The Wax Blog

by Susan Long

More than two thirds of businesses have never even considered whether or not they own their market position,  and plenty of those are doing just fine.  So when it is essential to really grab your slice of the market, declare it yours and defend it? Here are a few reasons when considering your market position may be crucial to your success. (more…)

By Beth Graddon-Hodgson

It doesn’t matter what you’re writing about, whether you’re blogging for your business or writing a novel; it’s still a creative process. To produce your best work, you’ve got to find your groove and then simply let the words flow.

My day consists of a lot of different types of writing. A fairly large percentage of it is business blogging, but for each and every blog it’s for a different industry, in a different style and tone. Then there are the articles, web copy and other pieces that I’ve got to dive right into. Wondering what my point is? Well, changing hats so many times throughout the day is not easy, and I need to wipe the slate clean, get new perspective and return to write with new inspiration.

Inspiration for writing can come from anywhere. What works for me, won’t necessarily work for you, but finding what recharges you is essential if you want to be successful as a professional blogger or a business owner writing for your business blog.

The idea of inspiration can be taken far too literally. Just because you’re writing an article about gardening, doesn’t mean that you need to get out there and start weeding. That might come later, but the inspiration to write must come from within you, not what’s around you.

I take a break between every item I write to find it within me. I am most inspired when I step away from thinking like a writer and just exist, even if only for a few minutes. I recharge by closing my eyes and listening to a favorite song, repeating a positive affirmation, or doing some deep breathing while stretching in a freeing yoga pose that’s good for the mind and body. Inspiration can also come from other activities that you wouldn’t expect; a chat with a friend or family member, a moment to pet or play with pets, or a few minutes of social networking.

Inspiration can come from freeing yourself of whatever was on your mind, so you return to write with new perspective, ready to focus on whatever project is ahead of you.

What inspires you?

By Beth Graddon-Hodgson

In last week’s post, I gave you a little bit of insight to help you use your intuition and determine how to respond you comments on your business blog, based on what you think each commenter wants to hear. This week, we’re delving a bit deeper into the really juicy stuff; writing blog posts that are sure to get people commenting and I’ll reveal one of my big secrets about handling comments. (more…)

By Beth Graddon-Hodgson

A great blog should attract regular feedback from readers. Any subject that provokes thought, whether it’s because visitors love or hate what you wrote, entices them to leave a comment. They might ask for further clarification, leave an opinion of their own, or thank you for the information. Sometimes if your opinion or perspective in an article really irks them, they’ll even bash you on a personal level. Comments are comments and they’re all fantastic, because you know you made an impression on your readers.

You might think that the only reason to answer comments is for courtesy, like the obligation to return a phone call when a voice mail has been left. It is the polite thing to do, indeed, but you can also use comments to keep your readers talking. (more…)

First of all thanks to the adorable @dlarson15 for suggesting this week’s ‘How to Pitch’. Honestly you can ask me how to pitch any show and if I don’t know, I’ll find out for you. SO ASK!

Local TV is probably one of the most desired media for small businesses. Like so much of PR, local TV works primarily through relationships. Get a reporter or producer interested in you or your business and eventually, something should happen. It’s important to understand the different ways you can get TV coverage. I covered pitching events, your breaking news or getting included as an expert source in the How To Pitch Assignment Editors post. The other ways you can get coverage are through feature stories (sometimes called “packages”) and as guests on the morning shows. (more…)

by Beth Graddon-Hodgson

Last week’s post was all about why you should do a little bit of guest blogging to improve business and traffic to your blog. This week, it’s time to switch things up a little and focus on why you should host guest bloggers on your own site.

There are a number of things to consider, and a lot of it stems back to the idea of good blogging karma that we’re so fond of around here. “Trading” guest posts creates a bit of a give and take with other bloggers, demonstrating you’re not just taking advantage of the exposure that they can give you when you guest blog for them; but that you’re willing to offer them the same. It’s only an indirect self-serving method since it helps your reputation, but there are other reasons as well to host guest bloggers that will bring quick benefits, and all for little to no effort of your own. (more…)

By Beth Graddon-Hodgson

If you’ve got a business blog, at some point, you’ve probably considered writing a guest post for another blog or online publication. Some bloggers are hesitant about doing this, thinking “why would I drive traffic to someone else’s site when I can focus on doing the same for my own?” Well, like many things these posts have addressed about blogging, that’s another misconception.

Here are some of the reasons why guest blogging for another blog will help you improve your own blog’s web traffic and help advance your business. So open yourself up to the idea, and it’ll be a good thing!

Photo from fOTOGLIF

Whenever I’m discussing the prospect of blogging for a new client, one of the first questions I’m asked by those who don’t already have a blog setup is “should it be on my website?” My answer is always “yes, of course!” That isn’t because I offer blog setup or design services (well, I do coordinate them, when necessary) so that’s not my answer because it means a greater profit for me; it’s because I want my clients to get the best results possible from their blog. Usually, that’s where the discussion about it ends, and since I never get to share the “why”; now seems like a good time.

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Over the past few weeks, I’ve provided you with what I hope is some valuable insight into avoiding plagiarism and crediting sources. This week’s post should address any questions you have about how to physically credit sources that you use to develop your blog content. For the most part, there is no right and wrong. These are some simple strategies I find help keep people on your blog longer and ensure you don’t run into any issues where someone believes they were not properly credited. (more…)

According to Free Dictionary the definition of karma is the total effect of a person’s actions and conduct during the successive phases of the person’s existence, regarded as determining the person’s destiny. Beth Hodgson’s last post about the boomerang effect – what happens when you get even more traffic by sending it to others from your blog -  stirred up some comments about how karma works in the blogosphere. (Thanks Jorgen for kicking that discussion off and I’d love to hear YOUR stories too!) It got me thinking about my clients, and how their attitudes and actions affect the kind of PR results they get. Read on to find out how MUCH karma affects results. (more…)