To blog or not to blog? If you have pondered this question, you’re absolutely not alone.

According to Mediakix, the total number of blogs on Tumblr, Squarespace, and WordPress alone equaled over 440 million by 2017. And, today, WordPress reports over 409 million people view more than 21.9 billion blog pages and users produce about 74.7 million new posts and 57.3 million new comments each month.

An infographic from Blog Tyrant shows some interesting metrics and trends on blogging — including that nearly 70 percent of bloggers surveyed are not earning a dime for doing it. So what does this say? My interpretation is that many bloggers are posting because they WANT to — because they have a point of view on something they care about — and, because they’re committed to sharing that POV for reasons other than monetary gain.

No matter why you may be interested in blogging, if you haven’t launched or managed one, these seven questions may help you decide if the time is right for you to make the idea a reality:

Do you have more than a sentence or two to share via social? Are your tweets, Facebook or LinkedIn posts getting longer and longer? This is a sign that you may have more to say than a passing comment or supportive word or two for someone else’s content.

Are you an expert — or are you actively interested in something? Do you have expertise that might benefit others? Sharing thought leadership or how-to content is a great way to add value for people across your social networks. Or, using your blog to examine trends or review things you care about can be a good way to build community with others who share your values.

Do you have time to plan and write? Do you have a few hours a week to commit to a strategic plan, content strategy, editorial calendar and a consistent frequency of posts? You could set aside time on the weekends or after work hours for this. Just think it through so you set yourself up for success before you begin.

Are ready to learn basic tech tools? You will need to use or learn to use a blogging tool like WordPress or something like it to set up and host your blog. You will also need to work with some basic code nuances (like cut/pasting lines of code into automated tools) to customize the look and feel of the blog template you choose, among other tasks. The tools available today make it simple. Just be ready to learn.

Or, if that sounds too daunting, you can always leverage LinkedIn’s blogging platform. Just be sure you share POV that’s relevant to your business contacts there if you do.

Have you defined your audience — who your posts will add value for the most? To provide a consistent and cohesive body of work, think through who you are wiring for with your posts. What interests do they have in common? Are you writing for a particular business vertical? People who share a passion for something you know or care a lot about…? Or, is your blog a creative outlet? Regardless, know your audience,  and write with these people in mind.

Do you know how you’ll source graphics or images? Visual storytelling is powerful. If you don’t want to spend your own budget on images, you can opt for royalty-free stock imagery from sources such as Pexels. Or, you can shoot your own… Or, you can opt for budget-friendly tools like Canva that will allow you to create graphics of your own.

Do you know which of your social networks will find value in it? Think through who will find the most value in what you post. If your blog has a professional focus, it’s likely going to resonate with your LinkedIn and possibly Twitter communities. If it’s more personal in nature, it’s probably a better fit for your Facebook or Snapchat friends. If it’s highly visual, you can include a link to it in your Instagram profile.

If you answered “yes’ to these questions, it may be a good time for you to start blogging. There are plenty of free resources to help you get started that go far beyond what I’ve shared here. So, what are you waiting for?