the rise of the parenting blogs

The rise of the parenting blogs

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Vuelio’s UK Bloggers Survey revealed there’s been a steep rise in parenting bloggers, the category now making up 29% of all bloggers in the UK. This is a marked rise from 2016, when only 16% of parenting bloggers were focused on parenting.

So what’s going on?

One possiblity is that a lot of the new parenting bloggers were already established in other fields and have since had children – shifting their focus to parenting. We know from the study that 43% of bloggers are aged between 25-34 and in the UK the average age of having your first child is 30.4 years.

Bloggers are also mostly female (78%) and many parenting blogs are started during materntity leave to find a new community of understanding people online that can share day-to-day struggles. It’s not just for mums, dads also find comfort in a community and the knowledge they’re not alone.

For many, finding the community but not the right answers is a big impetus to start a parenting blog. Elliott Rae, founder and editor-in-chief of MusicFootballFatherhood.com (MFF) said: ‘I started MFF when my daughter was three months old, on New Year’s Day in 2016. I had loads of questions about fatherhood and wanted to hear about others’ experiences.

‘There was nowhere online that I felt I could read or discuss all the questions I had, so I started MFF to provide that space.’

Jo Middleton, author of top parenting blog Slummy Single Mummy, joined Vuelio for a webinar discussing the Survey results, and she believes that a visible group of successful parenting bloggers are encouraging a new generation to start. As a new mother on maternity leave, seeing bloggers can be sent products and paid to write reviews is an attractive proposition.

Jo has seen a rise in the professional blogger, those who start blogs with the intention of making it commercial from the beginning. This is also reflected in the Survey results, which reveal there has been in a rise in both those making money from their blogs and those intending to in future.

Sometimes a clever solution to a parenting problem can encourage bloggers to start. Jo Addison, who writes Kiddieholidays, said: ‘I’d recently had a baby and struggled to find somewhere to go on holiday which was suitable for babies. I was looking for somewhere that had loads of baby equipment, lots to do in the local area for young children and didn’t cost a fortune, but I couldn’t find many places. Then I had the idea about Kiddieholidays.

‘I want the site to match up amazing baby and toddler friendly destinations and accommodation with parents who are looking for ideas about where to go.’

One of the biggest reasons we’re told parenting bloggers start is they want a way to document their child or children growing up. Tim Liew, who writes Slouching Towards Thatcham, is a typical of this, he said: ‘So much of the early years of parenthood focuses on the big ‘firsts’: first word, first step, first day at school and so on. I also wanted to document all the little moments and observations that otherwise get lost in the mists of time. Bearing in mind this was back in 2008, it didn’t really occur to me at the time that parent blogging or dad blogging could become a ‘thing’. Now, it definitely is!’

Whether this rise in parenting bloggers will continue is difficult to predict, especially when considering the growing number of lifestyle bloggers and the popularity of ‘alternative sharing platforms’ like YouTube and Instagram. Either way, the Vuelio Bloggers Survey in 2018 will reveal all the answers.

Storytelling with Vuelio Canvas – WEBINAR

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Looking for a creative way to tell a story? 

Whether you’re helping your team make sense of ongoing news, pitching a client, or reporting on a campaign or an event, curating content from a range of channels is a daily chore for most.

Visualising and presenting this data can be a daunting task, but we have just the tool to help you nail yours!

Join us on 24 October 2017 at 11am to learn how you can bring your presentations to life with Vuelio Canvas. Impress your boss, co-workers and clients by transforming your data and content into engaging stories. We will show you how you can bring together individual elements from millions of media sources, be it news stories, social media activity, charts, PDFs, video or audio files into beautiful presentations made in seconds.

Stop wasting time on old fashioned spreadsheets and emails and transform the way you present your PR. Save your spot for our next webinar now! Even if you can’t make the live broadcast, we’ll send you a recording after it airs.

Webinar: Storytelling with Vuelio Canvas
Date: Tuesday 24 October 2017 
Time: 11:00 am BST
 

 

 

Blogger Spotlight: Antonia Ludden, #tidylife

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Antonia Ludden is the Top 10 Interior Design Blogger behind #tidylife. Antonia was inspired to create her blog back in 2012 after following US bloggers and their DIY, home organising and décor blogs. We spoke to Antonia about transforming rooms, being inspired by bloggers and working with PRs.

How would you describe your blog?
#tidylife is the place to discover all the latest UK home interior design trends and ideas, lush homeware and lifestyle inspiration.

Why did you start your blog?
Five or six years ago, I began searching for home improvement inspiration online and was finding lots of blogs from the USA but not many equivalent UK blogs. So, I thought I would give it a try myself.

What’s your favourite thing to blog about?
I love to style products and there’s also something exciting about revealing a finished project; I love a good ‘before and after’ when a room has been transformed and think readers enjoy that sort of thing too.

How do you manage your photography?
I get reasonable pictures with my Nikon – set to auto mostly, but would like to develop my photography skills. I am considering working with a photographer in the future to produce some magazine-worthy shots.

What’s your favourite interior?
I like dark moody interiors as well as light, bright modern spaces.

What or who are your biggest inspirations?
Fellow bloggers and Instagrammers mainly.

What makes your blog successful?
Perhaps because it has been going a while, I’ve been blogging consistently since 2012.  I also like to share achievable interiors and design inspiration on a budget, plus I am adding more lifestyle content at the weekends for something different.

How do you like to work with PRs?
It makes things so much easier when a PR is clear about their expectations. Getting a brief sent through with deadlines, social media hashtags to use etc. is really helpful.

What one thing should PRs know about you?
I am flexible and open to creative ideas!

What other blogs do you read?
The first blog I discovered was IHeart Organizing and I still like to look in on it from time to time. I enjoy reading the blogs of people who have become friends through blogging and am starting to dip into more beauty and fashion blogs as well as the home interior ones.

Antonia Ludden is just one entry in the market-leading Vuelio influencer database, which has thousands of bloggers, influencers, journalists, editors and media outlets. Find out how to reach them all here.

Carl Thompson blogger

Blogger Spotlight: Carl Thompson

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Carl Thompson is a Top 10 Men’s Lifestyle Blogger with his eponymous blog. Created to document his personal style and promote his menswear label Carl Thompson covers grooming tips, cocktails and travel. We caught up with Carl to talk about FSTGLFFC, modern man, the iPhone changing marketing and how he likes to work with brands.

How would you describe your blog?
The blog is really an evolution from my menswear label ‘Hawkins & Shepherd’ that I launched back in August 2013. I like to think the site is a reflection of my personal interests. I often describe it as an amalgamation of fashion, style, travel, grooming, lifestyle, fitness & food content. Which is a bit of a mouthful but unfortunately FSTGLFFC is a rather rubbish and convoluted acronym.

Why did you start your blog?
To begin with I was looking to drive more traffic to my menswear label, but it soon became apparent that the blog was developing into something separate and deserved its own platform. I wanted to talk about things other than fashion such as travel, cars etc. and Carl Thompson the blog became an extension of Carl Thompson the person. I’m really proud of the way the blog looks now.

What are the latest trends in men’s lifestyle we should be aware of?
I actually get this a lot, and it may sound funny but I’ve never been one to follow trends. I once heard David Gandy speak about the same thing in an interview, that trends are so fast and disposable that if you try and keep abreast of them all it will send you slowly round the bend. Also, lifestyle is a huge encompassing word; interior design is lifestyle, fashion is lifestyle, whisky is lifestyle. I suppose if I was to pick out any trends I know that male skincare and male grooming is getting spoken about a lot. Men are even getting into making their own moisturiser which was unheard of 5-10 years ago.

Male grooming is nothing new, it’s been around since Ancient Egypt and the Early Crusades, but it’s certainly proliferated with the likes of social media making it the zeitgeist of men’s lifestyle.

How does the modern man compare to men of the past?
It really depends on how you’d like to pigeon-hole the modern man. Certainly, our views on masculinity have changed, say from the 60s. If you think that Sean Connery was a body builder back in his day. His physique more than his thespian skills landed him the role of James Bond. Compare a 60s’ Sean Connery to a modern day Daniel Craig. A nice juxtaposition on Ursula Andress coming out of the water in Dr No was to have Daniel Craig coming out the water in his trunks in Casino Royale.

My point is, how we compare modern men to men of the past is heavily dependent on how we view not only masculinity, but varying degrees of masculinity. I mentioned David Gandy earlier who is the embodiment of elegant or refined masculinity then on the other end of the scale you have Connor McGregor, who many see as rugged masculinity. It’s an interesting question, one that has many facets though.

What’s going to be the next big trend in men’s lifestyle?
It might sound obvious but we’ve recently seen the introduction of the iPhone 8, which has integrated facial recognition technology. This will mean that people will likely be making more payments with confidence on the phone rather than on a desktop or tablet. I’ll be interested to see how men’s lifestyle reacts, how brands will move over to this technology sector where everything will be dictated by your mobile phone. I hope I don’t sound like a conspiracist; I have nothing against Apple. But they’re very clever, they don’t do a lot of advertising because the media goes nuts over them anyway and they’re very  determined, like Facebook, to have you do everything through their platform, whether that’s buying that new sectional leather sofa or downloading the latest style app. I think brands will be more mindful than ever on how they market themselves online.

Carl Thompson with his french bulldogWhat one thing could you not live without?
Ha, my Apple 8. Only kidding. My phone is king in my life but I’m also nuts about my coffee maker. I once heard that Beethoven counted out his coffee beans, I’m not that anal but I recently upgraded my coffee machine to a KRUPS Espresso Automatic Series. I’ve successfully climbed the ranks to reach ‘Coffee Snob’ status through years of purchasing substandard freeze dried crap, pre-ground coffee beans in cafeterias and capsule coffee machines. It also costs a king’s ransom so I’d be very sorry to see it go.

How do you like to work with PRs?
I’m lucky enough to know a lot of people within the PR world. I like to try and think from their perspective what do they want from me. The answer is numbers. They like to see a return on their investment for their client whether its stats, exposure or some really decent imagery.

It’s a real treat for me when my blog receives certain accolades. It’s not just a badge of honour that looks good on the site or in the email signature, it’s great for the PR companies too as they get to show it to their clients. It means they’re picking the right influencers to promote or endorse their brand.

What’s one of your favourite collaborations?
I’m going to mention the one I did with HomeSense. Most probably because it’s fresh in my mind, but it was also a lot of fun as I got to include my beloved French Bulldog Charlie. It was fun to play around with as it centred on a home interior theme, but themed for dogs. Charlie had a good time, he got some new toys and I just remember that being a fun day and they’re a good brand to work with.

What one thing should PRs know about you?
I get to the point on the email. I’ve been told I’m a lot nicer in person than I am in email threads, but when you have an inbox like mine you don’t always have time to fluff around with niceties and holiday chat etc. I like to be clear, concise and I think everyone benefits from that.

What other blogs do you read?
This should be the time when I list all the cool blogs and mention other great bloggers doing amazing work. Truth is, I only read a handful of blogs. I like the obvious ones like the Mr Porter Journal, I keep an eye on Fashion Insight for product launches and PR updates. For photography & editorial inspiration my first stop would be Toni Tran at fashitects.com, Ali Gordon at aligordon.net for his style & creativity, then there’s a guy I follow who runs a site called Human Research, he likes to run his mouth and on occasions and can be controversial but I like that.

 

Carl Thompson appears on the market-leading Vuelio influencer database along side thousands of other bloggers, influencers, journalists, editors and media outlets. Learn more about Vuelio’s solutions. 

Graph

PR pros on the rise, journalists in decline

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The latest report from the Office of National Statistics on employment by occupation shows the number of journalists has declined year-on-year by nearly 11,000 across both employed and self-employed journalists, editors and professional bloggers working full and part time.

For PR professionals, the number has risen by just over 5,000, again across both employed and self-employed full and part time staff.

The number of journalists in the UK between April and June 2017 was 72,908. That breaks down further into 52,723 employed by organisations with an 80/20 split between full and part time staff; and 20,185 self-employed with a 60/40 split between full and part time.

For PRs, they are still behind the number of journalists by some margin with just 54,301 in 2017. There is also a much higher proportion of PR professionals in employment with 48,447 employed by an organisation as opposed to just 4,968 self-employed. Of those employed, there’s an 80/20 split between full and part-time staff. The same breakdown is unavailable for those that are self-employed.

Year-on-year the biggest decline is to the self-employed sector – for both journalists and PRs. Journalists shed 14,000 self-employed and PR lost 4,000 self-employed professionals. Both actually rose in terms of those employed by an organisation suggesting the trends aren’t so stark; journalism just had more self-employed to shed.

Across every industry in the country though, this trend doesn’t continue as the self-employed workforce marginally increased in number (as did the total workforce overall).

The report also reveals the male and female split:

Journalists PR Professionals
Male 39,051 17,968
Male % 54 33
Female 33,857 36,333
Female % 46 67

As this shows, the journalism industry is much more closely balanced when it comes to gender, which makes the recent WIJ report on the lack of women on front page bylines even more concerning.

The PR industry is much more female-heavy, a trend which has actually become more pronounced since 2016 – as male staff numbers have declined and female staff numbers have increased. It is unclear why men are leaving the profession and whether the industry can do more to encourage a balance.

What do you think about gender divide in our industries? Let us know in the comments below.

Want to know how to contact all the journalists, editors and bloggers working in the UK? Check out our Media Database. 

interior design blogger

Blogger Spotlight: Jen Stanbrook, Love Chic Living

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Jen Stanbrook is the Top 10 Interior Design Blogger behind Love Chic Living. Jen posts advice on how to easily transform a room, improve your living space with the help of interior design trends, or add a bit of colour. Love Chic Living is a finalist in this year’s Vuelio Blog Awards. We caught up with Jen to talk about room makeovers, working with PRs and having integrity.

How would you describe your blog?
Love Chic Living is a home and interiors blog showcasing inspirational yet achievable design for a family home. It’s evolved a lot over the last five years, responding to my readers and my own tastes too. As my skills as a blogger have developed I’ve been able to feature more diverse and interesting posts, reacting to the market and readers’ demands.

Why did you start your blog?
I started the blog as a platform for my love of home and interiors. I’d always wanted an interiors shop but a young family meant that was a little out of my reach at the time, so writing a blog about all my ideas was the next best thing. And I’m still here almost six years later doing exactly the same thing.

What’s your favourite thing to blog about?
My favourite blogging topic has to be room makeovers. They’re the most popular with readers too. They’re hard work and don’t necessarily come around very often but when they do, they make a very satisfying blog post. Brands are also now much more creative in the way they like to collaborate, and I love the way there’s always something new and fresh to work on for me and my readers.

How do you manage your photography?
It’s taken me a long time to get better at photography, but I’ve done a few courses and slowly improved my camera, lenses and setup. There’s always room for improvement of course, and I’m constantly learning how to get the best shot that shows the setting or products off to their best advantage.

What’s your favourite interior?
I’m really pleased with my recent living room makeover. Like other bloggers and stylists I’ve embraced the dark wall and tried it out in my own home. I wanted to show people how it could work and what it looks like in an ordinary home. I think readers really respond to that, I know I do.

What makes your blog successful?
Good question! Honesty, integrity and keeping it real. I hope I achieve those aspects in most of the posts I create, whilst also giving a little bit of me too. After that, it’s just relentless hard work, staying relevant and developing ideas, skills and features to keep things fresh. It’s exceptionally competitive so it’s important to do your own thing, and focus on the things you love rather than watching what others are doing.

How do you like to work with PRs?
I love working with PRs and brands on a long term basis. I like clear, honest information from PRs, creative campaigns and realistic budgets and timescales. I’m professional and straightforward to deal with and enjoy those qualities in PRs and the projects they run. I have a lot of contacts that come back to me multiple times for further projects, which is incredibly satisfying.

What one thing should PRs know about you?
My inbox is never ending! I endeavour to reply to emails quickly but it’s not always possible so don’t chase me 24 hours after your first email if you’ve not heard back from me. I read all of them, and answer most. Eventually.

What other blogs do you read?
I read all the fabulous interior blogs I can of course, including more established and newer, up and coming. I also read a few lifestyle and beauty blogs. I’d read more if I had more time!

Jen, Love Chic Living and thousands of other bloggers, influencers and journalists feature on the market-leading Vuelio Influencer Database. Find out how you can reach them all here. 

Robot handshake

Will AI make you better at PR?

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Artificial Intelligence is very much in the zeitgeist – building on 2016’s love of #BigData, AI is now the industry buzzword and it’s already making us better at PR.

We haven’t quite reached the level of Skynet (yet), but AI grows smarter every day, making our digital lives more personalised and data more understandable. It’s also everywhere –  from custom adverts across your online journey (ever felt like that product was following you?), to search engine results relying on natural language processing to serve up what you were actually looking for.

Aaron Cohen, writing for VentureBeat, claims AI will soon make us all PR superheroes. He points out that from identifying crises before they become pandemics to improving the way we speak, AI has the power to radically enhance our day-to-day activities.

And for those that fear AI will take over, Cohen points out there’s a slim chance we’ll be replaced by machines. According to Will Robots Take My Job?, PR specialists only have an 18% chance of being replaced by AI. Thankfully being excellent at PR requires too much creativity and humanity, which can never be replaced by 1s and 0s.

AI has already begun to make the life of a PR easier; Vuelio uses AI to link your contacts with their output via media monitoring, and allows you to track all of your stakeholder interactions with our powerful CRM. Not to mention all the cool things it does with distribution, analysis and data presentation.

As with any job, there are things PRs like doing and things PRs have to do. Don’t waste time on public relations, allow AI into your life to take on the necessary but dull jobs, while you focus on what’s important – building relationships and managing reputations.

And for those still not keen on AI, I’ve got bad news. Artificial Intelligence is coming (sorry Elon Musk), and we all need to embrace it. Make sure you know how AI can help you day-to-day and you too can be a PR superhero. Decide it’s just a passing fad and you’ll be left behind.

We all remember Blockbuster, right?

The Dapper Chap

Blogger Spotlight: Adam Tanous, The Dapper Chapper

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The Dapper Chapper is a Top 10 Men’s Lifestyle blog written by a team led by founder Adam Tanous. The Dapper Chapper covers an eclectic mix of men’s lifestyle and fashion advice, with updates on the latest apparel, luxury cars, fitness, places to go and must haves. We spoke to Adam about his love of whisky (hint hint), pocket squares and his transition from a PR making his PR relationships excellent.

How would you describe your blog?
The Dapper Chapper is a men’s lifestyle blog with writers based across the UK. Our aim is to see every man have the confidence to explore their own individual style, no matter their taste or budget.

Why did you start you blog?
I was working as a sports PR and my reasoning was two-fold. Firstly, my weakest PR skill was press release writing, so I started The Dapper Chapper as a creative space to improve my writing. I found it far easier to write about topics I am passionate about and I quickly improved. Secondly, I wanted to be involved with, and gain access to, a lifestyle that I was genuinely interested in. I’ve always loved sports and fashion, so The Dapper Chapper was my route into the latter.

What are the latest trends in men’s lifestyle we should be aware of?
We obviously remain as cutting-edge with our content as possible but we take fashions and trends with a pinch of salt. We tend to try and focus on brands that boast timeless style and if there’s a modern twist, even better.

How does the modern man compare to men of the past?
I believe men are more aware of various aspects of their lifestyle that previously may have been overlooked, from grooming to styling. I think different industries, like grooming for example, have done a far better job of expanding into the mainstream. The fashion industry has a bigger job to do and I think things like London Fashion Week Men’s haven’t resonated with the masses yet, hence why the blogosphere is so crucial.

What’s going to be the next big trend in men’s lifestyle?
Every other day we’re emailed about a new athleisure brand and lots of them are really good. Mainstream brands are also releasing athleisure collections too which reflects the demand. On the other side, gin is very much in. I’m drinking Martin Miller’s Westbourne Strength at the moment, I recommend you do to.

What one thing could you not live without?
I wouldn’t want to live without a pocket square, but I suppose I’d just about survive without one, so I’d say my Apple Mac. It was hacked a few weeks ago and it’s genuinely scary to realise how much I rely on it every day.

How do you like to work with PRs?
I used to be a PR so I found this transition very easy. I read all the time about PR horror stories but the ones I deal with regularly are first class.

What’s one of your favourite collaborations?
We’ve had some amazing collaborations, we’ve worked with The Royal Exchange, Jaguar, Clements and Church, Oris and The Jockey Club on some amazing projects that have taken us everywhere from backstage at the British GP to parties in Basel. But, if I have to pick one, I think it would be our takeover of Maserati GB’s Instagram account.

I love Maserati and was really proud of that partnership, it was blogger/brand cross-pollination at its finest. Not many people know this but I actually broke my leg 48 hours before the shoot. The team pulled together and we produced 20 images to take over the brands account for August.

What one thing should PRs know about you?
We’re very PR-friendly but if you send a generic email, it won’t be read. Also, I like Whisky, particularly from Islay.

What other blogs do you read?
Men’s lifestyle blogging is now really strong and we’re proud to be part of that. I think MenswearStyle produce good blogs with genuine takeaways and I also have a lot of time for bloggers attached to Individualism, most of whom create effortlessly cool content.

Adam Tanous and The Dapper Chapper features on the marketing-leading Vuelio Influencer Database along with thousands of other bloggers, influencers and journalists.

Table about broadcasters

Broadcasters criticised for lack of diversity

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The latest report from Ofcom has revealed that women, ethnic minorities and disabled people are all under-represented by broadcasters.

The report, Diversity and equal opportunities in television 2017, has led Ofcom to call for more diversity among broadcasters, with a particular focus on the BBC who should be ‘leading the way’.

Channel 4 is currently the most diverse channel with 59% female employees, 18% ethnic minority employees and 11% disabled employees. The equivalent staff breakdown at the BBC is 47% female, 13% ethnic minority and 4% disabled.

By 2020, the BBC wants its employees to comprise 50% women, 8% disabled people, 8% lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender people and 15% people from Black, Asian and ethnic minority backgrounds. Ofcom is currently reviewing all the responses to its draft operating licence for the BBC, and will finalise the licence in the autumn.

Ofcom also discovered that many broadcasters don’t know their staff make-up, with poor monitoring widespread.

To improve diversity across the industry, Ofcom has announced a series of measures it plans to implement. They include changing the way it monitors broadcasters, holding broadcasters to account in line with their licences and even taking action against broadcasters who fail to provide the required data. On this occasion, 57 licensees failed to respond to the request for information before the deadline, and as such the regulator has begun enforcement action.

Sharon White, Ofcom’s chief executive, said: ‘Television is central to the UK’s cultural landscape, society and creative economy, and we believe that creativity in broadcasting thrives on diversity of thinking.’

Ofcom announced three measures which all broadcasters should take as a starting point to increase diversity:

  • Broadcasters should regularly measure and monitor the make-up of their workforce
  • Ofcom expects broadcasters to set clear diversity targets so their employees more accurately reflect the society we live in
  • Diversity transformation should be led from the top. We want chief executives to be accountable for delivery against their diversity targets

Across the whole of the UK, women make up 51% of the population, ethnic minorities make up 14% and those with a disability make up 18%.

Whimsical Wonderland Weddings

Blogger Spotlight: Louise Baltruschat, Whimsical Wonderland Weddings

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Louise Baltruschat is the Top 10 Wedding Blogger behind Whimsical Wonderland Weddings. Whimsical Wonderland Weddings provides beautiful photography promoting eye-catching features, accompanied by real life stories. We caught up with Louise to talk about what makes her blog successful, the latest wedding trends and working with brands.

How would you describe your blog?
Whimsical Wonderland Weddings is a welcoming, friendly and stylish space on the internet to assist in planning a day which represents each couple totally. Our ethos is all about focusing not on trends but on allowing a couple to express themselves through their wedding.

With a focus on real weddings in the UK, which are utterly gorgeous, we only feature the best photography the wedding industry has to offer and here in the UK we really are spoilt for choice with talented photographers. We also feature weekly international features and styled shoots for an array of ideas and destinations. We love to share planning advice and ideas too, with expert contributors for real life dilemmas and solutions.

We work with our valued sponsors to connect like minded couples and wedding suppliers through our advertising packages, which are made up of banners, our Supplier Love wedding directory and editorial features as well as our new social media advert options.

Why did you start your blog?
The blog began back in 2010 when I started planning my own wedding. It was a bit of a hobby, sharing my finds and making online connections. It gradually grew into me sharing other weddings and organically built a following over the years. We did cancel our 2010 wedding just six weeks before, due to severe anxiety I was suffering with, but kept the blog going. Don’t worry though – we made it down the aisle in 2015.

Whimsical Wonderland WeddingsWhat makes your blog successful?
I think it’s a combination of many factors. A real passion, addiction and drive to work on something I loved, without making any income. It’s about evolving and developing consistently, for example the move from popularity on Twitter, onto Facebook, then Pinterest and now it’s all about Instagram. Making connections and networking with others in your industry to support and inspire one another is vital. I also think there was a lot of luck with the timing of the start of the blog, there were not as many wedding blogs back in 2010 when I began. Above all it’s about trying again and again, even when there are set backs and hard times. For example, I have two children and didn’t have maternity leave when having my youngest, it was a big decision, but the blog wouldn’t be where it is today without that level of commitment.

What’s the biggest trend in weddings at the moment?
I think authenticity. It’s not too much about the bells and whistles, details and décor. But the feel and atmosphere of a day. Couples are looking more and more at alternative options, which really sing their personality and story. That in itself really brings an authentic feel to a wedding. Not to mention incredible photography and film making to capture it all forever.

In terms of trends in style, greenery and floral backdrops have been huge. As have bohemian style dresses and natural touches. I think this will continue into 2018 too.

What’s going to be the next big thing?
This is a toughie, you never really can predict where couples will go next. There have been copper and marble elements over this year too, which has filtered down from interior and fashion trends. So often it’s worth looking at trends in other industries to see what will affect us.

I think couples, especially in the UK will increasingly be looking for outdoor ceremonies and humanist led ceremonies.

What was the best thing you’ve seen at a wedding?
Ohh I have seen so much over the past 7/8 years. I think it’s just the little moments that really speak volumes. Making time to visit loved ones that can’t be there on the day, that’s such a touching and emotional thing to do. Emotional speeches that have everyone in tears. That feeling of joy captured as a couple exit a ceremony. It’s those intangible moments that mean the most to couples and guests.

Weddings seem seasonal – how much does this affect your blog?
The busiest time for the blog is always at the beginning of the year. It’s following swathes of festive proposals and it’s that time where you say ‘right let’s get cracking with the planning’. Both in terms of couple’s wedding planning and suppliers planning for the year ahead. I love it, there is such a buzz and there is so much excitement in the year ahead.

There are predominately summer wedding features on the blog due to the number of them taking place in the summer months. But we are definitely seeing more and more Spring weddings and the trend for Autumnal weddings really has increased in recent years.

How do you like to work with PRs?
I love hearing from PRs that are inviting us to super fun events and we subsequently share our outings over on Instagram stories. We also work with PRs that represent our sponsors to share all about their latest news.

What are the best collaborations you’ve worked on?
We have worked on so many wonderful collaborations. One of my most memorable was the campaign with Lomography back in 2012. It was such a great fit with our readers, both planning couples and photographers. It created such a great buzz.

What one thing should PRs know about you?
I’m really friendly and approachable but time efficient. WWW is made up of myself and my assistant Rachel, so we can’t always reply to all of our emails sadly, but we always read them and follow up on those that work for the blog.

What other blogs do you read?
I read a lot of blogs, many wedding blogs and interior/lifestyle blogs. My favourite right now is Roses and Rolltops, as we too are our renovating our home – so love all the interior inspo.

Louise Baltruschat features on the Vuelio Media Database along with thousands of other bloggers, influencers and journalists.

Navaz Batliwalla

Blogger Spotlight: Navaz Batliwalla, Disneyrollergirl

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Navaz Batliwalla is the Top 10 Fashion Blogger behind Disneyrollergirl. Launched in 2007 while Navaz was working as fashion director at CosmoGirl!, Disneyrollergirl is the go-to platform for insights on the fashion world, through the eyes of an industry insider. We spoke to Navaz about London Fashion Week, fashion trends, collaborations with brands and all the wonderful blogs she reads.

How would you describe your blog?
Disneyrollergirl hasn’t changed that much since I started it ten years ago. It’s still a place to share my informed opinion on goings-on in the fashion, beauty, media and retail industries. I also publish original fashion editorials, films and shopping pages, sometimes in collaboration with selected brands. What’s changed is the community.

I have a great community of likeminded enthusiasts across several platforms so rather than considering just the blog, Disneyrollergirl extends cross-platform to offline including, recently, a style book. I try to keep my focus on the brands that speak to me on a personal level but I’m very interested in emerging movements and product categories. Currently that includes the rise of affordable fine jewellery, non-gendered beauty, positive fashion,  re-commerce and niche fragrance.

Why did you start your blog?
I was working full time as fashion director of CosmoGIRL! in 2007 and simply fell in love with this new, immediate and opinionated way of speaking to likeminded fashion enthusiasts. I had a background working with online communities since contributing to Handbag.com as far back as 1999. In this case I liked the rawness of uploading content in real time and having a direct dialogue with readers.

What are the latest fashion trends we should be aware of?
There is a big growth in women buying luxury jewellery and watches for themselves. It’s no longer just the husbands buying for their wives. So the designers doing well are those creating simple, beautifully-made pieces that are adaptable, that can work from day through to night and can be worn as a signature piece, even if it’s understated.

How does London Fashion Week fit in with your blog?
I attend LFW mainly as part of my freelance work as a fashion writer and editorial consultant. And then I’m happy to support my favourite designers on my platforms as well as keeping my readers up to date on trends. LFW content can be industry news, it can be catwalk highlights (from my personal point of view), consumer-based news (see now, buy now or buying a beauty look straight from the show), or tech innovation such as shoppable social media. I will go to events to support PRs and meet clients but I don’t cover parties or celebs on the site.

What’s going to be the ‘next big thing’ in fashion?
Currently I feel like there’s a real sense of product and content fatigue. I think we’ve all over-consumed so people want a breather. So there’s an interest in slow, considerate fashion, buying things to keep long term, an appreciation of handmade craft or ‘circular fashion’  – i.e. having frequent clearouts via eBay, Depop, Grailed or Vestiaire Collective. Arket will be an interesting business to watch as it’s based around building a wardrobe, not chasing trends.

Content-wise, the ubiquity of social media has caused the downfall of many legacy print magazines. They adopted the same mediocre tone of voice and forfeited their point of view in the process unfortunately. Niche magazines have stepped into that ‘meaningful’ space and are disrupting the traditional magazine market. I imagine a similar thing could happen with blogs and influencers.

Consumers are getting bored of glorified salespeople who don’t seem to have any other interests and the algorithmic changes of popular social platforms has caused disillusion among users.

What makes your blog successful?
I measure success by creative fulfilment and I get that by doing work that interests me. I work to build relationships with brands and PRs that have the right fit to gain access that my readers wouldn’t get otherwise. If you focus on producing editorial that has meaning to you and your readers, rather than successive sponsored posts, then you win the long term game. It hasn’t been smooth by any means but I’m still enjoying it and I’m still here!

How do you like to work with PRs?
I’m a fan of the targeted approach. I like to get to know PRs and their brands over the long term so that there is a mutual understanding. I’m happy to give pure editorial if I’m genuinely passionate about a story. I’m also happy for PRs to send me general info/press releases etc. if it’s a brand/product/category I’ve expressed interest in. I hate being added to generic mailing lists and I instantly unsubscribe! I’m not a fan of being sent unsolicited product – that’s unnecessary and wasteful. The dream is to be asked to collaborate on a multi-platform project that’s well researched with ample  time to deliver quality content. However, I’m equally very used to last minute briefs!

What collaborations are you proud of?
I love the series of Petit Dejeuner shoots and films I have made with filmmaker and photographer Emma Miranda Moore. They celebrate new beginnings and reinvention or interesting morning routines and can be stills shoots or short films. I’m also very proud of my book, The New Garconne: How to be a Modern Gentlewoman, published last year by Laurence King Publishing. I worked with the PRs of my favourite heritage and luxury brands to profile the modern considerate consumer and her approach to style, work and lifestyle.

What one thing should PRs know about you?
I’m very much a behind the scenes kind of person and I like the get to the root of a story. So I’m happiest sharing the story of an amazing designer, collection or start-up through words and images, rather than taking outfit pictures of myself.

What other blogs do you read?
Glossy.co and The Fashion Law for business insights; Keep It Chic, The Women’s Room Blog and That’s Not My Age for grown up style; Coco’s Tea Party, The Very Simon G and Fashion Foie Gras to keep up with my mates; The Anna Edit and The Lifestyle Edit (not strictly a blog) for life stuff; British Beauty Blogger and Into The Gloss for beauty intel and Style Bubble, What Olivia Did and Peony Lim for eye candy.

Navaz Batliwalla features on the Vuelio Media Database along with thousands of other bloggers, influencers and journalists.

From Bedrooms to Boardrooms, the evolution of blogging

Influencer outreach: From Bedrooms to Boardrooms – WEBINAR

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The biggest annual survey into the habits and behaviours of UK bloggers has been published, revealing the industry is professionalising, not all bloggers believe in disclosure and relationships with PRs vary wildly depending on the industry.

A whopping 87% of parenting bloggers have good PR relations, but with politics, that falls to just 17%. How are these PRs getting it so wrong? Or are some sectors just better at influencer outreach?

Who better to talk about working with PRs and all the Bloggers Survey results than Jo Middleton – author of the award-winning Slummy Single Mummy and parenting blogger extraordinaire.

As more and more influencers see blogging as a valid career path, PRs have no choice but to have a clear strategy for handling influencer relations. Jo will reveal how she manages her own excellent relationships with brands and agencies and discuss the future direction of this burgeoning industry.

The webinar: UK Blogger Survey 2017 – the Results, takes place on Tuesday 26 September at 11am. Jo will be joining us live to take you questions throughout the webinar and share some of the secrets of her success.

Click here to register for the webinar. Even if you can’t make the live broadcast, we’ll send you a recording after it airs.

Debby Wong

News Corp pays the Tab

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Tab Media, the publisher behind the Tab and babe, has raised $6 million dollars in a financing round, with the majority coming from Rupert Murdoch’s News Corp.

The Tab was started by three students at Cambridge University in 2009 and has since become a popular media source for students across campuses in the UK and US. Known for its young staff, the Tab is aiming to grow beyond the student readership and capture the 18-25 demographic.

The Independent reports that 70% of Tab Media’s revenue – $600,000 in August – comes from sponsored stories commissioned by the likes of Spotify and Unilever, which are written to resemble news articles. The rest is from display advertising.

The new funding will support original reporting and training for young journalists. In return, the Press Gazette reports that News Corp has taken a minority stage in the group and Times deputy editor Emma Tucker has joined its board of directors.

Jack Rivlin, one of the founders of Tab Media, reportedly met Murdoch right after Glastonbury, covered in glitter while wearing borrowed shoes. He had printed out 100 of the Tab’s stories which was enough to impress the media mogul and his top team to invest on the spot.

Tab Media’s sites enjoy over 9.5 million unique users a month and they claim the Tab is now the second biggest 18-24 publisher in the UK, after Buzzfeed.

Joshi Herrmann, editor-in-chief at Tab Media (at a frankly ancient 28), said: ‘In five years, what we’re going to be doing might be a bit broader. We’ll keep passing this on, kind of recklessly throwing the keys to very young editorial people and see what they come up with.’

This model may keep the site fresh for the youth demographic where other sites struggle to retain their ‘edgy’ voice, as the audience broadens and ages. The parallels with the social media giant that started at an elite college campus, then grew among students before widening out to the general public will surely be on the minds of those behind Tab media and consciously shaping its future.

Blogger Spotlight: Charlie Watson, The Runner Beans

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Charlie Watson is the author of The Runner Beans, which was recently ranked number one in the Top 10 UK Fitness and Exercise Blogs. Charlie is a marathon runner, fitness fan and self-professed foodie. We spoke to her about keeping it real, her favourite kit and working with PRs. 

How would you describe your blog?
An honest, attainable approach to fitness and running. I share the trials and tribulations of marathon training, fear of the weights section at the gym and my uneasiness with shedding for a wedding.

My goal is to champion the journey to a healthy, more active life where honest fitness and food makes wellbeing more accessible to all – without losing sight of the real lives we lead.

Why did you start your blog?
I started my blog when I signed up for the London marathon in 2012 – originally it was to coerce friends and family into sponsoring me, then it helped keep me accountable to my fitness goals and has developed into a training journal as well as a source (I hope) for information and inspiration for runners, newbie gym goers and fitness enthusiasts alike.

Charlie Watson - The Runner Beans 2What makes your blog different from other fitness blogs?
I don’t have abs, I’m not a fast runner, I’m just an average enthusiast sharing the ups and downs of real life and training… with a side of chocolate and gin! For me, it’s all about balance. I like to train to complete challenges, like marathons, ultra swims, and an Ironman 70.3 in the future rather than strength or aesthetics.

What’s the next big fitness trend going to be?
I think Swim/Run races are going to get bigger, and I think Ultra races will increase in popularity (as they already are). I am tempted to sign up for one – I’ve heard the aid stations are way more fun than marathon aid stations!

What piece of equipment or tech is your go-to workout companion?
I love my Adidas Ultra Boost trainers and my Garmin watch to track my runs.

What’s your favourite workout class or routine?
Favourite workout class is Barre and BodyPump (aside from running, obviously!).

What was your favourite blog post to create and why?
I love sharing the marathon race recaps as I work really hard to train for them and create content during the races, but I also love the more open/honest posts such as my feelings on losing weight for the wedding.

How do you see your blog developing in the future?
I’d like to develop my YouTube channel further as well as creating more active travel content, and sharing my knowledge as I continue my Dietetics degree.

What makes your blog successful?
I think it’s my honesty, my realness and my persistence to train for my goals. I’ve been blogging for five years and am growing, developing and changing online as well as in real life. I’m average, and proof that others can achieve their goals if they work hard and believe in themselves.

How do you like to work with PRs?
I love partnering to make creative, interesting content that’s helpful and fun for my readers (and me!). I like to brainstorm ideas that match with brand campaigns on longer term partnerships to create value for both the company and my audience.

What one thing should PRs know about you?
I love to travel and I am studying to become a dietitian. I love working with brands that want to work together to create awesome content!

What are your favourite blogs to read?
I love a lot of American fitness blogs such as Pumps and Iron, Run to the Finish and the Real Life RD, plus I get inspiration from beauty/fashion blogs such as Inthefrow, Lydia Millen and Hello Fashion. I also really enjoy watching YouTube videos from lifestyle, fitness, fashion and beauty bloggers.

 

Charlie Watson features on the Vuelio Media Database along with thousands of other bloggers, influencers and journalists.

Fashion Foie Gras

Blogger Spotlight: Emily Johnston, Fashion Foie Gras

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Emily Johnston is the author behind Fashion Foie Gras (FFG), which was recently ranked third in the Top 10 UK Fashion Blogs. Covering her own personal style and fashion news, Emily also writes about her adventures abroad. Here we spoke to Emily about being yourself, her changing attitude towards Fashion Week and PRs as bridesmaids…

How would you describe your blog?
FFG has truly become a blog that has evolved from being just about fashion to covering every aspect of life, from travel to food, style to beauty.

Why did you start your blog?
I started FFG to be a part of the conversation that was starting to erupt online around fashion and lifestyle. I had no idea it could become a career. I was doing it for fun!

What are the latest fashion trends we should be aware of?
For autumn/winter I would say embrace the art of layering, playing with different fabrics and print clashing to really showcase your own unique style. Leave the trends behind. Wear what makes you happy and feels good!

How does London Fashion Week fit in with your blog?
It used to play a huge role, but these days I use the catwalk for inspiration for later features, when readers don’t have to feel frustrated by waiting to purchase. People want to see it now and have it in hand tomorrow, which has really changed my own views on covering LFW.

What’s going to be the ‘next big thing’ in fashion?
I don’t think there is a next big thing. Things aren’t ‘big’ like they used to be. Trends are a flash in a pan and they change daily. Tough for anyone to keep up, that’s why I say be true to yourself!

What makes your blog successful?
Luck. Haha. Kidding. I think the blog is successful because I have integrity and am pretty much a slave to it. I don’t cut corners, it’s hard work and there’s no cheating that. But I love every minute of it so it’s worth it. And my readers are just insanely loyal and fabulous and, at this point, we’ve more or less grown up together over the past decade.

How do you like to work with PRs?
First of all, I have to say that when I finally get married I can guarantee you that the women that make up my bridesmaids will be mostly PRs that I have met through this crazy blog life. They are amazing men and women. But, I do really appreciate when people are straight forward. If there’s a job, let’s talk about. If you want support for a new brand, let’s discuss.

What collaborations are you proud of?
There are so many and too many to spotlight just a few. My designer collaborations, however, have been the favourites. I’d love to do a dress collaboration in the future!

What one thing should PRs know about you?
I’m easy and I’m an adult (and I worked as a PR for ten years before starting the blog… so I get it).

What other blogs do you read?
Again, too many to list. London is full of so much talent!

Emily Johnston features on the Vuelio Media Database along with thousands of other bloggers, influencers and journalists.

Digital PR

7 reasons to use digital PR

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As Google and other search engines get smarter, your marketing strategy needs to as well. Getting your content in front of the right audiences is now more difficult than ever with the saturation of web content and the growing number of businesses who have wised-up to SEO best practices.

Luckily, digital PR can help you cut through the clutter. This guest post from Ad-Rank explains how to get the most out of digital PR.

Why you need digital PR in your plan
With over 51% of people consuming their news online via social media, if you haven’t yet implemented digital PR, it’s time to start making it an essential ingredient of your marketing campaigns. Below are just some of the reasons why:

1. Digital PR is measurable

Unlike traditional PR, where readership and television viewers are based on average readers per month and potential audience, digital PR campaigns result in precise measurements.

Where it used to be difficult, today it’s a lot easier to gauge the number of viewers who actually saw a feature or engaged with it. Digital PR campaigns allow you to track everything – from who saw your content to which device they viewed it from. You can see exactly what demographic group your readers fit into and what time of day is more effective, even which links on the page got you the most interaction.

2. Build easily accessible network

Email, online communities and platforms such as Vuelio have replaced what used to be a file of business cards, making outreach and responses easy to measure. While similar to the relationships built via traditional PR campaigns, the beauty of digital relationships lies in the online interactions that can keep your content relevant.

For instance, when a news outlet publishes your online press release on their website, you can tweet a thanks to the writer on Twitter, or send an email thanking them for coverage. This strengthens your relationship and gives you a go-to for your next article.

3. Wider reach

Social media marketers have always understood the value of a share on Facebook or a retweet on Twitter, and a good digital PR campaign needs to exploit this powerful influence as well. When an interesting press release or campaign reaches users on social media, the reach of that campaign can spread like wildfire and get in front of an audience you would never reach simply using traditional mediums.

4. Fuel SEO with backlinks

A key component of digital PR is the value it brings to your business’ SEO goals. When you create an interesting campaign, bloggers and online journalists pick it up, post it on their sites and create powerful links back to the source – you.

Google has long touted the importance of a good link profile, and digital PR directly supports the building of high quality external sources linking to your website as your content is shared and cited on their sites.

5. Build brand awareness

Two aspects of digital PR – wider reach and SEO boosting – combine to also enhance brand awareness. As your campaign is shared and viewed, more and more people learn about your brand’s products or services. The value is two-fold, because as they learn about your brand, they may also research your offerings, giving you visibility in Google and helping you rank higher in search results.

6. Create bespoke content for your audience

Personalisation and customisation are essential to reaching today’s audiences, and with a digital PR campaign, you can do just that. The trick is to restructure your content based on the needs and demographics of the users who will view it from a specific source.

For instance, you can write a formal press release for use in online news publications, but create a fun infographic of the same information to share on Twitter and a sleek video to post on Facebook.

7. Maximise investment in content

Finally, and perhaps most importantly, digital PR helps you maximise your budget. Paid advertising on social media and Google are cheaper to implement and have higher potential reach than a print or television version of the same content.

Plus, the beauty of digital PR is that online content can be used in many mediums, and once created, the cost of sharing it is virtually nothing after it gains traction.

Adding digital PR to your repertoire
Effective digital PR begins with a strong strategy. With the right plan, and people ready to implement your new tactics, you can relish in your newfound digital successes and increase your online presence.

 

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2017 awards for bloggers

Shortlist revealed for the Vuelio Blog Awards 2017

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The shortlist for the Vuelio Blog Awards has been announced, with more finalists than ever before. Taking place on 24 November at the Bloomsbury Big Top, the Vuelio Blog Awards 2017 is a highlight of the blogging calendar.

With 84 of the very best blogs on this year’s shortlist, the judges will have their work cut out to determine the overall winners when they meet on 18 September.

This year’s judging panel includes journalists, PR professionals and an award-winning blogger: click here for more information.

The finalists all specialise in one of our 14 categories, and every shortlisted blog will also be eligible for the grand prize – Best UK Blog of 2017.

Without further ado, the shortlist of the best bloggers in the UK and Ireland for 2017 is as follows:

Best Newcomer

  • Best Before End Date
  • That Butterfly Effect
  • Man vs Globe
  • Modish Male
  • A Mundane Life
  • Pip and the City

Arts and Entertainment

  • Creative Bloq
  • FlickeringMYTH.com
  • Nialler9
  • Photography Blog
  • Pop Justice
  • That Grape Juice

Beauty

  • A Model Recommends
  • British Beauty Blogger
  • Caroline Hirons
  • Estee Lalonde
  • London Beauty Queen
  • Pixiwoo.com

DIY & Interior Design

  • Abigail Ahern Blog
  • Dear Designer’s Blog
  • Design Sheppard
  • Fresh Design Blog
  • Love Chic Living
  • Swoon Worthy

Fashion

  • Ape to Gentleman
  • Fashion Foie Gras
  • Fashion Me Now
  • In the frow
  • Menswear Style
  • Raindrops of Sapphire

Fitness & Healthy Living

  • Carly Rowena
  • Fitness on Toast
  • Lunges and Lycra
  • The Fat Girls’ Guide to Running
  • The Runner Beans
  • Zanna Van Dijk

Food & Drink

  • Amuse Your Bouche
  • Charlotte’s Lively Kitchen
  • Deliciously Ella
  • Hungry Healthy Happy
  • Lavender and Lovage
  • My Fussy Eater

Men’s Lifestyle

  • Ape to Gentleman
  • Average Joes
  • Buckets and Spades
  • The Everday Man
  • Menswear Style
  • The Dapper Chapper

Parenting

  • Boo Roo and Tigger Too
  • DadBlogUK.com
  • The Dadventurer
  • The Mad House
  • Slummy Single Mummy
  • Toby & Roo

Political

  • Bella Caledonia
  • ConservativeHome
  • Guido Fawkes’ Blog
  • LabourList
  • Political Scrapbook
  • Wings Over Scotland

PR, Media & Communications

  • MK
  • Natasha Courtenay-Smith
  • NevilleHobson.com
  • PRcareers
  • PRexamples
  • Stephen Waddington

Travel & Leisure

  • A Luxury Travel Blog
  • Bruised Passports
  • Global Grasshopper
  • Hand Lugguage Only
  • Two Monkeys Travel
  • Wish Wish Wish

Wedding

  • Boho Weddings
  • Brides Up North
  • Love My Dress
  • Rock My Wedding
  • Rock N Roll Bride
  • Whimsical Wonderland Weddings

Women’s Lifestyle

  • Coco’s Tea Party
  • Liberty London Girl
  • Lily Pebbles
  • The Londoner
  • Poppy Deyes
  • Poppy Loves

 

Every finalist is listed in the Vuelio Influencer Database.

2017 awards for bloggers

Presenting the Judges for the Vuelio Blog Awards 2017

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We are delighted to announce that this year’s judges, who will together decide the winners of every category at the Vuelio Blog Awards 2017, represent a genuine variety of skills, experience and perspectives.

Ahead of the announcement of shortlisted bloggers next week, the judges have been chosen and are preparing themselves for the biggest blogging decisions of the year

The judging panel includes the best blogger of 2016, journalists and PR experts, and they will be choosing one winner from six finalists in each of the 15 categories.

This year’s judging panel is:

Katie Constable Vuelio Blog Awards 2017

 

 

 

 

 

 

Katie Constable
Katie currently handles the social media at PZ Cussons Beauty for iconic beauty brands St.Tropez and Fudge Professional. Having worked in the industry for five years across fashion, beauty and lifestyle, she is always on the pursuit for new exciting content to further engage and evolve brands. In launching St.Tropez’s first ever series of Facebook Lives called ‘Studio Glow’, Katie has been working closely with global influencers across a variety of categories.

 

Anna Doble Judge Vuelio Blog Awards 2017

 

 

 

 

 

 

Anna Doble
Anna is Digital Editor at Radio 1 Newsbeat, leading the team’s web, video and social presence. Before that Anna was Head of Online at Channel 4 News and a newsreader at Independent Radio News. She is about to join the BBC World Service as Digital Editor, looking after English language services.

 

Holly Hodges Judge Vuelio Blog Awards 2017

 

 

 

 

 

 

Holly Hodges
Holly Hodges is a senior media researcher at Vuelio. Specialising in bloggers and traditional media, Holly manages the influencer database and has been directly involved with the shortlisting process for this year’s Vuelio Blog Awards. Also responsible for Vuelio’s Top 10 rankings, Holly’s knowledge of the UK blogosphere is second to none.

 

Charlie Lindlar Judge Vuelio Blog Awards 2017

 

 

 

 

 

 

Charlie Lindlar
Charlie is the Blogs Editor at HuffPost UK. He manages the site’s community of 18,000 bloggers, mostly working across current affairs and politics. You can follow him on Twitter @charlielindlar.

 

Frank Marr Judge Vuelio Blog Awards 2017

 

 

 

 

 

 

Frank Marr
Regarded as one of the industry’s brightest stars (he was named in PR Week’s ‘top 30 under 30’), Frank has been behind numerous world-class campaigns and helped shape an agency built on a culture of hard work and innovation. He’s the PRCA Travel & Tourism Chairman and an occasional PR lecturer at Regent’s University.

 

Kate Watson Smyth-Judge Vuelio Blog Awards 2017

 

 

 

 

 

 

Kate Watson-Smyth
Kate is an award-winning journalist and blogger, who in 2016 scooped the prestigious Best UK Blog prize for Mad about the house, at the Vuelio Blog Awards. Specialising in interiors and design, Kate has also published her first book ‘Shades of Grey: Decorating with the most elegant of neutrals’, with her second out in March. She also runs the ‘personal shopping for the home’ service, Mad about your house.

For more information about this year’s Vuelio Blog Awards, please contact Jake O’Neill.

SocialBookshelves.com

Blogger Spotlight: Dane Cobain, SocialBookshelves.com

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Dane Cobain is the author behind SocialBookshelves.com a Top 10 UK Literature Blog. With a catalogue-style review site, Dane also constricts his review word counts to the number of pages the book has. Here we spoke to Dane about his favourite novel, the rise of audiobooks and his preferred way to work with PRs.  

How would you describe your blog?
SocialBookshelves.com is a book blog with a difference. I don’t specialise in particular genres, I just keep a running list of reviews for every book that I read – over 1,000 so far. My reviews also have a particular quirk – their word count is the same as the number of pages in the book, so a 350 page book has a 350 word review.

Why did you start your blog?
I’ve always liked writing reviews. I remember in secondary school we were asked to write reviews for every book that we read. For the other kids, it put them off reading because they didn’t want to write the reports. For me, it meant I was writing 3-5 reports per week. The teacher eventually told me I could stop doing them.

I started blogging because when I left university, I got a full-time job in social media marketing. I thought that starting a blog would give me a great excuse to get some hands-on experience with a blog of my own. Once I started, it was hard to stop!

What’s your favourite book, and why?
Northern Lights by Philip Pullman because it’s a masterpiece. He’s got a new book coming out that’s a companion novel and it’s great to see a new generation of readers picking up his books because of all of the publicity.

What makes a good book?
It’s a combination of a whole heap of things, from pacing and plot to aesthetics and the cover. For a book to get a 5* rating on my blog, it has to leave me feeling like a slightly different person after reading it and it has to be pleasurable (as opposed to a chore) from start to finish.

Digital books disrupted an age-old industry, what do you think will be the next big disruptor?
They have, although I personally don’t read them. That’s because I like to collect my books, so I only ever read paperbacks and then I keep them in my rapidly expanding library. I keep needing to move to slightly bigger houses to accommodate them all.

As for the next big disruptor, that’s hard to say. I think audio books will continue to pick up steam and it’ll be more commonplace for people to listen to them, and I think the standard of them will continue to pick up. Over the next ten years or so, there will also be a lot of indie writers breaking through to the mainstream thanks to word of mouth – the market will decide whether their work is good or not , not a literary agent or a junior editor at a publishing house. On top of that, I think we’ll see more and more books coming out from YouTubers, Instagrammers and other social media celebrities who see it as a way to monetise their audience.

How many books do you own (roughly)?
Well I’ve reviewed every book I own and I have 1,129 reviews, so somewhere around that. The true number is probably closer to 1,250 counting the books I haven’t read yet – 1,300 if you count the copies I have of the books I’ve released myself.

What makes your blog successful?
I think consistency and longevity have played a big part. I update it regularly and work with plenty of authors and PRs to add other content such as interviews, and I also run competitions and use social networking sites. I think a big part of it has been the fact that I’m an author myself and so it’s pretty linked to my daily life. It’s just part of who I am.

How do you like to work with PRs?
I like them to email me with a little bit of information about the books and then I get back to them if I’m interested. I don’t get time to respond to every enquiry unfortunately because there are so many of them.

What’s the one thing PRs should know about you?
I only accept physical copies.

What other blogs do you like to read?
I’m going to be honest here – I don’t actually get much chance to read blogs because I’m so busy with other stuff. I do, however, watch a bunch of different ‘BookTubers’ – i.e. YouTubers who talk about books. They mostly talk about YA and middle grade, but I find their passion for books inspiring. Some of my favourites are Jean from Bookish Thoughts, Katytastic and Brock from Let’s Read. It’s great to see how creative people are.

That said, I do follow friends’ blogs as they post – but they’re mostly authors rather than other book bloggers.

Dane Cobain features on the Vuelio Media Database along with thousands of other bloggers, influencers and journalists.

Michael 84

Blogger Spotlight: Michael Adams, Michael 84

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Michael Adams is the author behind Michael 84, which was recently ranked in the Top 10 UK Men’s Lifestyle Blogs. Michael is a Newcastle-based t-shirt and fashion designer who writes about the latest style trends, music, films, tech and travel. Here, Michael told us about his favourite collaborations, bloggers moving to Instagram and the modern man.

How would you describe your blog?
Michael 84 is a men’s fashion and lifestyle blog with a focus on menswear and style tips, and covers everything from the usual guy’s life; from tech, travel and products reviews to entertainment including film, TV and music.

Why did you start you blog?
I love technology and the web, and have always had an interest in building and creating things online. It started off with simple websites, then I created forums, e-commerce stores and then I moved into blogging seven or eight years ago, writing about my interests.

What are the latest trends in men’s lifestyle we should be aware of?
It’s hard to say the latest trends in men’s lifestyle, as that could cover a large number of things. Minimalist style, for things such as watches, is big now and has been growing for a couple of years, with more and more brands offering a simplistic style of watches.

How does the modern man compare to men of the past?
I think it depends on how far you go back for comparison; I think that guys are taking better care of themselves more than ever now. Working out or going to the gym has become part of daily life, rather than a temporary or part time activity.

What’s going to be the next big trend in men’s lifestyle?
I think there could be an increase in using smart technology, it’s getting more popular with more brands offering various products from Amazon, Apple and Google, as well as smart home products.

What one thing could you not live without?
I think it has to be my iPhone. As we know, phones these days aren’t just phones, they do so much, so it’s the one thing I’d want to have.

How do you like to work with PRs?
I prefer it when they have a campaign or a clear idea in mind, and let me have some freedom to go with it. It’s always important to be on the same page so we have an understanding of what’s expected and going to happen, as sometimes but rarely there can be some miscommunication.

What’s one of your favourite collaborations?
There has been a few, I was part of a TOPMAN campaign called ‘Great Britain, Great Suits’ which showcased my city (Newcastle) and one of their great suits, and working with LG for London Fashion Week was also a highlight.

What one thing should PRs know about you?
I am always open to work with great brands on different projects, so if they’re looking for exposure or have a campaign which they think may fit, they should get in touch.

What other blogs do you read?
I actually don’t really read too many blogs these days. A lot of other bloggers have been putting a lot more focus on Instagram, so they aren’t updating their blogs as frequently as they used to.

Michael Adams features on the Vuelio Media Database along with thousands of other bloggers, influencers and journalists.