A Rising Tide...Guest Blogger's Share Their Expertise

The Greek Fleet from 
 The Complete Poetical Works of Geoffrey Chaucer
Illustration by Warwick Goble, 1912

A few months ago I reached my 2012 personal blog goal of 100,000 readers. I am a firm believer in the quote, "A rising tide floats all boats"  so I decided to share the audience with my intelligent and creative colleagues in the form of Guest Blogger articles.

The response has been overwhelming, which is not surprising, considering their generosity of spirit. I know it takes time and effort to pen an article for publication and I am grateful for their willingness to share their experiences. Currently, these talented writers have reached over 1,600 readers with their work!

It is with great appreciation and admiration I offer you the links to the current Guest Blogger articles from my storytelling and business colleagues in the USA and beyond. I will continue to add more as they are published.

If you are interested in becoming a Guest Blogger email me at storybug@aol.com for details with “Guest Blogger Information” in the subject heading and be part of  the rising tide!
 

GUEST BLOGGERS

Pinocchio's Nose Grows by Linda Gorham
http://karenchace.blogspot.com/2012/07/does-your-story-ring-true.html

Her Story, Your Story, Our Story: An Afternoon with Women Who Have Escaped the Troll by Regina Ress
http://karenchace.blogspot.com/2012/07/escaping-troll.html

Sweeping the Air, Catching the Dust by Eileen DeLorenzo
http://karenchace.blogspot.com/2012/08/sweeping-air-catching-dust.html

Five Minute Creativity Boost by Monica Davis
http://karenchace.blogspot.com/2012/08/send-your-senses-soaring.html

Superlative Speakers Tell Superlatives Stories by Bill Lampton, Ph.D.
http://karenchace.blogspot.com/2012/08/weaving-spell-with-stories.html

Fighting Demons with Compassion by Gaye Sutton
http://www.karenchace.blogspot.com/2012/08/fighting-demons-with-compassion.html

Everything Old is New Again…by Mike Speller
http://karenchace.blogspot.com/2012/09/flying-high-with-fringe.html

Jake’s Head by Gwen Bonilla
http://karenchace.blogspot.com/2012/09/spinning-stories-into-gold.html 

Bridging Difference through Storytelling by Noa Baum

http://karenchace.blogspot.com/2012/10/bridging-differences-through.html

 

Stories from Cave Art to Computer by Jerry Haigh
http://karenchace.blogspot.com/2012/11/stories-from-cave-art-to-computer.html

An Audience of One by Barry Stewart Mann

http://karenchace.blogspot.com/2012/12/an-audience-of-one.html

The Folly of Callow Youth Age by Judith Black
http://karenchace.blogspot.com/2012/12/listening-to-sirens-call.html

 

 

Karen Chace 2012 ©

This blog post was researched and compiled by Karen Chace. Permission for private use is granted. Distribution, either electronically or on paper is prohibited without my expressed written permission. For permission please contact me at storybug@aol.com. Of course, if you wish to link to my blog via your website, blog, newsletter, Facebook page or Twitter please feel free to do so; I greatly appreciate your support and personal integrity.

Social Media: What Are You Bringing to the Party?

"Marketing is no longer about the stuff that you make, but about the
stories you tell."     Seth Godin

This month I was part of a panel presentation, “Selling Stories, Not Snake Oil” with Linda Gorham and Elizabeth Ellis at the National Storytelling Network’s conference in Cincinnati. Each of us had 20 minutes to speak on a specific subject. Linda’s topic was how to conduct our business in an ethical manner. Elizabeth shared how she successfully manages the different “hats” she wears to run her business.

My piece was on social media and why we should embrace it, or at least a part of it, to move our business forward. To be successful with social media we need to take the “me” out of the equation. This is a different business model than we have been used in the past; it isn’t about our time, it is about their (our clients) time. What can you offer them to add value to their work?

John Battelle, founder and CEO of a media publishing firm states, “Social Media marketing is about brands acting, well, social, which means they need to show up to the party with a nice bottle of wine, if that's what the party calls for. They need to come ready to have a dialog, and add value to the event.”

The question for all of us is, “What are you bringing to the party?” The resources below were part of the handout I offered to the attendees so they could begin to dip their toes in the deep waters of social media. I hope you will consider wading in as well.

5 Best Ways to Expand Your LinkedIn Network
http://socialmediatoday.com/daniel-levine/561801/5-best-ways-expand-your-linkedin-network

5 Little Known Reasons to Use Twitter for Business
http://www.selfemployedcafe.com/5-ways-twitter-business/

5 Ways to Advertise Your Website for Freehttp://www.businessknowhow.com/internet/promote-website.htm

7 Ways to Promote Yourself Without Bragging: To Attract Attention, You Have to Show Off 
http://www.businessknowhow.com/marketing/self-promotion.htm

10 Tweaks to Give Your Facebook Business Page Greater Impact
http://socialmediatoday.com/carole/507195/10-tweaks-give-your-facebook-business-page-greater-impact

26 Tips for Using Pinterest for Business
http://www.socialmediaexaminer.com/26-tips-for-using-pinterest-for-business/

30 Social Media Predications for 2012
http://www.socialmediaexaminer.com/30-social-media-predictions-for-2012-from-th

Great Ways to Use LinkedIn for Your Small Business
http://onpointbizbuzz.com/324/great-ways-to-use-linkedin-for-your-small-business

Grovo.com - an online training site and guide to the Internet where users can learn about everything from Amazon to using Facebook Timeline.
http://www.grovo.com/home/whatsnew

HootSuite - A social media dashboard to help you streamline your web activities on Facebook, FourSquare, LinkedIn, Mixi, MySpace, Ping.fm, Twitter, and Wordpress.
http://hootsuite.com/

How Google’s +1 Button Affects SEO
http://mashable.com/2012/02/21/google-plus-1-seo/

Is Pinterest the Right Choice for Your Business?
http://www.mymagneticblog.com/is-pinterest-the-right-choice-for-your-business/

Leverage Technology, Build Relationships - Useful and interesting podcast with acclaimed technology expert Terry Brock, hosted by Championship Communicator, Bill Lampton, Ph.D.
http://thecompletecommunicator.com/?p=1854

Reaching Success with Business Blogging and Hard Work
http://gilygily.com/reaching-success-with-business-blogging-and-hard-work.html

The Top 5 Social Media Managing Tools
http://socialmediatoday.com/jen-eisenberg/549608/top-5-social-media-managing-tools

Top 8 Pinterest Tips
http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/2012/02/09/top-ten-pinterest-tips_n_1265033.html

Top 15 Most Popular Social Networking Websites April 2011 http://www.ebizmba.com/articles/social-networking-websites

The Ultimate List: 40 Social Networking Sites Specifically for Small Business, Entrepreneurs, and Startups
http://smallbizbee.com/index/2010/02/02/ultimate-list-40-social-networking/

Which Social Sites Are Best for Which Marketing Outcomes?
http://mashable.com/2011/03/11/social-media-marketing-chart/

Why Your Small Business Should Check-Into Foursquare
http://onpointbizbuzz.com/332/why-your-small-business-should-check-into-foursquare

Bit.ly – If your small business uses a Twitter account you are only allowed 140 characters per tweet. If the URL you want to share has more you shrink your URL to a more tweet-friendly size. http://bit.ly/
                              
Tinyurl.com – This will also shorten a URL you may want to highlight in your blog posts or newsletters.
www.tinyurl.com

Marketing - It’s Not a Myth! – This link will take you to an article I wrote for the National Storytelling Network’s blog.
http://blog.storynet.org/marketing-not-a-myth

Karen Chace 2012 ©

This blog post was researched and compiled by Karen Chace. Permission for private use is granted. Distribution, either electronically or on paper is prohibited without my expressed written permission. For permission please contact me at storybug@aol.com. Of course, if you wish to link to my blog via your website, blog, newsletter, Facebook page or Twitter please feel free to do so; I greatly appreciate your support and personal integrity.

Rising Above the Crowd

In this economy business growth is difficult for many, especially for those of us who are self-employed. We continually look for professional, yet cost effective tools to make our business rise above the crowd.

How do we keep up with up changing business strategies, keep our head above water, stand out from the crowd and do it all on a budget? Luckily, the Internet offers thousands of articles written by leaders in the industry, including my friend Bill Lampton, and they are just a click away.

Here are some articles I offered in the Business Buzz section this year in my newsletters. I have compiled them below to make it easier for you to find. You may also sign up for the free bi-monthly newsletter and access the archives as well at http://storybugnewsletter.blogspot.com/ . At the bottom of this post you will also find three links to previous blog posts I have shared with additional business resources. Come on, get clicking and start raising your game!

6 Low-Cost Marketing Strategies by Sharron Senter http://www.businessknowhow.com/marketing/affordmark.htm

7 Habits of Highly Horrible Networkers by Scott Ginsberg

http://tinyurl.com/3x92f8z

10 for '010 - 10 Smart Leadership Questions for 2010 by Gayle Lantz.

http://tinyurl.com/yzr5fxb

10 Ways to Differentiate Your Customer Service & Make Your Clients Actually Feel Valued by Sara LaForest and Tony Kubica

http://www.businessknowhow.com/marketing/differentiatecs.htm 
17 Lost Cost Ways to Get Newsletter Subscribers by Janet Attard

http://tinyurl.com/6kzdxj6

Business Conferences: A Chance to Breathe New Life into Your Business by Brad Egeland
http://www.businessknowhow.com/marketing/businessconference.htm 
 
Differentiate and Dominate: 10 Ways to Make Your Business Stand Out by John Jantsch 

http://tinyurl.com/3zfh49y

Email Newsletter Design Guide by Hostway

http://tinyurl.com/ygv7589  

Five Tips to Organize Your Home Office by Kirsten M. Lagatree

http://tinyurl.com/ktkvnb

Getting Organized: 5 Secrets to Help Get You Started by Marcia Gracia 

http://tinyurl.com/yd275nn 

Hallmarks of a Good Podcast by Sharon Housley

http://www.businessknowhow.com/internet/podcast.htm 

How Branding Can Lead to Your Business's Success or Failure by Michele Pariza Wacek

http://www.businessknowhow.com/marketing/businessbrand.htm 
How To Make A Strong First Impression by Bill Lampton
http://tinyurl.com/n6pxss
How to Target a Local Audience Online by Hostway
http://tinyurl.com/34ndrkb


Staying Positive About Business Success in a World Full of Negativity by Stacy Karacostas. http://tinyurl.com/372pc24
Storytelling When Creating a Press Release by Kate Engler 

http://tinyurl.com/38m55mm

Ten Tips to Ignore When Starting a Business by Cathy Goodwin 

http://tinyurl.com/3xx2mqp

Three Secret Weapons for Entrepreneurs by Renee and Don Martin 

http://tinyurl.com/6bd7cej 

Top 10 Network Marketing Newbie Mistakes by Laura Paulson
http://tinyurl.com/33289ff

Top 10 Things Customers Don't Want to Hear, And What You Should Say Instead by Bill Lampton, Ph.D. http://tinyurl.com/3aeqedl
What to Do when Someone Copies Your Web Site by Hostway

http://tinyurl.com/5rjd2e2

Storybug.net – You will find more business resources on three previous blogs posts:
Hitting the Business Bulls-eye at http://tinyurl.com/3tpqku2
Grow Your Business in 2010 at http://tinyurl.com/2ep3j42
The Business of Storytelling at http://tinyurl.com/37bvamh    

This blog post was painstakingly researched and compiled by Karen Chace. Permission for private use is granted. Distribution, either electronically or on paper is prohibited without my expressed written permission. For permission please contact me at storybug@aol.com. Of course, if you wish to link to my newsletter via your website, blog, newsletter, Facebook page or Twitter please feel free to do so; I greatly appreciate your support and personal integrity.

Communicating Completely with Championship Communication!

The Storyteller
by Jacques-Clement Wagrez, 1890

Yesterday, I had the great pleasure of being interviewed on the radio by Dr. Bill Lampton, a well-known keynote speaker, presenter, author and owner of Championship Communication, along with his talented co-host, Kristina Rhoades.  Bill is such a skilled interviewer that it felt more like a conversation and the hour flew by!

Bill is a communications specialist, offering coaching to individuals and organizations. Through our cyber friendship we have found that his work and that of professional storytellers have many things in common.

With the generous and kind permission of storyteller Dan Keding I also told the story, The Two Warriors, during the interview. It is very unusal to tell without a physical audience present so I hope I did this thought-provoking story justice. You may find the story on his CD, Promises Kept, Promises Broken and also in the book, Healing Hearts - Communities.


You may listen to the interview here:
http://thecompletecommunicator.com/?p=2021

I often highlight Bill's insightful business articles in my newsletter, Catch the Storybug, in the Business Notes section. Recently, with his permission, I added his interview with Terry Brock to my workshop handout on Social Media. There is a plethora of information here from two outstanding leaders in the business field: Leverage Technology and Build Relationships: http://thecompletecommunicator.com/?p=1854

You may subscribe to Bill's free newsletters, and articles at http://www.commlampton.com. I also urge you to join him on his business Facebook page at http://tinyurl.com/635hnpz . He always has something fresh and interesting to share!