Obviously, the first step in any business opportunity is to make a plan. Without a plan, your chances of succeeding with your blogging venture may be slim. In building your plan, you should consider these guidelines.

1.   Let your personality show - People like to work with people they have things in common with. Letting your personality shine in your writing will create commonality with your readers and differentiate you from the millions of other bloggers out there. I'd suggest weaving personal stories into your posts while you address a topic. Give your readers something to connect too.

2.   Update regularly - The frequency of update is key to catching the eye of search engine spiders that peruse the Internet looking for content. I would update your blog a minimum of once a week. However, more frequent updates will draw more attention to your blog because of the richness of content. Set aside time to blog regularly but be realistic with your time. If you can't commit to the 15-30 minutes for each post, you will just  should be all it takes it

3.   Syndicate your blog - By utilizing the RSS or ATOM Feeds that most blogging platforms support, you can maximize your exposure on the Internet. These XML-based technology created short summaries of each post on your blog. These summaries can then be picked up by other blogs, websites, blog syndication sites or used with newsreader software. You are basically saying "USE MY STUFF" to the Internet.

4.   Stay on course - Occasional lapses in your plan will happen, that's life but makes sure that you are consistent in updating your blog and providing the content that keep your readers coming back. 

With that said, let's talk about your plan. Your blog is part of your business, treat it like a business. Lay out a mini-business plan for your blog and stick to it. Here are some questions that you may want to consider when building your plan.

1.   Who is your audience and what would they be interested in?

2.   What are my goals?(i.e., simple vs. full-function, lead generation, informing customers, networking with other professionals,etc,)

3.   How frequently do you plan to blog?

4.   Will you enlist help from other professionals in related industry?

5.   How will I will promote my blog?

Setting up your plan ahead of time will help to get you moving faster and eliminate the frustration of going in the wrong direction with your blog. Remember, running a blog is a long-term marketing vehicle. There is normally not a short-term ROI. However, as your audience grows, you are bound to experience the benefit's discussed in part 1.