Sarah Stimson

Blogger Spotlight: Sarah Stimson

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Sarah Stimson is a Top 10 UK PR Blogger and chief executive of the Taylor Bennett Foundation. A champion of diversity and making the PR industry accessible, Sarah is a prominent figure in the PR industry. We caught up with Sarah to talk about diversity, the changes in PR and advice for newbies.

What makes your blog successful?
I have two blogs with slightly different perspectives. Sarah Stimson is my personal blog and it’s where I tend to give my opinion on PR and recruitment of comms talent. PRcareers.co.uk is mostly other people’s opinions and is related to career development in the industry. The latter gets a lot of traffic on the 150 PR internships and graduate schemes I publish each year. There’s a real lack of information on PR as a career choice out there, so I have tried to bring together perspectives from practitioners, students and academics

What has writing a blog taught you about the way bloggers see the PR/influencer relationship?
I often see bloggers saying they’re frustrated at the lack of understanding of their blogs from PR practitioners; that they get pitched irrelevant content all the time. It happens to me too and I have a new sympathy for bloggers and journalists who must get far more pitches than I do. I have never published a sponsored post or been paid to write content for my blog – I’m not saying I’d rule that out forever but at the moment I’m very selective about what I publish and it’d have to be super relevant for me to consider it.

What’s the biggest issue facing PR today?
As CEO of the Taylor Bennett Foundation, my working life is dedicated to addressing the lack of diversity in PR and it’s definitely one of the issues the industry is struggling to deal with. There is huge appetite from employers to find solutions and to make PR workplaces more inclusive and diverse so the intention is there, but there is still some way to go in taking practical steps to make a real difference.

What are the biggest changes to the PR industry you’ve seen over your career?
I remember speaking to a financial PR agency about ten years ago who told me they don’t talk to their entry-level hires about digital because it’s not relevant in financial PR. That has changed completely. No matter what sector or discipline you operate in as a comms person, digital is integral to everything you do these days.

Will print die out altogether?
Not in the foreseeable future. Print will always have a place. The way people consume their news has changed in the last twenty years and the move to online media has reflected that, but some people will always prefer to hold an actual paper or magazine in their hand.

What’s the best social platform?
I’m a fan of Twitter, for work. I’ve met lots of interesting industry people having first built a relationship with them on Twitter and it’s possible to contact people who might otherwise be difficult to reach. For personal use, I like Facebook. I have very few industry people on my Facebook so if you’re one of them you should feel special – although photos of my children and cats are not everyone’s cup of tea.

What’s better, agency or in-house?
Both. I often get asked this question by young people looking to start out in the industry and I honestly think both have pros and cons. In agency you’re likely to be able to learn from a range of PR practitioners, work on a multitude of different clients, and get new business experience. In-house you can really get under the skin of one organisation, might get experience of managing an agency relationship, and quite often will end up doing more senior level work very quickly because the teams can be smaller.

What advice would you give someone looking to work in comms?
Set up a blog. Blogging gives you the opportunity to showcase your writing skills and to ask established PR practitioners for their opinions to include in blog posts. It’s a way to get your personal brand established before you’ve even started your career. It costs next to nothing to do and writing regularly is a good discipline.

How do you work with PRs as a blogger?
I very rarely work with PRs for Sarah Stimson but for PRcareers I’m always looking for new, interesting content related to career development, specifically focused on the comms industry. I also feature PR practitioners at all levels and I’m keen to shine a spotlight on people who have trod a less traditional path into a comms career and those who are breaking barriers – particularly women at the top, BAME, LGBT, and PR folk with disabilities.

What’s your favourite PR campaign from the last year?
I like firms which make the most of the news agenda and piggyback on that – for example, when Madame Tussaud’s put Donald Trumps’ waxwork in London after he cancelled his trip, and Iceland trolling KFC with billboards during their chicken crisis. It takes smart, creative people to recognise opportunities and they’re usually very amusing stunts.

What other blogs do you read?
Loads! Richard Bailey at PR Place does a good round up of industry blogs each week so I tend to head there to see what’s new. It also features PR students and their blogs are an interesting insight into emerging talent in the sector.

Sarah Stimson and both her blogs are listed on the Vuelio Influencer Database along with thousands of other leading bloggers, journalists and editors. 

The Car Expert

Blog Spotlight: Stuart Masson, The Car Expert

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Stuart Masson is The Car Expert. Featuring in the Top 10 UK Automotive Blogs, The Car Expert covers car news and reviews as well as focusing on financing and buying new cars. We spoke to Stuart about developing his blog, the issues in the automotive industry and being honest with products and services from brands.

What makes your blog successful?
Independence and authenticity. We don’t pander to anyone or offer opinions in exchange for free stuff. We provide plain-English advice and information to car buyers without catches; no commissions and no compromises.

I also take time every day to answer reader questions, and The Car Expert has become a powerful resource for confused car buyers and owners.

How has your blog developed from when you first started?
The Car Expert started off with me writing articles that answered a lot of questions that I used to get when selling cars (like ‘Should I buy a diesel car or a petrol car?’ and ‘How does car finance work?’).

It is now part of a larger company, and employs freelance journalists to provide specialist reporting. We’ve had to upgrade server hosting numerous times to accommodate continually growing traffic, and have had to deal with ever-increasing demands on our time to keep producing quality news and advice articles, weekly newsletters, fulfil media opportunities and other things I was never expecting.

We are now more rigorous about producing content to deadlines and on a regular basis, whereas it used to be very much an ad hoc thing where I would write articles as and when inspiration struck and time allowed.

Alfa Romeo 8C Supercar

What’s the best car you’ve ever driven?
Certainly the most memorable was an Alfa Romeo 8C supercar. It was a very rare limited-edition model, in left-hand drive and very noisy, and I had to navigate it across south-west London in peak hour traffic, through Hyde Park and out onto the Westway. 80% of the drive was at about 20mph and I was terrified of damaging a £150,000 car that was for sale! It was like being a celebrity, as people were taking photos of the car every time I stopped.

What’s your dream car to own?
A classic 1960s Ferrari. Entirely analogue, beautiful to look at and (apparently) beautiful to drive.

Ferrari California
What do you drive at the moment?
My day-to-day car is currently a MINI Cooper hatch, and I also have a 1973 Jaguar XJ6 Series 1 [pictured below] that only comes out on weekends and sunny days.

Can you predict what year autonomous cars will become ubiquitous?
Ubiquity is still a long way away – probably sometime in the 2040s. It’s not about when the first truly autonomous cars will arrive (probably the mid-2020s), but when the majority of used cars are autonomous. It will take decades to eventually replace the 35 million cars currently on UK roads with autonomous versions.

What’s the biggest issue facing the automotive industry at the moment?
Cheap credit propping up sales figures. The car industry is totally reliant on people buying cars they don’t need with money they don’t have. It can’t be a sustainable business model to force your customers into ever-increasing debt to afford new cars every three to four years, and that bubble is going to burst sooner or later.

How do you like to work with PRs?
When they have taken the time to understand who we are and what we do, rather than simply trying to shoehorn mentions, links and ‘brand messages’ for whatever they’re promoting into our content. Unfortunately, that’s becoming the exception rather than the rule these days, and we end up swerving a lot of PR ‘opportunities’ because they involve compromising our values for the benefit of a large, rich company that can frankly afford to behave better.

What’s the best campaign you’ve worked on and why?
There have been a load of highlights along the journey so far, but the common thread – whether huge and elaborate or small and simple – is where brands or agencies don’t try and place expectations, and welcome constructive criticism rather than trying to spin their way out of it. We don’t bash brands or products for sensationalist purposes, but we will criticise where we think it’s fair. Some brands are fine with that, others seem to have dropped us off their Christmas card lists…

What do you call yourself (blogger/influencer/content creator etc)?
I actually don’t know anymore. It feels like these titles have all become blurred and rather meaningless. I’m not a trained journalist, although we do employ journalists for specialist reporting. I suppose when I write, I’m a blogger, but I tend to think of bloggers as people writing about their own personal life stories, whereas I write advice articles based on professional experience.

I’m also an editor, a sub-editor, a publisher and a director, but those roles are all much more easily defined!

What other blogs do you read?
All sorts – I tend to read by topic, rather than following specific authors or bloggers. While I’m following a topic, I’ll zero in on particular authors, but then once I’ve moved on to another topic I tend to leave them behind. That’s probably a reflection of how my own website has always been structured, which is topic-based rather than the story of my personal adventures (or anyone else’s).
Jaguar XJ6

Stuart and The Car Expert are listed in the Vuelio Blogger Database, alongside thousands of other influencers including journalists and editors.

Paul Hadley

Blogger Spotlight: Paul Hadley, Motor Verso

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Paul Hadley is the author of Motor Verso, a Top 10 UK Automotive Blog. Covering the hottest cars and latest rides, Motor Verso has built a huge following from visually stunning content. We spoke to Paul about amazing cars he’s driven and wants to own, how he works with brands and what’s next for the car blog. 

What makes your blog successful?
One of the things that has made Motor Verso such a success, in my opinion, is our way of delivering the content to the user. We focus on consumable, highly visual content that is easy to digest. It’s no surprise that attention spans are short these days, so we try our best to work with that rather than against it.

How has your blog developed from when you first started?
Every day has been a school day on this blogging journey. I’m obsessed with learning and improving Motor Verso to grow both the audience and the business. Since we first started, everything has changed – from how we write content and take pictures to the overall look and feel of the website. I have learned so much over the five years of operation – and most of it the hard way.

What’s the best car you’ve ever driven?
This is the number one question you get as a motoring journalist, and certainly one of the most difficult to answer. Every year I’m impressed with the range of crazy cars I get to drive, and picking the best car is tough. Of course, it always depends on what you’re looking for. Last year the most expensive car I drove was the Rolls-Royce Ghost that I took on a tour of Wales. The fastest was the McLaren 720s which is warp-speed crazy. Still, I personally love the Tesla Model S P100D. It’s insanely practical, its 0-62mph is faster than most supercars and it’s full of the latest technology.

Rolls Royce Phantom

What’s your dream car to own?
Following on from the previous question, the Tesla Model S P100D is my current dream car. It’s not too crazy or out there – I’m not talking about owning a McLaren F1 or LaFerrari, but it is really the car that I’d want to drive every day. It’s certainly a car I think is well built, well priced and lots of fun.

Tesla

What do you drive at the moment?
For the past few years, I’ve been in the process of testing cars on a weekly basis and haven’t really needed my own car. However, in 2018 I’m focusing a bit more on the business side of things, and improving the reach of the quality content we have. When not driving a test car around, I use a Range Rover Evoque for a bit of luxury. I most recently bought the Nissan Leaf. It’s actually a bit of a Motor Verso project car at the moment; we’re going to create content around the Leaf, exploring daily life with a pure electric car. As the automotive industry is looking at moving away from combustion engines, we want to make sure we’re testing relevant cars and creating relevant content.

Can you predict what year autonomous cars will become ubiquitous?
In short: no, I can’t tell you that for sure. But I can certainly tell you that it is coming. There are lots of cars about out there with certain elements of autonomous capabilities. Here are a few examples: today you can  buy a Kia Picanto that has autonomous emergency braking. So if the car thinks you are about to have an accident it will perform an emergency brake for you. Cars such as the Discovery Sport have features such as automated parking that will steer the car and parallel or bay park for you, no hands needed. And then we look at the Teslas and Volvos of the world that currently have pilot assist features, which perform motorway driving to a high standard. So, the technology is definitely out there and working, but the question is more when will we be ready as a society to accept it.

Volvo autonomous

What’s the biggest issue facing the automotive industry at the moment?
Emissions have certainly been a hot topic for many years. As much as I love fast cars with big engines, I do think that it’s important to look at the damage cars do to our environment, and how long things can be sustained for. The use of alternative fuels like electric and hydrogen-powered cars are real feasible options. I’m excited to witness this transition in the motoring industry as we move away from fossil fuels and onto whatever comes next.

How do you like to work with PRs?
All year round we work with different brands on editorial content. We’re not only creating the best possible content for our audience to enjoy, but also maximising the reach and exposure to the companies that we work with. We’ve done photography work, editorials, social media promotions, face-to-face interviews, workshops and product testing with a wide range of brands.

What’s the best campaign you’ve worked on and why?
We have worked on lots of good campaigns with different clients over time. One of the most memorable, purely from a selfish perspective, was creating content around the new Kia Picanto. We travelled to the coast of Tuscany, Italy, on a luxury private jet, and stayed in one of the best hotels I’ve ever seen. We got to drive their cars around the Tuscany area for two days to create some promotional content for Motor Verso – I enjoyed that.

Kia Picanto

But another noteworthy campaign that we worked on was for a car brake company called Textar. They put on a workshop at one of the facilities so I could take my car down and learn the correct process for installing their braking components. I found that this method on a one-on-one basis was very valuable, and allowed us to create some good cornerstone content on the topic. It really provided a great basis for sharing knowledge on brake refittings while promoting Textar’s brand.

Engineering

What do you call yourself (blogger/influencer/content creator etc)?
I mostly class myself as a motoring journalist, but I admit I’m a blogger when it comes down to it. I don’t think it really matters too much. I create content across forms – whether that’s written, photographic, or on video – so it always depends on how you interpret that.

Bentley

What other blogs do you read?
I used to follow a lot of what was going on in motoring online through other car blogs; however, now I’m focusing that time and energy on building my business instead. The blogs I do end up reading are mostly SEO and marketing related. It turns out it’s less BHP and LB-FT and more CTR and SEM nowadays!

 

Motor Verso and Paul Hadley are listed in the Vuelio Blogger Database, alongside thousands of other influencers including journalists and editors.

Media editor

10 story leads for the Guardian’s new media editor

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The Guardian has announced the appointment of its new media editor. Jim Waterson is joining the paper from his role of political editor at BuzzFeed UK. Jim has been with BuzzFeed since 2013, when he helped start the site’s UK news coverage.

On his new role, Jim said: ‘The media business is going through a period of enormous change, the public is waking up to the impact that major internet companies are having on society, and there’s huge interest in the behind-the-scenes forces which shape the news agenda.

‘I’m looking forward to reporting on these stories during an incredibly turbulent age for the industry.’

But where should Jim start? What stories should he be covering? And where will get inspiration for new stories?

Thankfully, Twitter exists. And when Jim announced his new role, the replies came flooding in. To honour the outlet Jim’s leaving, we’ve curated the best and present 10 story leads for the Guardian’s new media editor:

1. ‘Start with the Liverpool Anderson Echo’
Not particularly media-related but a solid place to start, Jim!

2. ‘Social media has replaced film as THE tool to influence and direct masses’
This may be a good point, though IS film the tool to influence and direct masses?

3. Please do something about the @mediaguardian online pages, which often appear stale and unloved
Especially important for corporate bloggers looking for media news…

4. Can’t think of anyone better to cover GDPR implementation and how GDPR will disrupt social media
GDPR will dominate the news on 25 May, but obviously the smart move is to get out ahead of it and publish a white paper on what is changing and what actions you need to take

5. Could you begin your tenure by folllowing the Guardian style guide, in which the ‘media’ (being derived from ‘medium’) are plural?
This should be everyone’s priority. The media ARE dying (don’t worry, it’s not)

6. ‘Will you address the appalling Guardian reporting on @jordanbpeterson that @theknifemedia gave an integrity rating of below 20%?’
Retrospectively assessing other people’s work is likely to be Jim’s first job

7. ‘I hope you will be presenting Jeremy Corbyn in a better light than he has been’
He’s MEDIA editor people, MEDIA

8. ‘There were still journos over the weekend claiming the US ‘only found’ 13 Russians at troll farm so that’s proof of no collusion/didn’t influence results. Shows a dire misunderstanding of digital marketing. Lots to do to educate your profession’
Yeah Jim, educate your profession

9. Please analyse the ideological migration in BBC news coverage over the last four decades
This could quite literally be complaining about the BBC being too left or too right, who can tell nowadays

10. We the people don’t want partisan media we want a free press who will hold to account the ruling party rather than scapegoat the other parties for the ruling party. Stop trying to control everything with politics it’s ruining free speech! Social media is breaking the propoganda
Stop ruining everything with politics, Jim.

We wish Jim the best of luck in his new role; the Guardian’s media pages are must-read across the industry.

Jim’s profile will be updated in the Vuelio Media Database.

GDPR

How to comply with GDPR

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GDPR becomes law on 25 May. That means every business will have to change the way they handle personal data – from getting consent for email newsletters and using information from social media to cold calling and storing contact details.

GDPR can seem confusing, and with fines for getting it wrong reaching £17m or more, the consequences are severe.

Thankfully, compliance is pretty straightforward, and it is easy to make sure your processes follow the new rules.

We’ve put together a simple whitepaper that makes it easy to see what is required and what you need to do to comply. Download the whitepaper here.

GDPR is being implemented to give people more control over their own personal data and knowledge over which companies and businesses are storing what. As it applies to ALL personal data, including employee data collected by an employer, there are few businesses that the new rules won’t apply to.

So, whether your data processing falls under ‘legitimate interests’ or ‘consent’, we’ve got you covered.

You may need to review your current tools to make sure they’re GDPR compliant. Not only is Vuelio’s database GDPR compliant, our tools allow you to be GDPR compliant. Our Stakeholder Management Suite allows you to track (with time stamps) interactions, including when and where data was collected from. So, if the regulator needs to see your compliance, it’s all available in one place.

Find out more about stakeholder management.

Disguise

Bloggers and Brands Beware

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Usually we’re discussing the issue of fake followers, but this week another issue has come to light – fake influencers.

The Blogger Agent, an agency that connects brands and influencers, published a tweet warning about fake influencers:

The issue is not a new one, Em Sheldon of Emtalks has previously written a post about this back in 2015. For the fraudsters, the appeal is simple – pretend to be a top influencer, write to brands and ask for samples, freebies and, in some cases, money. Not only is impersonating someone illegal, but misleading a company or brand for gain is fraud and also illegal.

So, what can be done?

Bloggers
For the most part, for the fraud to ‘work’, the scammers use their own email address and physical address for the items to be sent to. Everything else – website and social handles – will belong to the target blogger.

If you display your email address on your blog, then it should be easy for brands to spot fraudulent requests. But this requires a lot of additional work on the part of the brand – and if they’re set up to receive requests, the chances are their blogger outreach is based on incoming communications rather than external research.

Therefore, keep up to date on the leading blogger database, so brands know you’re the real deal – update your details here and a Vuelio researcher will be in touch to verify.

Also think about making your practices clear on your blog – including your email and how you work with people. If you get ANY notifications about working with brands you don’t think you’ve instigated (and they think you did), take it seriously and ask to see the request the brand received.

Blog about it, so other brands can be made aware that you’ve fallen victim to a fraudster, and also report it to Action Fraud.

Brands
Due diligence and extra research steps should help stamp this out. If you accept requests from bloggers, you should double check every single one. Check their website, align details and make sure the person is who they say they are.

Obviously, an easy way to do this is to use the Vuelio Influencer Database – our human research team verifies every listing and does all the complicated research for you – so you can contact (and quickly check incoming contacts from) bloggers, without concern.

If you do get requests that seem fraudulent, tell the genuine influencer. They’ll want to know if someone is pretending to be them, and you can work together to report it.

Bloggers should be seen as collaborating partners and that partnership should be based on a strong relationship. Influencers prefer long term collaborations – it gives them a better sense of your brand and aims, and allows creativity to flourish. As such, sending free samples to bloggers may seem like a quick win in the short term, but it is those that work together on building something truly excellent that will benefit in the long term.

If your brand wants to improve influencer outreach, and reach the right people in the right way, talk to one of our experts here.

Trinity and Northern and Shell

Trinity Mirror buys Daily Express, Daily Star and OK!

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Trinity Mirror has agreed a deal worth £126.7m for the publishing assets of Northern & Shell. The purchase includes the titles the Daily Express, Sunday Express, Daily Star, OK!, New! And Star.

The sale brings Richard Desmond’s 18-years in charge of the titles to an end, and follows the sale of his other assets including Channel 5 in 2015 and the adult television network Portland in 2016. He still owns the Health Lottery and is rumoured to be contemplating a bid for a licence to run the National Lottery.

Desmond paid £125m for the Express titles in 2000, and the lack of price rise reflects the struggles the print industry faces. Simon Fox, chief executive of Trinity Mirror, defies this viewpoint though and told the Today programme: ‘It’s a very wise investment. We’ve had plenty of time to think about this carefully.’

Northern & Shell did report a £34m profit last year, but as Press Gazette points out, traditional media is a dying business model, as the group has only sold for five times profit, whereas Twitter – which made losses of £2bn since launch – has a market capitalisation of over £20bn.

Fox also suggested cost-cutting measures, which may include a number of job losses: ‘For example, [instead of] sending two reporters to a football game, we can send one.’ The savings are expected to be around £20m a year (which does make the deal look like a very wise investment).

And for those concerned about the editorial output of the titles, the cost-cutting, single-reporter-at-an-event measures won’t stretch to politics. Fox explained that allegiances of the papers wouldn’t change: ‘The Daily Express is not going to become left-wing and the Mirror is not going to become right-wing.’

Nationally, Trinity Mirror is now responsible for a daily circulation of over 1.3m across three titles (though this still falls short of The Sun’s circulation). It also has hundreds of other regional and local titles, including the Manchester Evening News and Birmingham Post, and is the UK’s biggest regional newspaper group.

Online, the group will now boast 234m global uniques, which is massive. But turning those numbers into profit (and a reliable part of the business model) is something every publisher is still struggling with, and there is no agreement on what will work. Now the merger has been agreed, expect months of turmoil and changes across the UK’s media industry.

Mummy in Manolos

Blogger Spotlight: Lizzie Owen, Mummy in Manolos

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This is the second part of our interview with Lizzie Owen, who is both a freelance PR and blogger. You can read her PR Spotlight here. Lizzie started blogging out of a necessity to understand how bloggers work and their needs from a PR perspective.

In this Blogger Spotlight, Lizzie talks to us about being a Progger (we’re making it a thing), working with PR as a blogger and the joy of Frozen.

Why did you start your blog?
While I was working with Portrait Communications, they were handling John Lewis toys and Steiff Teddies. I was contacting parent bloggers for reviews, and found it a totally different type of approach than for press. For a start, they didn’t work the same hours, so response was normally a day later, as they have jobs to go to, lived outside of London and had their own terms and conditions. It was a completely new world.

I met an awesome blogger during this time (2010) called Sian To, who was running a blogging conference called Cybermummy, which she invited me to. I accepted and fell into the world of blogging and set up Mummy in Manolos as a way of understanding it all, almost like some sort of experiment. Then I became one of the bloggers I was approaching, while networking and becoming friends with some of the UK’s top influencers from the other side of the fence. This led to helping Sian with Cybher, collaborating with Molly Makes and my client Home Barn, organising blogger workshops and becoming familiar within this world because I was a blogger too! So I was the PR AND the Blogger….Progger !?!

I loved it, but because my PR business was becoming so busy, my blogging took a bit of a backseat, and I didn’t keep up with it. I wish I had now, as I see so many of my friends doing so well, like the lovely Kate Watson-Smyth and Will Taylor!

How do you work with PRs as a blogger?
Because I’m a PR, I like to approach the brands personally. I know never expect to be given anything in return, especially at this stage, as I’ve only just really got back on it again. I’m not that keen to re-write a brand’s SEO key words though, as it really doesn’t suit my style of writing, and it looks like a sponsored post as it’s not in my voice (I’d hate to ruin my blog by allowing brands to use it just as an SEO platform). Hence why I make that move and approach brands who create products and events I am personally passionate about. I like a PR to approach me with something that fits my brand, because they’ve noticed my Instagram posts, (@mummyinmanolos you lovely lot), or have checked old posts and are familiar with my style. And clearly, I’m quite empathetic when I’m approached, as I do what they do. In fact, they inspire me, and I gain invaluable insight when I am approached. I’m always fascinated by the new and exciting ways to engage bloggers with fun and interactive events.
Reach-the-right-influencers-with-the-Vuelio-media-database

What’s your favourite thing to blog about?
Originally, this all started out as something to do while I was on Mat Leave, and I absolutely adore Vivienne Westwood and Manolo Blahnik, so you’d think it would be all about fashion and shoes. But actually, I’ve found that as I’ve matured, so many things have become much more of a passion, and I’m hugely into holistic healing, but with a twist. Whatever I talk about has to have cool branding and a beautiful aesthetic with genuine soul to it. I go on a bit about yoga, holistic healing, interiors, fitness, art, food, festivals – so life and style!

What collaborations have you enjoyed working on?
As a blogger, it had to be the private screening of the film Frozen when it first launched in the UK. Disney had organised for the producers of Frozen to fly over from LA for the BAFTAs, Jennifer Lee and Chris Buck who had just won an award, then attended the Soho Hotel cinema screening, with a Q&A session at the end. My little girls just curled into complete shyness when it came to that part, bless them. In fact, so did I! But, it was such an honour considering little ones are still singing ‘Let it go’ to this day! I’ll never forget my smallest Poppy giving Chris Buck a picture of Elsa she’d drawn for him as a thank you.

What other blogs do you read?
So many have come and gone, but my absolute favourites are: Mad About The House; Dear Designer; Arianna’s Daily; Bright Bazaar; The Brand Stylist; Design Sheppherd; Coco’s Tea Party; and Poppy Loves. There are so many incredible blogs out there, it’s fantastic so many are now giving it a go. I love the community!

 

Lizzie Owen and Mummy in Manolos are both listed on the Vuelio Influencer Database along with thousands of other leading bloggers, journalists and editors. 

PR Spotlight: Lizzie Owen

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Lizzie Owen is a freelance PR and blogger, responsible for Mummy in Manolos. Lizzie started blogging out of a necessity to understand how bloggers work and their needs from a PR perspective. She now has seven years’ experience blogging, and can confidently approach bloggers on behalf of clients and understands influencer outreach form a unique perspective.

In the first of our two part interview, Lizzie talks to us about her PR career, how starting a blog has made her better at influencer outreach and the tips she’d give other PR professionals.

Can you tell us about your career as a PR?
Pure chance. After leaving Fashion College (Ravensbourne) during a recession in 1992 and working for a wax jacket company near our farm in Staffordshire called John Partridge. They didn’t have a design job, but there was a new role as the CEO’s PA, which quickly became an ‘everything’ sort of role, and it turned out I quite enjoyed organising country pursuit events (Aston Martin Historic Racing being my favourite), fashion shoots in the Cotswolds and Devon, and organising trade shows all over Europe.

I then turned my hand to writing. My mentor Nigel Calladine was brutal at making me learn the secrets to a successful release. To this day, I still use his technique. After the company relocated me to their Dover Street showroom, I soon started to relive my London life and drifted from there to PR agencies, Events Companies, dot.coms (when they first appeared in 1996) and onto an advertising agency. All of this was great fun, but meant ultimately, I was missing the role as an in-house PR.

Then in 2004 I joined Laura Ashley, and climbed the ladder to Head of PR during a successful run with the business. One marriage and two babies later, in 2008 we moved from Battersea to Marlow in the Buckinghamshire countryside, and found the commute challenging, so set up my own PR thing here in Marlow, working for brands such as: Home Barn; ACHICA.com; Indian Ocean Outdoor Furniture; Lisa Stickley; London Fashion Week; V V Rouleaux; Smink Things; Danetti.com; and Portrait Communications.

After a year of taking time out to assess what I really love doing, I’ve set up my own PR thing again, including Sales and Social Media into the mix, as I do feel they all relate so closely to each other for brands trying to launch themselves.

PR professionalWhat have you learnt about blogging that’s made you better as a PR?
Mainly approach and trust. Everyone prefers a tailored experience rather than a ‘one size fits all’ approach, especially with an exclusive. As a blogger, I’m not keen on PRs of brands assuming I can attend their event within two days of it actually happening. To me, that looks like I’ve been put on a secondary list because their prioritised invitees have not accepted. I also know about this from the other side of the fence, and I like to warn my clients that they may have to pay for posts for appropriate reach, and to never expect bloggers with amazing reach to cover their brand in return for product, or worse still, exposure! If you want your brand to fall flat on its face, and be totally ripped to pieces by secret blogger groups, mention the word ‘exposure’. That’ll get them right up there with the last-minute invite brigade!

It’s taken years to work out what each blogger loves, what they write about, their voice, their humour, which Social Media platforms they like to chat on the most, supporting them where possible and offering appropriate releases. There are some bloggers out there who haven’t heard from me for a while as a PR, because I’ve felt my clients may not interest them due to their style.

It’s all about the research, taking a genuine interest in their blog and loving what they do and interacting with them as a fellow blogger. I’m so thrilled when a PR approaches me after finding out what I do, becoming familiar with my posts, and offering me something that fits my style. I realise this is hugely time consuming, but once the tribe is created, the more trust is given. Also, as with the press, I pick up the phone and talk to them. I avoid the 3pm to 6pm slot, as that’s normally pick-up/work/supper/clubs/homework time for me too, and I never expect an immediate response, although, one of my clients is an absolute minx and throws things at me very last minute, and I know exactly who to go to for those types of emergencies – my nearest and dearest usually help me out there!

What do PRs get wrong?
Not warning their clients what to expect from bloggers, and how much more powerful their reach is than traditional hard media. Throwing out a large blogging fishing net and seeing what will be dragged back in. Some find it an insult to receive a release given to thousands of others who may not be suitable to a certain brand. Inboxes are filled with this kind of approach, and it’s really quite damaging to an agency’s reputation when this happens, especially if it’s a young PR intern, thrown into the lion’s den after just graduating, because the more seasoned PRs who prefer not to do the direct blogger relations feel it’s not their duty. It’s a hard way to learn a career lesson.

What collaborations have you enjoyed working on?
As a PR, I loved it when I forced Home Barn to make ENORMOUS efforts to pull together a creative space for Mollie Makes Magazine at Cybher’s conference way back in 2012. It was a huge success, as they’d created a beautiful space, full of their vintage pieces with rustic tables and benches, perfect for Instagrammers and bloggers resting between sessions and networking, while crocheting or learning how to, by the then editor Lara Watson. It was awesome! Sarah and Sally who founded Home Barn back in 2010, also gave away fab little goodie bags containing a release and tiny vintage glass bottles. Needless to say, they were hugely appreciated! It was such a meeting of likeminded souls who loved to blog, appreciated all things vintage and loved a spot of makery while chatting away with fellow bloggers!

What are the biggest differences between traditional media outreach and working with digital influencers?
I definitely think it’s very much the same approach, ensuring a carefully selected and appropriate blogs for the brand, but with a far more creative angle to ensure the right influencers are kept engaged. There is far more creative license with a blogger than a member of printed press. They’re mostly not employed by an editor who ultimately controls the content. You know that the final edit will be with the person you first contacted, and if it’s great content with beautiful imagery, that will be online forever, not just for that one magazine or print run up to 6 months down the line.

Plus, serious bloggers make sure they interact with their readers to ensure they return. Personal touches like that ensure loyalty, so feedback from an article is also the added benefit of what people think of your product or service. You get so much more from a blog post than printed media, and it can be taken so much further. The more creative the approach, the more engagement there’s going to be. Sadly, press now have smaller teams, and often find it challenging to return calls or emails due to time and staff restrictions and deadlines, rarely finding the time to leave their desks for events.

 

Lizzie Owen is listed on the Vuelio Influencer Database along with thousands of other leading bloggers, journalists and editors. 

Naomi Lewis

Blogger Spotlight: Naomi Lewis, The Naomi Narrative

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Naomi Lewis writes The Naomi Narrative, which was recently ranked in the Top 10 UK Relationship and Dating Blogs. Naomi started her blog after an unbelievably crappy date, and now shares experiences of dates as well advice around sex and relationships. We spoke to Naomi about the best date she’s ever been on, making a good impression and working with brands on campaigns.

What makes your blog successful?
I’m not sure I could pinpoint one certain thing but definitely shameless self-promotion to get my work out there has had an effect. Also, I would’ve though the honesty behind my writing. I don’t just fluff things up for the sake of it, I get right into the nitty gritty and I think people really appreciate the tough love approach.

What’s the best date you’ve ever been on?
It’s nothing grand, I went for a meal and a dance. Sounds pretty plain, right? It was, but great dates are all about the company you keep. We weren’t even meant to be seeing each other this night and I got a text saying, ‘I’ve booked your favourite place at 6 for dinner, I’ll meet you there’. Great start – love the romantic spontaneity, and it just got better. We kept having to send the waitress away because we were gabbing that much we hadn’t had time to even consider what to order, we had a great meal and then went on to have a drink, a dance and a laugh for the rest of the night.

What made this such a great date when it sounds so normal? It was thoughtful, and it was so easy. Just a simple meal and a drink was one of the best dates ever – no grandeur, no forward planning, no massive expense – just good company and great chemistry.

What top tips would you give to people to make a great impression on a first date?
Always answers questions with questions to keep the conversation flowing, there is nothing worse than an awkward silence but if you make an effort to keep things ticking over, then you’ll never have to worry about that! Also, remember the old saying ‘you never get a second chance at a first impression’ because it’s totally true – don’t be afraid to get dolled up to the nines or suited and booted, and keep smiling – it’s infectious.

What does Valentine’s Day mean to you?
I mean, sure, it’s a good excuse to spoil your partner but IMO, it’s become a bit of a Hallmark season now. I think and people can go a little overboard which is, of course, fine as everyone’s different. In my opinion, the little things throughout the year adding together mean more than a grand gesture on Valentine’s Day would – but like I said, that’s just me.

How much is your content about you and your experiences, and how much is it about others?
It’s a real mixture of both. I’ve written a lot about my own dates, the single life and my emotions and now that I’m in a long-term relationship, I write about the trials and tribulations of being in a relationship – the good, the bad and the ugly! I also find it useful to write up things I’ve learned that are happening in the dating scene too. For instance, new apps and their pros/cons, new dating trends that are surfacing, and a bit of the psychology behind dating and relationships too. It’s all SO interesting and the great thing about it is that EVERY SINGLE PERSON can relate to it all.

What’s your favourite thing to write about?
I’m a bit six-of-one-half-a-dozen-of-the-other when it comes to my favourite writing style. I do like to get deep with some posts and really explore why we do what we do and what happens when, etc, and go into a bunch of detail, of course with a positive spin on it all. Like this one.

However, I have just as much fun writing blogs that are a little more risqué but putting in a little humour too to take the ‘awky’ edge off. Like this one.

How do you like to work with PRs and brands?
I guess it all depends on the brand/campaign. I really like to put my own spin on things and the brand/campaign has to be inexplicably linked to dating/relationships because my content always has to stay true to my own brand. The brands I’ve worked with so far have been great because there’s always been give and take and being able to communicate exactly what you want to achieve from either end ensures that everyone gets what they want out of the campaign – which is the dream right?
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Are there any stand out campaigns that you have been involved with?
I’ve worked with all sorts of brands, from lingerie and sex toys, to greetings cards, health and wellbeing, and apps. There has been a whole plethora of different campaigns I’ve been lucky to be a part of but I would say the biggest things to come out of my blog are my columns.

Due to the success of my blog, I’ve landed myself a column in #DATING – the only dating magazine on the market and I have a weekly column talking all things dating, sex and relationships in real life magazine Loveit!

What do you call yourself (blogger/influencer/content creator)?
I’d definitely call myself a blogger because I’m all about the writing. Of course, I appreciate other blogs with beautiful photos but for me, blogging’s all about the words.

What other blogs do you read?
I must admit, I love reading other dating and relationships blogs, it’s always good to see difference in perspective and opinion on subjects you’re interested in! For instance, All Sweetness and Life, Never Settle (Eve Greenow), etc.

 

Naomi is listed with her blog on the Vuelio Influencer Database along with thousands of other leading bloggers, journalists and editors. 

Eve Greenow interview

Blogger Spotlight: Eve Greenow, Never Settle

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Eve Greenow writes Never Settle, the Top 10 Dating Relationship Blog. Started in 2015 after she got out of a toxic relationship, Eve uses her blog to encourage people to be happy – after all, you only live one life. We spoke to Eve about making a great first impression on a date, Valentine’s Day and working with brands.

What makes your blog successful?
As with most bloggers, so much time and commitment goes into keeping up my blog, ensuring quality and relevant content. Never Settle pushes the latest trends to the forefront of discussion, tackling controversial and taboo subjects head on in a completely non-judgemental manner. With my content, I look to provide a range of outcomes and a way of achieving them, based on a mixture of personal experience and extensive psychological and sociological research.

My blog wasn’t created to complain, gloat or judge anyone, it’s there as a tool for anyone who wants to make themselves happier, better informed and ultimately more confident in their love lives. I hope that my posts are relatable, useful and encourage personal empowerment – that’s why it’s successful, because it genuinely helps people who have gone through similar situations.

Eve GreenowWhat’s the best date you’ve ever been on?
The best date must have been geocaching around Aberystwyth when I was at University. It was different, and related to our conversations we’d had previously. It’s basically treasure hunting using coordinates – sounds super nerdy but it’s so fun searching for ‘hidden treasure’. It meant we could just chat while walking along in the sun; doing something fun during the day. No awkward meals (I always end up becoming a messy nervous eater!) – just getting to know each other.

What top tips would you give to people to make a great impression on a first date?
Remember it’s just two people meeting, avoid putting too much pressure on yourself or the situation. Listen attentively, avoid asking too many interrogatory questions (it’s not an interview!), smile, be yourself and enjoy it!

What does Valentine’s Day mean to you?
I am a true romantic, and I religiously write Valentine’s Day content every year, both for the single and the coupled-up. Personally, I think we should celebrate our relationships every day, regardless of whether they are romantic or not. Friendships should be celebrated for their love too. But I’m definitely not one for a cuddly toy bear holding a heart!

How much is your content about you and your experiences, and how much is it about others?
I write a lot about experiences or topics I’m personally passionate about, or if I see a relationship on TV or a friend has a problem, usually it sparks me to write a post. I usually base my content on psychological and sociological research, with a smidgen of personal experience. Some posts in my lifestyle section are directly about me, and usually if they are I refer to myself in the first person. Many people think ALL of my posts are about me, but they’re actually not. I have friends and family who ring me up after I post about cheating or breakups, when actually it’s nothing to do with me!

I enjoy answering people in my new agony aunt section ‘Ask Eve’, where anyone can anonymously send in their relationship, dating or lifestyle questions.

What’s your favourite topic to write about?
As sad as it sounds, I love writing about love. So, if any new psychological research is published to do with relationships, I enjoy exploring how it relates to other research, or my previous posts. Having people write in for ‘Ask Eve‘, is really exciting, I love writing answers to the, it makes me really feel like I’m helping people more directly.

I wouldn’t say it’s my favourite thing to write about, but I also really appreciate my personal posts on mental health and lifestyle, I find it a really cathartic process, especially if it helps other people. Finally, writing break-up posts is super interesting to me, I want to bring as much comfort and help to those looking for it, so I try and craft my break-up posts to be as inspiring and motivating as possible – while ensuring that we allow ourselves to grieve properly rather than cover up our emotions.

How do you like to work with PRs and brands?
I like to ensure when I work with PR agencies and brands, that it’s mutually beneficial. I don’t generally accept work with brands that aren’t relevant to my content (as it messes with the consistency of the site), but it’s about ensuring that we work as a partnership, and both of us are happy with the content. Whether it be working on a giveaway or sponsored post, or reviews, I always love working together with brands and PR agencies to push conversions, ROI and give my readers something new and fresh to discover.
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Are there any stand out campaigns that you have been involved with?
I really enjoyed working with LELO, the luxury Swedish pleasure brand, on their release of the SONA Cruise. Instead of simply reviewing or pushing people to buy, I explored the taboo subject of female masturbation – how female pleasure is really important, and the inner workings of the female anatomy.

I naturally introduced the product into the post, as the perfect product to explore and use to achieve mind-blowing orgasms. It had great engagement and a high CTR: women are intrigued but afraid to admit it out loud, so introducing a new product this way worked really well. I am an ongoing LELO affiliate, and love working with their products in general, whether it be in a gift guide or bringing my readers new, exciting products I know they’ll love.

What do you call yourself (blogger/influencer/content creator)?
I call myself a blogger, as I consider myself as a writer overall. Although I love creating content for my social feeds and blog, the written content is what drives me and Never Settle.

What other blogs do you read?
I love reading other blogs, it’s one of my favourite past times, and I really enjoy discovering new ones too! Some of my favourites are Hannah (The Giraffe’s Life), Scarlett London, Naomi Narrative and Giulia Smith.

Eve Greenow and Never Settle are both listed with her blog on the Vuelio Influencer Database along with thousands of other leading bloggers, journalists and editors. 

Hayley Hall London ebauty queen

London Beauty Queen rebrands to become Hayley Hall UK

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Hayley Hall has rebranded her award-winning beauty blog – London Beauty Queen, which has been a key part of the beauty blogging industry since its launch 2010. Now called Hayley Hall UK, the blog covers more than beauty with fashion, lifestyle and thought-pieces also featuring prominently.

We caught up with Hayley to find out about the rebrand and what it means for the blog.

hayleyhall.ukWhy have you rebranded?
It’s something I’d been thinking a lot about in the last year or so, having been using the LBQ alias for nearly a decade. Although the name had become rather iconic, I felt I was becoming more and more distanced from it – especially as I started as a 27-year-old single Londoner and am now a 35-year-old married woman living in the Shires! I felt like it no longer reflected who I was or what I wanted to write about, so I spent a year transitioning away from only beauty and introducing more topics – including fashion, lifestyle, travel, wedding and home.

Back in 2010 we all picked random names that stuck in heads but didn’t exactly have longevity, so it was an inevitability to drop LBQ at some point; when I married last year, it seemed like a natural progression to adopt my new name as my online identity too.

What can we expect from Hayley Hall?
More of the same – I’ve spent 12 months transitioning and measuring the popularity of different types of content, so the name change is more of a branding issue than anything else.

What’s the rebranding process like in terms of website management?
Easier than you may expect, but you do have to prepare and be organised! The hardest thing was finding social handles that I could use, so I spent a long time setting up test accounts and claiming different names so they would be as consistent as possible. The URL switch was relatively easy and londonbeautyqueen.com will continue to redirect to hayleyhall.uk, but it’s all the niggly bits that take the time; it was a full day of admin and updating to get it all in order.

Are you measuring the brand change in any way/are you hoping for any particular outcomes?
One of the main reasons for the name change was the fact many brands and PRs couldn’t see past my URL; they made the assumption that I was only interested in beauty or was much younger than I am. I’m hoping rebranding helps me to build connections outside of the beauty world and continue to connect with brands I’m passionate about.

How does this affect how you’re working with brands/PRs?
Only positively – I’m open to covering different topics and collaborating with different sectors.

Do you think this marks a wider trend in bloggers moving from single topics to broader lifestyle subjects?
Yes absolutely. Many of us started with a singular interest, but after doing the same thing for such a long time, it’s vital to diversify to maintain your passion. I became a bit lethargic with beauty launches, having seen the same thing five times already, so I needed to introduce new areas to keep my creativity flowing. Readers are also increasingly interested in the person behind the blog, rather than just what they’re reviewing; I get some of my best engagement on fashion posts and thought pieces, although beauty will always remain a huge focus for me.

Do you consider yourself a lifestyle brand?
Not really. I’m a writer and creative, even though what I’ve created is a brand in the simplest terms.

What do you call yourself (blogger, content creator, influencer)?
All of the above, depending upon who I’m talking to! I work with a lot of brands on a consultancy basis (utilising my decades worth of experience in digital marketing, social media and branding) so I’m not just one thing – even day to day I totally change!

 

Hayley Hall and her blog, Hayley Hall, are both listed on the Vuelio Influencer Database.  

Hannah Louise Farrington

Blogger Spotlight: Hannah Louise Farrington, Hannah Louise Fashion

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Hannah Louise Farrington is the Top 20 Fashion Blogger who writes Hannah Louise Fashion. Covering fashion and lifestyle, the blog focuses on Hannah’s personal style and outfit posts. We caught up with Hannah to chat success, fashion week and working with fashion brands.

What makes your blog successful?
I think that my blog has been successful because I have maintained integrity and stayed true to my interests and my personality when taking on collaborations and working with brands.

How do you use other platforms, and how does that tie back in with your blog?
I use Instagram to share images from my blog and also snapshots from my day to day life and I use Twitter for the same thing, as well as sharing thoughts and opinions, and general chat. Both provide a more well-rounded and ‘real time’ insight into my life, filling in gaps left by my blog.

How do you work with fashion weeks?
I attend shows and presentations and share them on my socials, and use what I learn to inform outfit choices and the things I write about my own outfits on my blog. I also use fashion week as an opportunity to dress as the best version of myself, or to try out new or more daring looks.

How can brands/PRs best work with you around fashion week?
The best way for fashion brands to work with me is by dressing me; fashion week always brings more attention and traffic to outfit posts.

What do you call yourself (blogger/creator/Influencer)?
Blogger.

Hannah Louise is listed on the Vuelio Influencer Database along with thousands of other leading bloggers, journalists and editors. 

Bloggers and vloggers

5 top tips from the Influencers

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Vuelio recently hosted a Meet the Influencers session at the CIPR’s Influence Live event. Jo Middleton, Slummy Single Mummy, and Jane Cunningham, British Beauty Blogger, sat with PR and comms experts to discuss building relationships and outreach best practice.

At Vuelio, we spend a lot of time talking to bloggers, vloggers and Instagram stars, and we hear the same suggestions, grievances and tips over and over. Jo and Jane also covered these points, so we thought it was high time for a refresher.

The top five tips from influencers:

1. Professional bloggers are running a business
Jane, a journalist by trade, pointed out that journalists and bloggers are not the same. Journalists are generally salaried, being paid by an outlet or publisher no matter how much time they spend writing about any given topic. As such, PRs have rarely, if ever, had to pay journalists directly for coverage – and often a free trip can seem like their ‘treat’ (even though it’s their job to cover such things).

For professional bloggers, if they don’t get paid, they don’t pay bills. Some bloggers still accept freebies in return for coverage, but they’re often hobbyists who don’t depend on their blogging income to live. It may feel like a culture shift, but the outcomes can be different too – which leads nicely on to…

2. You can expect to get more from bloggers
If you don’t pay journalists, you generally can’t demand too much of their time for reports or metrics on the success of your content. Bloggers, on the other hand, should be seen as collaborators – they’re working with you on your project or campaign and you can agree metrics and results up front. Jo loves being part of the campaign, and advocated Iceland’s style of requesting analytics and making her work hard, as she prefers knowing how her part in the campaign is contributing and being used by the brand, rather than being just one post in a huge machine. Which is point three:

3. Collaborations should be more than one post
Again, this isn’t traditional media outreach. While journalists could be called ‘influencers’, their role is fundamentally different and the word ‘influencer’ (though disliked by many bloggers) has only risen to prominence with the digital age. So, if you’re looking for publication of a press release, go traditional, but if you’re looking to positively influence an audience (niche or otherwise) and want to see positive results over a sustained period of time – use influencers.

4. Build relationships
This IS the same across traditional and new media outreach. And for some reason, it comes up again and again and again. Don’t start emails ‘Hi dear’, or ‘Hi NAME OF BLOG’ – Jo isn’t called Slummy Single Mummy and Jane isn’t British Beauty Blogger. If you’re struggling to find the right names and merge your emails professionally, you’re obviously not using Vuelio. We list detailed profiles, with names, PR preferences and bios so you can get to know the influencers before you send that first email. And when you’re ready to contact influencers, spend time building relationships – as with traditional outreach, good relationships lead to better results all round.

5. It’s not all about social
This varies brand to brand, company to company, but social isn’t the be all and end all. You may be working on behalf of a client who wants to be ‘big’ on Instagram. That’s fine. You may be working in-house and think a few well-placed tweets are where it’s at – also fine. Only you know what works for you, but remember that social posts are fleeting, audiences are fickle and ‘longevity’ is a word that no one uses in a hashtag.

Yes, you may want social-only collaborations with influencers (and Jo described a dramatic increase in brands who just want Instagram posts), but if you want true influence, and you want your product/service/brand/concept to reach a loyal audience of engaged readers, then remember the blog. Bloggers spend a long time cultivating their blogs, which are their publications, and it would be foolish to overlook them.

Struggling with Influencer Outreach? Don’t know where to begin with bloggers? Check out the Vuelio Influencer Database – it’s been built for you. 

Halima Khatun

Blogger Spotlight: Halima Khatun, HalimaBobs

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Halima Khatun is author of HalimaBobs, the beauty and lifestyle blog, which is all about positivity, not perfection. A former broadcast journalist, Halima is now the owner of PR agency HK Communications. We spoke to Halima about blogging as a PR pro, being real, working in partnership with PRs and blogging since the birth of her child.

Why did you start your blog?
I started my blog for three reasons: firstly, to satisfy my creative juices and write some light-hearted, frivolous content that was far removed from my day job of a PR consultant. Secondly, I didn’t see a blog out there that offered unfiltered, detailed, beauty-based content; a lot of blogs are quite aspirational and advertorial. Finally, I wanted to read something that was aimed at the everyday beauty novice that doesn’t have hours to create the perfect no-makeup-makeup look!

What makes your blog successful?
I write as I speak, so my content is often a dry, witty stream of consciousness! I believe that in a world of filter, real un-airbrushed content is a refreshing novelty!

Is there a difference in how PRs approach you as a blogger compared to how you were approached as a broadcast journalist?
Most PRs are fantastic. But there has been the odd PR who would treat me differently than they would a journalist. Occasionally, I have been on the receiving end of a PR fail, from the failure to follow through on a collaboration, to trying to overtly control editorial content. But thankfully, the bad PRs experiences are greatly outweighed by the good, with most practitioners really valuing the brand recognition bloggers can bring.

As a blogger, how do you like to work with PRs?
I see my work with PRs as more of a partnership, as bloggers and PRs can’t function without one another. So, whether it’s collaborating on a giveaway, a product/service review or a sponsored post, I always work closely with the PR I’m dealing with to ensure we’re both happy. I also aim to offer a critique of most of the products I’m sent for review, not just the good stuff. Lastly, I’ll always keep the PR in question in the loop with the progress of my articles and send a link once live, rather than expect them to look out for their client mention themselves.

Have you noticed a change in what you write about since having a baby?
Absolutely! As my blog is a small window into my life, inevitably I include articles about my biggest life event! So, as well as blogging about baby and mum-to-be products, I’ve written more in-depth articles about life as a working mum, dealing with mother’s guilt etc. These topics have really struck a chord and have also featured on the Huffington Post, where I also blog.

How did you get from your first PR role to your current position?
With some smart choices and a sprinkle of luck! My career grew very organically as I started as a broadcast journalist with ITV and the BBC, and then joined the dark side – PR(!). From there, I made the transition from agency to in-house. I’ve worked with some of the UK’s largest corporates, and after a decade in the industry, I decided to set up my own consultancy, HK Communications. It’s something I’ve always wanted to do, and in 2015, I felt I had the right amount of experience to make it happen.

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Having worked as a journalist, do you believe you have a different take on PR and communications to other agencies?
Definitely. I believe in the old school PR of finding a great story and telling it. So, having a nose for a story really helps. Plus being a former journalist adds real credibility and a reassurance for clients. After all, it’s easier to write and pitch a story knowing what would interest the journalist, given that I used to be one. Also, I offer PR training as well as consulting, so a big part of this is helping small business owners think like a journalist. Again, having been one myself helps, as I’ve walked the walk.

As a PR professional, do you work with bloggers? If so, are there differences in how you work with bloggers compared with traditional media journalists?
As my consultancy offers more B2B PR, I haven’t had much scope to work with bloggers, but I would certainly be open to it if the opportunity arose!

What changes are you looking to make to your PR strategy in 2018?
Well I’m expanding my team, having brought on associates in the run up to my maternity leave. I’m also focusing more on my PR training arm which is ideal for micro-businesses that don’t have the budget for a PR agency. 2018 is looking to be very exciting indeed!

Do you have a career mantra or a piece of advice that you follow?
Not a mantra per se, but I always advise networking and nurturing contacts. I’m always of the view that every connection you make can add value in some way. You might generate a business lead, learn something new or simply meet a great person. In fact, this interview came about after networking at the Vuelio Blog Awards!

Halima Khatun and HalimaBobs are both listings on the Vuelio Influencer Database along with thousands of other leading bloggers, journalists and editors. 

Influence Live

Meet the Influencers

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Vuelio recently hosted the Meet the Influencers session at the CIPR’s Influence Live event, where we were joined by two top bloggers to discuss working with PRs and they revealed the secrets of influence.

After Ralf Little’s keynote, the Influence Live group broke up into three groups. Vuelio was joined by Jo Middleton – award winning blogger and number one in the parenting rank with Slummy Single Mummy – and Jane Cunningham – author of British Beauty Blogger, the number one beauty blog. Both bloggers have years of experience working on content creation and brand collaboration.

Taking a table of delegates each, the influencers spent time fielding questions and talking about their work. The intimate environment allowed delegates to chat with each blogger, asking how they like to work with PRs, their approach to charities and the differences between journalists and bloggers.

Jane, who explained that she started blogging because it allowed her to talk about products in a way that magazine journalism wouldn’t allow, advocated having good relationships with influencers, and understanding that as it’s their livelihood, professional bloggers should get paid. She also discussed the importance of disclosure, and explained how all paid-for posts on her site were with established brands that she believed in – and clearly labelled with #ad.

Jo (who resisted the urge to only show pictures of her kittens), highlighted the increasing importance of social for brands, particularly Instagram. Brands are approaching her that now want campaigns specifically focused on Instagram posts or Stories – the latter particularly useful for brands since the addition of the swipe-up functionality for external links.  She also advocated brands pushing bloggers for metrics, as Iceland did with her, and enjoys working hard to meet targets and goals.

The delegates were a real mix of agency, in-house and freelance, with each group bringing their own ideas and perspectives to the conversation. Both influencers gave the PR pros plenty to think about, with some even suggesting campaign ideas by the end of the session.

If you’d like to improve your influencer outreach and work with Jo, Jane or any one of the thousands of influencers we know, check out our Influencer Database.

Lorna Burford

Blogger Spotlight: Lorna Burford, Raindrops of Sapphire

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Lorna Burford is the author of Raindrops of Sapphire, one of the top fashion blogs in the UK. With her love of premium denim and iconic countryside shoots, Lorna’s taken the fashion world by storm. After ranking in the Top 20 UK Fashion Blogs, we caught up with Lorna to chat about the importance of Fashion Weeks to the industry, using social media and working with brands.

How would you describe your blog?
I would say it’s a mixture of fashion, personal style, health, and lifestyle. It originally started out over nine years ago as a place online to share my likes in the fashion world, but has since evolved to be an extension of my life as well.

Raindrops of SapphireWhat makes your blog successful?
Thank you for saying it’s successful, I am always appreciative of that! I would say the amount of time and commitment spent on it. I make sure I only publish the best content and create articles that I am proud of, so that goes a long way in making sure it’s visually appealing as well as full of content people want to read. There’s so much time spent behind the scenes though, so a combination of hard work and imagination I think.

How do you use other platforms, and how does that tie back in with your blog?
I mostly use Instagram, Twitter and Facebook. Each of them are different though so on Facebook and Twitter I will share my blog posts and occasionally a little random photo, but on Instagram it’s like a separate entity. A mini blog in itself if you were. So, I share all different photos, a lot from my blog, but unique ones too and scenery, but the important thing is to find that balance of unique content and promotional content to your blog. They’re all connected, but separate too. IG stories is really useful with the swipe up link feature too!

How do you work with fashion weeks?
I actually no longer do. I don’t attend any shows and I rarely cover them anymore either. I find it much too stressful and hectic, especially with my health issues, so it wasn’t worth it to me as every other blogger covers fashion week so it was never really unique in a way. I do my own thing now really.

Fashion bloggerWhy are fashion weeks important for the industry?
They’re definitely important as they shape the season. Getting a huge worldwide collection of designers showing their latest pieces amidst everyone else is a huge way to see what trends are going to be big. When I watch the shows online (as I do live streams now instead), I’m taking note of the colour palettes, the cuts and angles, or different things that a few designers are all doing. Once you see a pattern emerging, you know it’s going to be big! Plus, it’s a way for everyone to get their name out there and designers to make it big. It’s pretty much the bi-annual event that fashion itself revolves around.

What should we expect to see for SS18?
I’m actually hoping that it might be different for denim. As I work in the denim area, all I’m seeing lately is crazy, un-wearable jeans as designers run out of ideas and just think of pushing the boundaries instead. Some of the things I have seen this year have seriously left me questioning the industry. I would like to see more skinny and stretchy fits and embroidery to come back – normal and wearable denim. I’m pretty sure SS18 is going to be full of pastels and florals though in terms of clothing.

What brands are you particular excited to see this season?
My usually loves are Valentino, Burberry, Gucci, Chanel and Topshop Unique. However, I was left really disappointed by last year’s Burberry show. Christopher Bailey did his last season and there wasn’t one piece I liked from the collection, which shocked me as I usually love everything. It’s hit or miss for me as I can be excited by a brand but then once they get a new designer or decide to take a different approach, it can make or break the season.

How can brands/PRs best work with you around fashion week?
It does get a bit much when your inbox is constantly swimming with press releases on shows and general cold mail like that, so I would suggest making things a little more unique. Make the emails personal, hold interesting and exclusive events perhaps, or work on campaigns where you model some of the latest collections. Anything a little different might shake things up a bit.

What campaigns have you enjoyed working on previously?
There’s been quite a few and I only select campaigns I love and am happy to be part of, but I would say the ones that have stood out to me are not fashion related, but for a cause instead. I’ve been part of Wear It Wild for WWF where I did a video, but also mental health and illness campaigns too to raise awareness. I think those have the most impact and influence.

Want to work with bloggers? Try the Vuelio Influencer Database and get access to 11,000 UK bloggers and vloggers in fashion, beauty, lifestyle & more.

Get in touch

What do you call yourself (blogger/creator/Influencer)?
I call myself a blogger. It’s what I started out as and what I do on a daily basis, so that’s what I always tell someone when they ask. If you become an influencer from that, that’s great, but I’m more comfortable with the term ‘blogger’.

What other blogs do you read?
I read quite a few! I enjoy the fashion blogs that get me thinking and who have a similar style to mine. Cupcakes & Cashmere, Brooklyn Blonde, Fashion Jackson, I Am Chouquette, Fashioned Chic, Mariannan, That New Dress, Not Jess Fashion… There’s a lot that I enjoy!

 

Lorna Burford and Raindrops of Sapphire are just two blogs listed on the Vuelio Influencer Database along with thousands of other leading bloggers, journalists and editors. 

Glam and Glitter

Blogger Spotlight: Tamara Kalinic, Glam and Glitter

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Glam and Glitter is the Top 20 Fashion Blog from Tamara Kalinic. Glam and Glitter has grown into an online diary of Tamara’s lifestyle treasure trove, including the latest fashion finds, top travel destinations and the best beauty products! We spoke to Tamara about the insider’s perspective at Fashion Week, new designers and working with brands.

How would you describe your blog?
It’s a mixture of Fashion, Beauty and Travel. A diary of all of my purchases, best finds, styling tips and favourite lipsticks, from all around the world.

What makes your blog successful?
I think the fact that I started it out of pure love. There were never monetary calculations involved in the first years of my blogging. I really love what I do and would still do it even if it was unpaid.

Glam and GlitterHow do you use other platforms, and how does that tie back in with your blog?
I have a very clear vision of what each platform is for. Since I come from a different background and I did my masters degree on a topic of branding and strategy thinking, I try to apply the acquired knowledge to my current job. I use Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, Blog and YouTube for different things, and that is also something I often show to brands. It is very important not to get too comfortable and use these platforms for what you want to use them. You have to give your audience what they want to see.

How do you work with fashion weeks?
For more than four years now I have been attending New York, London, Milan and Paris fashion weeks biannually. This means that I spend 8 weeks out of 52 just looking at new collections, talking to designers, meeting the fashion house CEOs and even learning about brands’ histories. Its truly an incredible way of learning the core about fashion. Imagine throwing yourself as a young pharmacist into this whole world of real fashionistas, could there be a better way to learn? From my experience, I don’t think so.

Why are fashion weeks important for the industry?
Fashion Weeks are what makes it all roll. New collections, new trends, buyers, press – everything in one place. Young designers are making their first big sales, and big fashion houses are preparing a real show for their loyal fan base in the industry. It’s an extremely important financial part of the industry, as well as for visibility and PR.

What should we expect to see for AW18?
I am thinking cowboy boots, tailored suits but oversized, more shearling and the colour teal. That is just me judging from the Men’s collections that I have seen so far.

What brands are you particular excited to see this season?
I always love seeing new designers. That is something that inspires me the most. On the other hand, Milan Fashion Week is where I see most of my favourite designers, so after Milan my brain feels a little bit overwhelmed!

Want to work with bloggers? Try the Vuelio Influencer Database and get access to 11,000 UK bloggers and vloggers in fashion, beauty, lifestyle & more.

Get in touch

How can brands/PRs best work with you around fashion week?
This depends on so many factors, but it always helps knowing what their KPI is, that helps me come up with a way I could bring the desired results. I like my jobs to be natural, we are very picky when it comes to brands we work with, and money is not our priority.

What campaigns have you enjoyed working on previously?
My team and I are proud to only accept campaigns with brands we truly love, and with brands we previously worked for free because it was a natural fit. Some of the projects I enjoyed the most are ones with Cartier, Dior, Dolce&Gabbana, Fendi, Louis Vuitton. There is so much I love about my job that it would be hard to name just a few.

What do you call yourself (blogger/creator/Influencer)?
I always go for blogger, because when I starter over seven years ago, that was the only term in circulation.

What other blogs do you read?
I read international blogs and really love supporting my friends from around the globe. Besides the non-fashion ones, such as Career Girl Daily, I love going through feeds of Queen of Jet Lags, Lovely Pepa, Park and Cube, VivaLuxury and The Fashion Fraction. I love their creative input.

Tamara Kalinic and Glam and Glitter are just two blogs listed on the Vuelio Influencer Database along with thousands of other leading bloggers, journalists and editors. 

Paid for followers

Celebrities accused of buying followers

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Celebrities, including Paul Hollywood, Baroness Lane-Fox and James Cracknell, have been accused of buying fake followers after an investigation by The New York Times.

The paper investigated a company called Devumi and discovered that more than 200,000 high-profile figures had purchased fake followers. Its report is particularly damning of Devumi’s practices, which seems, in some instances, to be ‘stealing identities’ of existing social media users to create the fake accounts.

This is illegal, and a New York prosecutor is now investigating the firm. Eric Schneiderman, the state’s attorney general, tweeted twice, first: ‘Impersonation and deception are illegal under New York law’, and then: ‘The growing prevalence of bots means that real voices are too often drowned out in our public conversation. Those who can pay the most for followers can buy their way to apparent influence.’

Buying followers to boost your social presence is, at best, unethical and at worst, fraud. Buying followers itself may not be criminal, and selling them seems to be a grey area, but legal issues arise around the purpose of having fake followers. If you buy followers and then, in any way, stand to gain financially – this could be a serious offence.

Gains could be in the form of paid-for posts, brand collaborations, getting jobs or being called upon as an expert. If your following is not genuine, and you know it, then you might be committing fraud.

Devumi is reported to have offered at least 3.5m automated accounts, which could be bought in packages of 1,000 for $17 (£12). The celebrities that have been called out are generally responding with ignorance, including Baroness Lane-Fox who blamed a ‘rogue employee’ for purchasing the followers. One of her acquisitions, for 25,000 followers, was made at about the time she joined Twitter as a board member in May 2016.

Paul Hollywood, who seems to have the biggest profile of any of the accused, also had the strongest reaction. The master baker deleted his Twitter account entirely (The Guardian’s suggestion that @Hollywoodbaker is his new account seems incorrect).

His spokesperson said: ‘Paul deleted his personal account last week when he was alerted to the fake followers. Like lots of high-profile people he followed advice at the time to build up his social media presence without realising what it involved’.

Paid-for follower is a huge industry-wide problem that until now has received little attention in the press. Social media influencers and digital stars have been accused of purchasing and fraudulently growing their following for some time, but little has been done to tackle the issue. Now traditional celebrities are being dragged into the argument, there might be some action from the platforms to curb this practice.

If you’re looking for genuine influence, check out the Vuelio Influencer Database, where individuals are verified and profiled so you know you’re working with the best.

agency competition

Diets, fruit faces and getting hangry at The Creative Shootout 2018

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Last night, The Creative Shootout 2018 crowned its winning team – Raw London – after a fierce evening of pitching and the industry’s best example of creativity in action.

Nine teams – each made up of four people – were briefed at lunchtime by the charity FareShare. FareShare is a food waste charity; it takes surplus food from restaurants and supermarket suppliers and delivers them, via distribution centres, to communities and charities. Over eight million people live in food poverty in this country and FoodShare is doing what it can to tackle this issue.

The brief – to increase the number of people volunteering for FareShare and raise the charity’s profile – was delivered to the finalists who then had just four hours to prepare a creative pitch. Vuelio provided a Canvas, showing coverage of FareShare with news stories of their work and social media posts from all parts of the FareShare process. We also opened an Influencer Hotline for finalists to call with their influencer needs and queries.

In the evening, the teams presented their pitches to the audience at BAFTA under a strict ten-minute limit.

The Creative Shootout is both an amazing event format, quite unlike any other awards ceremony, and a great showcase of the talent and creativity that makes the UK’s PR industry so rich and successful. Every team that pitched should be proud of their performances, as they all showed originality and unique perspectives on what was fundamentally a broad brief.

Incredibly, three ideas appeared more than once. Two teams suggested a new diet, two suggested that people should get ‘hangry’ and two suggested launching a new supermarket. But even within these similar ideas, the teams still managed to impress with their own takes and impressed the audience with different means and method of carrying out their campaigns. Other teams’ ideas included a skeleton of an elephant being filled with flowers and a new currency ‘bite coin’.

There could unfortunately, only be one winner. Raw London’s pitch was, as is so often the case for award-winning campaigns, simple in its positioning and easy to follow. Based on people who look like unusual foods (‘wonky’ fruit and veg), the campaign was ‘any Shape – any size’, talking about both food waste and people that could volunteer. The campaign would be rolled out via traditional channels – on billboards and in the press – as well as online, with people sharing their own pictures with fruit doppelgangers.

As winners, Raw London will stage its winning campaign with FareShare between May and September 2018, with resources including £250,000 digital media spend from premium publisher cooperative 1XL and £30,000 in fees from FareShare.

Vuelio was proud to sponsor such an awesome display of creativity and is happy to be counted among the first pieces of coverage for Raw London and its ‘any shape – any size’ campaign.