The Wax Blog

As our regular readers likely know by now, my strategies in blogging typically find a happy medium between having a technical-minded SEO focus and a customer-oriented approach.  I’m all about balance and a big believer that regardless of what your SEO stats tell you, if you’re not connecting with your clients, you’re not accomplishing enough. I bring this up only because there is one area where it’s just dawned on me that my views differ, and it relates to inserting hyperlinks on your blog.

Should Hyperlinks On Your Blog Be About Customers or SEO? (more…)

With a new year here, it’s the time that most businesses review the strategies that they used last year and come up with the game plan for 2011. One of the important things to look at when you’re determining what worked and what didn’t on your blog is your statistics.  You know I’m not just about the numbers, but there are specific things you can look at to get insight into how your readers feel about the content you’re producing.

1.     Which topics your readers are looking for – this one is pretty simple to judge. The posts that have the most direct traffic are the ones that people are most looking for.

2.     Which posts are most enjoyed – take a look at how long people are spending looking at each post.  The posts that were only glanced at for a few seconds clearly weren’t especially appealing. Thirty seconds or more at least means they gave it a glance, and a minute or more means they were reading and processing what you wrote. It could be a combination of the topic and the style that makes a post appealing!

3.     If a post was stimulating – if you’ve gotten a lot of comments, it’s fair to say you’ve either written something genius or really hit a nerve. Either is good.

4.     If  you have regular readers – those that find your blog by searching for a specific topic will land on that blog post itself, not the main blog page (yourwebsite.com/blog or blog.yourwebsite.com). Those that visit your main blog page directly are either searching for your business’ blog, going to it after they’ve already landed on your website, or they’re return visitors. Of course, if you want you can dig a little deeper and find out which of those scenarios are true of your readers, but it any case, you know you’ve got a captive audience of regular readers by looking at how many people go directly to your blog. Subscription numbers can also provide this insight, but not everyone who subscribes reads, and not everyone who reads subscribes.

5.     Effective SEO posts – you know you’ve got a strong, keyword rich post when it’s still getting a substantial number of visits even when it’s no longer new.

By Beth Graddon-Hodgson

Since my post on using the language of your target audience I’ve been doing a lot of thinking about other crucial elements to consider to make your blog a success from a keyword perspective. Not only do you need to consider geographically where your readers (or your target market for business) reside; you’ve got to consider HOW they’re getting to your blog. Here’s  how to determine the right keywords to use if your readers use mobile devices. (more…)

I had a conversation with a fairly well-known mystery writer a few weeks ago talking about using social media to promote his newest book. His question to me was “Is anybody REALLY reading all these blogs?”

So when the topic of this #letsblogoff came up I thought it was a timely one. The answer I believe is that all blogs serve a purpose – but not necessarily the SAME purpose. I think of news sites like the Huffington Post and it’s obvious they serve the purpose of media 2.0. Many blogs, like this one for example, help draw attention to a particular company or service provider.  Some blogs provide a source of income and employment along with valuable content. (Think of Copyblogger) Others give voice to a community of like-minded people who may not necessarily be heard normally, like the Fatosphere And many are simply public diaries, fulfilling the need to express emotions and communicate whatever it is that writer is experiencing. Matt Logelin is a poignant example of one man who poured his grief and heart out online, finding solace and comfort in the process.

Many bloggers start writing with one purpose, or because they simply were told they ‘should’…and later on find the real purpose behind their blog and find the true inspiration to continue. There are others that never find their purpose and those blogs die quickly.

So do blogs really matter? As long as they serve a purpose…to the writer or the readers…then of course they do. And I ask you…What’s the purpose of YOUR blog?

Read what the other participants in this #letsblogoff think!

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?