If your clog fails to respond to either method, you should contact a professional. Clogged outdoor drain pipes or low water pressure inside the house could be the cause. Running toilets are also easy to repair and most often involve only replacing small portions of hardware associated with the flushing mechanisms of your toilet. You have to jiggle the handle to flush the toilet or stop water from running. Water continues to trickle down the insides of the toilet bowl long after you've flushed.
Water sporadically runs and shuts itself off during the day when no one has flushed the toilet.
With the toilet tank lid removed, attempt to flush the toilet and watch all the connections. Double check to be sure that the connections between the handle, trip lever and chain are all working. For handles that appear to stick, loosen the locknut on the inside of the tank and try flushing again. For handles which are already loose, tighten the locknut and reflush. Tangled chains can cause the toilet to run or not flush at all.