A blog is a terrible thing to waste…

Therefore, before you start to blog, give yourself this Influence Quotient (IQ) test which will predict your long-term success as an online corporate or citizen journalist.

1. Enthusiasm for Writing:
If you don’t like to write, or you’re bad at it, don’t even think about blogging. You can stop taking this self-evaluation right now.
2. Something to Say:
If you don’t know what’s going on, or you’re not high enough up on the food chain to know what’s going on, don’t blog. Nobody’s interested in how your dog is feeling this morning.
3. Self-Confidence:
Worried you might say something that will offend someone? Worried they may say something unkind about you? Are you incapable of admitting a mistake, acknowledging a product flaw, a management disaster? If so, don’t blog.
4. Patience:
Can you handle being ignored? Can you blog in obscurity for a long time? If you’re a person who needs to get immediate positive feedback all the time, don’t blog.
5. Can you read? Do you read?
If you’re not a voracious reader of other people’s writing, either online or in the traditional mode, don’t blog. The metasphere is a conversational community that’s always looking left and right to see what others are saying. If the blog you’re contemplating represents your first and only journey into the online world, don’t blog. Go lurk a while, then decide.
6. Distractability:
Got a day job that’s already got you so busy there’s little time to use the lavatory? Don’t blog. You’ll find a million reasons to delay, defer, suspend or otherwise starve your blog to death.
7. Technology Adaptability:
If MS Word still confounds you, don’t blog. If you’re not up to speed on RSS, trackbacks, permalinks, blogrolls, links, keywords, metadata and the rest, don’t blog. If you don’t know the difference between Google Blogger and WordPress, don’t blog.
8. Awareness of IP Rights:
Not up to speed on libel, slander, copyright, and trademark law and intellectual property protections, don’t blog.
9. Blogging as Just Another Promotional Venue:
Think a blog is just another place to broadcast your product promotional messages, over and over again and again, don’t blog.
10. Arrogance, Egomania and Poor Traditional Interpersonal Media Skills:
Do people often say you’re unlikable? Do you argue with everyone and everything? Are you of the opinion you’ve never been wrong? If so, what are you waiting for, start blogging immediately.

Share This