Speedy Spotlight: Laura Seaton

An interview with Laura Seaton, author of one of UK’s top mummy blogs, Tired Mummy of Two. Laura spoke to us about the mix of content (including a Christmas tombola!) that makes her site so popular,  why finding the right name for a blog is key for new bloggers, the importance of building a two-way relationship with brand marketers…and eating live bugs in a park. 

Why should people read your blog? I read so many amazing blogs and see some of the things people write about, the humour they use, the effort they put in. Half the time I sit here late at night and just brain dump my life into the keyboard. There have been times when my blog has been my savior, it has been my counsellor, my best friend and sometimes a complete chore.

What makes your blog different? With so many blogs out there to read, it is really hard to find something that makes yours different. I find that the only thing that you can do is just be yourself. I have blogged about holidays, meals, being fat, watching my daughter go through chemotherapy and going out drinking. Life is varied and I hate being pigeon holed into having to write about just one thing. I am a mum, a wife, a sister, a daughter, an aunty and so much more. I am a best friend, a metal head, an amateur photographer and a lover of crappy films and I want to share it all so why not. I suppose the one thing that I do differently is my huge christmas giveaway. I have run my xmas tombola for three years now and I use my PR connections to gather together loads of prizes to give away. Last year I had over 200 prizes and thousands of entries.

What’s your favourite blog and why? I love so many blogs, in fact I spend so much time reading other peoples blogs that sometimes I forget to write on mine. One of my favourite blogs is The Boy and Me. I love seeing the adventures they get up to and the photos are amazing. I find that the blogs I read the most are from the bloggers who I have met and made a connection with. It could be that we have met at an event, shared a drink at a conference or become friends on social media. Blogging is all about the community and I love it.

What advice would you give to someone who wants to start a blog? After nearly three years of blogging there are so many things that I would have done differently but the one thing I have always been happy with is the name of my blog. When choosing your name make sure it fits, make sure you will be happy being introduced to people by that name and introducing yourself by that name too. The only other tip –  make sure that name is available on all social media channels and the url. After that just blog, write for yourself, write for the love of writing and just enjoy it.

How does a good PR work with you? I love building  relationships with PRs and I find it really helps to have these sorts of relationships in place. When a PR needs something reviewed or something to be shared socially then I am more likely to take part if we already have a two way relationship. I work in this way with a lot of PR’s most of whom I approached at some point in the past, usually when I am running a huge giveaway like my Xmas Tombola or when I am doing something for charity. Even if they cant help me they have responded to my email and that is a huge step towards an ongoing relationship. As a blogger I get so many emails and I always try to respond to every single one of them. Sometimes it’s just a thanks but no thanks, sometimes I offer a different way of working together and sometimes I say yes – but the professionalism of actually responding makes a huge difference and is something that I will always recommend bloggers to take the time to do.

What do PRs do that’s bad? This is one of those questions which I think depends on the blogger. A PR is always trying to do their best for their client, they have a job to do and a set amount of time to do it. If that means that they accidentally call me by someone elses name, use cc rather than bcc or even promise something and never fulfill that promise then that’s life. A PR approach will only ever be suitable for some people and if it is not suitable for me then I politely let them know and secure the relationship for a future when the approach is right.

What was your blogging highlight of 2013? 2013 saw my blog become my business, it saw me run my first ever blog conference, it saw me work with some amazing companies as an ambassador and as a consultant and it saw me shortlisted in the brilliance in blogging awards. The highlight of 2013 for me was none of these things yet a culmination of all of them. Blogging is a way of life but it also brings so much to our lives. We have had some unforgettable experiences that money can’t buy through my blog from holidays to days out, meeting celebrities to eating live bugs in a london park. Life is varied, exciting and full on and that is exactly the sort of life I want to be living and sharing with my kids and that is what 2013 was for us.

What will be big in your blogosphere in 2014? The best part of the  year for me is the blogging conferences. I try to go to as many as I can, to learn new things, meet more fabulous bloggers and interact with some brilliant brands. The biggest thing happening for me this year is hosting my own conference in May. It is the second conference that I have done but this year it is bigger, better and more organised. I can’t wait to hear the feedback afterwards and to know that I have made a difference, helped someone to learn something or enabled people to connect with a brand that they really want to work with. The buzz on the day is unforgettable and addictive and I can’t wait to feel that all over again.

Editorial information on Laura Seaton, Tired Mummy of Two and thousands of other media contacts and outlets, can be found in the Vuelio Media Database.