My podcasting partner in crime Paul Gillin is finishing up his next book, and has this handy quiz that answers the question of whether your company should blog. If you want to read the preview version of his book titled Secrets of Social Media Marketing (where this little bit is excerpted from), you can go here to download the Word document or post comments to his wiki.

Although some social media consultants will tell you that business blogging is a no-brainer, the reality is that the medium isn’t for everybody. Here’s a short quiz you can take to determine if your company is a good candidate. Answer appropriately and then compare your score to the key at the end.

1. Do you want to do it? A blog isn’t a short-term project. Once you start, you need to consistently update your site, at least once per week. The novelty will quickly wear off, so ask yourself whether you have the stamina and a wellspring of ideas to keep you going beyond the first few months. Yes: 5 points; No: 0 points
2. Do you have a topic in mind? Ideally, your topic should be expressible in less than a dozen words displayed under your blog title. This isn’t always easy. Some markets (marketing, entertainment and sports, for example) have hundreds or thousands of bloggers. In an environment like that, you need to focus your topic very precisely. Other markets (architecture and construction, for example) are nearly wide open. Pick a theme for your blog and be sure it doesn’t duplicate what’s already being said. The more distinctive your topic, the faster you’ll achieve success. Yes: 3 points; No: 0 points
3. Are you passionate about the topic? Good blogs have personality and personality is a product of enthusiasm. That doesn’t mean you need to be a cheerleader; in fact, some very successful blogs are negative in tone. It does mean that your topic should be something that you can talk about for hours, because that’s basically what you’ll be doing over time. Yes: 3 points; No: 1 point
4. Are you knowledgeable about the topic? A public forum isn’t the place to go to school, particularly if you represent a business. It’s important to engage in dialogue and learn something from your readers, but you should also have a point of view backed by expertise and experience that makes you credible. Yes: 2 points; No: 0 points
5. Do you communicate well? Some people don’t, and a blog is probably not the right promotional vehicle for them. You don’t necessarily have to be a good writer; many successful bloggers use video and sound to great effect. But you do need to be able to express your thoughts coherently in some form. Most people can actually write at least passably if they use a style that’s comfortable for them. Blogging should be natural. Yes: 2 points; No: 1 point
6. Do you have a thick skin? If you’re opinionated enough to sustain a blog, you need to accept the fact that others may differ with you. Assuming that you accept comments (and I strongly recommended that you do), be prepared to accept pointed responses to what you say without losing your cool. Yes: 2 points; No: 1 point

Scoring:

12 or more points: What are you waiting for?
8 to 12 points: You’re on track, but you need more focus or enthusiasm
5 to 8 points: Think hard about whether this is the right vehicle for you
Less than 5 points: Don’t bother