CIPR Energy ELP

CIPR’s ELP to shine a spotlight on strategic PR at World Energy Congress

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CIPR‘s Energy Leadership Platform is preparing to highlight the importance of targeted public relations to a worldwide audience of energy industry experts and decision makers. September’s World Energy Congress in Abu Dhabi will offer the energy think tank an opportunity to show off the advantages of smart strategies in a sector tasked with great change.

The CIPR ELP team is made up of communications professionals working within the energy industry, including co-chair Ella Minty. For her, the upcoming opportunity is vital: ‘The energy industry is, undisputedly, the most risk-averse and risk-aware in the world. To be given the chance to demonstrate, through practical examples and in various sessions, the importance and standing of PR to and for this fascinating sector is an absolute privilege and honour.’

Compounding the privilege is the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding between CIPR’s Deputy CEO Phil Morgan and CEO of the United Arab Emirates National Committee of the World Energy Council, H.E. Eng. Fatima Al Foora Al Shamsi. The signatories are impressive, but so is the size of the potential audience the ELP will be talking to, with 2016’s conference reaching 7,000 delegates from 100 countries.

‘The PR industry is stepping out of its usual echo chambers and engaging with those who use our services,’ said Minty of the ELP’s involvement in World Energy Congress’ 24th event. ‘It is to our clients and employers we need to articulate and demonstrate the value of PR as a strategic management function.’

Communicating the risks and changes happening across the energy sector is a practical support the PR industry can offer to the World Energy Council’s audience of experts and world leaders. And with ‘Energy for Prosperity’ as the theme for this year’s gathering, CIPR’s continuing work on bringing PR and the energy sector together could pay off in clearer communications in what can be a technically complicated space, and a move towards smarter strategies for longevity. Not just longevity for light bulbs, hybrid cars or PR firms looking for new sectors to work in, but, well, us. Everyone. Living long(ish), and prosper(ing), hopefully. With some good PR opportunities along the way, naturally…

Dannii Martin HHH

Foodie blogger spotlight: Dannii Martin, Hungry Healthy Happy

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Hungry Healthy Happy was created in 2011 by Dannii Martin as a place to share delicious and healthy recipes as she embarked on her weight loss journey. Recently ranked as the number one food blog (once again), Hungry Healthy Happy is also a top recipe book alongside an expanding library of books by Dannii.

We caught up with Dannii to find out about the growth of food blogging, the joy of avocado and how she likes to work with brands.

How do you describe what you do to other people?
I create recipes that show healthy food doesn’t have to boring and how to sneak in extra veg, then share those recipes on the internet. I also write books.

How does social media feed into your blog – are any channels more important?
Social media makes me feel connected to our audience. It’s a great way to communicate with them, hear what they like and want to see more of, and get feedback. We use it as a way to show the behind-the-scenes of the blog too. Instagram stories are our favourite, as there is a great community there.

What’s your favourite ingredient and why?
Avocado! I have a bit of a reputation for being avocado obsessed. But in terms of an ingredient to make recipes with, then maybe Greek yoghurt. It’s such a great healthier substitute in creamy sauces.

Can you tell the difference between a food fad and a genuine culture shift?
Yes, and I think there has been a massive culture shift recently. Everyone has left ‘clean eating’ behind and there is much more interest and focus on a healthy balanced diet without cutting anything out and we love that.

What’s the best course in a meal?
The main course. It’s the main for a reason.

Food & Drink was revealed as a supersector in the UK Bloggers Survey – how do you feel it fits in to the broader blogosphere?
The food and drink blogger category is huge now and pretty over saturated. Anyone that can cook and write can set up a food blog and that’s definitely not a bad thing. But very few people stand out. You have to be offering something other people aren’t.

The survey revealed that bloggers post less frequently, is that your experience?
Yes, because SO much more work goes in to a blog post now. SEO is (or should be) the main focus of a blogger now and gone are the days of being able to write and publish a blog post in 30 minutes. It takes a day or two to create one post now – to create professional quality photos, edit, write and then all the keyword research that goes alongside it. We try to post twice a week and then really dedicate time to each post – it’s only fair to the brands we work with to.

Do you accept PR press releases?
Yes, however it would be helpful if they also said what they were looking for. Like, do they want to collaborate or are they just looking for free advertising?

How do you choose which PRs and brands to work with?
The brand has to be a good fit for our audience – that is the most important thing for us. Our readers trust us and trust that the products we promote are only things we really believe in and would use ourselves. We have some great relationships with PRs that we have worked with many times over the past few years, which is great because they know how we work and we know what they are looking for.

What are the best collaborations you’ve worked on?
I don’t think it would be fair to single out one brand, but the best collaborations for us is when there is a clear brief from the beginning. So, there is not going backwards and forwards with drafts and re-dos for weeks because the brief has changed. We appreciate that sometimes things do change but making it as clear as can be from the start helps.

Also, it helps to know if brands want licensing from the beginning, rather than that being sprung on us after the post has gone live and we have to change the fee.

Ultimately, the best collaborations are ones that are a little bit different too. That allows us to have some creative freedom to do something we know will be popular with our readers.

What other blogs do you read?
I read a lot of American blogs, because blogging over there is way ahead of the UK in terms of brand collaborations and professionalism. Don’t get me wrong, there are some amazing UK blogs, but there are a lot of inspiring US blogs like Pinch of Yum and Half Baked Harvest.

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Whimsical Wonderland Weddings

Wedding blogger spotlight: Louise Baltruschat Hollis, Whimsical Wonderland Weddings

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Louise Baltruschat Hollis is the face behind Whimsical Wonderland Weddings, which has once again been named in the Top 10 UK Wedding Blogs. Covering DIY tips, inspirational editorials and real-life wedding stories, Whimsical Wonderland Weddings has been a key part of the wedding blogosphere since it was created in 2010.

We caught up with Louise to find out why any time of year is perfect to get married, the importance of going with your gut and working on creative with PRs and brands.

How does social media feed into your blog – are any channels more important?
Social media has always been crucial to our blog. In the beginning it was all about Twitter before moving onto Facebook, then Pinterest and now Instagram. Instagram and Pinterest are definitely where we see the most engagement and both platforms bring something totally unique.

When’s the best time of year to get married?
I think any time of the year can be perfect to get married. Each season brings something different, from festive cosy winter weddings to fresh bright spring weddings and golden light filled autumn weddings. Summer is always popular for weddings in the UK, with longer days and hopefully more sunshine. It really depends on what makes your heart sing.

Where’s the best wedding location in the UK today?
I love that more and more couples are thinking outside of the box when it comes to wedding venues. We have featured more and more couples trying the knot in a legal ceremony beforehand, leaving them free to have a ceremony or blessing wherever they wish. I myself did this and got married in the woods, so I am a little bias towards woodland weddings.

What advice would you give people planning their wedding?
Go with your gut, always. I think it’s really important to sit down together and really work out what is important to the both of you and include your personalities as much as possible. Don’t be afraid to ditch any traditions that don’t work for you too.

Wedding themes: yes or no?
Wedding themes can be so fun. We’ve featured lots of different wedding themes over the years, although we have also featured more and more weddings without any theme. Matchy matchy colour themes seem to have been less popular with our readers in recent years and we’ve seen more mix and match styles, which always works wonderfully.

The UK Bloggers Survey revealed that bloggers post less frequently, is this your experience?
I have reduced our blogging schedule slightly over the years. So I really focus on quality content rather than quantity. Saying that, we still blog at least once each and every day.

Do you accept PR press releases?
We receive many PR releases. Some are more targeted to our readership than others. If I think our brands are well aligned I will reach out to see if the brand would like to work together.

How do you choose which PRs and brands to work with?
I only work with brands which totally capture my attention, in terms of product and service. I will also take time to look at their reviews as we only work with brands with the highest quality and a top notch reputation. It’s important I love the product or service on offer so that it is a genuine and authentic recommendation.

What are the best collaborations you’ve worked on?
I think my favourite collaborations have been with brands we have worked really closely with to create a wide-ranging campaign. With imagery and styling by me, and blog and social media coverage too.

What other blogs do you read?
I read a wide range of blogs, at the moment I am into interiors as we are renovating our home. Roses and Rolltops has been a long term fave of mine.

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Online Harms white paper

Reaction to Government proposals to tackle ‘online harms’

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The Government has published a white paper that proposes a new regulator to oversee and enforce a ‘statutory duty of care’ by online tech companies. Enforcement includes the ability to issue ‘substantial fines’ and to ‘impose liability on individual members of senior management’.

The detailed white paper proposals draw a particular focus to terrorist activity and child sexual exploitation and abuse online, and say the Home Secretary would have final sign-off on the codes of practice that govern these harms. In what may be seen as a big threat to social and search giants’ proprietary practices, the proposals also call for the regulator to have the ability to see the impact of algorithms in selecting content for users.

This white paper comes off the back of Mark Zuckerberg calling for government regulation of the internet – and though cynics may suggest a tech boss requesting specific regulation is not as wholesome as it appears, ‘harmful content’ is an area he wants more regulation over. Of course, having read the Government’s white paper, Zuckerberg may now regret inviting this in to his company’s ethos.

Reaction to the proposals has been mixed, with many questioning the ethics of Government intervention in online spaces in what could be perceived as an attack on free speech. The fact the white paper claims it has a vision for ‘a free, open and secure internet’ with ‘freedom of expression online’, seems in many ways to directly contradict the requirement for tech companies to actively remove harmful content.

The Guardian has summarised many of the fears around the proposals here, which includes the line, ‘critics say online harms white paper could lead to North Korean-style censorship’.

These concerns were reflected across Twitter:

Though the voices in the media may not fully reflect the public’s perception (imagine), as this Martin Lewis Twitter poll suggests:

It’s very possible that the high-profile stories of tech giants and social platforms accused of failing their users, such as in the death of Molly Russell, have perhaps permeated the public’s collective conscience more than the media’s ingrained fear of Government censorship.

In PR land, the reaction has not been as strong, which is perhaps surprising as media concerns are typically comms concerns. The difficulties of strongly taking one side (Government potentially threatening freedom of speech) against another (we want children to be safe online) is summed up by the PRCA’s director general, Francis Ingham; he said: ‘The Online Harms White Paper builds on the political consensus around online safety, public concern, and the need to “rebuild” public confidence. The question of online platform regulation touches on sensitive subjects such as freedom of speech and our shared desire to keep people (especially children) safe online.

‘The devil is in the detail here and the Government itself argues that voluntary action from the industry has not “gone far enough”. While most people would support the intentions behind this White Paper, if all of these online harms are not clearly defined then the consequence would be far larger than intended.’

The CIPR similarly highlights that in theory this white paper is a positive step to protect people online but that any regulation must also allow tech companies to operate freely, a tightrope balancing act. Jon Gerlis, CIPR senior policy office, said: ‘This Paper is a welcome addition to the conversation around tackling the ills of harmful online content and the spread of disinformation online. The paper accepts that self-regulation has failed.

‘It is therefore right that the law addresses this in a way that allows it to keep pace with advances in the digital world and ensure tech companies operate freely but regulated to a clear set of standards expected of any other kind of business.’

What do you think of the regulation? Long overdue to keep people safe or the end of freedom of speech? Let us know on Twitter @Vuelio.

Sarah Anguish

Mummy blogger spotlight: Sarah Anguish, Boo Roo and Tigger Too

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Sarah Anguish is the mummy blogger behind Boo Roo and Tigger Too, which was recently ranked in the Top 10 UK Mummy Blogs. Sarah told us about focusing on the bigger picture, the best thing about being a mum and working with brands and PRs in an honest and open way.

How has your blog changed in the last year?
Towards the end of last year, I found myself feeling somewhat overwhelmed by attempting to juggle too many plates. Saying yes to things for the fear of saying no and never getting future opportunities with that brand or PR. I took some time off over Christmas and New Year to reassess things and have adopted a better work/life balance this year. I’ve also focused on different topic areas to bring out regular content, such as parenting, family travel and fun recipe ideas for families.
 
How does social media feed into your blog – are any channels more important?
While I was away over the festive break last year I decided to take a look at my social media channels. In an ideal work I would be able to rock them all and engage with followers on each platform, but that isn’t something that I am able to manage at the moment. So, I opted to see which platforms give me the most enjoyment and work from there. Instagram has been the platform I have been giving the most focus to this year. And instead of trying to copycat others or play the follow/unfollow game, I am adding a micro post alongside a snapshot each day. Sometimes I’m chatting about a family day out that we’ve enjoyed or grumbling that it’s Monday again.

Boo roo and tigger too

What’s the perfect Mother’s Day?
Mother’s Day isn’t about the gifts for me, it’s about the children recognising all the things that I do for them throughout the year. From playing mum taxi, juggling 101 after school activities, ensuring they have all the supplies they need for school/clubs etc. Alongside the everyday tasks as cooking, cleaning, washing etc. Knowing that they are thankful for this is priceless.

What’s the best thing about being a mum?
Unlimited cuddles, no matter whether it is one to offer them support or comfort. The ones at the school gates that they don’t really want to do in front of their friends. Or the ones that caught you by surprise because they just wanted to give you a cuddle.

What advice would you give new mothers?
Take each moment as it comes, rather than focusing on the bigger picture. There will be trying times ahead but try not to dwell on how long it has taken to get your little one to fall asleep, feed or the fact that you are still wearing the same pyjamas from three days ago. Focusing on that task at hand, changing a nappy, bath time or running to the toilet uninterrupted will give you lots of tiny wins throughout the day.

The UK Bloggers Survey revealed Parenting as a supersector – how do you feel parenting fits into the broader blogosphere?
The parent blogging community has grown so much since I started blogging almost eight years ago. Parent bloggers are able to offer support and advice to parents (new or seasoned ones) that they might not have in real-life or are not willing to ask their friends and loved ones.

Boo roo and tigger too

The Survey also revealed that bloggers post less frequently – is this your experience?
I think that just as in life, blogging and bloggers have peaks and troughs when it comes to producing content. There will always be times when there are lots of things to share and times when life gets in the way and you aren’t able to post as frequently as you’d like.

Do you accept PR press releases?
I receive a number of press releases each week and while they might not be relevant to me or to my blog, they can be intriguing to read. It’s a very privileged position to be able to find out details of new products, events and activities ahead of time.

How do you choose which PRs and brands to work with?
I always look to see whether that brand, product or event would work for our family and something that would interest my readers. There are some amazing brands and PRs out there who value bloggers honesty in saying, ‘Thank you, unfortunately, this campaign isn’t suitable for me because of XYZ’, rather than accepting something because you want to work with that brand/PR and it not really being relevant to you or audience.

What are the best collaborations you’ve worked on?
A few years ago we were selected as the family to represent the UK at the Disneyland Paris 25th anniversary celebrations; a surreal weekend of discovering all that Disneyland Paris has to offer families. We enjoyed the celebrations and standing in front of the iconic Sleeping Beauty’s castle with Mickey Mouse.

What other blogs do you read?
I’m an old-fashioned blog reader, still missing the days of Google Reader where I was able to scroll through the list of posts published that day from across the blogging community. Thankfully, my Bloglovin app allows me to continue to do this and I like to scroll through to see what catches my eye as well as keeping up-to-date with some of the bloggers who have now become firm friends.

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supersector collaboration pay

These 5 supersectors can’t afford to ignore influencer marketing

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Influencer marketing is growing rapidly, with more professionals entering the industry and partnering with PRs and brands on collaborations. The Vuelio UK Bloggers Survey 2019 has revealed five supersectors that dominate influencer marketing both in terms of the number of influencers, and the number of PR pitches they’re receiving every week.

Lifestyle, Fashion & Beauty, Parenting, Food & Drink and Travel account for around two-thirds of all blogs. While Fashion & Beauty is in decline, Parenting, Food & Drink and Travel have all seen increases since 2016 and cannot be ignored by businesses and organisations in those respective sectors.

Age groups
The Survey reveals that different age groups specialise in different categories. Those aged 18-24 typically focus on Lifestyle and Fashion & Beauty; 25-34 year-olds focus on Lifestyle and Parenting; 25-54 year-olds cover all categories, but Parenting is the most popular; 55-64 year-olds are most likely to cover Food & Drink and Travel; and over 65s are most likely to cover Food & Drink.

Reflecting the broader blogsphere, four of the five supersectors are dominated by women, with only Travel having an even male/female split.

Pay

supersector blog post payThe Survey also contains information on pay across the supersectors, the first time this information has been reported on such a scale.

When it comes to individual blog posts, Fashion & Beauty and Food & Drink are mostly likely to command the top pay of over £1,000, while Parenting appears to be the most standardised supersector, as 48% charge between £101-£250 per post. This reflects the maturity of Parenting, which found its feet early on and has developed a strong influencer community.

When it comes to collaborations, Parenting is again the most standardised with 40% receiving between £100-£250. This reflects that many campaigns in the Parenting supersector are one-off single posts, which is why there isn’t a great deal of discrepancy between pay for posts and pay for collaborations.

Fashion & Beauty and Travel, on the other hand, show a much higher percentage of those paid in the top bracket (over £1,000) for collaborations compared to single posts. For Travel, this is not surprising – it’s very difficult to engage a travel influencer for a single post when trips typically take place across multiple days. These numbers also suggest Fashion & Beauty PRs and brands are reaping the benefits of long term collaborations.

Why does long term work?
While single posts can be effective, long-term multi-post collaborations makes influencers into ambassadors for your brand. It requires more work and typically more investment, but most influencers have loyal, regular audiences who are more likely to buy into your brand and messaging if exposed to it over a long period of time.

If you do want to work on long-term collaborations, building and maintaining the right relationships with the right people is the most important part of the process. Rather than blanket emailing a large number of individuals in the right sector, you need to carefully handpick the right people and understand why they’re the perfect fit before you send the first email. Using the Vuelio Influencer Database – the most comprehensive source of influencers, which includes detailed profiles – gives you a head start and takes the work out of research.

Do you work in a supersector? What’s your approach to influencer marketing? Let us know on Twitter @Vuelio. 

State of the profession CIPR 2019

PR is not diverse enough – results from CIPR’s State of the Profession 2019

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The results from this year’s State of the Profession survey from the CIPR reveal that PR firms are getting bigger but alongside the greater headcounts, they also contain gender imbalance, mental health issues triggered by high workloads and unfair advantages for those who come from a paid-for education background.

The CIPR’s survey of 1,503 members showed that PR departments are more likely to have grown in size, with half of the agencies getting bigger. It’s a positive sign for the importance and value of PR, but there are greater concerns among the workforce.

The PR workforce is less diverse this year, with more than one in ten (92%) classifying themselves as white – up from the 88% in 2018. When it comes to gender equality, two-thirds (67%) of the industry identify as female, yet almost half (44%) of the most senior roles are occupied by men. To add to issues of unfair advantage in the world of PR, a quarter of this survey’s respondents went to fee-paying schools – much higher than the national average (7%).

As for how the industry’s unique pressures impact its workers, this survey found a level of disconnect between what firms expect of their employees versus the skills people believe are actually important for their roles. Junior practitioners, for example, don’t identify ‘technical and digital’, ‘research and evaluation’ or ‘project and account management’ skills as strengths, whereas recruiters do.

A more serious disconnect, however, is the continuing difference between the demands of the job and the workloads people can manage while remaining healthy.

Over half (59%) of respondents classed a heavy or unmanageable workload as a factor for workplace stress, with 46% highlighting unrealistic deadlines and expectations, and 32% find the unsociable hours a problem. Nearly a quarter (23%) said they had taken absence from work due to stress, anxiety or depression, and 14% rated the contribution of work on their diagnosed condition as significant. How the industry supports workers with stress-related mental health issues could also be cause for concern – 23% said managers did ‘nothing’ when informed of the problem.

Those working all-hours won’t be surprised by all these numbers, maybe they won’t even have time to read them, but there are also encouraging statistics to be found in the CIPR report. Of the staff with mental health concerns related to their career – 36% said they were offered counselling after talking to their managers, 28% time off and 19% re-allocation of workload.

CIPR President Emma Leech, said: ‘This report identifies clear challenges and opportunities for the PR industry. Diversity is an issue we must tackle head on. Talent doesn’t have a postcode and it isn’t determined by skin colour. Our industry has to work harder to be inclusive. Similarly, mental health is a growing area of concern and we must be proactive in changing working practices and shifting the ‘always on’ culture that contributes to the problem.’

Avril Lee, chair of the CIPR Diversity and Inclusion Forum, said: ‘The PR industry agrees that diversity is important for attracting the best talent to bring fresh thinking, creativity and insights into new audiences, but our actions speak louder than our words. And our actions are building a profession of white, ex-public-school professionals; we are less diverse than in previous years.

‘Who can make our industry a fairer place where there is opportunity for all? You! Every manager, every employee, every agency leader – we all need to challenge outdated and biased recruitment and retention policies. We are all responsible for shaping the future of our industry by establishing workplace cultures in which all talent is judged fairly and given an equal opportunity for progression. Without those inside changing the status quo, those outside will remain locked out and our profession will be the poorer for it.’

As the CIPR report states, the numbers may ‘paint a picture of a profession which lacks self-awareness and consciously or unconsciously disadvantages people based on who they are rather than what they can do,’ but this is an industry in the process of self-correcting. Surveys like this can only help with gaining greater insight for the support of those already in PR, and with the improvement of hiring practices for those who could do great work as part of the industry in the future.

Emmy's mummy and Harry's too

Mummy blogger spotlight: Clare Nicholas, Emmy’s Mummy and Harry’s Too!

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Clare Nicholas is the author of Emmy’s Mummy and Harry’s Too! a Top 10 UK Mummy Blog. A former nanny, Clare covers life with her two children and posts reviews, activities and competitions on her blog. We caught up with Clare to find out what’s best about being a mum, setting up a YouTube channel for her daughter and working with brands and PRs.

How has your blog changed in the last year?
It’s continued to grow from strength to strength, although I have also launched a second blog to start getting back to writing for me again. Starting from scratch again was a little daunting though and I certainly need to add more hours into my day.

How does social media feed into your blog – are any channels more important?
This year I’ve taken more of a focus on growing and improving my Instagram content and followers. I’ve dipped my toes into IG stories and love interacting with my followers over there. My goal for this year is to hit 10k and gain that much wanted swipe up.

I have turned YouTube over to my daughter. Emmy has been desperate for her own channel and has a love of watching Vlogs. She now has her own channel and she’s working hard (with my help) on adding content over there.

What’s the perfect Mother’s Day?
I’ve actually just written about this one and as much as I adore and love my kids, a day to myself would be amazing. No cooking, cleaning or breaking up fights.

What’s the best thing about being a mum?
It’s a dream come true for me, there were years when I didn’t actually think it would happen for me, but I didn’t give up that dream and it was fourth time lucky.

I love everything about being a mum, but the best times are those sleepy times when they sneak into my bed and all they want is a cuddle with mum.

What advice would you give new mothers?
Take any help offered and there is no right or wrong way to do things. Work out what works for you and trust your instincts.

The UK Bloggers Survey revealed Parenting as a supersector – how do you feel parenting fits in to the broader blogosphere?
While it may be the largest sector, many start out as parenting bloggers to document their children’s milestones (which is what I did) before finding their niche and moving onto with something completely different or combining it with crafts, travel or even cooking alongside.

Parenting blogs can help others from feeling alone, they help to show other parents that their problems are normal, that we all get stressed and can help to relieve the boredom of a 3am feed. They can be a mix of factual and humorous and make for more entertaining reading than a textbook in those lonelier times.

The Survey also revealed that bloggers post less frequently – is this your experience?
I guess it depends on the age of their children. Those with young babies may find it harder to find the time to post but as my children are older I post more frequently than I ever have done. I struggled with posting when the kids were home and young and could only do so in the evenings, but now they are in full time school I’ve no excuse not to find the time.

Do you accept PR press releases?
I do and I try my hardest to reply to all of them, posting which are relevant and forming a relationship with the PRs at the same time. Not all fit our family but it takes two minutes to reply and say why it’s not a good fit and by doing so it helps to build an ongoing relationship for future work.

How do you choose which PRs and brands to work with?
They have to be something we would use or the kids enjoy, gone are the days of saying yes to every review that was pitched to me.

They need to be in keeping with our family feel so gambling is a no-no and payday loans etc won’t feature.

I’m open to suggestions on many topics and can easily turn my hand to writing within my own style to fit what the brand wants if the price is right.

What are the best collaborations you’ve worked on?
Attending the red-carpet premiere of the BFG remains my all-time favourite event. Of course, we love working with various travel companies on holiday reviews, the press launch of the Royal Caribbean Independence of the Seas was amazing and working with Merlin Annual Pass was possibly the kids’ favourite.

What other blogs do you read?
I struggle to find time to read many any more sadly but The Oliver’s Madhouse, written by my good friend Jaime, hits my inbox weekly as I don’t see enough of her and her lovely boys,

Whinge Whinge Wine also gets my vote. Written by the lovely Fran, every post has me giggling out loud.

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UK Bloggers Survey 2019 – The Results

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The definitive UK Bloggers Survey reveals the rising number of professional bloggers, how PRs should be measuring collaboration success and how much bloggers charge for posts.

Our special guests Lloyd Griffiths and Yaya Onalaja-Aliu from Hand Luggage Only and Elle Linton from Keep it simpElle are joining us to take us through the survey results and give a unique insight into their lives as bloggers, how they’re working with brands and PRs and how they engage with influencer marketing.

Vuelio Bloggers Survey 2019 Webinar

Pre-R

Creative PR? It’s child’s play

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Vuelio is delighted to announce the launch of a brand-new PR agency, staffed exclusively by children. Pre-R will be run by primary school children and focus on creative PR and publicity.  

The fully integrated Vuelio platform helps users identify, understand and engage with their audiences – all they need is great ideas. ‘We have implausibly wondrous campaign concepts but have never before been trusted to enact them at an agency level’, said Pre-R’s surprisingly articulate CEO, Avril Falls, aged 7¾. ‘Thanks to Vuelio, we can focus on what’s important – creativity, building relationships and communication’.

While Vuelio is a software platform, it felt there was a gap in the market for a new kind of agency, one where creativity was championed in its purest, most innocent, form. The company is working in partnership with a local school, St MacGuffin’s Primary School for Creative Children, and has made Pre-R’s office in Mrs Sham’s classroom, 2S.

The staff start their morning with a glass of milk and there’s a group nap after story time in the afternoon. Pre-R’s office manager Bo Gus, 6½, said: ‘I imagine you’re all thinking, “oh great, another hipster agency starting their day with milk and having afternoon naps”, but loads of the staff get cranky if they don’t stick to their routine’.

When it’s time for work, the children at Pre-R come up with a creative campaign then use Vuelio to identify stakeholders, whether it’s journalists, editors and producers; bloggers, vloggers and social influencers; or even MPs, their staff and local councillors. They connect with them through the platform and then track the coverage with media monitoring to see the results in real time.

‘Real-time monitoring makes a huge difference and because Vuelio is integrated, the coverage is automatically linked back to our releases’, said Senior Account Manager May Dup, nearly 7. ‘It’s a real rush when you can prove you’re responsible for Tinky Winky mentioning a client, especially as the Tubbies don’t actually speak!’.

When it’s time to report back to clients, advanced analytics automatically create graphs and charts proving successful ROI and Canvas allows them to share all their success in one place, with one link.

‘I’m probably biased, but it really is child’s play’, Dup continued. ‘Vuelio is so easy to use, we can finally put our imagination to good use’.

Though the agency has only officially launched today, 1 April, they already have a number of clients on board, keen to work with the latest in creative PR.

‘Our clients are all keen to get publicity today, and while one of our account managers wanted the first campaign to be about dinosaurs, we’re probably looking at doing something for April Fool’s, considering that’s now our birthday’, Falls said, ‘We just hope everyone takes the joke in the right way’.

For more information on Pre-R, and to replicate its success with the latest in PR and communications software, get in touch with Vuelio.

Harriet Shearsmith Toby and Roo

Mummy blogging spotlight: Harriet Shearsmith, Toby & Roo

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Harriet Shearsmith is the award-winning mummy blogger behind Toby & Roo. Consistently ranked in the Top 10 UK Mummy Blogs, Harriet writes about family life with ‘crazy boys’ Reuben and Tobias and ‘dictator-like’ daughter Edith. With Mother’s Day on Sunday (don’t forget!), we caught up with Harriet to find out how to celebrate in the best way, advice for new mums and the importance of communication in collaborations.

How has your blog changed in the last year?
I feel that my focus has moved away from my blog and more into Instagram and social media content. I have cut back the amount I’m writing and trying to focus more on the style of content really resonating with me and my readership.

How does social media feed into your blog – are any channels more important?
Instagram is absolutely the most important channel for me, and the most important aspect of my career really. I think that my focus has moved across to it as a platform and I love that. I’m a very visual person so it works well for me.

What’s the perfect Mother’s Day?
Ohhhh breakfast in bed, snuggles on the sofa and maybe a cinema trip or something? Definitely a relaxed one! If they could all make sure the house is spotless then that would be EPIC!

Toby & Roo

What’s the best thing about being a mum?
Just having the honour of watching them develop into little people. All of mine are so different and I love that – it just goes to prove they are their own little people! It’s such a pleasure to see them change and I adore being a mum to these three beauties, even when it’s exhausting and overwhelming.

What advice would you give new mothers?
Don’t expect perfection! It isn’t going to happen – you will make mistakes and you should absolutely forgive yourself for it. I think taking each day as it comes it so important.

The UK Bloggers Survey revealed Parenting as a supersector – how do you feel parenting fits in to the broader blogosphere?
I think it’s incredibly important and a vital part of blogging that I hope never disappears! It’s not easy being a parent and there are a lot of times at 3am when I just felt so alone. I think from a mental health perspective, it’s so important to share our experiences, as a society we lack the community or ‘village’ that our parents perhaps had, so to be able to connect around these really busy lives we lead is massively important.

The Survey also revealed that bloggers post less frequently – is this your experience?
Absolutely! When I first started blogging I posted one to two times a day, every weekday. Short, snappy little posts, and then over time I would change to one a day and eventually I have whittled it down to much longer posts three times a week. To see how my blog has evolved is really interesting to me and while I don’t think that blogging is ever ‘dying out’ I do think it’s evolving and taking a slight back seat to social.

Do you accept PR press releases?
I do! I don’t mind press releases at all, sometimes you find something really interesting.

How do you choose which PRs and brands to work with?
PRs are usually taken care of by my team at Kameleon, however brands are all down to me. I have some things that just don’t fit with me or my ideals and therefore I won’t work with them. I’m not a fan of diet products so I avoid them like the plague, despite being asked on an almost daily basis if I would like to try one shake, or herbal treatment, or another. I feel like a brand has to fit with me, and if I am unsure of the brand I will Google them to try and work out if there is anything I think makes us incompatible.

What are the best collaborations you’ve worked on?
I’ve worked on so many amazing collabs that I truly have LOVED so it would be really hard to list just one! I think for me, anything that gives me a clear idea of the client expectations but a license to be creative is perfect. I love the flexibility to go back to a client and say that this would work better for my audience if we did this, or can I do XYZ to instead of ABC. It’s that communication!

What other blogs do you read?
I’ve come away from reading a lot of blogs lately and I tend to focus more on social media and engaging with people on there. I do LOVE Emily Leary from A Mummy Too – her recipes are amazing. I will be eagerly looking for recommendations!

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Twin mummy and daddy

Mummy blogging spotlight: Emily Higgins, Twin Mummy and Daddy

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Emily Higgins is behind Twin Mummy and Daddy, the mummy blog that recently joined the Top 10 UK Mummy Blogs for the first time. One half of a parent-blogging power couple (the other being DIY Daddy’s Nige), Emily writes about life with her two twins, from the IVF journey to everyday adventures.

We caught up with Emily to find out about the different social channels she uses, the perfect’s Mother’s Day and getting to know your kids.

How has your blog changed in the last year?
I don’t think my blog has changed much in the last year. So much has happened in my personal life from redundancy, my husband’s ill health, starting a new business, and now starting a new job, that I’ve just continued to plough on as normal with my blog. I have so many things I’d love to change in terms of blog layout and design, but I just haven’t had the time to do any of it.

How does social media feed into your blog – are any channels more important?
Social media is important in terms of my blog as it’s where most of my audience comes from, particularly Twitter and Facebook. I share all of my blog posts across social media so naturally it’s where most of my readers find my content.

What’s the perfect Mother’s Day?
A day spent with my children and husband doing pretty much anything together would be perfect. I’m not one for presents, flowers or chocolates etc. A homemade card, cuddles and time spent with my family is all I need.

What’s the best thing about being a mum?
Watching my children grow up into wonderful people. I think it’s amazing how they’ve grown from two tiny, premature babies into two strong, intelligent girls. They amaze me with their passion for learning, exploring the world we live in and just making the best out of any situation.

What advice would you give new mothers?
I think it’s so important for new mums and dads to allow themselves time to bond with their new baby. I know friends and family will be eager to meet the new arrival, but it can be very overwhelming to see your new born being passed around so soon after birth. My best advice would be to give it a day or two, so you can get to know your little one and then let your family and friends meet them too. You won’t ever get back those first few days so make the most of them!

The UK Bloggers Survey revealed Parenting as a supersector – how do you feel parenting fits in to the broader blogosphere?
I think a lot of parents turn to blogs for advice because it’s real. I guess parenting blogs are kind of like Google for parents. If you want tips for weaning, teething or any other aspect of being a parent, you’re pretty much guaranteed to find something about it written on someone’s parenting blog somewhere.

The Survey also revealed that bloggers post less frequently – is this your experience?
Yes! When I first started blogging, I would occasionally publish new content. I had no schedule, I just wrote and published content as and when I wanted. As my blog grew, I found that in order to keep my current readers coming back to my blog, and gain new readers, I’d need to publish content on a more regular basis. As such I always made sure that I had a new post published on my blog every day. Almost seven years later, I’m a lot more laid back! I publish one new blog post every Monday-Wednesday, and then have a feature every Thursday called The Brilliant Mum Feature, and then a Linky for bloggers every Friday. I don’t publish anything over the weekend. It takes the pressure off and means that I can spend time with my family instead of worrying about having to write something.

Do you accept PR press releases?
Yes, as long as they’re in keeping with the content of my blog.

How do you choose which PRs and brands to work with?
I like working with PRs and brands who are up front about what they’re looking for from the beginning. A good first email that addresses me by name, sets out what the campaign is and what the PR or brand would like to achieve from it, in addition to their expectations of what they want from me. I really dislike impersonal emails that either don’t address me by name, get my blog name wrong, approach me with something that has nothing to do with my blog, and worst of all, those who have done no research about me or my blog at all.

What are the best collaborations you’ve worked on?
I really enjoyed working with Argos over the summer and Christmas. They’re a great brand to work with, friendly and have great communication. I also really enjoy working with Mecca Bingo. They’re another company who pitch to bloggers really well, plus they’re super friendly and easy to work with!

Some of my favourite collaborations have also been with smaller, independent businesses who have no PRs or big budgets. I love discovering new businesses with great ethics and if I can help promote them then I’m all for it!

What other blogs do you read?
Naturally, I read my husband’s blog, www.diydaddyblog.com. He’s currently number four dad blogger on the top 10 Daddy Blogs Vuelio list. I really admire his honesty in the things he writes about. Some of the subjects he covers such as depression and male suicide raise important questions and great awareness. My husband, Nigel, talks from his own experiences and I think a lot of people learn a lot from him.

I also enjoy reading Vicky’s blog, Miss Tilly and Me. I’ve never met Vicky, but she feels like a friend and her blog posts are always interesting and easy to read.

There are so many other blogs that I enjoy reading such as Five Little Doves, Dad Blog UK, Mummy’s Diary, Run Jump Scrap, Cardiff Mummy Says and so many more!

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The frenchie mummy

Mummy blogger spotlight: Cécile Blaireau, The Frenchie Mummy

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Cécile Blaireau is The Frenchie Mummy, a brand new entry into the Top 10 UK Mummy Blogs. Covering the reality of being a first time ‘maman’, the blog includes Cécile’s thoughts, favs, dislikes, rants and moans.

With just days until Mother’s Day, we caught up with Cécile to find out what it’s like making a ‘mini moi’, the importance of rocking your own motherhood journey and why she wants to work on more campaigns that show her opinionated side.

How does social media feed into your blog – are any channels more important?
I mainly use Twitter and Facebook to promote my posts. Instagram is more about my day to day routine and pretty pics of us. I share a lot about our days out and our adventures, but I am not using it much to drive traffic to my blog. It is more fun and a great way to share my personality in images and videos, especially with stories.

Cécile Blaireau

What’s the perfect Mother’s Day?
Anything that involves some good food and potentially a glass of Merlot! This year, we are booked for an afternoon tea in my area and I might have a massage to relax. It will be very sophistiqué. No wine, but I don’t mind! I love the place where we are going.

What’s the best thing about being a mum?
Seeing your little one growing into a nice little person. The scary thing is that he looks more and more like me! I did not realise I was going to create so much of a mini moi. I don’t mind really, LOL!

What advice would you give new mothers?
Don’t worry about everything and books don’t always have the right answer. Just listen to your intuition and avoid pieces of advices from everyone else. They think they know what is best, but it is not always the case! Plus, it is your motherhood journey, so rock it your own way!

top mum bloggersThe UK Bloggers Survey revealed Parenting as a supersector – how do you feel parenting fits in to the broader blogosphere?
I think it is getting bigger. I see so many mums doing their own thing, creating their own business, etc. It doesn’t have to be blogging really! Plus, parents are making the next generation, so we have a word to say!

The Survey also revealed that blogger post less frequently – is this your experience?
I think it all depends on our life. At first, I was eager to post regularly to establish myself and get some practice. But recently, I have learned that I also need to take care of myself and work at my rhythm. Plus, I want to spend some quality time with my little one before he starts school. So, if it means that I might not post for a few days, so be it!

Do you accept PR press releases?
Yes, if it is a brand we like, or it fits with something I want to do.

How do you choose which PRs and brands to work with?
I have a list of PRs I regularly work with, but I am always on the lookout for more! I engage as much as I can on their social channels to get noticed or thank them for working with me. They need some love too!

What are the best collaborations you’ve worked on?
Some with kids’ brands that I have known and loved since I was a little girl myself. Seeing that those brands wanted to work with me made me proud.

And also, the #tickledpink #beyourbreastfriend I was involved with Breast Cancer Care, Breast Cancer Now and Asda not so long ago. It is such an important and personal message I wanted to pass on! Plus, I really want to talk more about women’s issues. I am quite an opiniated person and I want it to be more apparent on my blog.

What other blogs do you read?
I love reading Honest Mum as she is always so inspirational and kind. Many more too!

And a lot of podcasts like #TheSuccessRevolution by the Step Up Club. Those ladies always have inspirational ladies on, and it keeps me going! I need to think all the time to get inspired to write.

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Jo Middleton mummy blogger

The number one mummy blog: Slummy Single Mummy

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Jo Middleton is the multi-award-winning blogger behind Slummy Single Mummy. The current holder of Mummy Blog of the Year from the Vuelio Blog Awards 2018, and the number one ranked blog in the Top 10 Mummy Blogs, Slummy Single Mummy has followed parenting and family life as Jo’s children grow up. Among Jo’s many achievements, she has just published her first novel, Playgroups and Prosecco.

Soon to be a grandmother, Jo will have a whole new generation and perspective from which to write about parenting and motherhood.  

How has your blog changed in the last year?
Quite a lot actually, as the last year has been a really exciting one for me! About 10 months ago I was approached by a publisher about writing a novel, so that took up quite a lot of time over the summer and forced me to blog less frequently. Then just before Christmas I found out I was going to be a granny, so it’s set to come full circle soon and hopefully have a lot more baby related content!

How does social media feed into your blog – are any channels more important?
Social media is massively important for my blog, more so than ever before. In fact, I’d say there are a lot more people now who know me JUST through social media. I use it to promote new blog posts, but more and more brands now are wanting standalone social content, especially on Instagram.

What’s the perfect Mother’s Day?
This Mother’s Day we are going out for a massive family roast dinner at a lovely country pub, which is pretty perfect I’d say! Because my children are older now I don’t get to enjoy a lie-in as a luxury any more – it’s more about trying to get them OUT of bed than to stay in it.

Jo Middleton

What’s the best thing about being a mum?
You become a parent, so you have someone to hang out with at Christmas when you get old right?? Apart from that… I’m really enjoying having older children and getting to see how my parenting has shaped them into young adults.

What advice would you give new mothers?
Everyone says it but trust your instincts – no one knows your baby better than you and no amount of well-meaning advice can replace your own understanding and connection with your baby. Also, there’s no right or wrong answer, no ‘perfect’ way to parent, so just do your best. They’ll probably only remember the stuff you mess up on anyway!

The UK Bloggers Survey revealed Parenting as a supersector – how do you feel parenting fits in to the broader blogosphere?
I think parenting is a massively important category, because it spans so many different things. I can write about money or food or travel and it can all have a family angle to it.

The Survey also revealed that blogger post less frequently – is this your experience?
Yes definitely. As I said, I’ve found social channels becoming more important as standalone methods of communication and I think this is reflected in people reading blogs less frequently and bloggers posting less on their main blog.

Do you accept PR press releases?
I don’t tend to read generic press releases, but always happy to read ideas for creative content.

How do you choose which PRs and brands to work with?
It’s a combination of factors, but I like a personal, creative approach and of course it has to be for a product or service that I genuinely feel I would enjoy or find useful.

What are the best collaborations you’ve worked on?
Gosh, there have been so many! Anything that gives me a ‘behind the scenes’ look at something is always fun, but lately I’ve been really enjoying food related stuff, as creating recipes really gets me thinking creatively, and I love the process of making something, photographing it, and presenting it – it’s a fun journey.

What other blogs do you read?
Backing up the whole blog/social shift I don’t actually read many other blogs – I’m really into watching other people’s Instagram stories at the moment instead.

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Mudpie Fridays

Mummy blogger spotlight: Clare Minall, Mudpie Fridays

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Clare Minall writes Mudpie Fridays to share what she and her sons, Monkey and Kipper, get up to as she balances work, motherhood and all the adventures of life. Recently ranked in the Top 10 Mummy Blogs, Clare told us about how social media works with her blog, the joys of being a mother, posting on a daily basis and working with brands and PRs on magical experiences.

How has your blog changed in the last year?
I am saying no a lot more! Last year my blog really came of age. Up until this point I would say yes to pretty much any type of work. I was amazed that people would give us the opportunity to review items and pay me for editorial content. What I didn’t appreciate was just how much time it takes to create a blog post, get just the right photo, edit the photos and then promote it via social media.

The penny dropped I was working hour upon hour writing content but sometimes my heart wasn’t in it. As much as it was valuable SEO it taught me the sort of content I enjoyed creating and the sort that I didn’t. I think it shows in my writing which hopefully means I do a better job for the brand, my readers enjoy it more and I am a lot more relaxed.

How does social media feed into your blog – are any channels more important?
I tend to favour Instagram, Twitter and Facebook. Everything I write will get shared across all these channels. Depending on the content I will also create a pin, but I only tend to do this for evergreen posts. Pinterest creates the biggest referral stream to my blog outside of Google and other search engines. Currently it’s probably my most underutilised channel, which is something I plan to address this year. It’s hard to keep all the social media channels spinning, each has its only personality, so I think it’s natural to favour one over another.

What’s the perfect Mother’s Day?
Hopefully this years! Anything which gives me the opportunity to spend time with my little family without distractions. A chance to reconnect without time pressure, or a to do list getting in the way. So much so that this year we are going off the grid. I think it will force us all to stay off electronics. I am surprised by just how much I am looking forward to it. Although my eldest needs some convincing.

Clare Minall

What’s the best thing about being a mum?
It’s so hard to choose! I think seeing the world through the boy’s eyes. Constantly juggling, running from one thing to another as an adult, it’s easy to miss the magic in every day. Yet taking the time to spend with the boys and see their joy in simple things reminds me of where my priorities should lie. They help keep me on the straight and narrow.

What advice would you give new mothers?
A wise person once said to me that you have to listen to your gut and trust your instinct. You will come across a lot of people offering advice. Some of this advice will relate to experience based on knowing a few things about lots of babies. But you as a mother will know a lot of things about your baby. So trust it. It’s something I have followed with both boys even though they were very different babies and even more different as children. Believing I know what is right for my child and trusting it makes me a lot more relaxed as a parent.

The UK Bloggers Survey revealed Parenting as a supersector – how do you feel parenting fits in to the broader blogosphere?
I discovered blogs when I was first pregnant trying to navigate one of life’s biggest changes, so I am not surprised that parenting is now considered a supersector. Parenting can link with pretty much every blog out there. A beauty blogger could still be a mum. A travel blogger could focus on family travel. A food blogger could produce ‘free from recipes’ because their little ones have allergies. Many bloggers in other sectors could well be parents themselves. I would find it hard now that I am a parent for it not to shape my thinking or my writing, since it’s so integral to everything I do.

The Survey also revealed that bloggers post less frequently – is this your experience?
I tend to try to schedule a daily post. There are weeks when this is not possible as I may have specific social media campaigns. I am not sure if frequency is that important but its more about consistency. I try to write certain types of posts on certain days or times of the month so that people know what to expect. There are also posts that I write purely for me. Mudpie Fridays originally started as an online diary as I tried to navigate secondary infertility. Not that I realised that’s what it was then. But recording our adventures as a family of three helped and then when I finally managed to hang on to a baby the weekly diary kept me sane.

Do you accept PR press releases?
I do, but as I mentioned previously it needs to be in keeping with my brand, my values and my families preferences. This way it’s more likely to be received well by my audience. If it doesn’t tick the box, then it’s likely the brand would get a better response with someone else anyway. I would also want to build my own narrative around the release in my voice, which is what my readers expect.

How do you choose which PRs and brands to work with?
PR wise it’s a relationship game, I have been very fortunate to work with some lovely PRs over the last few years. Brand wise I pick based on whether it’s a brand I would choose to buy outside of the blog. If it’s an experience or event would I choose to take the boys there if I wasn’t being paid or offered something based on a review? If the answer’s no, then if I worked with them the post is unlikely to flow properly and it would be obvious to my readers.

Mudpie Fridays

What are the best collaborations you’ve worked on?
We have been so fortunate over the last few years and had some amazing experiences. Anything family travel orientated or that gives my family the opportunity to try something new scores highly. While we were reviewing a resort complex in Crete last October we were invited on a Cretan Cookery Course. The people that ran it were so hospitable and made such an effort with the boys. I can still remember Monkey’s face as he mixed the pork with all the vegetables, his sleeves rolled up, a huge grin on his face, chatting away. Once the food was prepared and cooked, we all sat down and ate together. Over the table we shared travel stories with the other guests, before being treated to some traditional music as the evening drew in.

In November last year, Monkey and I were invited to Finland by the Levi Tourist board. It was a once in a life time experience that saw us stay in a glass igloo underneath the stars and chase auroras. Those memories will stay with us both for a lifetime and its simply not something we would be able to afford to do without having Mudpie Friday.

What other blogs do you read?
Lots! I read more blogs than I do books, magazines and newspapers so it’s very hard to choose some favourites. However if I had to choose then the ones I read my frequently are Laura at Dear Bear & Beany, Becky at Cuddle Fairy and Donna at What the Redhead Said. They all have children similar in age to my boys, so I can really relate to their parenting journeys.

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Article 13

Industry associations react to EU copyright vote

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The European Parliament’s vote to pass new laws for copyright on the internet has been met with criticism from industry giants like Google, high-profile Youtubers, and associations including the CIPR and PRCA.

‘Memes’ and parody are safe under the Article 13 – passed on Tuesday with a 348-274 vote – but reuse of material beyond reaction gifs created for sharing on Twitter or Tumblr could be subject to censor. Francis Ingham, director general of the PRCA said: ‘We risk chilling online engagement with overreaching roles on copyright. This comes, ironically, at a time when we need the public to engage with the news more than ever’.

Though Article 13 has the aim of passing accountability for copyright-breaking content from the public and onto the digital companies that host its distribution, this may still have unintended negative consequences for individuals looking to share their thoughts on current events online. The directive’s upload filters – though intended to support news organisations and providers – may silence public opinion before it can be shared and, according to the CIPR’s stance, ‘damage the rights of internet users’. For CIPR Chief Executive Alastair McCapra, ‘Mandatory licenses and content filters are a disproportionate response to the problem and will not tackle the problem of the illegal sharing of right-protected content online.’

High-profile figures are on each side of the argument regarding the new laws, such as musicians Wyclef Jean (against) and Debbie Harry (for). Companies who had protested the passing of Article 13 include PornHub – a platform that has previously provided a haven for users leaving the social blogging platform Tumblr post-censorship to instead create and share GIFs with them [This link is surprisingly safe for work]. Tumblr’s ban on ‘NSFW’ content in December 2018 has already seen the social blogging site lose 30% of its web traffic, and though Article 13’s copyright focus is far from Tumblr’s ‘female-presenting nipples’ aversion, social sharing sites could still be negatively affected in a similar way when it comes to engagement and user numbers.

For journalists and content creators, the new laws are designed to support and protect their work from companies sharing without payment or proper accreditation. A noble aim, but one that comes with caveats and consequences that won’t always be conducive to creativity and reward. Laws that could curb future controversies like that of the @fuckjerry account aggregating without consent may also harm journalistic free thought, and that’s something that will have an impact on the PR industry.

McCapra said: ‘[Article 13] will force restrictions on the way PR professionals work and deliver value for clients and businesses across Europe’, which is a view that many PRs are likely to share in the coming months. However the industry reacts to the new laws as their reality sets in, PR firms and freelancers (and the content creators they work with) are going to have to get creative to work with the incoming filters and restrictions… or the new opportunities, depending if you’re team Jean or team Harry.

Vuelio are exhibiting at B2B Marketing Expo 2019

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On 27 and 28 March, the ExCeL Centre will transform into Europe’s leading marketing event, B2B Marketing Expo. Exhibiting on stand 2212, the Vuelio team will be ready to answer any questions about our portfolio of products, from the market-leading journalist enquiry service to our fully integrated communications suite.

You’ll find the Vuelio stand close to three masterclasses, including digital marketing, customer acquisition and empowering your ecommerce, so why not get up to speed with the latest marketing theory and visit our stand all in one trip!

With hundreds of other exhibitors to visit at B2B Marketing Expo this year you’ll need to make sure you’ve got a solid plan, so you don’t miss anyone out.

And we’ll be running a special competition for a chance to win £100 for a charity of your choice. Just speak to any member of the Vuelio team – you can’t miss us.

Unable to make it this year? Follow @Vuelio and stay up to date with the latest news, events and blog posts.

UK Bloggers Survey PR opinions

The blogosphere is evolving – what does the PR industry need to do to catch up?

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Bloggers are getting smarter about navigating the industry and finding success, according to results from the UK Bloggers Survey 2019, but could the PR industry be doing more to adapt alongside them?

According to the statistics, more bloggers are choosing to monetise their posts, with women in particular utilising blogging as a business rather than a hobby. But there’s still improvement to be made in how PRs can work with the community to measure success, to improve diversity within the UK blogging sphere, and to work on the gender split that continues in key verticals.

72% of the female bloggers surveyed blog for professional reasons rather than personal, in comparison to a 44% personal/56% professional split for male respondents
Is the fact that women are leading the way in monetising their blogs a sign of dominance in the sphere? ‘I think it’s to do with men blogging for fun outside of a day job and not seeing it as generating the kind of income they might like’, says Fiona Scott, who works with bloggers for her Wiltshire-based media consultancy. ‘Women may be more willing to accept a lower income in return for doing something they love which fits around their other responsibilities, e.g. children.’

That the results are a reflection of continuing gender inequality is a view backed up by Mindy Gofton, head of marketing strategy & innovation at i-com.net: ‘Research has shown that women’s spending money is more likely to get spent on the family as a whole, while men’s spending money is more likely to get spent on themselves. Given that women have lower average salaries and that they are far more likely to work part-time or to be full-time carers or full-time parents, it stands to reason that monetising a blog is a way to have a little additional financial freedom that their male counterparts simply don’t need.’

89% of the bloggers felt that PRs should focus on the quality of engagement to measure success
Methods of measuring success is something PRs and bloggers still disagree on, with bloggers valuing quality over the PR focus on quantity. Is this something that needs to change?

‘Measuring the success of a blogger campaign is something the PR industry needs to work on’, says Nobull’s junior account manager Amy Green, who has previously decided not to work with higher-following bloggers if they don’t fit a campaign’s specific objectives. ‘The standard “PR Value” and “Circulation” almost don’t apply anymore. Understanding what the purpose of the campaign is defines how you are going to measure the success.’

‘I think it’s important to not only focus on numbers but also on the engagement,’ says Nicole Rohde at luxury fashion brand Maxwell-Scott. ‘We are all aware that nowadays there are millions of fake accounts on social media and there is also the hidden world of buying fake Instagram followers. I often ask bloggers for case studies on previous collaborations so that I can estimate the level of engagement a post about my brand will get. It’s more important to find a blogger that absolutely fits in with the overall strategy of your brand, rather than the biggest.’

40% of bloggers consider themselves more trusted than traditional journalists (down from the 54% the year prior)
What do PRs consider better value – features in traditional media, or posts from high-profile bloggers? 40% of bloggers surveyed believe they’re more trusted than journalists, and they may be onto something. Bloggers often have more capacity to work on a piece, according to Procoal’s Tom Bourlet: ‘With the expectancy now on many journalists to burn and churn through content on a much more regular basis to match online demands, they simply don’t have the time they used to.’

Speed is something Model Village CEO William Soulier also sees as a positive: ‘The limited red-tape in terms of sign-off and internal processes enables bloggers to turn around content much faster. This ultimately gives them an edge.’ But it’s detail that Nicole appreciates in the fashion sphere: ‘Bloggers will usually provide outfit suggestion to go along with your product. They show how the item can be used in everyday situations, which provides the target audience with a better idea.’

Whether bloggers are a more reliable choice that traditional journalists is something head of outreach and content Simona Bojare considers in her work at Ascent Group: ‘I still work with A LOT of bloggers but I’ve become a lot more selective than I was few years ago. As an industry, we’re definitely seeing people/readers be a lot more sceptical when it comes to influencer/blogger endorsements. This is due to those few that have had lousy disclosure practices in the past.’

Danny Whatmough, managing director, Integrated Media at Weber Shandwick believes both traditional journalists and bloggers need to be judged on their individual work and merits: ‘Trust and authenticity are topics that are sensitive but important in both disciplines. There are examples on both sides where practitioners have not been trustworthy or authentic and this has an impact on the whole industry.’

None of the female bloggers who took part in the survey write about politics, gaming, music, or tech. Of those that took part in this survey, 93% identified as White British
Results from The UK Bloggers Survey 2019 mirrored a continuing gender disparity across certain subjects in the wider blogging community, as well as the shockingly low percentage of high-profile BAME bloggers and influencers in the UK. Whether the existing, predominantly white, blogging community isn’t an inviting space for BAME creators to join, or PR companies and brands aren’t doing enough to work with those who are already a part of it, there’s no disputing that there are many voices out there, and more needs to be done to find and elevate them.

‘For PRs to make a strong difference, they need to stop following and repeating what their competitors are doing and to look elsewhere, see the people who are trying to get their name out there and just need the opportunity to be heard’, believes Tom Bourlet. ‘They need to analyse their previous marketing efforts or influencers worked with and see if they have followed a consistent pattern and see whether there is an opportunity to change this and to build in more diversity.’

‘Lack of diversity is a problem that the PR industry faces too’, says Danny at Weber Shandwick. ‘It’s important that we work hard – including through surveys like this – to hear from a diverse range of opinions and properly reflect the audiences that we are looking to reach. Whether that’s through PR outreach, data and insight or news articles, we all have a responsibility to support diversity that will, ultimately, make the output and results of campaigns stronger.’

Work in PR and want to work with the best bloggers in the business? You need the Vuelio Media Database.

PRCA conference

Public Affairs industry gears up for Brexit

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Yesterday, senior figures from across the public affairs industry gathered for the inaugural PRCA Public Affairs conference. With the UK still due to leave the EU in just eight days, the conference topic was unsurprisingly ‘Cutting through Brexit’.

Opening the discussion with a speech that ranged from emperor Diocletian to Voltaire’s Candide, Brunswick Group’s head of public affairs, Jon McLeod [pictured], explained that Brexit was one of those moments where the page of history turned but it was still unclear what would be on the other side.

Theresa May’s former director of legislative affairs, Nikki da Costa, who is now senior counsel at Cicero Group, provided insight into the goings-on at Number 10. She suggested that it would now have become ‘exhausted’ and ‘defensive’, unable to adapt to the changing climate. She argued that the last few years had seen Parliament grow in strength, doubted that May would get her deal through and thought the chances of there being a general election this year were high.

What does this mean for the public affairs industry?

It’s clear that Brexit has already provided new opportunities for a sector that thrives on political uncertainty, from high levels of engagement with c-suite executives, as FTI Consulting’s Alex Deane observed, to relatively small companies needing to work with public affairs agencies for the first time, as John Higginson of Higginson Strategy has experienced.

However, there have also been problems. According to Gill Morris, founder of DevoConnect, practitioners like her who do something a ‘little bit different’ have suffered from ‘Brexit paralysis’. There are future opportunities too, Deane pointed to regulatory divergence potentially allowing the UK to become a world leader in new technologies, such as driverless cars.

Another important question was if the UK’s attractiveness as a base for international businesses would decline after Brexit. The Law Society’s Alexandra Cardenas felt that the UK would still be an attractive destination because international businesses valued the certainty of UK common law and its expert courts.

Dominick Moxon-Tritsch of Taxify said that the UK was currently a good environment for start-ups, but that Brexit risked this, while tax policy had already pushed some tech firms to choose alternative locations. He also expressed concern about the UK being left on the margins of pan-EU regulations.

Ketchum’s Jamie Robertson warned that there was a risk of global businesses feeling that they were being ignored or treated with hostility by the Government, though the ‘eccentric’ political system provided opportunities for public affairs professionals to provide their expertise to multinational businesses looking to invest in what is still an ‘essential’ market for them.

So far Brexit has been good for most public affairs practitioners, exposing the industry to a broader and more senior range of clients as businesses reach out for a helping hand in a time of adversity. However, the post-Brexit era will pose new challenges, from changes in the strategy of multinationals to getting to grips with an independent UK trade policy. Whatever happens in the coming days and months, it’s clear that ‘business as usual’ will not return any time soon.

Webinar: Understanding the Blogger Survey Results

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The UK Bloggers Survey has revealed there’s more professional bloggers working full time, but they’re posting less frequently and generally not using press releases or publishing traditional PR pitches.

Our next webinar will be looking at the results of the survey with top blogging guests: Yaya Onalaja-Aliu and Lloyd Griffiths from Hand Luggage Only and Elle Linton from Keep it simpElle.

Sign up to join our live webinar on Tuesday, 26 March 2019

Elle, Lloyd and Yaya will be sharing their own experiences of working as bloggers, and how their commercial work is shaped by their relationships with PRs and brands.

The results revealed that 32% of blogs still receive over seven pitches from PRs a week, but less than 2% result in published content. This is not surprising when we know that 58% of bloggers believe they should be paid for all coverage they give to brands, which is probably the clearest indication of difference between traditional PR/journalist relationships and ‘new’ PR/blogger relationships.

Bloggers and PRs use different measures to agree levels of compensation – PRs often looking at evidence-based facts and data, whereas bloggers consider the time it takes to create content and their own levels of experiences in the industry.

Reasons to agree compensation

We’ll also be discussing results that suggest a majority of bloggers still believe that PR regard traditional journalists as more important than bloggers even though most believe bloggers give a platform to opinions the mainstream media neglects.

Join us live for our webinar and Q&A on Tuesday 26 March at 11am or sign up to receive a recording of the webinar after it airs.