Chancellor

Political Headlines – Philip Hammond, nuisance calls, Brexit vote and Caroline Lucas

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Today’s Political Headlines include Philip Hammond’s call for capitalism to be reformed, directors made personally liable for nuisance calls, George Soros backing a campaign for second Brexit vote and Caroline Lucas stepping down as Green co-leader. 

Philip Hammond to call for capitalism to be reformed
According to The Daily Telegraph, Chancellor Philip Hammond is to use a major speech to argue that Thatcherite free market capitalism needs to be reformed in order to adjust to modern technology and win over millennials. Measures under consideration include greater state intervention to prevent near-monopolies such as Google and Facebook. Meanwhile, the BBC says that Scottish Conservative leader Ruth Davidson has called for migration targets to be dropped and for NHS spending to be prioritised over tax cuts.

Directors to be made personally liable for nuisance calls
The Times reports that the Government is to make the directors of firms which make nuisance calls personally liable for fines of up to £500,000. According to figures from the Information Commissioner’s Office, 46% of fines since 2010 have not been recovered owing to company liquidations.

George Soros backs campaign for second Brexit vote within a year
According to The Guardian, in a speech in Paris George Soros announced that the pro-remain Best for Britain campaign would launch within days. He said that the campaign aimed to secure a second referendum within a year to save the UK from ‘immense damage’ and that it would need to be won by a ‘convincing margin’. The group’s manifesto is expected to be launched on 8 June.

Caroline Lucas to step down as Green co-leader
The Guardian reports that Caroline Lucas will step down as co-leader of the Green Party of England and Wales in September. She said that it was time to make ‘space for other people’, that a ‘far greater culture of professionalism’ had been introduced to the party and that she had no intention of standing for leader for a third time.

Sajid Javid halts removal of immigrants who altered tax returns
The Financial Times says that Sajid Javid, the Home Secretary, has halted action against hundreds of immigrants facing extradition from the UK after they made changes to their returns. In addition, he has revealed that the Home Office is dealing with 226 inquiries from Commonwealth citizens with the right to remain in the UK who were denied the right to return after trips abroad.

HMRC fails to answer 4m calls a year
The Daily Telegraph reports that HMRC is failing to answer over four million calls a year, with over one in ten callers failing to speak to anyone – a doubling in the last year. Meg Hillier, Chair of the Commons Public Accounts Committee, said that the performance was ‘disappointing’ and accused HMRC of letting down self-employed taxpayers.

Commons committee recommends action on sugar
The Times says that the Commons Health and Social Care Committee will recommend that the sugar levy on soft drinks is extended to other products such as chocolate and puddings if sugar content is not reduced. It also recommends that social media firms ‘take responsibility’ for protecting children from junk food advertising and a 9pm watershed for junk food adverts on television.

Drone tests to be introduced
The BBC says that the Government is to introduce legislation to the Commons which would require drone users to pass online safety tests. There would also be a ban on flying drones within 1km of an airport or above 400ft. According to the aviation minister, Baroness Sugg, the measures will protect aircraft and passengers.

Find out more about Vuelio Political Services and what they can do for you.

General Data Protection Regulation

Five GDPR resources you shouldn’t have missed

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HAPPY GDPR DAY! We’ve been excited about the GDPR for months (years even) and finally it is upon us.

Hopefully you’re not panicking too much about the implication of the biggest data protection changes in the last 20 years, but, if you are – don’t despair! Very few companies are fully compliant right now, so there’s still time to sort yourself out and work towards the GDPR requirements.

And, if you need a little help, here’s five GDPR resources you shouldn’t have missed:

1. What you need to know about the GDPR

Our first white paper, published back in February, covers the GDPR in the broadest terms. It gives an overview of what the GDPR is, defines key terms like Data Controller and Data Processor and builds a picture of what you need to do to comply.

Best for: an introduction to the GDPR

 

2. Your Guide to Vuelio and the GDPR

Many of our users asked for a more comprehensive overview of the GDPR, so we created this guide! It explains the GDPR and your requirements in detail, as well as customer specific information when working with Vuelio as a Data Controller and Data Processor.

Best for: Vuelio customers and anyone who wants to understand the complexities of the GDPR

 

3. GDPR for Comms

We were delighted to be joined by data guru and GDPR expert, Rowenna Fielding – senior data protection lead at Protecture – for this exclusive webinar. Outlining how the GDPR affects PR and comms, Rowenna also took questions from the audience to help with industry-specific queries.

Best for: listening to an expert discuss the GDPR in relation to the comms industry

 

4. FAQs parts 1 and 2

We had SO many questions from the webinar that we had to follow it up with TWO blog posts. Rowenna very kindly answered questions about the GDPR, here, while we answered questions about using Vuelio in compliance with the GDPR, here.

Best for: finding answers to questions you’ve probably been asking in the office

 

5. The GDPR Made Simple

Our second white paper, published this week, making everything to do with the GDPR simple and easy to follow. There can be a lot of jargon and advice online, so we’ve condensed it into easy-to-follow sections that will help you meet your compliance requirements.

Best for: anyone overloaded by the GDPR who just wants a simple read

Beast London

BEAST – a New East London Magazine

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BEAST is a new magazine catering for an East London audience. Focusing on lifestyle topics, from restaurant reviews to quirky days out, BEAST is now working towards its first printed issue.

We caught up with Nicky Acketts, creative director at BEAST, who told us about launching the new East London lifestyle magazine, going back to basics and always being up for an adventure…

Can you tell us a bit about the recently launched BEAST magazine? What makes it different from other publications?
BEAST hopes to reflect the pulse of East London, sparking discussion around shared passions and providing an aspirational and invigorating guide to the area. Bringing together communities, local business and those visiting the area.

What are the main challenges when getting a new magazine up and running?
Our main challenges are ensuring we can deliver high quality content within budget and initially to encourage advertisers to take a leap of faith with a new brand.

What do you enjoy the most about your job? What are some of the more difficult aspects?
My mind is constantly buzzing with ideas. I’m a proactive person who’s keen to not miss an opportunity or adventure. Whether it’s supporting and introducing others or jumping on the next exciting thing for us to feature, I like to keep moving. I love meeting people and hearing their story; There are so many incredible people making their mark out there.

It’s important to have an end plan and to be specific about what your product or service is and does.

How do you engage your audience? Does social media play a significant role?
Social media plays a big part nowadays, but I don’t believe it’s the be all and end all. I believe in getting back to basics. People have become adept at screening out the bombardment of digital marketing messages that can become irritating and annoying, therefore they don’t see anything. So, we have an uncluttered, stylish and calmer approach, and I think people will actually engage in the things they find of interest.

Where do you hope to take the publication in the future?
We’d like to take BEAST nationally, if not globally. We definitely have our eye on NYC!

What type of press material are you interested in receiving?
We encourage ideas and collaboration, whatever the subject matter. The more weird and wonderful, the better.

[testimonial_view id=19]

Nicky and BEAST are both listings on the Vuelio Influencer Database along with thousands of other bloggers, vloggers, journalists, editors and opportunities. 

Reach-the-right-influencers-with-the-Vuelio-media-database

Northern Ireland

Political Headlines – Northern Ireland, EU budget and NHS

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Today’s Political Headlines include Theresa May challenged to ‘prove’ she is a feminist over abortion laws in Northern Ireland, Uk participating in EU budget negotiations, the Treasury and Bank of England at loggerheads and the NHS wasting resources. 

Prime Minister asked to back abortion law change in Northern Ireland
The BBC reports that Shadow Attorney General Shami Chakrabarti has challenged Theresa May to prove that she is a feminist by backing reform of abortion law in Northern Ireland and showing that she would ‘stick up for all women’. MPs from all parties have called on the Prime Minister to support a change in the law, following the successful referendum in Ireland.

European Commission and Brexiteers angry at UK participation in EU budget negotiations
The Times claims that the European Commission and Brexiteers are ‘united in anger’ after the European Council invited the UK to take part in negotiations to determine the EU’s budget up to 2027. The offer, which the UK has accepted, was made because the UK will still be paying into the budget after Brexit.

Treasury and Bank of England in post-Brexit regulatory clash
The Financial Times reports that the Treasury and the Bank of England have clashed over the regulation of the City of London after Brexit. Philip Hammond, the Chancellor, wants to keep the UK close to the EU rule book, but the Bank of England does not want to become a ‘rule taker’. One source described relations as ‘very, very bad’ and another as ‘terrible’.

Senior doctor accuses NHS of wasting resources
The Daily Telegraph says that a senior doctor has accused the NHS of a ‘ridiculous waste of resources’. Writing for the paper, Professor Keith Willett, medical director for acute care, warns of the problems caused by a failure to tackle bedblocking, leaving ‘highly skilled surgeons, anaesthetists and nurses sitting around waiting for patients’.

Number of leave voters in Labour seats could be lower than thought
The Guardian reports that a new study by the pro-remain group Best for Britain has found that the number of Labour leave voters in each constituency might be lower than had previously been thought. It claims that this means that Labour MPs in pro-Brexit seats who fear being punished by their electorate unless they adopt a hardline stance on Brexit may be worrying unnecessarily.

Free schools programme to be redirected to the North East
The BBC reports that the Government is to redirect its free schools programme towards the worst-performing areas of England, especially the North East. The money forms part of £680m which the Department of Education has allocated to help create 40,000 more good primary and secondary school places by 2021.

‘Influential Tories’ call on Government to introduce online sales tax
According to The Sun, ‘influential Tories’ are lobbying the Government to introduce a 3% sales tax on internet firms such as Amazon, eBay and Google in order to create a level playing field. Neil O’Brien MP has claimed that as much as £500m could be raised through the tax and this could be used to cut business rates.

Government announces plans to extend badger cull
The Daily Mail reports that the Government has announced plans to ‘dramatically extend’ the badger cull, allowing farmers to kill badgers in areas where cows are at a low risk of bovine TB on a case by case basis. The paper adds that Natural England is facing two legal challenges over the programme.

Learn how Vuelio Political Services can help you.

GDPR Made simple

The GDPR Made Simple

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Our latest white paper, The GDPR Made Simple, is now available online.

The GDPR is the biggest shake up of data protection law in the last 20 years, and will affect every country in the EU (yes, including the UK – even after we leave).

We’ve seen lots of content and guidance online, but unfortunately not everything seems to give a clear picture of what the GDPR means for you and what you need to do to comply.

The GDPR Made Simple aims to cut through the noise, simply spelling out what the GDPR is, what it means for your day-to-day practices and how you can easily comply with the GDPR.

The GDPR comes into force on Friday, but it’s unlikely everyone will be fully compliant by then. What’s important is being able to show you’re making the right effort to understand the Regulation and implement best practice across your business.

This white paper covers:

  • What the GDPR is, and what types of data it includes
  • When you’re a Data Controller and what that means your responsibilities are
  • Individual’s rights and what they mean for your data processing
  • What a lawful basis is and why you need to have one
  • How to work with Subject Access Requests

One of the most fundamental parts of the GDPR is knowing what it is and understanding your obligations for compliance. That means you can’t give a third party responsibility for complying with the GDPR, which is why guides like this are so important.

Brexit image

Political Headlines – Brexit, Boris Johnson and Mark Carney

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Today’s Political Headlines include the UK’s negotiating tactics with the EU, Boris Johnson being prank called and Mark Carney issuing a warning over post-Brexit policy 

EU official says that the UK is ‘chasing a fantasy’
The Guardian reports that the EU has accused the Government of ‘chasing a fantasy’ and warned that it ‘doesn’t negotiate under threat’, following a suggestion that the UK would seek to recover over €1bn of contributions towards the Galileo satellite navigation programme. Disputes have also arisen over suggestions that the whole UK could remain partially inside the customs union or that the backstop could be timelimited.

Boris Johnson taken in by hoax callers
As The Times reports, Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson has been taken in by a Russian hoax-caller who pretended to be the new Prime Minister of Armenia. The callers, who have previously deceived Sir Elton John and President Erdogan, continued the conversation for 18 minutes and an investigation into the incident is now underway.

Mark Carney issues warning over post-Brexit policy
The Financial Times reports that Mark Carney, the Governor of the Bank of England, has warned that a ‘disruptive’ Brexit could lead to the institution having to choose between higher inflation or restricting economic activity. He said that ‘the bank is ready for Brexit’.

Home Office criticised over criminal record checks modernisation plan
The Guardian says that a report by the Commons Public Accounts Committee accuses the Home Office of a ‘masterclass in incompetence’ in its attempts to improve the Disclosure and Barring Service, which runs the criminal records checking scheme. The modernisation plan is over four years late and is expected to cost more that £229m more than expected.

Williamson warns that military cuts could lead to nuclear weapons being used
The Sun reports that Defence Secretary Gavin Williamson has warned that the UK could be forced to use nuclear weapons if funding for conventional equipment was cut. Williamson told the RUSI’s Sea Power Conference that there needed to be funding for ‘conventional deterrence’. The paper suggests that Williamson is concerned about pressure to redirect conventional spending to cyber defence.

Hunt claims people want to pay more tax to fund NHS
The Daily Telegraph reports that Health and Social Care Secretary Jeremy Hunt told the Institute for Government that people recognise that they will have to pay more tax to fund the NHS last night, in what the paper claims is ‘a direct challenge’ to the Chancellor, Philip Hammond. It claims that the Treasury is ‘pushing back very hard’ against suggestions from Hunt and Theresa May that taxes should go up to pay for an increase in NHS funding.

Hague criticised for working for Putin-linked law firm
The Daily Mirror says that William Hague is ‘pocketing cash’ from Linklaters, despite the law firm being criticised by the Commons Foreign Affairs Committee for its links to Vladimir Putin. Shadow Chancellor John McDonnell said that ‘Lord Hague has serious questions to answer’ and called on Theresa May to take ‘urgent action’.

SNP commission recommends income tax breaks for skilled immigrants
The Daily Telegraph says that a report by the SNP’s Sustainable Growth Commission published today will recommend that giving skilled immigrants income tax breaks in order to encourage them to move to Scotland. Andrew Wilson, chair of the commission, said the Scotland’s ‘greatest national challenge’ was increasing its working age population.

Learn more about Vuelio political services

NHS Hospital

Political Headlines – NHS Funding, Galileo, Corbyn in Northern Ireland

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Today’s Political Headlines include NHS Funding, the UK’s exclusion from the Galileo programme and Corbyn’s visit to Northern Ireland. 

Households need to pay £2000 a year extra to fund NHS, report says
The Guardian says that a new report by the Institute for Fiscal Studies and the Health Foundation shows that British households will need to pay an extra £2000 a year in tax so that the NHS can cope with the country’s aging population. The report was commissioned by the NHS Confederation, which represents 85% of NHS bodies, and its Chief Executive, Niall Dickson, warned that ‘the current system and funding levels are not sustainable’.

Efforts to exclude UK from Galileo programme driven by ‘German-led clique’
According to The Times, the EU’s attempts to exclude the UK from the Galileo satellite navigation programme are being driven by a ‘German-led clique’ and have caused a rift between Germany and France, which has joined other countries in objecting to the policy. In an official document, the Government will today say that it will reopen the ‘divorce settlement’ if it is not allowed to participate.

Corbyn to visit Northern Ireland
The BBC reports that Jeremy Corbyn is to make his first visit to Northern Ireland as Labour leader today and will pledge that Labour will not support any Brexit deal which leads to a hard border. The Daily Telegraph adds that Corbyn has sparked anger among unionists by renewing his calls for a united Ireland.

UK to request second Brexit transition period
The Times claims that the Government is to request a second Brexit transition period until 2023 to avoid a hard border in Ireland. The proposal, which has not yet been put forward, would see UK maintain customs and regulatory alignment with the EU. Additionally, MPs will vote on the EU (Withdrawal) Bill next month, despite reports that this might be delayed.

Gauke to announce changes to prisoners’ education
The Daily Telegraph reports that Justice Secretary David Gauke is to announce changes to education and employment support for prisoners today. He will say that prisoners should be ready to enter work when they leave prison, as part of a plan to cut reoffending rates in which prison governors will be given greater freedom over education.

HMRC head claims that ‘max fac’ could cost businesses £20bn
The Financial Times reports that Jon Thompson, Head of HM Revenue & Customs, has claimed that the ‘max fac’ Brexit customs proposal could cost businesses up to £20bn a year in extra bureaucracy. He said that there would be negligible extra costs with the Prime Minister’s proposed customs partnership, but that the EU was unlikely to reciprocate it.

Pro-EU campaign’s plans leaked
The Daily Mail has obtained a leaked document from the pro-EU campaign group Best for Britain showing its six-month plan to stop Brexit. The group, backed by George Soros, aims to spend almost £6m on the campaign to get MPs to vote down the Prime Minister’s Brexit deal in October.The group’s plans include working with trade unions, a Labour against Brexit speaker tour, and advertising, social media and local campaigns.

Almost 300 schools not inspected for over a decade
The Independent says that a National Audit Office report has revealed that changes to school inspections introduced by Michael Gove have led to 296 schools not being inspected for over a decade, with over 1600 not having been inspected for at least six years.  Under the policy, which Ofsted wants to be changed, schools rated ‘outstanding’ are not routinely reinspected.

Learn more about Vuelio political services

Michael Gove

Political Headlines – Michael Gove, House of Lords, Galileo, Sajid Javid

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Today’s Political Headlines include Gove’s leaked letter, public perceptions of the House of Lords and the role of the EU’s Galileo programme.

Gove criticises Hammond in leaked letter

The Daily Telegraph has seen a letter sent by Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Secretary Michael Gove to the Chancellor Philip Hammond. In the letter, Gove accuses Hammond of being ‘short-sighted’ about Brexit and inflicting a ‘damaging blow’ to the Conservatives’ environmental credibility. He blames the Treasury for a defeat over environmental protections after Brexit last week and for blocking plans for give a new environmental watchdog the power to fine the Government and local authorities.

Lords of out tune with the will of the people, new poll finds

The Daily Mail says that a new poll has found that 76% of people agree that the House of Lords is ‘out of tune with the will of the British people’, with even more agreeing that it is an ‘outdated throwback’. Just 17% of respondents think that the House of Lords should be left untouched. Iain Duncan Smith said that peers should take the findings as a ‘warning’.

Galileo programme ‘key flashpoint’ in Brexit negotiations

The Daily Telegraph reports that the EU’s Galileo satellite navigation programme has become a ‘key flashpoint’ in Brexit negotiations this week. The UK has accused Brussels of not honouring promises made during the Brexit Bill negotiations by shutting British businesses out of the system, despite the UK having agreed not to demand its share of the costs back in return for continued access in the post-Brexit security partnership.

Javid promises new deal for police

The Sun says that Home Secretary Sajid Javid will promise ‘overstretched’ police chiefs a new deal when he addresses the Police Federation today. The paper says that this will mark a ‘seismic change of tone’ from that of Theresa May. An aide told the paper that while no new spending would be promised today, Javid wanted the Treasury to release more money.

Brexit leaves households £900 a year worse off, Bank of England says

The Times reports that the Governor of the Bank of England, Mark Carney, claimed yesterday that households were at least £900 a year worse off and the economy as much as £40bn smaller as a result of Brexit. Boris Johnson claimed that Brexit had ‘absolutely not’ damaged the country’s interests.

May under growing pressure over customs union from Brexiteers

The Guardian claims that Theresa May is facing ‘growing pressure’ from Brexiteers to fully leave the customs union. Boris Johnson said that the UK should leave it with ‘confidence and brio and zap and dynamism’, Michael Gove said that the backstop should only be in place for a ‘short time’ and Jacob Rees-Mogg questioned if the Government ‘really wants to leave at all’. Separately, the BBC reports that Philip Hammond told the CBI’s annual dinner that staying in the customs union was not necessary.

Boris calls for ‘Brexit plane’

According to the Daily Mirror Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson has ‘sparked outrage’ by calling for a private jet. Speaking on a trip to South America, Johnson complained that the plane shared by the Prime Minister, cabinet ministers and the royal family ‘never seems to be available’ and agreed with a reporter’s suggestion that he needed a ‘Brexit plane’.

UK becoming Europe’s cocaine capital, minister warns

The BBC reports that Security Minister Ben Wallace has said that the UK ‘is fast becoming the biggest consumer of cocaine in Europe’. Speaking during a debate on the Government’s serious violence strategy, he said that he wished he had more money and promised to bring forward new measures to crack down on knife possession and extend stop and search powers within weeks.

 

Find out what Vuelio political services can do for you

Artificial intelligence in PR

Humans still needed – CIPR research reveals the impact of AI

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The CIPR’s #AIinPR panel has published research revealing the impact of artificial intelligence on the PR industry over the next five years. For now, it looks like humans and their jobs are safe.

The #AIinPR panel was launched in February to explore the impact of AI on public relations and the wider business community. This new research, led by Jean Valin, principal of Valin Strategic Communications, is the first comprehensive assessment of the impact of AI on PR skills. The panel wanted to determine how much AI was already used in public relations and how fast it is evolving.

The first stage of the research was to establish what skills and abilities are needed to practice public relations. Adapting the Global Alliance Global Body of Knowledge, which describes 50 skills, the CIPR created the following diagram:

PR skills diagram

It then used its crowdsourced list of PR tools and an independent panel to determine which of these skills could currently be replaced by AI:

Skills in PR

The research found that 12% of the skills are currently complemented or have already been replaced by AI in today’s market.

It carried out the same process to determine how this will change in five years:

artificial intelligence

The research predicts that 38% of skills could be complemented or replaced by AI in five years, but key human traits, like empathy, trust, humour and relationship building, cannot be automated.

Valin said: ‘We need to emphasise education, experiential learning and continuous development of these very human traits that are valued in our profession.’

The report draws on the CIPR’s State of the Profession 2018 survey, which says the most common PR activities are copy writing, strategic planning and social media relations. The research says that even social media relations, the discipline that can be most improved by AI, will still need human skills, such as editing, sensitivity, emotional intelligence and applying good judgement and ethics.

As such, AI looks set to improve public relations practitioner’s roles and make their lives easier without replacing them in their work.

Valin said: ‘AI is about to massively change our lives. The public relations profession needs to keep up. We need more experience with these tools and more critical reviews to learn how best to use them and their limitations.’

Stephen Waddington, chair of the CIPR Artificial Intelligence Panel, said: ‘The CIPR is publishing the paper with intention of starting a debate on the issue. We’d welcome comments and challenges to the analysis. We’d also welcome approaches from any other organisations around the world that are working this area.’

Andy McNab replaces Iain Dale at Biteback

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Biteback has announced that managing director Iain Dale is stepping down after ten years in the role. He is being replaced, albeit not directly, by bestselling author and former SAS soldier Andy McNab.

Dale, who presents LBC’s weekday drive time show and writes top football blog West Ham Till I Die, is stepping down to, ‘concentrate on his broadcasting career’. He said: ‘Now is the right time to hand over the baton while I concentrate on my radio and TV work and do more writing.

‘I am delighted that Andy McNab has accepted the role and that Biteback’s further growth and development will be supported by Andy’s considerable talents and experience.’

Andy McNab, real name Steven Mitchell, is a former SAS soldier who rose to fame with his autobiography Bravo Two Zero. He has since published a number of autobiographical works about his time in the SAS, fiction books including the Nick Stone Missions series, and worked on Hollywood films such as Heat.

McNab will take on an advisory role to ‘grow and expand the company’s publishing programme’. He said: ‘When I was approached to become involved in Biteback, the opportunity to make Biteback’s range of books more accessible to a wider audience was irresistible. It is a great company with huge potential, and I am looking forward to seeing what we can achieve together.’

McNab is not new to publishing; he previously co-founded the Mobcast e-book platform, which was sold to Tesco in 2012, netting McNab around £1m.

Biteback specialises in political and current affairs titles. Its authors include a broad range of media and political figures, including Trump’s former press secretary Sean Spicer, whose insider book ‘The Briefing’ will be published in July.

GDPR

GDPR and bloggers: what are the rules?

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John Adams of DadBlogUK.com recently wrote a guest post for us proposing the need for a blogger association. As part of the subsequent conversation on Twitter, bloggers said some topics, like the GDPR, needed to be better clarified for bloggers (something an association would be able to do).

At Vuelio we’ve been doing a lot of work around the GDPR, telling the comms industry what it means for them and what they might need to do. You can read our white paper, guide, listen to our webinar, and see answers to frequently asked questions part one and two.

Here, we’ve put together some questions bloggers might have about the GDPR, with answers below:

I’m only a hobbyist, does the GDPR apply to me?
The GDPR applies to anyone who is collecting and using EU citizens’ personal data. It doesn’t matter if you’re a full-time blogger or work for free.

What’s personal data?
Anything that can identify an individual – whether it’s on its own (an email address) or combined with another piece of information (a job title and a company). So, if you’re collecting names, emails, personal preferences and anything else that could identify people, then you’re processing personal data.

Am I Controller or Processor of this data?
The GDPR splits responsibility of data into Data Controllers and Data Processors. Controllers decide how data is collected/managed/used and Processors do what they’re told by the Controllers to process the data in a lawful way that’s compliant with the GDPR.

So, if you’re running a competition, starting a newsletter or doing a giveaway, you’re deciding what information is collected, how it’s stored and what you’re using it for. You’re a Data Controller. Your processors will most likely be software platforms you use, like your web platform, your host and your email platform.

Can I get someone to sort this out for me?
No (sorry). The GDPR is your responsibility. If there’s one thing that’s clear, it’s that you need to understand your own obligations and compliance with the GDPR. Guides like this can only ever be guides – you need to understand why your data processing is compliant with the GDPR, and if you don’t (or it isn’t) you probably shouldn’t be processing data.

What kinds of areas am I processing personal data?
Possibly (but not limited to): newsletters, competitions, giveaways, comments, analytics tracking (if it includes identifiers like an IP address), inbound and outbound emails through your email platform, PR/brand contact sheets and invoicing information.

What does the GDPR say I must do when using this information?
You must have a lawful basis for processing personal data. There are six, but it’s likely you’ll consider one of three: consent, legitimate interest and contract.

Consent: This basis is all about giving individuals real choice and control. There are specific rules about consent, especially how clear you make the consent so people know what they’re agreeing to up front.

Consent must be a positive opt-in, so you can’t make people opt-out by unticking boxes. They must be actively choosing to agree to whatever it is you want from them.

In all cases, you must make it clear why you’re collecting their data and what their data is being used for. So, if they’re signing up to a newsletter, the data is being used to send them your content – that’s a simple explanation. But, if you’re then using that data to give it to partner brands or sell lists to certain PR agencies, that’s more complicated and you must make it explicit on the sign-up form.

This also includes the stages of processing and storage, and you must explain they will have a clear means to opt out at any point (and give them a clear means to opt out from any comms you send them). Not everything has to be written on a consent form; you could write detailed information in your privacy policy and link to it. But when in doubt about what to include, include it – it’s better to have too much information than not enough.

Legitimate interest: This is the broadest basis for processing personal data and you may use it when someone would realistically expect you to process their data for a particular purpose. For bloggers, this might be analytics tracking or storing emails with personal data in your inbox. You need to work out your legitimate interest and it must be weighed against the rights and freedoms of the person whose data you’re processing. You must publish this and direct people whose data you’re processing with a legitimate interest to it. One possibility is writing out the legitimate interest explanation clearly in your privacy policy and then linking it from emails.

You must also give a clear means for people to opt out at all times, should they exercise their right to do so.

Contract: Sometimes you have to process someone’s information to fulfil a contractual obligation. This would apply for invoices and billing, but you still need to document that this is the basis you’re using. If you’re using contract as the basis, processing must not exceed what would be reasonably expected by the other party (so you can’t sign someone up for your newsletter because you’re billing them).

Do I have to tell everyone that I have their data and how I’m using it?
Yes, but that doesn’t mean you should be sending people emails to ‘reconsent’ (if you do, you could be in breaching PECR, which is a whole other post!). If you’re processing data under legitimate interest, you must still tell people you have their data and it’s being processed on the basis of your legitimate interest.

What if someone wants to stop me processing their data?
Unless you have a good, legal reason to continue processing their data (which would be in your legitimate interest), then you must comply. Your data storing platform should have a means for you to remove them without removing all of their details (so you don’t accidentally re-add someone who requested removal).

What if someone wants to know what data I store on them?
This is called a Subject Access Request (SAR) and you have 30 days to comply. You have to let them know about ALL the data you’ve processed that pertains to them – including information from your email platform, inbox, CMS, any spreadsheets and anywhere else you’ve used or stored their data.

Do I need records of what data I have?
Probably, though it’s different for different sized companies (see below). Records should include what data you’re collecting, your lawful basis, types of processing, security measures and granular details like how and when you obtained someone’s data. This is useful if someone wants to know what data you have on them.

I don’t process data very often, do I need to keep records?
The Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) is responsible for policing GDPR compliance in the UK. The ICO states that if you have less than 250 employees, you only need to keep records for processing activities that:

  • Are not occasional
  • Could result in a risk to the rights and freedoms of individuals
  • Involve the processing of special categories of data or criminal conviction and offence data

What about breaches?
If you find out that the personal data you hold is subject to a breach (it’s been hacked into or you’ve left a logged-in laptop on the train) then you MUST report it to the ICO within 72 hours. If it’s an accident and you generally have good processes in place to comply with the GDPR, then the ICO will look more favourably on you. If you’ve not got any evidence you’ve considered the GDPR or processed data lawfully, then the ICO has the power to fine you up to £17m. Yikes!

What if I’m collecting data for a third party, like a brand or PR agency?
This must be clearly explained in your privacy policy – the GDPR is all about people knowing how and why their data is being used.

What about the platforms I use?
You are responsible for ensuring you’re using only GDPR-compliant platforms. Check your terms, email any help desks you have and find out how they’re complying with the GDPR. If they don’t seem right, or aren’t being helpful, shop around – this is important and all companies should be taking it seriously. At Vuelio we’ve taken our responsibility as both a Data Controller and a Data Processor very seriously, and communicated this to our clients and the industry we work in. We believe every software company should be doing the same.

 

Want to know more? The ICO’s website may help or you can tweet us and we can do our best, but remember – you must understand the GDPR and you are ultimately responsible for complying.

Michael Gove

Political Headlines – Michael Gove (twice), NHS, Ken Livingstone and Grenfell Tower

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Today’s Political Headlines include clean air, scrapping NHS reforms, Ken Livingstone resigning and Grenfell Tower.

Clean air strategy to be launched
The Daily Telegraph says that Michael Gove, the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Secretary, and Jeremy Hunt, the Health and Social Care Secretary, are to announce a new clean air strategy today. Wood burning stoves are to be targeted, having been identified as the ‘UK’s biggest environmental threat to human health’. Writing in the paper, the ministers claim that the UK will set a ‘gold standard’ for air quality after Brexit, going ‘further and faster’ than proposed changes to EU regulations.

Government considers scrapping some of the 2012 NHS reforms
The BBC claims that the Government is considering scrapping some of the controversial reform to the NHS in England introduced in 2012. The Prime Minister has committed to a better deal for the health service, but the BBC’s political editor, Laura Kuenssberg, has been told that extra funding would come with more reform attached.

Ken Livingstone resigns from Labour
As The Guardian reports, Ken Livingstone has announced his resignation from the Labour Party. He said that issues surrounding his suspension for antisemitism had become ‘a distraction from the key political issues of our time’ and that he would continue to work towards achieving a Corbyn-led Government.

Grenfell Tower inquiry opens with tributes to victims
The Times reports on the opening of the inquiry into the fire at Grenfell Tower. Families of six of the 72 victims paid tributes, with the remainder to follow over the next two weeks. The inquiry’s chair, Sir Martin Moore-Bick, said that the tributes were an ‘integral part of evidence for this inquiry’.

Gove in gaffe at thinktank launch event
The Daily Mirror says that Michael Gove made a gaffe at the launch event for the new thinktank Onward, aimed at attracting young people to the Conservatives. He compared himself to Ike Turner (described by the paper as an ‘infamous wife-beater’) and joked about Meghan Markle’s ‘exotic’ heritage. The Sun adds that Ruth Davidson used the event to call on the Conservatives to ‘speak to the entire nation’.

Theresa May: customs union backstop would only apply in ‘very limited’ circumstances
The Guardian says that Theresa May has claimed that her backstop plan to keep the UK aligned to the customs union post-2020 would only apply in a ‘very limited’ set of circumstances and that ‘nobody wants this to be the solution that is achieved’. The Financial Times reports that the Government has published a plan to be implemented if there is disruption at channel ports after Brexit, involving closing 13 miles of the M20 to hold lorries.

Nuclear defence programme will cost £50.8bn over next decade
The Financial Times reports that the National Audit Office has assessed the cost of the nuclear defence programme over the next decade for the first time. The total cost is £50.8bn from 2018 to 2028, with a £2.9bn shortfall predicted if cost-cutting is delivered.

Northern Ireland Secretary urged to ‘redouble’ efforts to restore devolution
The BBC carries details of a new report by the Commons Northern Ireland Affairs Committee, which calls on Northern Ireland Secretary Karen Bradley to ‘redouble’ her efforts to restore devolution. It also calls on her to outline how ‘urgent’ decisions will be made in the interim.

Find out what Vuelio political services can do for you

The Best (and worst) royal wedding tie-ins

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The Royal Wedding was a giant spectacle, driving the news agenda and dominating the global conversation. Whether you loved it or hated it, there’s no denying that for business, it has been a great opportunity to jump on the brand wagon with marketing tie-ins and special products to celebrate Harry and Meghan’s big day.

Before we go any further, for any PRs and marketers looking to capitalise on royal events, it’s worth considering this advice from the ASA. Part of the guidance says you shouldn’t show or mention members of the royal family in marketing comms without their permission. Yikes. It would likely take a complaint from the royal family for the ASA to stop these adverts, which seems unlikely (unless the product tie-in is REALLY offensive) but rules are rules.

Back to the fun bit, we’ve put together a Vuelio Canvas of the best and worst of these brand tie-ins, without any judgement at all (honest).

Canvas is a unique way to present content, whether it’s social links, web stories or your own uploaded content, that you can use for press books, newsletters or just to show off how awesome you are.

Click on the Canvas below to see the full royal show:

Harry and Meghan

Politics on Sunday – social media, Brexit and pizza

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Sunday’s political shows had a range of political commentators discussing social media, Brexit, obesity, party policy and the East Coast Main Line. 

Various newspaper outlets were unhappy with the guests on the Sunday political shows due to the heavy presence of those who campaigned for ‘Remain’ in the EU referendum. The star of Sunday’s shows was not a guest, though, it was Emma Barnett (standing in for Marr) who put the politicians under the microscope.

Matt Hancock represented the Government on both Peston and Marr. Hancock was asked by Barnett about an invitation he sent to 14 large social media companies to attend a Government meeting, which resulted in only four attending. Hancock tried to dress this up by saying other social media companies exist and have issues, but Barnett pointed out that it does not inspire much confidence when these companies do not bother to attend something organised by the Government.

Barnett said Mark Zuckerberg has been before the US senate and will be going before the EU parliament. The appearance before the EU parliament is in question as reports say MEPs want the meeting to be live streamed whereas the agreement was that it would be behind closed doors, possibly the reason Zuckerberg agreed.

Peston reiterated that the Government does not have the power to do anything to social media companies. Hancock replied by saying the Government will publish a white paper later this year and will legislate in the next couple of years to get the powers it needs.

Hancock was also asked about Brexit by Barnett, he said it is the job of Michel Barnier to say the UK is in a weak position and it is the job of the Government to get the best possible deal.

Shadow International Trade Secretary, Barry Gardiner, faced Emma Barnett and was grilled on Labour policy relating to the single market. Focus was put on the Labour candidate for the upcoming Lewisham East by-election, Janet Daby. Barnett said Daby is asking people to vote for her and she supports staying in the single market, which is not Labour policy.

Gardiner was then questioned on his view versus the Labour party’s position. Gardiner said the position of the Labour party is to hold the Government to account on the promise they made to secure the same benefits outside the EU as the country enjoys inside the EU. Barnett presented Gardiner with his own remarks criticising this position. Barnett noted that Jeremy Corbyn has kept Gardiner in place despite this criticism but Owen Smith did not enjoy the same privilege.

Nicola Sturgeon was on Peston and was asked about childhood obesity as the First Minister has committed to childhood obesity being halved by 2030. Sturgeon met with Jamie Oliver and was asked whether she is supportive of the two-for-one pizza deals. Sturgeon said childhood obesity needs to be tackled and over consumption is a part of this but she is not looking to make shopping more expensive for families. Sturgeon said over the next two weeks, a debate will be restarted about why independence is an opportunity for Scotland.

Len McCluskey was also on Peston and seemed to be somewhat sympathetic to Ken Livingstone when asked whether the former London Mayor should be expelled from the party. McCluskey said a rule against stupidity would result in many people being expelled including Livingstone. He was accused of dodging the question as Livingstone has not been expelled for being stupid. Peston asked McCluskey about his opinion on the possible deselection of Labour MPs who criticise Corbyn, McCluskey said criticism is fine so long as it is constructive.

McCluskey then got into a debate with Lord Peter Mandelson on the terms by which the UK will leave the single market. McCluskey said the Labour party would negotiate better with the EU than the current Government; Mandelson said the Government is making the same claim, but it has little real meaning on its own.

The day after the Royal Wedding, Lord Mandelson said the wedding made him so happy he is now thinking about getting married.

Speaking on the East Coast Main Line being bought back into public hands, Shadow Transport Secretary, Andy McDonald, said private companies do not invest in the railway; Sophie Ridge said Virgin had invested more in two years than the five before that. McDonald was asked by Ridge whether fares under Labour would go down – he could not commit to this but said they would be more affordable. Minister for Digital, Margot James, said the people who support renationalisation did not live through the days of British Rail.

McDonald was also asked about allegations of bullying by John Bercow, the Shadow Transport Secretary responded by saying he thinks Bercow is an excellent speaker.

Check out our Canvas of all the best coverage from the Sunday Political shows here and find out how to make your own Canvas here.

 

Political shows

Russia

Political Headlines – Russian money, AI, Johnson’s warning and Galileo rival

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Today’s Political Headlines include turning a blind eye to Russian money, AI to save lives, Johnson’s warning and the UK’s Galileo rival.

Government criticised for turning ‘blind eye’ to Russian money
The BBC says that a new report by the Commons Foreign Affairs Committee has found that London is being used to hide ‘corrupt assets’ of Russian President Vladimir Putin and his allies, with the UK turning a ‘blind eye’ to ‘dirty money’. Ben Wallace, the Security and Economic Crime Minister, has cast doubt on the report’s findings because he was not called to give evidence to the committee. Separately, the Financial Times reports that the UK has not renewed the visa of Russian oligarch and Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich, leading him to miss the FA Cup final.

May pledges to use artificial intelligence to save lives
The Times reports that Theresa May is to deliver a speech today in which she will promise to use artificial intelligence to study patient data to stop cancer or dementia before people know that they have it. She will say that this new technology is key to national prosperity and will save tens of thousands of lives a year within fifteen years.

Johnson delivers ‘thinly-veiled warning’ over customs union
The Guardian claims that Boris Johnson has ‘delivered a thinly-veiled warning’ to the Prime Minister that he still expects her to deliver a deal which would avoid a backstop keeping the UK aligned to the customs union after 2020. He said that ‘Brexiters fearing betrayal over the customs backstop must understand that the PM has been very clear that it is not an outcome we desire; we want a deal with the EU and she will deliver it.’

UK may partner with Australia to deliver Galileo rival
According to the Financial Times, the UK is aiming to launch the first tenders for a satellite navigation system to rival the EU’s Galileo project later this year, and hopes that Australia will become a partner in the programme. The BBC adds that Gavin Williamson, the Defence Secretary, is to launch the UK’s first space strategy today, claiming that the UK needs to be ready to counter ‘intensifying threats’ in space, such as the ‘jamming’ of satellites.

Johnson visits Argentina
The Daily Mail reports on Boris Johnson’s visit to Argentina, the first by a British Foreign Secretary for 22 years. He laid wreathes with his Argentinian counterpart Jorge Faurie at a ceremony at the Monument to the Fallen in the Falklands, commemorating the Argentinian troops who died in the Falklands War. Argentina’s chief of the council of ministers, Mercos Pena, will reciprocate this gesture at St Paul’s Cathedral next month.

Gove and Davidson launch new thinktank
The Guardian says that Michael Gove and Ruth Davidson are to launch a new Tory thinktank, called Onward. Gove argues that his party ‘is at its best when it appeals beyond its core vote and puts forward a reforming, forward-looking agenda that responds to the concerns of the entire nation.’ Writing in the paper, Davidson calls on Conservatives to embrace the country’s ‘open liberal outlook as a positive – and not a threat.’

MPs criticise Motability over pay and reserves
The BBC reports that a report by the Commons Treasury and Work & Pensions Committees has found that the £1.7m paid to the chief executive of the Motability scheme is ‘totally unacceptable’, while funds of £2.4bn were being needlessly hoarded. The Government has said that the National Audit Office will look into the issues raised in the report.

Remainers accused of exploiting Irish border issue
Writing in The Daily Telegraph, former Conservative Northern Ireland Secretary Owen Paterson and DUP Brexit Spokesman Sammy Wilson accuse remainers of having ‘cynically and recklessly exploited’ the Irish border issue. A new report released by Queen’s University Belfast finds that just one in five Northern Irish residents supports a united Ireland.

Learn more about Vuelio political services

Five Things: No influencers, New Look, Yanny, Lil Tay, and Zuckerberg and Leveson

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So much has happened that choosing Five Things You Shouldn’t Have Missed this week has been like deciding who will accompany Meghan Markle down the aisle, except we didn’t end up with Charles.

1. No Influencers Allowed

Blog Awards

The Vuelio Blog Awards are back, back, back! The biggest night of the year to celebrate bloggers is taking place at the Bloomsbury Big Top in London, on 30 November. Blogging’s best will be dressed to the nines enjoying live circus acts, fine dining and the greatest award ceremony on earth (probably). As part of the launch we have just one rule, which thankfully most bloggers seem to agree with: No Influencers Allowed.

 

2. New Look New Price

New Look fat tax

New Look were in trouble this week after being accused of having a ‘Fat Tax’. It was revealed that larger clothes (in the same style) were more expensive than their smaller version. A shopper spotted a pair of trousers in its Curves range, which were 15% more than a pair in the main collection. The story created a mini storm as many believed it was a tax on being fat, while others thought it was reasonable to charge more for using more material. New Look has said it is now reviewing prices and added: ‘We are proud of the ranges we offer to our Plus Size customers and value all customers, no matter what their body shape or size.’

 

3. Yanny or Laurel?

Yanny Laurel

Is it Yanny or is it Laurel? Different people hear different things and like ‘The Dress’, it’s divided the internet. Obviously, it’s Yanny, but some still insist on saying they hear Laurel. The Kardashians are debating it and Trump’s presidential team (including Trump himself) even joined in. You can decide for yourself by listening to the clip in the tweet below:

If you want to be really freaked out, check this out:

 

4. Lil Tay

Lil Tay Instagram

If you haven’t heard of Lil Tay, fair enough, but the nine-year-old ‘flexer’ has nearly two million followers on Instagram. Posting pictures and videos showing off her extravagant wealth, Lil Tay hit the news this week, not for being under age on Instagram (which says all users must be over 13), but instead for allegedly causing her mother to leave her job as a realtor. It turns out Lil Tay and her mother were using the boss of the real estate company’s car as well as houses they were selling as the backdrop to the videos. The mother seems to have been directing and filming, but the move has seemingly backfired. Whether Lil Tay now has enough momentum to support the family through Instagram remains to be seen.

 

5. Zuck and Leveson out (again)

Leveson

Last week we reported that the second part of the Leveson inquiry was voted down in parliament. This week we can report that the second part of the Leveson inquiry has been voted down in parliament. Yes, again. The Lords sent it back hoping the slim margin from the last vote could be overturned, but the Government were victorious once more (by an increased margin), so it looks like Leveson II has been well and truly defeated.

A few months ago, it was announced that Mark Zuckerberg would not attend the UK’s Digital, Culture, Media and Sport Committee meeting to answer for Facebook, instead sending CTO Mike Schroepfer. The Committee have tried again but, once more, Zuckerberg has declined the invitation. As if to rub salt into the wound, a day later he accepted an invitation to meet the representatives of the European Parliament on a trip that will also take in French officials. It’s not clear why the UK has been snubbed in favour of its European neighbours.

 

Did we miss anything? Let us know on Twitter @Vuelio.

Eric Pickles

Political Headlines – Lord Pickles, Afghanistan, Bercow and Leadsom, and betting machines

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Today’s Political Headlines include Conservative peers potentially including Eric Pickles, troops to Afghanistan, Bercow calling Leadsom a ‘stupid woman’ and betting machine stakes delayed by two years. 

May to use royal wedding to distract from announcement of new peers
The Daily Mirror claims that Theresa May is using the royal wedding as a distraction from the announcement of ten more Conservative peers. A source in the Cabinet Office told the paper that it would be ‘a good time to bury bad news’, with potential candidates being former MPs Sir Eric Pickles, Peter Lilley, Sir Edward Garnier, Julian Brazier and Andrew Tyrie. New Labour peers are expected to include Martha Osamor and Iain McNicol, while former DUP MP William McCrea is also expected to join the House of Lords.

UK considers sending hundreds more troops to Afghanistan
According to The Times, the Government is considering sending hundreds more troops to Afghanistan following pressure from President Trump. An announcement is due to me made at a Nato summit in July, with one plan under consideration being for around 400 additional personnel to be deployed as part of a Nato training mission, almost doubling the number of UK troops in the country.

Bercow accused of calling Leadsom a ‘stupid woman’
The Daily Telegraph reports that Commons Speaker John Bercow has been accused of calling the Leader of the House of Commons, Andrea Leadsom, a ‘stupid woman’ in what the paper calls a ‘foul-mouthed tirade’ on Wednesday. The Speaker’s Office claimed that it was ‘an unusual and controversial day’ on which ‘some strong and differing views were expressed on all sides’.

Cut to betting stakes may be delayed by two years
The Times claims that the cut on the maximum stake on fixed-odds betting terminals from £100 to £2 may not be implemented for another two years, with the Treasury advocating that the measure comes into force in 2020. Tracey Crouch, the minister responsible, told the Commons that bookmakers would be given a ‘reasonable’ time to adjust.

Government set to ban flammable cladding
The Daily Mail reports that the Government is set to ban flammable cladding on tower blocks, following an angry reaction to Dame Judith Hackitt’s review of fire safety rules which did not back a wholesale ban of the material. Despite her recommendation, Housing, Communities and Local Government Secretary told the Commons that the Government would consult on introducing a ban.

Greg Clark asks CMA to consider Sainsbury’s-Asda deal’s impact on suppliers
The Financial Times reports that Business Secretary Greg Clark has written to the Competition and Markets Authority to insist that its inquiry to the proposed takeover of Asda by Sainsbury’s examines the implications for supermarket suppliers. He wrote that this issue had been raised as part of his engagement with the sector.

Varadkar says that UK must keep somes ties to single market to avoid hard border
The Daily Mail says that the Taoiseach, Leo Varadkar, has warned that the UK must keep some ties to the single market after Brexit in order to avoid a hard border with the Republic of Ireland. He met Theresa May yesterday, cautioning that addressing the border issue would ‘require more than just customs’. The Sun claims the EU believes that a proposed ‘max fac’ customs system would not be ready for decades, with an official sarcastically suggesting that it might not be ready until 2085.

Neil Hamilton ousted as leader of UKIP in the Welsh Assembly
The BBC reports that Neil Hamilton has been ousted as leader of the UKIP group in the Welsh Assembly. His replacement is Caroline Jones, who won a vote held by the group yesterday afternoon. She said Hamilton had ‘done a good job’ and would be ‘difficult to follow’.

Do you need Vuelio political services?

Search Engine Optimisation

What is Search Engine Optimisation?

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Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) is often seen as the topic of unwanted emails, confusing code speak and consultancy advice. This guest post from Art Raifi, founder and owner of Black Bird Marketing, aims to clarify what SEO is, why it’s important and what you can do to improve yours.

According to Search Engine Land, ‘SEO is the process of getting traffic from the “free,” “organic,” “editorial” or “natural” search results on search engines’. Accordingly, we can say that SEO optimises a point of contact (i.e. website) for search engines (i.e. Google and Bing).

If you are new to the topic than you might ask, ‘Why would I want to optimise my professional website for search engines?’

A great SEO strategy takes into account optimisation based on relevancy because search engines evaluate the content of a website.

How to Optimise for Search Engines
To optimise user-experiences, search engines have developed complex algorithms that evaluate the composition of a website based on certain criteria. These criteria include, but are not limited to:

  • Quality of the content
  • On-page and off-page optimisation
  • Meta tags
  • Loading speed of the website
  • Relevance
  • Authority and more

Based on these criteria, the algorithm can detect which websites are optimised and which aren’t. In turn determining which sites to rank in its search results.

Google and Bing’s mission are to offer users the information that they are looking for instantly. For example, if you are searching for a keyword, such as ‘Dogs’ the search engine will prompt you with numerous links of dog related pages. The links are ranked from the most optimised, relevant and authoritative pages to the least.

However, gaining the trust of Google and ranking for specific keywords (in our case ‘Dogs’) is not an easy task. SEO is an ongoing process that needs to be supported by a long-term strategy. There are two factors that have to be taken into consideration when deciding whether to engage in SEO efforts, which are time and competition.

The Time Factor
Time is a valuable resource in the SEO world. Search Engines like to rank authoritative websites. But what gives a site authority?

In SEO, authority is defined by many sub factors, including the age of the website, the number of referrals that link back to the website (i.e. social sharing, hyperlinks across other pages) and the quality of the content (is it reliable?).

Experts claim that SEO efforts take a minimum of six to 12 months to show any results. This is largely due to the fact that search engines are continuously crawling (looking into) thousands of websites.

The Competition Factor
In addition to the time factor, there is also competition. SEO keywords are defined as specific phrases that a user searches for in Google or Bing.

On one hand, there are competitive keywords that drive tons of traffic to sites ranked for that specific keyword; and on the other hand, there are less competitive keywords that generate significantly less traffic.

The goal of SEO experts is to find keywords that are not too competitive, but they carry the potential to generate relevant organic traffic. The process of finding a keyword is known as keyword research, and it involves the use of various tools that help us understand the competitiveness and relevance of various keywords.

Tools such as SEMrush, seoMOZ, Wordtracker, and Google Keyword Planner provide the information necessary to find relevant keywords for which you can rank.

Relevancy and Authority
Up until this point, we have talked about the importance of optimisation and its impact on SEO. However, SEO is much more than entering a few code snippets to the website or changing header titles and descriptions. While optimising is extremely important, one must also consider the relevance of the content and the perception that the website has in the eyes of the search engines.

Relevancy
Relevancy, in SEO, is defined by the relationship between a particular keyword and the content of the website.

To illustrate let’s return to the ‘Dog’ keyword example. A page that talks about Cars will never rank for a keyword such as ‘dog videos’ – irrespective of the links that it has generated. That’s because search engines have grown to become smart machines that can’t be fooled.

Their advanced algorithms do not rank pages, unless the selected keywords have a strong relationship with the content found on the page.

When optimising your pages, take into account the relationship between the content of that page and the keyword.

Authority
We have already defined authority in relation to time. In reality, search engines use hundreds of factors when evaluating the authority of the page.

Active websites are expected to generate external links that the search engines use as signals to give the site the authority it deserves.

External links, otherwise known as backlinks, are one of the many important factors on which the rank of your page depends. Various updates and patches have rendered many factors irrelevant, but backlinks have successfully survived the test of time.

Of course, backlinks – similar to keywords – have to be relevant to the content of the page.

NOTE: Be mindful of those trying to sell you backlinks. It’s the easiest way for you to get blacklisted by Google and other search engines.

Lastly, in SEO, quality will always beat quantity; 1,000 links from sites that do not rank, are irrelevant and untrusted by search engines, does not compare to one quality link from The Economist.

Final Words
In the last decade, Search Engine Optimisation has grown to become a vehicle that drives the growth of local, internet and international businesses.

At the same time, SEO has shifted the way businesses function and compete. In turn, this has prompted many to engage in SEO efforts, in an attempt to stay ahead of competition.

When optimizing your website for search engines, you should take into consideration relevancy and authority. Make sure your content is relevant to the queries or keywords and keep building links over time to increase the authority of your site.

Accomplishing these steps will take time, effort and money – factors which have traditionally discouraged businesses to jump into SEO.

Yet, those who neglect it are missing out on a unique opportunity to take their businesses to the next level. Businesses are now being forced into SEO or risk losing out to the competition.

[testimonial_view id=18]

betting machines

Political Headlines – betting machines, customs union, Brexit and East Coast

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Today’s Political Headlines include the cut to betting machine stakes, staying in the customs union beyond 2021, the Government’s 15th defeat on Brexit Bill in the Lords and the nationalisation of East Coast rail. 

Government cuts betting machine stakes
As the BBC reports, the Government has announced that the maximum stake on fixed-odds betting terminals is to be reduced to £2 from £100 under new rules. Sports Minister Tracey Crouch said that the change would ‘reduce harm for the most vulnerable’, but bookmakers have warned that the move could force them to close thousands of outlets

UK to tell EU it is prepared to stay aligned to customs union beyond 2021
The Daily Telegraph claims that the UK is to tell the EU that it is prepared to stay aligned to the customs union as a time-limited ‘backstop’, if new border technology is not ready by 2021. The plans were agreed at a meeting on the Brexit ‘war cabinet’ on Tuesday, despite objections from leading Brexiteers. Jacob Rees-Mogg has warned against creating ‘a position that is more attractive than a permanent deal’.

Lords inflect fifteenth defeat on Brexit bill
The Guardian says that the House of Lords has inflicted its fifteenth defeat on the EU (Withdrawal) Bill, with the Government losing a vote on an amendment on increasing environmental protection after Brexit by 294 votes to 233. The Government now has to decide when to bring the bill back to the House of Commons to try to undo the changes.

East Coast rail franchise taken under state control
The Financial Times reports that the East Coast rail franchise has been taken under state control for the third time in twelve years. The line is to be rebranded as London & North Eastern Railway, with a public-private partnership expected to run the franchise from 2020. Despite stripping them of the franchise, the Government has admitted that Virgin and Stagecoach are a ‘probable future bidder’ for this partnership.

Review will not recommend cladding ban
The BBC reports that a review of building regulations being carried out by Dame Judith Hackitt following the Grenfell tragedy will not recommend an outright ban on flammable cladding. Instead the review will call for a new building safety management system and criticise the current building regulations for being complex and not fit for purpose.

Police chiefs consider arming rural officers
The Times claims that the National Police Chiefs’ Council is considering plans to arm frontline police officers to cope with terrorist threats in rural areas. As the paper notes, the move ‘will be seen as controversial’ given the UK’s tradition of unarmed policing, but a spokesman said that the move was being considered in areas where having fully trained units on standby was too expensive.

UK should spend as much on defence as NHS, minister claims
Speaking to The Daily Telegraph, Defence Minister Tobias Ellwood claimed that the UK should spend as much on the armed forces as it does on the NHS, warning that the UK is taking its ‘security for granted’. Health spending currently makes up 9.8% of the UK’s national income, compared to about 2% for defence spending.

Commons committee votes against Bercow investigation
The Guardian reports that an inquiry into allegations that John Bercow, Speaker of the House of Commons, bullied member of staff has been blocked by MPs. The probe by the parliamentary commissioner for standards, requested by Conservative MP Andrew Bridgen, was rejected by the Commons Standards Committee, by three votes to two.

Learn about Vuelio political services.

Vuelio Blog Awards 2018

No influencers allowed – the Vuelio Blog Awards 2018

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The Vuelio Blog Awards are the biggest celebration of bloggers in the UK. Taking place on 30 November 2018 at the Bloomsbury Big Top in London, this year’s event promises to be even bigger and better than ever before, and there’s only one rule – no influencers.

Bloggers, vloggers, Instagrammers, tweeters, Facebookers, YouTubers, writers, content creators, makers, editors, publishers, photographers, directors and small business owners – all are welcome to the greatest night of the year. So are PRs, comms pros, practitioners, officers, creatives, account managers and copywriters.

But influencers? I don’t think we’re the event for you.

Our winners from the last three years – from political supremo, Guido Fawkes, and super parent, Slummy Single Mummy to interior design guru, Mad About the House, and fashion goddess, Inthefrow – do many things; they run businesses, they write books, they tell stories and, yes, they influence their audience.

But Spielberg doesn’t call himself a ticket tout, Gordon Ramsey doesn’t call himself a tummy filler and Jessica Ennis-Hill don’t call herself a sportswear seller. When did we stop taking pride in the work we do to focus on the results we create – often for other people?

We speak to the blogosphere all the time and recently we’ve been asking them: what do you like to be called? And do you know what they don’t say? Influencer. Many tell us they’re not influencers or they don’t want to be called influencer.

That’s why The Vuelio Blog Awards don’t require a minimum social follower count to be shortlisted, you don’t have to enter yourself and we will never ask bloggers to secure votes to help them win.

Instead, we bring together a diverse panel of judges, all leaders in their respective industries, who pore over every finalist to determine the winners. They may consider how influential a blog is, but what they’re looking for is quality of content, relevance to the topic, beautiful aesthetics and uniqueness – something that makes a blog stand out against everything else in the field.

That means that when you win, you know your prize is truly deserved because your blog is outstanding. We reward the work you put in because we think this industry is hard, and the very best bloggers, vloggers and content creators deserve to be recognised.

So, if influence is just a result of how awesome you are at your job, the Vuelio Blog Awards 2018 will take place on 30 November at the Bloomsbury Big Top. Save the date.