Archive for: Media Database

Jane Cunningham is behind one of the UK’s most popular and successful beauty blogs (ever!). British Beauty Blogger has always been consistently ranked as one of the UK’s top beauty blogs, and Jane’s knowledge and expertise when it comes to products, is hard to match.

We spoke to Jane about the future of the beauty industry, PR trips, working with brands and the importance of having a point of view.

What makes your blog unique?
It’s a reader-first blog, so I’m writing as a resource for people who read it rather than writing for brands. It’s also not really about me, but about the products. I tell the truth as I see it about beauty products – the good, the bad and the absolutely dreadful!

How has your blog changed from when you first started to now?
Apart from physical changes to keep the style contemporary, it hasn’t changed that much. It’s stayed as it started – a beauty product review site with industry insider insights.

What is the biggest trend in the beauty world right now?
Glossier! That whole ‘less is more’ trend is starting to gain momentum – it’s a pared back, basic approach that’s really appealing hard to a certain demographic who’d rather not clutter their apartments with piles of ‘stuff’ or have lengthy routines that use up precious time.

What will the next big thing in beauty be?
‘Clean’ beauty is gathering apace – a more holistic, natural approach rather than high-tech and complicated. Consumers also want to see brands giving back to the environment and communities so the more ‘good’ brands do outside of their immediate remit, the more they’ll be perceived as good players in the environmental global community. A lot of brands are focusing on ‘waterless’ to minimize using water – i.e. dry shampoo, soap bars, bar conditioners and shampoos for the near future.

How do you split content between text/video/audio?
My main channels are my site, Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. I occasionally knock out a Facebook Live but I completely favour text now; I don’t feel any pressure to start a podcast!

What’s your favourite beauty brand?
I don’t have an absolute favourite because I see so many, but brands that always grab my attention are Chanel, BioEffect, Lanolips, Urban Decay, Shiseido and Marc Jacobs. Probably more, but maybe you can see why it’s hard to have one single favourite!

How important are PR trips to your blog?
Not in the least important. They can be lovely to do but you never quite know the agenda before you get there so they can really go either way in terms of being heaven or hell!

Do bloggers need their own association like other industries have?
I don’t see how it’s possible to implement. Blogging is just a part of the bigger social media picture now and I can’t see what the benefit could be when we’ve managed without for so long. Bloggers have to be self-regulating to a certain degree and it’s easy to spot those who aren’t, which leaves it up to brands to decide how they engage with that.

What should PRs know about you?
That I hate emails that begin ‘Hello Lovely’ and also that I’m not prepared to collude with an anti-ageing message. I’m pro-age; beauty isn’t one thing, it’s many things.

What are the best campaigns you’ve been part of?
L’Oreal True Match I think – it was great to be included in a diverse campaign where my age wasn’t relevant, my skin tone was.

What other blogs do you read? 
That’s difficult to answer because I’m a big link clicker from other channels such as Twitter or Instagram, so I can find myself on some really obscure blogs. I veer away from the ones that don’t give any real opinion or always love everything… they’re just not that useful or authoritative without a point of view.

Elliott Rae is the founder of MusicFootballFatherhood, which recently joined the Top 10 Daddy Blogs ranking for the first time. With a diverse team of authors covering their own experiences of fatherhood, MusicFootballFatherhood has grown rapidly since it was started in 2016.

We caught up with Elliott to find out how the team finds time to write content, issues facing fathers in the UK, the appeal of a blogging association and how the blog works with PRs.

What makes your blog unique?
We are unique as we are a collaborative platform of different bloggers. We have a team of 14 diverse bloggers who write openly and honestly about their fatherhood journey while also providing a nice mix of football and music content.

​What’s the best thing about being a dad?
Oh, there are so many great things about being a dad! Seeing my daughter learn new things is always a highlight. The unconditional love is special and she most definitely keeps us entertained with the funny things she does!

​How are daddy and mummy blogs different?
Hmm, good question. I’m not sure if they are too different at all, except the obvious gender difference. I think both mummy and daddy bloggers are parents trying to figure out this parenthood thing and seeking comfort and fun in sharing their journey with others.

​How would you describe the daddy blogging community?
It’s great actually! All the dad bloggers are very supportive of each other, we celebrate each other’s successes and share around opportunities. It’s really nice to be part of a supportive network which is very much in contrast to the dog eat dog world we live in!

When do you create most of your content?
Our content is created by our team of contributors as well as myself. For me personally, I usually create content when I’ve got some time to myself (which is usually while I’m travelling on the tube!) and when I’m really compelled to share an experience or reflection. I’m also getting more into documenting stuff on Instagram stories, which I’m finding to be a really fun and spontaneous platform.

​What are the biggest issues facing dads in the UK today?
I think work life balance is a big one. Most dads want to have thriving careers while being involved parents. It’s hard to get the balance but there are ways to make it happen. Through our website and podcast we try to provide some inspiration and practical tips for people to reflect on. I think mental health is probably the other major issue at the moment.

​Do bloggers need their own association or industry institute (and why)?
It would be nice to have an association or institute, somewhere to go for legal advice, community and training. As a blogger, you can feel a bit lost sometimes so it would be nice to know there’s somewhere you can go for community and help with issues, like the recent GDPR where no one was quite sure what to do! This is a great idea, maybe Vuelio could lead the way!

​What one thing should PRs/brands know about you?
We are the coolest and most exciting platform for dads in the country! We have a unique and engaged audience so if you are looking to reach a diverse range of dads, come and see us.

​What are your favourite collaborations you’ve worked on?
We recently worked with Arsenal and their Junior Gunners which was a highlight and great fun. Other favourites would include the Emirates cable car experience and Memory Makers. These were all collaborations where we really enjoyed the experience and it was a pleasure to work with the respective PR teams.

​What other blogs do you read?
Between family, the blog, work and all the other things I do, I don’t have much time to read other blogs! I will usually click on a link on Twitter if an article looks interesting but I wish I had more time to follow other platforms!

Elliott, his team and the blog are all listings on the Vuelio Influencer Database along with thousands of other bloggers, vloggers, journalists and opportunities.

John Adams is a leading daddy blogger who writes the award-winning Dad Blog UK. Winner of the Best Dad Blog at the Vuelio Blog Awards 2016, John has consistently been ranked in the Top 10 UK Daddy Blogs. With Father’s Day just around the corner, we caught up with John to talk all things daddy blogging, from spending time with the kids and finding time to post, to working with brands and being part of the incredible dad blog community.

What makes your blog unique?
What makes my blog unique is that I am a man living the equality dream. It’s my wife who works full time and provides materially for the family whereas it’s me who is in the playground twice a day doing school drop off and collection.

My blog has transitioned. A lot of dad bloggers are very focused on the earliest years of childhood but I’m now focused on the school years.

I remain the stay-at-home parent, but with both kids at school I dedicate more time to blogging. This is quite a common pattern for mum bloggers but not so with dads who are usually the ones working full time.

What’s the best thing about being a dad?
There are so many it’s hard to pick one. There is nothing quite like putting your phone away and simply spending time kicking a ball around a park or reading to your child. Spending one-on-one time with your kids is simply priceless.

Alas, we’re in the midst of a house move. This has totally dominated the past five months of my life. I’ve not spent the quality time I would have liked with the kids. I’m looking forward to correcting that balance over the summer holidays when we’re all moved in.

How are daddy and mummy blogs different?
This is a very good question. I think the big difference is that most dad bloggers are holding down full-time jobs so for the majority, it is a hobby with the occasional perk. For many mums, blogging is their main source of income or a way to promote some other business interest.

Needless to say, mums also excel at sharing their birth stories. I’m not too sure what us dads can do to rival mums at this game.

How would you describe the daddy blogging community?
The dad blogging community is generally very supportive. As you might expect it’s very diverse, taking in stay-at-home dads, working dads, same sex couples and so on.

There’s no question the dad blogging community is much larger than it once was and I see there is more competition than ever before. There’s also been a trend towards dads who put the majority of their content on Instagram.

The campaigns guys are working on and brands they’re working with are much bigger than they once were. It’s a further sign the dad blogging world has matured.

When do you create most of your content?
Things have changed for me over recent months. I became my kids’ main carer seven years ago, so my wife could focus on her career.

My youngest daughter, Izzy, is now at school so I can dedicate more time to blogging and producing content. Whereas I used to write mostly before the kids got up between 5am and 7am, these days I produce most of my content during school hours.

I still do 5am starts once or twice a week but it doesn’t happen every day. Sometimes I wish there were more hours in the day and days in the week!

What are the biggest issues facing dads in the UK today?
I think a lack of paternity pay is one of the biggest men’s rights issues of this era. Many men, as they’re the main earners in their families, simply cannot afford to take paternity leave and yet it’s one of the most crucial times in forming a healthy and lasting relationship with your child.

There’s also the ongoing issue with shared parental leave (SPL). We introduced a very weak form of SPL in the UK and it’s bitten us on the behind because, surprise surprise, men think they’ll harm their careers if they ask employers for time off to be with a newborn child. If you want detail, see this blog post I wrote a few months ago.

Dads also face many of the issues mums do. Discrimination at work, what to do about screen time, how to monitor tech your kids are using and so on. It’s not easy being a parent!

Do bloggers need their own association or industry institute (and why)?
Oh my word, yes, yes and yes again. Blogging is no longer ‘new media’. It is an established form of media and a significant amount of marketing spend makes its way to the blogging community.

This cuts both ways. We should have a trade association to ensure we are not taken advantage of by unscrupulous agencies and businesses. Likewise, if we had an association and had to abide by a code of conduct, it would give the PR world some reassurance they were dealing with credible, responsible bloggers.

We don’t have an authoritative voice to offer advice on issues like the GDPR or what we should do regarding disclosure of paid-for content and that kind of thing. We also have no one representing bloggers at a government or policy level. Considering how much money is invested in the creative industries, that’s a ridiculous situation.

I wrote about this for the Vuelio blog a little while ago, as did my blogging chum Tim of Slouching Towards Thatcham. It’s a discussion us bloggers need to have.

What one thing should PRs/brands know about you?
I have experience of working in PR so I can think like a PR rep and have a good idea of what agencies and their clients are trying to achieve. I am also a very experienced blogger and I think I can get away with saying that I have a high media profile. I regularly make print and broadcast media appearances commenting on parenting and lifestyle issues.

I am also flexible and thoroughly enjoy what I do. Don’t be shy, get in touch with me!

What are your favourite collaborations?
I worked on a superb campaign last year with Goodyear Tyres. A group of us went out to Luxembourg and were let loose on a test track to try out its Vector All Seasons tyre.

I also enjoyed working with Graco, which produces car seats, travel cots and the like. I tested a lot of products and we still use one of the Graco car seats I reviewed at the time. The campaign also involved working with agony aunt Suzi Hayman, who is just lovely.

Another great campaign was one I worked on for a small electric car rental company called EVR Go Electric. I tried out five different electric cars in five days. It was a very busy week but I learned a lot about electric vehicles.

What other blogs do you read?
Diary of the Dad written by Tom Briggs is one I come back to very frequently. Jo Middleton’s Slummy Single Mummy is a perennial.

I’m doing more and more on Instagram so thoroughly enjoying what @tobyandroo and @london_dad do.

Can I get away with putting a podcast on this list? I’m a huge fan of a US podcast called This American Life. I love its in-depth reports about life on the other side of the Atlantic.

John Adams and his award-winning blog are both listed on the Vuelio Influencer Database along with thousands of other bloggers, vloggers, journalists and opportunities.

Emma Harrison is a freelance journalist who has written for a number of leading outlets. In this journalist spotlight, Emma discusses how she juggles her busy workload, manages multiple deadlines and works with passionate PRs.

Can you describe a typical working day for you as a freelance writer?
Generally, I am always busy! I am lucky to undertake contract editorial work alongside my freelancing writing at the moment. There is always an email to send, calls to return, research to undertake and copy to write. It’s not just a day job for me and you can often find me working evenings and weekends too. I try to keep a sense of balance though as sometimes you do need to take a step back in order to move forwards.

You contribute to a variety of publications. How do you juggle your various workloads?
By keeping a list of deadlines – it can be challenging when they all seem to be due at the same time, but you just need to buckle down and stay focused. I use a physical diary, to do lists and the calendar on my phone, so I always know where I am with everything.

How did you first get into journalism?
It’s only been in the last few years to be honest, I previously worked in marketing and my favourite element was writing copy. I have gradually moved over to more of an editorially-focused role, however, I am still able to utilise those digital marketing skills from time to time!

What are the most enjoyable parts of your job? What are some of the challenges you face?
I think there are always challenges in every job, but it is all about how you tackle those challenges. From a freelancing perspective, I suppose that sometimes your workload is full on busy but there are occasions where you are less busy. I am the sort of person that loves to be busy all of the time, so when I am not it can be a little frustrating.

How do you use social media to write, research and distribute content?
Social media is amazing for distributing content and for finding new and exciting brands to write about. Who doesn’t love the #journorequest hashtag?

What is your relationship with PRs like? What would you say to any PR professionals who want to work with you?
I absolutely love working with PRs; they are always so enthusiastic and passionate about their clients, which is great. I would say to PR companies that I read every single email and press release that comes through. I do my best to reply to everybody and always keep people’s details on file, so even if I don’t have any opportunities right now to include your brand, who knows what might happen in the future.

What type of press material are you interested in receiving?
Anything goes, as long as it has a strong hook, of course!

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Emma Harrison is listed on the Vuelio Influencer Database along with thousands of other freelancers, journalists, bloggers, vloggers and opportunities.