The Wax Blog

Beth Hodgson is from Canada so she has to peg all her blog posts from US news. Otherwise they’d be too boring. 

How important is it to write about current stories? Should all of your blog posts be relevance to news in your industry? These are great questions and  worth exploring. If you want fast answers, I can give you a few:

The only news in Canada is about hockey.

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By Beth Hodgson-Graddon who writes with a chip on her shoulder,  still bitter about that Wayne Gretzky trade back in ’88. 

If you haven’t been blogging for a while, it is hard to know how to get started again. You’ve fallen off the “writing wagon” but more importantly, do  you still have the same audience just waiting in the wings?  Or do you need to start from scratch to build up your readership again? 

To answer those questions, try the following: (more…)

Beth Hodgson-Graddon blogs like a true Canadian with full healthcare benefits. 

Determining the things your target market really cares about is essential when  setting up a blog for your business. You need to approach it from a marketing perspective, although the follow-through may not be -at least not in the traditional sense.  Many people  consider “marketing” to be the antithesis of a real blog– they choose blogging  to connect with their clients rather than “annoy” them with direct marketing.

The important thing to remember is that there are many parallels between direct marketing and setting up a business blog. In both instances you are attempting to reach the client to enhance your brand.  The true message here is that you can’t be afraid of marketing tactics.

We’ve discussed using your blog to test the water on choosing subjects. This time we’re going to really think like marketers – well, kind of.  Here’s what I mean: (more…)

By Beth Graddon-Hodgson, who is from Canada.  Which may make her opinions rather suspect, if not subversive. 

With constantly evolving demands in social media, it is interesting how there is such a high frequency of social media conferences when techniques almost can’t be taught.  Why do so many people feel the need to share their expertise on something when there are no real rules?

The question is on my mind because there are a number of social media conferences popping up around the Toronto Area. The 140 Characters Conference is on a North American tour and just happened here.  Blissdom Canada is another conference coming up this fall. Here are a few thoughts of mine about why these conferences are important and also some words of caution for those trying to learn from them.  (more…)

By Beth Graddon-Hodgson

Last week’s post was all about techniques for pushing your blog articles on social media. This week, we’ll keep going on a similar direction and talk about how hard you  should have to work to market your blog. It’s a question I’m asked all the time – people hire me for the writing but don’t have a budget for  social media, guest posts, sourcing etc. However, they also aren’t interested in trying these things themselves,  believing that the blog content will do all of the work.

If you’re only going to invest your money and time in one marketing arena and you’ve got a lower budget, a blog is your best step. However, it is part of a bigger puzzle – you can’t always expect to have 10,000 hits per month if  you just focus on great blog content. When determining your priorities for marketing time, consider the following: (more…)

It is always a bit of dilemma when a client asks that we promote all new blog articles via social media on a daily basis. It’s not that I’m against promoting in this manner, but I am always concerned about balance. I don’t want to get too far into social media strategy, but I would like to discuss how the use of social media affects your blog when you choose these different strategies. (more…)