Blogger Spotlight: Twice the Health, Emily and Hannah

Twice the Health is written by nutritionist Emily Kier and personal trainer Hannah Tyldesley, and covers food, exercise and travel. We caught up with the pair to talk matching outfits (obviously), planning content and working with PR professionals.

How would you describe your blog?
Twice the Health is simply our way of sharing what we love to do, eat and enjoy! The message behind everything we do is happiness through health, whether that’s enjoying your favourite chocolate treat whilst cosied up with Netflix, or running 50k through the Grand Canyon. Everyone’s happiness, and therefore health is totally different and we want to embrace and celebrate that.

How do you work together on your online content? Do you each take roles?
We definitely both have different strengths, and we support each other on these. We always chat about everything, and work together on all our content and projects. The fact we both excel in different areas is a bonus as we are able to bounce off each other, and bring two sides to one story.

Emily Kier and Hannah TyldesleyDoes exercising together add extra motivation?
Absolutely. We often say we are each other’s biggest motivation. We know each other well enough to know when the other can be pushed a little harder, or be encouraged to run a little further. All it takes is a little tease or nudge in the right direction!

How do you plan online content?
We try to keep things as natural as possible. If we have campaigns or projects scheduled in, we’ll work around this to ensure it’s kept varied and exciting. Other than that, we tend to run with what’s going on that day or week!

What’s the next big fitness trend going to be?
Matching outfits… obviously! Or at least it will be if we have anything to say about it!!

What makes you successful?
We think what’s worked for us is simply staying true to ourselves. We’ve been careful to only work with brands we absolutely love, and companies we believe in. I think this shines through in our content. It’s obvious when someone is passionate about something and it’s equally obvious when they’re not!

What’s the best thing you’ve done as influencers?
We hate to leave this on a cliff hanger, but I think it’s yet to come! We have a few very exciting projects next year, one in particular that I think could be our best yet. Watch this space!

How do you like to work with PRs?
The key thing is that they understand us and we understand them. From knowing both brands, to knowing how each works. We’ve been lucky enough to work with many excellent PR companies who have all been incredible in being sure to know our brand and know what best fits.

What one thing should PRs know about you?
We always wear matching clothes. If it don’t match it ain’t TTH!

What other influencers do you follow?
There’s a whole host of blogs and vlogs we love, from Zanna Van Dijk, to Hazel Wallace to The Lean Machines. We also love to watch Tally Rye’s vlogs, Jamie & the Jam vids and can never deny ourselves a quick Carly Rowena catch up. We also LOVE podcasts, especially Tough Girl and Ben Coomber!

Emily Kier, Hannah Tyldesley and Twice the Health feature on the market-leading Vuelio Influencer Database along with thousands of other bloggers, influencers and journalists.

UK – 27 October 2017

Media-Updates-New-Featured

Today’s Media Updates covers moves and changes at UK titles including Red Magazine, the East Anglian Daily Times and Charity Times. 

News & Politics

  • Brad Jones has been appointed editor at the East Anglian Daily Times. Brad had been acting editor at the title following Terry Hunt’s retirement at the end of September. Brad also retains his position as editor at the Ipswich Star.

Lifestyle

  • Alisha Motion has now been appointed acting fashion editor at Red Magazine.

Business

  • Lauren Weymouth has been appointed editor at Charity Times replacing former editor Matt Ritchie. Lauren was previously a writer at Love Inc.

 

Everyone who moves titles or jobs is updated in the the Vuelio Media Database, which lists thousands of journalists, bloggers, influencers, publications and media outlets. How can you get in touch with them?

Toby & Roo

Blogger Spotlight: Harriet Shearsmith, Toby & Roo

Harriet Shearsmith is the author of Toby & Roo, a Top 10 UK Parenting Blog. Harriet is mother to two boys and a girl and uses her blog to document their adventures and her parental experiences. We caught up with Harriet to talk being a good parent, working hard to be a blogger and developing good relationships with PRs. 

How would you describe your blog?
I describe my blog as a parenting and lifestyle blog aimed at sharing the wins and woes of parenting. I’m a chronic oversharer, so I tend to share everything on there – from family moments to parental trials!

Why did you start your blog?
I fell in love with a well-known blog called Babyccino Kids and I felt inspired by what they were doing. I wanted to share my own finds and parental experiences. I also wanted to stay at home with my children and this seemed like a really cool way to do that!

Harriet Shearsmith2What’s the best thing about being a parent?
That’s a tough one. There is so much I love about being a parent – from the proud moments to the loving cuddles in the wee hours. I think there are so many moments that are special and it’s not really one thing that defines parenthood as being great.

What advice would you give new parents?
Trust yourself and try to drown out the noise of everyone else’s opinion. You also aren’t a bad parent if some days you really regret having kids or wish you could take it all back – that’s normal for a lot of people!

What advice would you give new bloggers?
Don’t expect anything to come over night. It is something that you need to be prepared to WORK at. Blogging is work – it’s hard work, if you’re doing it correctly.

What makes your blog successful?
Dedication I think and treating this like a job, even before it was. I try to write from the heart but from the other side I try to deliver the very best I can for clients and treat them with professionalism. I want to go that extra mile – be great for my clients and my readers. After all, without the readers, there are no clients – without the clients, there is probably no job!

How do you like to work with PRs?
In the last year or so I have built wonderful relationships with PRs – I really like to feel a personality behind my screen. We’re both in jobs where a lot of our time is spent on a computer and, especially as a blogger, it’s awesome to create a relationship with a PR. I want to make their middle-man style job as fun and easy as possible and I want them to at the very least have looked at my name and the blog to know if their campaign will work for me.

I also love big campaigns where, ok there is a brief, but I can feel confident enough to go back to the PR and say ‘Hey, I had this idea, it fits loosely with the brief but do you like this idea instead’. Honestly and truthfulness (on both sides of course) are intensely important to me.

What’s one of your favourite collaborations?
I work a lot with Birds Eye and I have worked with two agencies with them now – Inkling and Reci.pe – and both have been a delight to work with. From the creative I’ve been given to the way that I know I can bounce ideas off the really awesome people that work at those agencies… even down to the lovely feedback from the brand themselves. I keep working with them because I truly believe their products are fab and I really enjoy their campaigns. They really encouraged me to get into video content and I have loved doing that!

What one thing should PRs know about you?
Honestly – I’m a normal person. I’m so passionate about our industry and I don’t work with clients that I don’t think are great, but I’m also keenly aware that I’m not performing open heart surgery so I don’t have any pretention or illusions of grandeur. Essentially I want the very best for my readers and followers, but I also want to deliver the best for the brand. I try to reply to every email and if I don’t think that I am the blogger for you or you have the brand for me I will say, but I’m always delighted to make that contact because you never know who will come along next time.

What other blogs do you read?
Oh gosh, I’m a dreadful blogger in that I don’t really get time to read too many different blogs! I rather love Hannah from Hi Baby Blog and some of Kerry from All About a Mini Norris’s posts bring me to tears.

Harriet and Toby & Roo feature on the leading Vuelio Influencer Database along with thousands of other bloggers, influencers and journalists.

Emma Hill

Journalist Spotlight: Emma Hill, His & Hers Magazine

Emma Hill is the publisher of His & Hers Magazine and the recently launched accompanying His & Hers Magazine Blog. Launched in 2011, His & Hers Magazine is a lifestyle title in the North West of England.

We spoke to Emma about launching her own magazine, the importance of identifying your niche, moving into the blogging world and building long-term business relationships with PRs.

 

Can you tell us about the publication and how it came about?
His & Hers Magazine is a free print and digital magazine produced in the North West with a firm focus on fashion and beauty. I’d always dreamed of publishing my own magazine, but decided to learn my trade first, working my way up from making cups of tea as a cub reporter at a local newspaper (the Chester Standard), then working for the North West’s best-selling homes and gardens magazine at that time, Concept for Living, where I was ultimately promoted to editor.

It took me almost 15 years of writing and editing titles for other publishers before I finally plucked up the courage to launch His & Hers Magazine. The plus side of waiting so long was that by the time I was calling friends at brands like Jo Malone London to tell them about my idea for a new magazine, they were immediately supportive because I already had good relationships in place through my previous roles.

 

What sets it apart from other magazines? Who is the target audience?
One thing that sets His & Hers Magazine apart from a lot of other magazines is that I was happy to define my editorial focus and target audience from the very beginning, rather than trying to be all things to all people, which can be tempting for publishers when you’re starting out and you’re hungry for ad revenue. His & Hers Magazine features a lot of fashion and beauty content, showcasing a mix of luxury brands and affordable high-street options.

The target audience is professional men and women with an interest in fashion, skincare, travel and entertainment (although we do attract more female than male readers!). These days, if anyone asks for advice before launching a new magazine, my main tip is: don’t be afraid to identify your niche early on. It’s almost impossible to create a magazine that will appeal to everyone, but if you target a niche readership and you know exactly what they want to read about, the same people will keep looking out for new content from you and will tell their friends. It may be a slower way to build your business than targeting absolutely everyone, but I think it’s much more sustainable!

 

his and hers magazine

What were the main challenges when getting a new magazine up and running, and how does that compare to maintaining and building upon the success of the magazine?
The biggest challenge when getting the magazine up and running was persuading ad agencies to take a chance on a launch title when so many new magazines fold within the first few months. I kept hearing that once the business was a bit more established, brands would be happy to come on board, which is frustrating when you’re on a mission to get a launch edition published.Thankfully, a number of big brands, including Malmaison, Topshop, Next and McArthurGlen, were supportive from the very early days, which made a huge difference.

These days, the challenge is to maintain those relationships, attract new advertisers, and find new ways to reach readers.

Our readers expect us to share new fashion and beauty news much more regularly than we used to on our website, and the challenge of adapting to their changing habits is one of the most exciting aspects of my role. It means constantly learning and adapting.

 

You have recently launched the His & Hers Magazine Blog. Can you tell us what motivated you to start a blog and how it differs from traditional print media?
I launched the blog as I’ve always loved writing and wanted to engage more directly with readers. A few weeks ago, after I’d written a blog about the dangers of glamorising violent celebrity relationships in the media, a reader commented that the blog post was particularly relevant to them because they had a violent ex, and that they appreciated my take on the subject. I was really overwhelmed by their comment. Since then, other reader comments have made me realise that it’s so much easier to start a thoughtful, informal dialogue with readers when you’re blogging than when you’re writing for print publications.

 

What do you enjoy the most about your job, and what are some of the more challenging aspects of your work?
My work’s pretty varied, which I’m very grateful for, but most days will involve writing, working hard to spread the word about my clients, pitching for new business and sometimes working on longer term projects, such as planning a big photo-shoot.

I’m also proud to have the opportunity to do some mentoring and occasionally write freelance features for a really broad mix of publications – from the Guardian to an international football magazine. I relish the daily opportunities for learning that my career has given me. In terms of challenges, I’d say that, like for anyone in publishing, reacting to a very rapidly changing marketplace is one of the greatest challenges. It’s also one of the things that I find fascinating!

 

Do you have a good relationship with PRs? What top tips would you give to PR professionals who want to work with you?
I have an excellent relationship with PRs and would say that this is one of the things that makes my work so enjoyable. I’m incredibly grateful to all of the talented PR professionals who I’ve worked with over the years.

My main advice for anyone who’d like to work with me is to get in touch!

I’m always interested in hearing from PR professionals with a view to building up relationships for the long-term, and have often continued to work with PRs as they’ve moved across different accounts or even different companies over the years. I know there can be an enormous amount of pressure to sell in stories in the short-term, but I still believe that building long-term business friendships counts for a lot. I certainly have a list of PRs that I’ll always go the extra mile for because they’ve been a dream to work with and I’m sure most journalists and bloggers would say the same thing.

 

What type of press material are you interested in receiving?
I’m interested in receiving press releases, features ideas, review suggestions and interview opportunities to name but a few. I always appreciate receiving emails from PRs who have clearly taken a close look at the His & Hers website or magazine and get in touch with a tailored suggestion that relates to our editorial style. I’m also extra grateful to PRs who attach press releases as Word documents, rather than PDFs (making them much easier to edit!) and attach a few relevant images or provide a link to images alongside a press release. I know these are really small things, but they make a surprisingly big difference to how likely we are to feature a story.

 

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Emma Hill, His & Hers Magazine and the new blog are among thousands of entries on the market-leading Vuelio Influencer Database including all the top journalists, bloggers, influencers, editors, publications and titles.

BBC Radio 1 Breakfast

Do listening figures matter in the age of the influencer?

The Radio 1 Breakfast Show, currently hosted by Nick Grimshaw, has dropped to its lowest listening figures since records began. With just 4.93 million weekly listeners in the third quarter of 2017, the show is a long way from its Chris Moyles heyday of nearly 8 million.

But with YouTube, and other social media platforms, so prevalent among Radio 1’s core under-25 audience, do traditional listening figures tell the full story or even matter anymore?

BBC Radio 1 has 4 million subscribers on YouTube, 3 million followers on Twitter, 2.8 million likes on Facebook, and 677K followers on Instagram.

Station Controller Ben Cooper points to these figures when defending the latest Rajar listening stats and called Radio 1, ‘the most relevant youth brand in the UK today’.

The BBC also reported a source as saying ‘Grimmy is the number one breakfast show in the UK for young audiences and that’s all they really care about.

‘Teens are addicted to their phones so you can see why Radio 1 does so well on YouTube and Facebook.’

The first part is true enough, close ‘rivals’ come nowhere near, with Roman Kemp’s Capital London breakfast only managing 1.11 million listeners in the third quarter. But it’s much closer on social media – Capital has 1.8m on YouTube, 2.2m on Facebook, 1m on Twitter and 319K on Instagram.

Should Radio 1 be worried?

With so much exclusive access to celebrities and stars, it is perhaps surprising that Radio 1 hasn’t performed better on social media. While it still leads the pack, that lead is not insurmountable.

LBC successfully changed the way it created digital content to make ‘facebook moments’ – perhaps there are lessons to be learnt for Radio 1 to ensure the falling listener figures don’t damage the brand. And to do something before its rivals start to catch up.

What’s clear is that for now, Grimmy’s numbers aren’t (outwardly) concerning bosses as he continues to engage the youth market on multiple platforms and ‘scare off over 30s’.

 

All the details for Radio 1, Nick Grimshaw and all the youth market breakfast shows are available on the Vuelio Media Database.  

UK – 26 October 2017

Media-Updates-New-Featured

Today’s Media Updates covers moves and changes at UK titles including Mirror Online, Time Out London and Education Investor. 

News & Politics

  • Toby Meyjes has been appointed assistant news editor at Mirror Online. Toby was previously assistant news editor at Metro.co.uk.

Lifestyle

  • Phil de Semlyen has been appointed global film editor at Time Out London. Phil was previously the news editor at Empire.

Business

  • James Croft has been appointed editor at EducationInvestor.

 

The Vuelio Media Database lists thousands of journalists, bloggers, publications and media outlets. Want to contact them?

BakingQueen74

Blogger Spotlight: Lucy Allen, BakingQueen74

Lucy Allen is the author of BakingQueen74, which recently came first in the Top 10 UK Baking Blogs. Lucy’s blog documents her love of baking as well as her love of her slow cooker, which she uses to make a variety of recipes. We spoke to Lucy about pinnable content, the Great British Bake Off and working with PRs.

How would you describe your blog?
On my blog I share baking recipes, as I love to bake and try out new baking techniques, and also slow cooker dishes that I make for my family. I love to develop recipes based on what I have in my cupboards but with loads of flavour.

BakingQueen74Whats the best thing about being a baking blogger?
Sharing what I make with my family and friends at work, and seeing that people have made and loved my recipes (through comments on Facebook or Pinterest) is lovely.

How much does Great British Bake Off affect your blog?
In the past two or three years, I baked along every week with the themes of the show but this year I am having building done at home and haven’t had a kitchen for a while and haven’t been able to follow along which is a shame. It has been good for my waistline though!

Whats your favourite bake to make?
I really love simple oat-based bakes like flapjacks, and my blackberry oaty traybake cake is a real favourite.

Whats the best bake youve ever eaten?
I’m really not sure, but it was probably a souffle I had at La Trompette in Chiswick, which was amazing!

What makes your blog successful?
I find that creating content that others will want to share and save for future reference is the key, and making great pinnable content for Pinterest.

How do you like to work with PRs?
By developing recipes for brands using their products and ingredients, it means I try new things and am always planning different kinds of recipes.

Whats a memorable campaign youve worked on?
I particularly liked making a caramel apple roulade recipe to showcase a stand mixer for ao.com.

What one thing should PRs know about you?
I blog in my free time alongside my work as a translation project manager and as a mum of two, so I am often not able to respond to emails immediately during the working day.

What other blogs do you read?
Loads of the top UK food blogs, particular favourites in baking include Domestic Gothess, Supergolden Bakes, Patisserie Makes Perfect and Veggie Desserts. I really admire their photography and food styling and am lucky enough to be friends with them all.

 

Lucy Allen and BakingQueen74 feature on the leading Vuelio Influencer Database along with thousands of other bloggers, influencers and journalists.

Blogger Spotlight: Michael Hawkes, The Bearded Bakery

Michael Hawkes is the author of Top 10 Baking Blog The Bearded Bakery. A digital marketer in the day and blogger by night, Mike bakes once a week – sharing his creations through his blog. We caught up with Mike to talk about blogging, his advice for PRs to do more with bakers and his favourite Crack Pie.

How would you describe your blog?
My blog started out as a place to document everything I baked so that my friends could bake the things I was posting on my other social media platforms. Over time it’s evolved into something that encapsulates two of the most important things in my life; food and travel (and traveling to eat food). Still primarily baking, it has little off-shoots into other things I love and enjoy, with food always at the centre. It shows how I bake, eat and explore.

What’s the best thing about being a baking blogger?
Getting to share everything I make with the people I care about. I only ever really eat a small portion of what I make myself. The main joy comes with sharing the love. Whether that’s my housemate or girlfriend getting to tuck into a slice of lemon meringue pie, my workmates enjoying my peanut butter cookies or someone receiving one of my Cake Care Packages filled with brownies.

The Bearded Bakery

How much does Great British Bake Off affect your blog?
Every year I intend to try and bake along each week, but it never really happens as I get side-tracked with other things from my ever-growing ‘to bake’ list. I started baking, and blogging, before I even really got in to bake off so I’ve always seen it as quite separate.

What’s your favourite bake to make?
That’s a question I get asked a lot, and I always struggle to answer it. The nature of blogging means you’re always striving to make new content, and for a food blog, that often means baking or cooking new things regularly. The best things get revisited from time to time though. I’m a big fan of my brownie recipe, as well as the giant bread ‘wreath’ I made last Christmas, but I think my favourite thing isn’t even something that’s currently on the blog: Crack Pie. I first made it after getting back from NYC last summer and while I’ve made it a couple of times, I’ve never managed to get good enough photos to warrant putting it up on the blog.

What’s the best bake you’ve ever eaten?
I’m a big fan of the cinnamon buns from London’s Nordic Bakery. They’re heavy, practically a meal, but the dough is so soft and full of cinnamon and cardamom. Similarly, the cinnamon buns from WB Samson in Oslo were so good that we had to re-visit them in the short visit we made to the city last year. I also love the humble doughnut, and I’m thoroughly enjoying the number of places popping up across the UK selling some excellent ones, from sourdough through to brioche.

The Bearded BakeryWhat makes your blog successful?
I’ve never really viewed it as overly successful, but from the off I’ve always tried to keep it as genuine as possible. This means turning down a lot of the PR ‘opportunities’ I get in my inbox and focusing on content which I truly believe in. I think the main thing has been the support from my friends and family straight from the off, even if they didn’t necessarily understand it. Other than that, I’m just lucky that so many people love food as much as I do.

How do you like to work with PRs?
I’m fairly open to working with PRs in different ways, but the best ones are the ones where I get to actually do something creative and work a brand to create something completely new or different. A lot of PRs don’t really approach food & baking bloggers with much other than samples, and there’s a lot more that can be done. Email me, pick my brain and work together with me to create something special.

What’s a memorable campaign you’ve worked on?
This one isn’t even something that directly ties into the baking, as a lot of the baking campaigns are quite basic. It ties into my love of food and travel. OpenTable organised a chef’s table meal at Grain Store in Kings Cross. At the same time, they did something similar in New York, and after talking through an evening of seasonal produce we were tasked with writing an open letter about why the food scene in London is so good. This ended up being one of my favourite posts, as I could combine my passion for food and travel into one cohesive narrative. It also culminated with OpenTable sending me to NYC.

What one thing should PRs know about you?
I don’t accept guest content on my site, but aside from that, I put a lot of time, effort & money into every post I create. From developing a recipe through to actually making it and photographing it, it takes a lot of hard work. Going back to a previous point, it’s when I get to work with people that things get really interesting.

What other blogs do you read?
Primarily I actually get a lot of food and cooking inspiration from actual books like Meera Sodha’s Fresh India or Anna Jones A Modern Way to Cook for instance. But in terms of other bloggers/online people I love Noisette Bakehouse’s Instagram and blog, Hannah at The Dinner Bell, Charlie at Charlie Distracted (for travel) and a bunch of others.

Michael Hawkes and The Bearded Bakery feature on the leading Vuelio Influencer Database along with thousands of other bloggers, influencers and journalists.

UK – 25 October 2017

Media-Updates-New-Featured

Today’s Media Updates covers moves and changes at UK titles including ITV, Marie Claire and PA Life. 

News & Politics

  • Jennifer Cordingley has been appointed on screen journalist at ITV Border.

Lifestyle

  • Sarah Barnes has been appointed beauty assistant at Marie Claire.

Business

  • Jade Burke has been appointed editor at PA Life replacing former editor Molly Dyson. Jade was previously deputy editor at ToyNews and Licensing.biz.

 

The Vuelio Media Database lists thousands of journalists, bloggers, publications and media outlets. Find out more.

Teresa and Belinha

Blogger Spotlight: Teresa Keohane, The Dogvine

The Dogvine was recently ranked in the Top 10 UK Pet Blogs. Written by Teresa Keohane, the blog is about Belinha, Moleque and Nina – three street dogs rescued by Teresa from Brazil. Here we spoke to Teresa about writing the dog-friendly guide to London, her favourite dog products and working with PRs on successful campaigns.

How would you describe your blog?
I would describe The Dogvine as a community for London dog lovers and owners where they can find out about dog events and dog-friendly businesses e.g. coffee shops & restaurants and pet products. I also work with local charities to help promote pet adoption.

Why did you start your blog?
I’m from the UK but had been living overseas in Rio De Janeiro, Brazil for several years where I adopted my dogs (who were abandoned street dogs). When I moved back to the UK a few years ago with my dogs, I noticed that a lot of the ‘insider’ information was hard to come by and often only talked about between dog owners at the park. So, I decided to create my blog and feature the kind of things I would want to hear about and that other people seemed interested in and would find useful.

Whats it like having a famous pet?
One of my dogs, Belinha is the face of the blog and I have to say it’s her ears that are the most famous – they get commented on wherever she goes! I always say she’s come a long way from the bedraggled dog I found on the streets of Rio and I’m grateful that a little unwanted street dog has had that opportunity.

Rescue dog

How does your pet cope with the pressure?
She gets lots of extra fuss and treats so seems to like it. It’s really important to make sure that anything we do, feature or review for the blog is something that Belinha (or Moleque or Nina) would enjoy.

Whats your favourite pet product?
That’s hard to pick just one! How about one from my perspective and one from Belinha’s? Mine would be the Furbo, which is a treat tossing interactive pet cam. When I do have to leave my dogs at home it means I not only can see what’s going on, but interact also with them.

Belinha’s would be Beautiful Joe’s Ethical Dog Treats which are low fat air-dried liver treats, she goes crazy for them. I also photograph a lot of dogs at events for the blog and have never had a dog turn these down, quite the opposite. Plus, for every bag purchased, Beautiful Joes’s donate a bag to an animal shelter. More on Beautiful Joe’s in my post here.

Whats your favourite post?
Again, hard to pick just one! I recently collaborated with City Paws Club, (the UK’s first activity centre for dogs) and Belinha and I joined one of their Dog & Human Paddle Boarding experiences on the Thames. It was an incredible experience and honestly probably not something I would have known about or done had I not started the blog. Other people that came along had done so after hearing about it on The Dogvine so that was really rewarding too.

How do you like to work with PRs?
I like to understand what the brand is trying to achieve, then I try and find a unique way of presenting this so I can simultaneously deliver value to my audience as well as the brand. As the request has often gone out to several bloggers at the same time, it’s important to find ways to differentiate. I find it works best when PRs take the time to make sure the ethos of the brand is understood as well as what the brand is looking for. That helps me then focus on how I can creatively deliver that in way that is useful and makes sense to for my readers.

Moleque the dog

What’s one thing should PRs know about you?
I’ve spent a lot of my professional life living and working in different countries of which seven years was spent living in Rio de Janeiro. I rescued and brought back three street dogs from Brazil to the UK – two are my dogs Belinha (the face of the blog) and Moleque and the third, Nina, has been adopted by a friend but still helps out with pet product reviews on the blog.

Whats a memorable campaign youve worked on?
That would have to be when I was asked to work with Airbnb on creating an Insider’s Guidebook to Dog Friendly London. Not only was creating the guidebook a lot of fun but I got to help raise the profile of some great local businesses and give readers exactly the kind of content I wanted to create when I started the blog.

What other blogs do you read?
Too many to list so here’s a few I read regularly: Dog Milk, Wag Wear Repeat, My Dog Likes, A Beautiful Mess and Woof and Walls (not strictly a blog but they have an amazing instagram feed)!

The Dogvine and Teresa Keohane feature on the leading Vuelio Influencer Database along with thousands of other bloggers, influencers and journalists.

UK – 24 October 2017

Media-Updates-New-Featured

Today’s Media Updates covers moves and changes at UK titles including ELLE, Express.co.uk and St Helens Star. 

News & Politics

  • Matt Atherton has been appointed health reporter at Express.co.uk. Matt was previously a senior multimedia reporter at Food Manufacture.
  • The St Helens Star has moved back to the town, taking space in Century House, Hardshaw Street, St Helens, Merseyside.

Lifestyle

  • Felicity Kay has been promoted to junior fashion editor at ELLE. Felicity was previously senior fashion assistant at the title.

 

The Vuelio Media Database lists thousands of journalists, bloggers, publications and media outlets. Learn more.

Basil the blog

Blogger Spotlight: Cathrine Garnell, Basil’s Blog

Basil’s Blog is a Top 10 UK Pet Blog tracking Basil the cat and his family of eight cats (the B Team). Written by their ‘purrsonal’ assistant Cathrine Garnell, the blog has been running for five years. Here we caught up with the gang to talk the B Team, story posts and PR campaigns.

How would you describe your blog?
Completely bonkers! But seriously, my blog is really a lot of fun and jam-packed with cat-themed posts almost daily featuring; Colouring with Cats, Brain Training with Professor Basil, Pet Peeves with Parsley, Book Reviews with Amber, plus other posts including blog hops and fictional stories.

Why did you start your blog?
I began writing novels in 2000 and in 2004 my first children’s novel, Basil the Bionic Cat was published so having a blog was just a natural progression to my repertoire, and slowly it grew and grew until now I don’t have time to write novels, as it’s all about Basil and The ‘B’ Team on the blog.

What’s it like having a famous pet?
It’s wonderful, and it really makes me smile when I think that peeps from all over the world know who Bionic Basil is. That is epic!

How does your pet cope with the pressure?
Basil and The ‘B’ Team take the pressure of being famous in their stride, they’re just supurr chill about it all. They take a few more selfies; post on Instagram, tweet, share stuff on Facebook, you know the usual celebrity social media rounds, it’s just the norm for them now.

What’s your favourite pet product?
My cats have lots of favourite products but the best thing is the Yeowww Catnip Banana, they love it! Though my favourite pet product is the Kitty Observatory I made in my last Crafting with Cats post.

Parsley and HRH

What’s your favourite post?
My favourite posts are the fictional story posts; such as last year’s epic saga called Fast, Furry and Dangerous – Revenge of the P.I.T.H. This year’s saga is called; The Last Big Jolly it’s at the halfway point and will conclude at Christmas. They are absolutely great fun to write and have all the makings of a proper summer blockbuster; cats with guns, tanks, helicopters, secret bunkers, time travelling telephone boxes, explosions, aliens, etc… you name it my cats can do it via photoshop.

How do you like to work with PRs?
Working with PRs is great.

What one thing should PRs know about you?
I work to a strict schedule.

What’s a memorable campaign you’ve worked on?
I’ve worked on quite a few campaigns but one of the most memorable was The WHISKAS® Kitten Kollege Dropouts Campaign. Basil had great fun with this one.

What other blogs do you read?
Wow, I read so many blogs each week and the best way for me to answer this is to direct you to my Pawesome Blog Directory and you‘ll see exactly who I visit regularly.

Basil’s Blog features on the leading Vuelio Influencer Database along with thousands of other bloggers, influencers and journalists.

PRWeek Awards 2017

3 ways to win a PR award

The PRWeek Awards last week celebrated 33 winners, including 22 awards for amazing campaigns. From the judges’ comments praising the victors, we can see what it takes to win such a prestigious prize.

Vuelio was delighted to partner the PRWeek Awards 2017, which took place on 18 October. Check out our Canvas to see the best content before, during and after the night, from social media and the news.

With hundreds of finalists, each winner had to be exemplary to claim their prize. From the judge’s comments published by PRWeek, we present 3 golden rules to win a PRWeek campaign award:

1. Be brave
Brave is a word used multiple times by the judges across a number of categories, but what does it actually mean? W Enterprise won the Healthcare: Ethical & OTC Consumer award for it’s the Future of Social Care campaign for Cera. Wanting to be the ‘solution’ the the NHS and social care’s major issues of bed blocking and delayed discharges, W Enterprise’s research found every major stakeholder was sceptical change could be made without huge sums of investment. With just a limited budget, W Enterprise managed to battle against this perception using personal pitches to journalists and collaborations with charity and NHS leaders.

Weber Shandwick were described as ‘Brave, clever, disruptive’, for its award-winning Kevin the Carrot Christmas campaign for Aldi. Seen to be taking on the giants of Christmas advertising, John Lewis, the campaign used a similar model to its rival, which had proved successful in the past.

A brave campaign is one that isn’t afraid to take on existing ideas and accepted norms. Winners use what they have in clever ways to challenge perceptions of market-leaders and ‘unchangeable’ circumstances.

 

2. KISS

Keep It Simple, Stupid! The word simple is used by judges more than any other – PR professionals are story tellers and the simpler you can get your message across, the better. Taylor Herring’s The Real Mr Darcy campaign for UKTV’s Jane Austen season was described as a ‘Simple idea, but brilliantly executed’. It created a portrait of what an academic study considered Mr Darcy would have looked like in real life. This simple idea appealed to most national newspapers, leading to significant coverage.

Weber Shandwick’s #BrutalCut campaign for ActionAid UK ‘cut’ videos of Kenyan girls facing female genital mutilation into videos from vloggers, digital publishers, celebrity posts, cinema ads, fesitval screens and outdoor ads. This digital ‘brutal cut’ smashed ActionAid’s targets, and was described by the judges as ‘Brilliantly creative, yet simple’.

Ogilvy PR’s white rhino campaign for Kenya’s Ol Pejeta Conservancy put Sudan – the only male of his species and most eligible bachelor in the world (with more than 7,000 female southern white rhinos to choose from) on Tinder. While Sudan can’t mate due to old age, the campaign raised huge funds for the Conservancy’s programmes.

Being simple is making it clear what your message is about from the very beginning. While it may not fit your campaign targets, being simple is the best way to tell a story because it’s likely to resonate with the most people.

 

3. Know your channels

Knowing where a campaign can be most successful – in line with a client’s brief – is vital for it to be triumphant. Vodafone’s winning ReConnect campaign showed, according to the judges, ‘how media relations can have a big impact’. Commissioning research and analysis from KPMG, Vodafone created complete news stories about the benefits of women going back to work after a career break – which led to wide-reaching coverage across multiple publications. It is a basic of good PR, but we sometimes forget that press releases are more likely to be published if its already a news story, rather than a sales pitch.

Unity’s Yours, Mrs Claus blog for ActionAid won the Most Innovative Use of Digital & Social Media award. The blog was designed to highlight women’s stories, as well as the women and girls ActionAid helps around the world. It was penned by ‘Mrs Claus’, and according to the agency ‘accessible to all, but delivered in such a way that only women would really see it’. Celebrities also contributed to the blog, driving up its traction with the target audience. The judges said: ‘A campaign that demonstrated a thorough understanding of the mechanics of the internet and the way different media channels play out across it’.

One Green Bean’s Best Use of Technology award for the relaunch of Nokia Snake on Facebook Messenger praised a retro game reaching a new, younger audience. While nostalgia seemed to play a huge part in its success, the game has now been played over 74 million times.

Working with clients to identify target channels, as well as knowing what will work for your campaign, is a must for modern PR professionals in the face of so many choices. And if you’re struggling, Vuelio can help you reach all of the right influencers, no matter what channel they’re on.

What do you think it takes to make a great PR campaign? Let us know in the comments below.

UK – 23 October 2017

Media-Updates-New-Featured

Today’s Media Updates covers moves and changes at UK titles including the Financial Times, Evening Standard and Dazed. 

News & Politics

  • David Bond has been appointed security and defence editor at the Financial Times. David was previously the European media correspondent at the title.
  • Ella Wills has been appointed online news reporter at the Evening Standard.
  • Crimewatch has been axed after 33 years on air. Read more about it.

Lifestyle

  • Anna Cafolla has been appointed news and features editor at Dazed. Anna was previously a staff writer at the title.

 

The Vuelio Media Database lists thousands of journalists, bloggers, publications and media outlets. Want to know more about the Media Database?

Stephanie Walton

Blogger Spotlight: Stephanie Walton, Steph and the Spaniels

Stephanie Walton writes Steph and the Spaniels, which recently ranked in the Top 10 UK Pet Blogs. The dog blog features dog-friendly adventures and travel with Sev (Severus) and Lily. We caught up with Stephanie to talk about the dogs, working with independent brands and dog-friendly adventures.

How would you describe your blog?
Our blog is a lifestyle blog, following our life including our two spaniels, Severus and Lily. We’re all about ‘never leaving the dogs behind’ and that is showcased in the blog.

Why did you start your blog?
It started so long ago, with a very different topic, however over the eight years it’s slowly changed into a lifestyle blog. Having an online diary and somewhere to showcase my photography is a large part of why I blog.

What’s it like having a famous pet?
I’m not so sure they’re famous yet, I’ll let you know if that happens.

How do Sev and Lily cope with the pressure?
Sev and Lily obviously have no pressure, they like to pose because it means getting treats. Getting to explore, adventures in new places and new walks are just fun to them.

What’s your favourite pet product?
We love our Equafleeces.

What’s your favourite post?
Of my own? I don’t think I have one, but I love that. There’s always something new and something different. We love travel posts though and sharing true dog-friendly adventures with our readers.

How do you like to work with PRs?
I think the relationship between brand and blogger is important, as long as PRs know how to work with bloggers. It’s so important that it’s always a professional collaboration.

What one thing should PRs know about you?
That they’d get high quality content, as long as they offer something high quality and dog friendly within our life.

What’s a memorable campaign you’ve worked on?
So many, although we tend to deal with independent brands so ‘campaigns’ aren’t so common. We loved working with Bayer on the Lungworm Campaign as it’s such an important topic and it was great. Also working with Barbour on a few different campaigns and blog posts has no doubt been amazing, and something we’re all very proud of.

What other blogs do you read?
Lots, from dog friendly to lifestyle. I love high quality images and everyday life topics.

Steph and the Spaniels feature on the market-leading Vuelio Influencer Database along with thousands of other bloggers, influencers and journalists.

Five Things You Shouldn’t Have Missed – 20 October 2017

This week’s big stories of the week from the world of PR, media and communications, including PRWeek Awards, Crimewatch, a white paper, McDonald’s and parenting bloggers.

1. 30 years of PRWeek Awards

PRWeek Awards

Vuelio were delighted to join the 80s-themed celebrations for 30 years of the PRWeek Awards. With Alan Edwards’ induction into PRWeek’s Hall of Fame presented by The Who’s Roger Daltrey; Katherine Ryan delighting the 1,000-strong crowd with her hosting; and 32 awards given to the PR industry’s brightest and best, the PRWeek Awards proved themselves a highlight of 2017. Vuelio has created a Canvas of all the best posts from the night – check it out here.

 

2. Crimewatch axed after 33 years

Jeremy Vine presenter

One of the UK’s longest continuously running TV programmes has been cancelled, after 33 years on air. Crimewatch, seen by many as a public service for solving crime, has suffered from dwindling ratings even after it was revamped with Jeremy Vine and Tina Deheley at the helm.

Former presenter Nick Ross explained the demise: ‘If you get 15 million people watching a programme and you have an appeal, the chance of finding somebody, that one witness who saw something they had no idea was connected with the crime… they can ring in. Once your audience starts plummeting, you go back to two million, one million, your chances of finding that person are so remote.’

The show is famous for helping to solve high-profile cases including the murder of James Bulger. It also featured the murder of Jill Dando, a presenter on the programme up until her death in 1999.

 

3. Disruptive business and destructive PR

Disruptive PR

When isn’t a bad reputation bad for business? Traditional media often has a less than favourable relationship with the big disruptors of this world, but does that matter? After Uber’s licensing issues with TFL, it became apparent how different their reputation with their customers was from their reputation with the press. Our latest whitepaper – The Filth and the Fury: Disruptive Businesses & Destructive PR – explores how to rip up the rulebook and still come out on top.

 

4. Szechuan Sauce and the great PR “disaster”

JustinRoiland on twitter

McDonald’s made headlines around the world for a “botched” limited edition dipping sauce. Made famous by cult cartoon series Rick & Morty, the 1998 Mulan-linked Szechuan sauce was released by McDonald’s for one day only. When it didn’t provide enough, the media picked it up as PR fail – but with international headlines and thousands of fans desperate to get their hands on a McDonald’s product, it’s clear this PR strategy was nothing short of genius. Maybe even Rick-level genius.

McDonald’s wasn’t the only fast-food restaurant winning on social media this week – KFC has impressed Twitter for only following eleven people – the five Spice Girls and six guys named herb. That’s right, 11 herbs and spices.

 

5. The UK’s top parenting blogs

Parenting blogs

One of the most influential rankings Vuelio compiles, the Top 10 UK Parenting Blogs has this week been topped by Jo Middleton of Slummy Single Mummy. Jo has regained the top spot from Mum in the Mad House’s Jen Walshaw, who fell to second. The top three was completed by Donna Wishart’s What the Redhead said – one of a whopping six new entries to this ranking. Parenting bloggers famously have one of the most engaged communities in the blogosphere and the best relationship with PR professionals.

 

Think we’ve missed something? Let us know in the comment below.

Clare Nicholas

Blogger Spotlight: Emmy’s Mummy and Harry’s Too!

Clare Nicholas is the author of Emmy’s Mummy and Harry’s Too!, which recently ranked in the Top 10 UK Parenting Blogs. Clare was a nanny for 14 years and she draws on her wealth of childcare knowledge to provide expert advice and suggest child-friendly activities. We spoke to Clare about her regular nanny feature, finding your own voice and collaborating with brands to give the children an experience. 

How would you describe your blog?
A parenting and lifestyle blog which shares helpful tips using my nanny experience to help other parents under the popular ‘Top Tips from a Former Nanny’ series.

Why did you start your blog?
As a way to share Emmy’s milestones with family members who didn’t get to see her often as they would have liked. The idea was to print off into a book for her when she was older, six years down the road the book idea may now not be possible but both children have EVERY milestone recorded so they can read for themselves when they are older.

What’s the best thing about being a parent?
Every single moment. It may sound cheesy but having spent many years believing I would never fulfil my dream I really do cherish every moment. Having children of my own was always my dream but after three miscarriages I almost gave up hope of that ever happening. Emmy was my miracle baby as was Harry after suffering another two miscarriages before he came along.

What advice would you give new parents?
Take ALL the help offered. Sleep when you can and housework really can wait for another day – you are no good to anyone if you are sleep deprived and too frazzled to do anything.

What advice would you give new bloggers?
Be yourself, don’t try to copy your favourite bloggers as you need to find your own voice. You are at the beginning of your journey so don’t worry about their stats and following, just do what works for you.

What makes your blog successful?
I’m not sure I would say it’s successful, what is success anyway? My most popular posts are ones written from the heart, my personal posts and of course those rants where I’ve written about something/someone who’s annoyed me, and my Top Tips from a Former Nanny are rather popular and I really love writing those.

How do you like to work with PRs?
I like to mix it up, I am happy to have a brief to follow but prefer to put my own unique spin on these projects.

What’s one of your favourite collaborations?
That would have to be working with Merlin Annual Pass, it was a year of family fun which we could all enjoy!

What one thing should PRs know about you?
That’s a really hard one, I think it would be that family is everything to me – they were the reason for starting this blog in the first place and I like to ensure they have lots of fun… and mummy at home to enjoy that fun with them.

What other blogs do you read?
There are loads I regularly read, a few favourites are PODcast, Mum in the Mad House, The Oliver’s Madhouse, Five Little Doves and Eats Amazing. 

Clare Nicholas and Emmy’s Mummy and Harry’s Too! feature on the market-leading Vuelio Influencer Database along with thousands of other bloggers, influencers and journalists.

Donna Wishart

Blogger Spotlight: Donna Wishart, What the Redhead said

Donna Wishart is a new entry to the Top 10 UK Parenting Blogs with What the Redhead said. A full time blogger, Donna follows her family of four, documenting important milestones and family adventures. We caught up with the Redhead to chat all things parenting, spending time with the kids and working with PRs who understand.

How would you describe your blog?
My blog is pretty much a typical family lifestyle blog. It follows our adventures – days out and holidays, documents the children growing up and talks about our home and day to day family life. It’s full of nice photos, our family fun and the highs and lows of parenting – although more highs than lows thankfully!

Why did you start your blog?
I started the blog when my first child was seven months old to document her weaning journey. We did baby led weaning and back then there wasn’t much information online about it – mainly just traditional weaning – and so I thought it might help other people to write about it. But, since then the blog has grown massively and, over five years later the blog is now my full time job. It’s something I never imagined when I first started writing.

What’s the best thing about being a parent?
I thought I had quite a busy, full life before having children but becoming a parent for the first time, and then having a second child has totally changed my life. It’s made me appreciate things more, notice every small detail and try so hard to commit every moment to memory. So, the best thing for me is how much more meaning life has since having Athena and Troy – they have taught me what life is really all about.

Donna Wishart

What advice would you give new parents?
I think the best advice really is to listen to all the advice you get given – mostly unrequested – and then do what works for you. Go with your instincts and do whatever you need to do to get through. Being a parent for the first time is hard. There will be ups and downs and there will be so much change. Do whatever works for you.

What advice would you give new bloggers?
I would tell new bloggers to think about why they are starting to blog. If it’s just to get free stuff and easy money then it’s best to stop writing now. Blogging is not an easy choice of self employment. It takes such a long time to build and grow a blog and there is so much behind the scenes that takes hours of work and you will only ever get out of your blog what you are prepared to put in. Likewise, if you start a blog to document your children’s milestones and your family’s adventures, never lose sight of that. In years to come when you’re paid to write and getting sent things to review try to always keep that underlying focus. Your readers will engage with it and you will always be glad that your blog never lost its roots.

What makes your blog successful?
I think that really depends on how you define success. My blog isn’t the ‘biggest’ blog, it doesn’t have the most followers or the best photos and shiniest videos but, it allows me to stay at home with my children and work around them – something I never imagined possible. I think my blog has had that kind of success because I have never really focused on one thing – I have always tried to be as good as I can be at as many aspects of blogging as possible rather than trying to be the best or spread myself too thin. If I’m not good at something, or if I don’t enjoy it, I just don’t do it. But, I do my best at photography, at social media, at making videos and I think because I just do my best rather than the best, readers can relate to that.

How do you like to work with PRs?
My favourite PR campaigns are always ones where we can have fun, where I can be creative and where there isn’t a really strict brief involved. My favourite campaigns recently have been around family food and days out – something where we can have a nice experience and work at the same time. For me, the blog opportunities have always been something I’ve really appreciated as they mean I can give the children experiences they wouldn’t have otherwise. So, my favourite ways to work with PRs really are to give the children something they’ll always remember – a nice meal cooked at home, a day in the great outdoors or a week in a caravan at the seaside. Everything I do has the children in mind.

What’s one of your favourite collaborations?
I recently worked with Maryland Cookies on a recipe video. It was something I really enjoyed doing, although it pushed me out of my comfort zone both with filming and editing afterwards. But, I loved the finished video, did my absolute best at it and the brand really liked it. I’m now looking forward to creating more collaborative videos in the future.

What one thing should PRs know about you?
I have two pretty amazing school-age children. Because of this, campaigns need to fit around school (Unless they are super duper incredible!). I love it when PRs invite us to do things at the weekend or ask me to work on something that involves the children and give us deadlines that allow time to photograph the children outside of school hours. It means so much when I work with people who really understand what it’s like to, not just have a family but to have a family who are so involved in your work – and who work with us to create the best content despite the children being at school.

What other blogs do you read?
Oh I read so many! I have over 200 blogs on my Bloglovin feed and I read blogs each evening before bed. My favourites at the moment are We’re Going on and Adventure, Just Saying Mum and Mini Travellers – an eclectic mix but all with beautiful photos and family adventures.

Donna Wishart and What the Redhead said feature on the market-leading Vuelio Influencer Database along with thousands of other bloggers, influencers and journalists.

Slummy Single Mummy

Blogger Spotlight: Jo Middleton, Slummy Single Mummy

Jo Middleton is the multi-award-winning influencer behind the UK’s biggest parenting blog Slummy Single Mummy. Jo has been writing about family life since 2009 and is also now an expert in social media, marketing and copywriting. Slummy Single Mummy is the number one blog in the Top 10 UK Parenting Blogs, and we caught up with Jo to discuss the importance of not comparing, her advice for new bloggers and working with brands.

How would you describe your blog?
That’s a tricky one, because it has changed a lot over the years as my kids have grown up. I think in a way that’s the beauty of ‘parenting’ as a theme though – pretty much anything can fall under that umbrella if you try hard enough! I like to think my blog doesn’t take itself too seriously, it’s just a bit of light entertainment – like a friendly chat with a friend.

Why did you start your blog?
I actually started it as a way to promote the freelance journalism and copywriting I was doing, way back before brands had really started engaging with bloggers meaningfully, so I never imagined it would evolve into my main source of income.

What’s the best thing about being a parent?
Wow, that’s a big question?? Aside from the unconditional love, joy of seeing your kids grow etc?? Probably that you get to watch Disney films at the cinema and go to theme parks and eat Big Macs and pretend it’s all just because you have to.

What advice would you give new parents?
I think just do your best. Accept that at some point in the future they are going to blame you for ruining their lives in some way – it’s how parenting works – so just do your best from day to day and don’t compare your child to others.

What advice would you give new bloggers?
This is such a tough one, because I can’t imagine how difficult it must be to come into the market place now with so much competition. I think I’d say firstly to just go for it – don’t spend too much time over-thinking things, as you can always grow and develop as you go along. Secondly though I’d say you have to be prepared to work hard and be professional at all times. You can’t expect big brand partnerships to fall into your lap from day one – it takes a while to build up a readership and a reputation. Also, a bit like parenting, don’t compare your blog to other blogs. Comparison really IS the thief of joy.

What makes your blog successful?
I like to think that I have a very consistent, approachable tone of voice, that makes it easy to read and makes people feel like they want to come back and read it again. Commercially, I think honesty is a big part of my success, and professionalism. I always do everything on time, I try to make even the dullest subject interesting – all that stuff that brands love!

How do you like to work with PRs?
I’m pretty open to any kind of approach as long as it’s well researched, friendly and honest. I’m not saying I end up working with everyone who gets in touch, but I try to read most things. I like it best when I’m given plenty of rein creatively, but with clear goals too – I want the brand to be able to measure whether or not they’ve got what they want from working with me, so they come back!

What’s one of your favourite collaborations?
Thinking long term, I really loved working with Bailey of Bristol, who make motorhomes. For a couple of summers they leant us a motorhome so that we could go off on adventures around the UK and Ireland – what’s not to love about that??

What one thing should PRs know about you?
I am NOT interested in reviewing potty training apps. Yes I have children, but they are 15 and 22.

What other blogs do you read?
I have to admit that when I’m not working I prefer to be away from screens if I possibly can, so although I dabble, I’m much more of an old fashioned magazine or book kind of girl.

Jo Middleton and Slummy Single Mummy feature on the market-leading Vuelio Influencer Database along with thousands of other bloggers, influencers and journalists.

Mum in the Madhouse

Blogger Spotlight: Jen Walshaw, Mum in the Mad House

Jen Walshaw recently ranked on the Top 10 UK Parenting Blogs with her award-winning Mum in the Mad House. Chronicling the life of a family of four, Jen also uses her blog to share creative makes and recipe ideas. We caught up with Jen to talk about the rewards of family life, working with PRs and being creative!

How would you describe your blog?
Mum in the Mad House is a one-stop shop for people trying to live a creative family life in the digital age on a budget. I am passionate about raising creative children whilst instilling them with skills that will last a lifetime, which can be quite a challenge in this digital age!

So, my blog is filled with crafting, art, cooking with kids, realistic parenting tips and screen-free activities to encourage people to try and live a creative family life.

Why did you start your blog?
My blog started out as a dairy after a health scare. I had two boys under three with 14 months between them. It was my way of recording our day to day life whilst reclaiming time for me. I had always wanted to be one of those people that had a batch of journals to look back on but never found pen and paper that appealing long term. I loved being able to create my own digital photo album with words!

What’s the best thing about being a parent?
Parenting is the hardest thing that I have ever done, but it is also the most rewarding. I adore watching my children develop and grow and seeing their potential. Each stage of parenting has been different and amazing in its own way. Now we are entering the teen years and it will be interesting to see what they bring!

What advice would you give new parents?
The best advice I ever received was not to listen to what other people said you have to do but to trust your own instincts. For me, parenting confidence came with experience and it took time to learn that I had to do what was right for my family and that wasn’t necessarily the same as someone else’s.

What advice would you give new bloggers?
Starting a blog was one of the best things I did, I would encourage anyone thinking about it to just do it. But you do need to have a thick skin. I am aware that by putting myself out into the public eye I am inviting comments and opinions that I might not necessarily get in real life. Think about why you want to blog and what you want to get out of it. I started as an online diary and it has developed organically over the years. I think it has become much harder to be heard since I started as the market is much more saturated. There are some great communities out there so get involved, have fun and connect with people.

What makes your blog successful?
I think that Mum in the Mad House is so successful as it is relevant and I am relatable to people. Over the years it has gone from strength to strength, some readers have been with us from the beginning, others found us whilst looking for a specific solution. It has stood the test of time and remains a trusted voice in a saturated market.

Jen Walshaw

How do you like to work with PRs?
I love working with brands and companies. I prefer to produce unique quality content based on their needs. Over the years we have produced and featured in videos, attended events and press trips, featured on company websites, offered competitions and much, much more. For us, it is about thinking creatively and finding an angle that connects with our readers. I am more than happy to chat to a PR about what they are looking to do and come up with something that meets both our needs.

What’s one of your favourite collaborations?
It is so hard to pin it down to just one collaboration. We are big fans of family experiences and have been lucky enough to work with some fantastic brands and have lots of fun at the same time. There have been different favourites depending on the stages of our family life. The man of the house loves car or holiday collaborations, the boys are particularly keen on theme parks and festivals, whilst me, like most mums, are happy when the rest of the family is, however, I do love going to concerts, visiting new places and experiencing new things.

What one thing should PRs know about you?
That I am a proud Northerner, so invites to events in the capital mean quite a chunk of travel! I want PRs to understand what I can offer them and their clients and to develop long-term relationships. Things really need to be relevant to me and my readers. More and more it is about being a trusted voice. It is great to connect with people that understand what you do and see how you can work together for the benefit of their client. Also, I think that it is time for brands to understand just how much impact working with a blogger can have. I can reach so much more people than the traditional press, but often they are still not willing to pay a commensurate fee.

What other blogs do you read?
I am an avid blog reader and love being part of such a wide-ranging and diverse community. I turn to blogs for pretty much everything, looking for a recipe then there is a great blog for that, planning a party, again I turn to a blog.

Jen Walshaw and Mum in the Madhouse feature on the market-leading Vuelio Influencer Database along with thousands of other bloggers, influencers and journalists.