify your business building efforts. (and fast)

But in my view, one of the biggest mistakes people make when starting a blog are NOT things related to a lack of ideas, or technical specifics or any other lack of "know how". Instead, they tend to be problems that arise out of NOT asking the right questions before you begin. Let's take a look at a few of the ultra important ones, and the sort of stuff that can not only make or break your blog, but also are ultra important to your business, and LIFE overall.

- Are you TRULY an Expert? (if you are blogging for business, especially as "service" related business where you are offering advice, this is a pretty important question that many people "fudge" a bit on, especially the ignominious "online marketing advice" niche..:-)

- Are you Passionate About the Topic? If you're not.....just skip it and use a different online marketing strategy. There are plenty of them out there, and blogs are NOT best for people who "hate" their expertise or chosen field. Trust me, it shines through!

- Are you willing to LEAD? By definition, a blog is a bullhorn. A broadcast. And if you are wishy washy, have "un-remarkable" opinions or are not willing to take a stand, blogging is NOT a good way to showcase these notable qualities to the world at large..:-)

- Are you willing to LISTEN? It amazes me how many blogs, even really popular ones, don't listen to their readers. They don't respond to comments. They write stuff, let all of the "minions" respond, and don't take the time to say "thanks" or even engage the conversation that they initiated in the first place. The ability to LISTEN (and learn) from your readers is of paramount importance when building a blog that benefits your business. (and bottom line)

- What is Your Monetization Strategy? How are you planning on making money? So many people drop the ball on this one, and this is probably responsible for more ABANDONED blogs than just about any other lapse or oversight. Think plopping a whole bunch of ads in your sidebar is going to make you rich? Think again. The best blog marketers have a solid strategy before they hit "publish" on their very first post. Build a list. Build a community.

Offer value and tangible benefits that truly help people achieve their goals, and monetize by offering your services as the "back end". Or offer a membership site where people can dive deeper into the wild and wonderful world of your expertise, offers and premium services. The key is to simply have a plan going in....and not just posting willy nilly and waiting for the bucks to bank themselves, simply because they rarely will :-)