Archive for: Blog Posts

John Adams is the creator of top Daddy blog, Dad Blog UK, taking the number one spot in our Top 10 UK Daddy Blogs. Dad Blog UK has great advice for parents and John shares the milestones in his children’s lives with his readers alongside offering insight into what it’s like to be a stay-at-home dad in 2019. 

We caught up with John to talk about life as a blogger, the importance of social channels and how father’s day impacts his content.

How do you describe what you do to other people?
Until 18 months ago, I would have described myself as a stay-at-home dad. Blogging was more of a side hustle. With both my daughters having been in the education system for a little while now, I happily describe myself as a “fatherhood, parenting and lifestyle blogger.”

I’m still the kids’ main carer because my wife is out the house 12 hours a day. During school hours, however, I work on the blog.

Generally speaking, younger people, those in their thirties and below, get what I do. For older people, I have to explain what a blogger is and how I earn money. No matter who I am speaking to, I often find I’m an object of curiosity!

How do social channels work with your blog – are any more important than others?
My social channels revolve around Dadbloguk. I own the blog and parent company so it’s my channel. You’re at the whim of algorithms with social channels and they can be de-activated (think Vine and Google+).

Twitter and Facebook are my main channels for promoting blog posts. Pinterest also works well for me, although I only really embraced it properly earlier this year.

That said, I am producing increasing amounts of stand-alone content, especially on Instagram where I have experienced more engagement over the past 12 months. I’ve increased my output on Stories and I am ever so slightly in love with IGTV.

A brand-new venture for me is TikTok. I posted my fourth video to TikTok seven days ago. It was in support of a motoring-themed campaign and at the time of writing, the video had 56,500 views with no paid-for promotion whatsoever. I appreciate many people think it’s a channel for young people, but that, to me, is a sign TikTok has huge potential.

As an aside, short-form video is ideal for the mummy or daddy content creator. We’re often juggling kids and work so pushed-for time and don’t have gangs of friends to help with shooting and editing footage. It’s quick, easier to produce than long-form and is better for authentically portraying the messy nature of family life.

What’s the perfect father’s day?  
I was asked this the other day and I said something about lying a beach in the Seychelles. That’ll never happen, so I’ll settle for a sunny day, a barbecue with the family and a bike ride with the kids.

How much does father’s day affect your content?
The build-up to father’s day is often one of the busiest times of year. I get a lot of requests to write about possible father’s day gifts. There’s also a lot of interest in the media about the role of fathers, so I often find myself giving comment to print and broadcast media about life as a dad. That brings me on nicely to the next question…

How is the role of dad changing in society?
In the decade I’ve been a dad, fathers’ roles have changed hugely. When I became a dad, it was kind-of a question as to whether a man would be a hands-on dad. Now it’s more of a question how hands on a man is going to be.

I’m delighted to see more discussion and debate about flexible working and men. Volvo, Aviva, British Land etc. are among employers who have equalised parental policies. It’s happening slowly, but employers seem to be accepting that men are central figures in their family’s lives. All the evidence shows millennial men and women expect to have their needs as parents respected by their employers and to be treated equally. Flexible working and childcare should not be treated solely as a women’s issues because they aren’t, they impact on men and children too. If you don’t have equal workplace policies in place, you effectively force women out of the workplace and trap men in it.

Okay, I’ll get off my high-horse. Moving on. . .

What’s the best balance between visual and written content?
You need some visual content on a blog. I tend to post a photographic, image-led blog post at the weekends. At the beginning of 2019 I completely revamped Dadbloguk and I considered doing away with this feature. Truth is, I enjoy photography and my visitor stats prove that weekly post is phenomenally popular so it ain’t going anywhere!

I think of myself as a writer so there will always be long-form, written content on my blog. For commercial clients, I would say well-written, long-form content is very valuable because of its evergreen nature. I keep a very close eye on what visitors to my blog are reading and it never ceases to amaze me:
a) How popular review posts are
b) The length of time people spend reading review posts and
c) How much traffic such posts receive months and years after they are written.

It’s a healthy reminder that us bloggers have a responsibility to produce well written, honest, detailed reviews.

Video content I tend to keep on my social channels. This is becoming more important on Instagram and you can expect me to do more on TikTok as well!

Do you accept press releases?
I am very happy to receive media releases and approaches from PR people.

What are the best collaborations you’ve worked on?
Just recently I’ve worked on a few campaigns with tech companies to highlight the parental controls their products have, working with Apple was a highlight and I did a similar with Xbox also.  I’m passionate about online safety so these campaigns were a great fit for me.

Thinking of road safety, I’ve just worked on a fun campaign with Peugeot in which I had to reverse a van around an obstacle course to test its Surround Rear Vision reversing system. The TikTok video I mentioned was part of this campaign.

What advice would you give to PRs/brands reaching out to you?
I am always happy to hear from PR representatives and brands. If you are inviting me to an event, I need as much notice as possible (us mummy and daddy bloggers often have to arrange childcare).

Ultimately, however, if you have an idea, run it past me.

What other blogs do you read?
This question always makes me feel uncomfortable because I feel like I’m going to miss someone really important off the list!

Believe it or not, I do visit Inthefrow. The fashion and styles on display don’t interest me, but I like to read blogs that operate in completely different spheres to see what other people are doing. It challenges you to think differently and Victoria produces an exceptionally well-designed blog and you can see why the content appeals to her core readership. Time and again I return to Diary of the Dad because I love Tom’s writing. He can also be very funny and witty. I think Daddy and Dad offers a great insight into adoption and life as a same-sex couple. Jamie and Tom are going places I think. I’m a huge fan of Grey Fox because of the way David promotes classic British style. He also deserves recognition for pioneering online style for older guys

Neil Vaughan is the man behind The Spurs Web, recently included in the Top 10 UK Football Blogs. The Spurs Web is the main source for everything Tottenham Hotspur, from match days to transfer talk and even has an app who need the latest news instantly. We caught up with Neil to talk about his player of the season, how football fandom has changed how we consume football content and the power of social media.

How do you describe what you do to other people?  
I would describe it as providing football fans with a platform to have their opinions heard and read by their fellow supporters from all around the world.

How important are the different social channels when they feed into your blog? 
Social channels are critical to driving visitors to the website. It depends on the demographic of the supporter, some like to hang out on Twitter as the game unfolds, whereas some on Facebook prefer to see the build-up for a match via the Live facility. It also gives the supporter the chance to interact with fan-generated content which we often feature, such as goal celebrations from the stands recorded by fans. This is content which official channels tend not to offer.

Who’s your player of the season?  
Heung-min Son. The South Korean has performed fantastically well in the absence of the injured Harry Kane and has opened a completely new market of supporter to the club with his cult-like following in his homeland of South Korea.

How is football fandom changing the way we consume football content?  
The rise of the ‘vlogger’ is something which is definitely something to watch. You only have to look around any Premier League stadium and you will see vloggers filming themselves watching a match.

What’s your view on esports and the likes of teams having their own esports players/teams? 
The rise of esports has been nothing short of stratospheric over the past ten years and it has been a surprise that it has taken professional football clubs up until only recently to start to embrace the new market. If it means that clubs can generate increased revenue, awareness and attract a new type of supporter then it can only be good.

How important is the community to your blog? Do you accept press releases? 
Critical. Without the football community there is no website. They are the lifeblood of our content and this is how it will remain. Our mantra is ‘for the fans, by the fans’. We are in a unique position where unlike official club websites or major publications, we can provide a level of coverage and passion that you just cannot generate from a paid journalist.

Do you accept press releases?
Yes, we certainly welcome press releases.

What are the best campaigns you’ve collaborated on with PRs/brands? 
Surprisingly, given our vast social media following and website which attracts over three million page views per month, we haven’t really had many PRs/brands collaborating with us. This is something which we hope to change given the fact that they would be engaging with a passionate and bespoke audience that we have built over many years.

What other blogs do you read? 
eConsultancy is a big favourite to try to keep on top of digital trends in order to further improve the service which we offer our visitors.

Suze Renner is one half of the team behind Luxury Columnist. Discovering hidden gems around the world, the luxury loving pair review hotels, restaurants and share the most interesting things to do, making Luxury Columnist a must-visit for anyone looking to have a holiday with a difference and a touch of luxury. 

We spoke to Suze about out the segmentation of travel blogging, how local issues impact their travel and their favourite travel blogs.

How do you describe what you do to other people?
We describe ourselves as content creators and multi-channel marketers who feature the latest luxury travel trends and destinations.

How do social channels work with your blog? Are any more important than others?
In terms of social channels, the two that work best for us are Instagram, which is great for immediate visibility, and Pinterest, which drives long term traffic to our website. Pinterest users are generally in a purchasing mindset when browsing the platform, so they’re highly valuable to luxury brands. Twitter is great for connecting with ultra-high net worth consumers and Facebook continues to be popular in many countries.

Do you feel travel blogging is segmented (luxury/standard/local/family/budget etc)?
Yes, although these days the lines between luxury and budget have become more blurred. Glamping and back-to-nature accommodation are increasingly popular, with some people choosing to splurge on a luxury hotel for a few nights at the end of their stay while staying somewhere more low-key for the rest. We focus on bespoke experiences and high quality, whatever the price range

What’s the best balance between visual and written content?
Visual content draws the reader in, but detailed written content is key to keeping them interested long term. We focus on writing in-depth articles that will be ranked higher by search engines; increasingly, those search engines are prioritising quality edited photos highly in their rankings, as they recognise that these are important to readers.

What’s your favourite hotel in the world?
It’s hard to choose just one, but a favourite is Monastero Santa Rosa, which is a former convent on the Amalfi Coast in Italy with an amazing infinity pool.

Which airline is the best (and why)?
Again, there are many great airlines, but we like Emirates for the friendly staff and quality of the food and beverage offering.

How conscious are you of political upheaval and local issues when travelling?
We always research our destination in detail before travelling, and check with the Foreign and Commonwealth Office website that it is advisable to travel to the region. We like to speak to as many locals as possible while on the ground, in order to get a full picture of current events.

Do you accept press releases?
We can’t use press releases as we write about our personal experiences.

What’s the best PR campaign/collaboration you’ve worked on?
One of the best ones was a recent campaign for Visit Tokyo. They were clear about project deliverables, yet they listened to our input about activities that we knew readers would be interested in. We suggested to them that we integrated Tokyo’s plum blossom season into the campaign, as it is much less well known than cherry season. The best campaigns are those where we establish a long-term collaboration, and where the destination or hotel brand shares our content on their own site and social channels.

What other blogs do you read?
We like blogs and websites that give detailed information on the places that we are travelling to. For Japan, Travels with Nano was helpful and for Paris, we love the photography by Paris in Four Months.

Ana Silva O’Reilly is the founder and creative force behind Mrs. O Around The World. Travelling to far-flung places around the world, reviewing hotels and discovering the best way to spend a weekend, Mrs. O Around The World is perfect for discovering luxury whether you’re in the city or the countryside.

We caught up with Ana to find out how important social media is to her blog, which airline is the best and her approach to press releases (both sending and receiving them).

How do you describe what you do to other people?
I always tell them I have two very different jobs – I run my own marketing consultancy firm (and have worked in marketing for almost 20 years now) and I also write about travel.

The next question is always ‘who do I write for?’ and I always say ‘for myself and a group of like-minded people who are a bit picky with how they travel and where they stay from all over the world’.

My split has been 70-30 since the beginning and I find it that it works very well for me.

How do social channels work with your blog? Are any more important than others?
It depends what the purpose is – I have different followers on different channels, so I tend to have very different conversations in each. I am equally active across Twitter, Facebook and Instagram and I enjoy all three.

I love the ‘fast and furiousness’ of twitter chats (and very proud to continue to co-host #luxtravelchat weekly every Thursday which will celebrate its 5th birthday this Summer).

I am a big fan of Instagram stories (but frustrated with IG itself), and I do have some good conversations and return with Facebook.

I have also started a YouTube channel – driven by brand work and it has worked quite well. I have done a bit of work on Pinterest with the help of a professional and hoping to turn that around – that has never been my channel!

Do you feel travel blogging is segmented (luxury/standard/local/family/budget etc)?
It is – but the world luxury is completely overused, which is a shame. We need to bring the hotel stars back – the standard was never consistent across the world, but it levelled things out.

On the other hand, there are very few people who write about luxury travel who get to experience it outside press trips, which I find somehow misleading. You can’t tell people to part with their money if you never do it yourself. Don’t get me wrong – I work on brand projects and indeed I get paid to travel, but I go on real holidays often and that is a really important balance (for me, at least).

I’m glad that disclosure is becoming finally ‘a thing’, but I was disappointed to see some bloggers ‘joking’ about it almost – as if it was beneath them (’thank you for the glass of juice, brand X). Sasha from Liberty London Girl has always led the way – and is someone I don’t know in real life and enjoy following.

What’s the best balance between visual and written content?
Everyone has their own. I’m a great believer of less is more – I don’t think people need to hear from me more than they do from their best friends. And ‘being on’ every day because some ‘influencer course’ told you so, may not work for everyone.

I have started doing more video – but the blog is and always will be my priority. It’s the only thing that’s really mine.

What’s your favourite hotel in the world?
I am a great fan of Finca Cortesin in the south of Spain – I went for the first time seven years ago as Mrs. O and return every summer as Ana. Heading back in a month’s time and very much looking forward to it.

Which airline is the best (and why)?
I’m a British Airways Executive Club gold cardholder (oneworld emerald) and have been for nine years now – which means I buy a lot of tickets each year and I am loyal to BA.

Obviously, it is my home airline (I am a T-Fiver) and that plays a part. I do tend to fly within OneWorld but lately I have been venturing out and may have something interesting coming up which will show top tier BA flyers that may be worth ‘cheating’ every now and then.

How conscious are you of political upheaval and local issues when travelling?
I would think a fair bit – I actually got used to reading all medical warnings as Zika has conditioned my travels in recent years (my IVF journey and failures have been documented, with the incredible support of my readers).

I don’t need to be the first or the last to experience anything – the BAE (‘before anyone else’) syndrome is not one Mrs. O suffers from (and absolutely not why my readers come to me).

Do you accept press releases?
No. I only write about my trips, so I don’t do features about places I have never visited and there are no exceptions. But of course I do use press releases to keep myself up to date of new openings and events.

What’s the best PR campaign/collaboration you’ve worked on?
I have had a very successful collaboration with Visit California in the summer of 2018 (following a first project in 2017), which then led to a Winter 2019 campaign as well. And more to come soon. Why? Because I love California and have been going at least once a year for the last 14 years. And everyone knows that! And needless to say, free creative reign to do as I pleased.

What other blogs do you read?
Kim-Marie from Luxury Travel Mom and Nancy from Luxe Travel Family are very good friends of mine and we really have a similar way of travelling, in terms of our expectations – so I always go to them (and have for years).

I really enjoy Damsel in Dior – I identify with the way that Jacie travels and absolutely adore her sense of style and shoes. Nobody makes me buy more shoes than she does! I also get lots of air travel tips from Michele at Turning Left for Less, which I highly recommend.