influencer marketing and the law

Influencer Marketing and the Law

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influencer marketing and the law

Influencer marketing is expected to be worth £18.4bn by 2024. We’re in an age where anyone can be an influencer and it’s sheer scale makes the industry radically different to anything we’ve seen before.

But it’s still in its infancy and both influencers and the PRs, brands and marketers collaborating with them are still working out the rules and determining best practice.

To help you understand your responsibilities and how you can comply with the law, Vuelio and the CMA have put together an exclusive guide: Influencer Marketing and the Law, which outlines best practice for PRs and marketers.

Full of practical guidance around consumer protection law, terms of contract, social media posts and disclosure tools, our guide can improve your influencer marketing, giving you a clear understanding of what to expect from brand partnerships and how to be compliant.

Download our guide to find out how to comply with disclosure and achieve best practice in influencer marketing.

SocialBookshelves.com

Literature blog spotlight: Dane Cobain, SocialBookshelves.com

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Dane Cobain is the author of SocialBookshelves.com, a top 10 UK Literature Blog. A record of all the books Dane reads, SocialBookshelves.com covers every genre and each review is the same number of words as the number of pages in the book.

We spoke to Dane about the book community online, the future of blogging, his favourite new authors and how he likes to work with PRs.  

How do you describe what you do to other people?
This is a great question because I do quite a lot and different people know me for different things. For example, in my local open mic scene, I’m known as a singer/songwriter. First and foremost, I consider myself to be a writer, and so I tell people that I write books and blog posts for a living. Sometimes I’m writing for myself and sometimes I’m being paid to write for other people. So while I am a blogger, that’s not the only thing that I do. I wear a lot of hats!

How much of a community is there around literary bloggers?
For me, I think that it’s more that there’s an overall ‘bookish’ community. Most of the activity takes place on social networking platforms, so there’s a thriving ‘Bookstagram’ community and I myself make ‘BookTube’ videos and take part in the community there. Book Twitter is also thriving but I tend to avoid it as there can be a lot of negativity and there’s a tendency for people to go on witch hunts. At least from what I’ve seen of people talking about it on BookTube, even the people who take part in Book Twitter recognise that it’s kind of toxic at times, although it does of course have plenty of plus sides too. For bloggers, there might not necessarily be a community around blogging, but they’ll typically take part on another platform. For example, perhaps their blog also has a Bookstagram account and they drive traffic and engagement to their blog through that.

What’s the best thing about being a professional blogger?
I consider myself to be a professional writer, of which blogging probably makes up somewhere between 30-50% of my work. My own personal blogs etc. do bring in some income, but only a small proportion. But they do allow me to charge a premium for my services when I write blogs for other people. I’d have to say that the best thing is that I have a flexible job where I’m my own boss, I control my own destiny and I’m doing what I love. It feels as though everything is aligned, so whether I’m writing for myself or I’m writing for a client, I’m pushing my career in the right direction.

What does the future of blogging look like?
This is another good question and it’s a tough one to answer. I suppose that arguably the most important trend will be the diversification of the blogosphere. What I mean by that is that people of all walks of life and with all sorts of different interests will continue to be attracted to blogging, while new platforms will keep coming along to help power those blogs. Other than that, I don’t think anyone can really know what the future of blogging will look like.

What’s your favourite book of all time?
Every time I’m asked this question, I say that it’s Northern Lights by Philip Pullman. That’s because it’s the book that made me fall in love with reading in the first place.

If you could only read in one genre ever again, which one would you choose?
That’s a tricky one because I read across pretty much every genre. I’d probably have to go for the nebulous genre of ‘modern classics’.

Which new author should we be aware of?
How long have you got? I read quite a lot of indie authors and there are some fantastic up-and-coming writers who have far fewer readers than they deserve. One of my favourites at the moment is an author called Charles Heathcote, who’s written the Our Doris series. They’re basically humorous novels following an old northern couple called Doris and ‘Arold a little bit in the vein of Keeping Up Appearances. I very rarely actually laugh out loud when I read a book, but I did with the Doris books.

How do you work with PRs and brands?
I have a PR details page on my site and I’m listed on various media databases. I read all of the emails that I receive but I get so many pitches that I don’t reply to unless I’m actually interested, and these days I probably only accept maybe 2% of pitches. But I’m up for all sorts of things, from basic book reviews to author interviews, giveaways etc. I’ve also been lucky enough to go on some press trips including to York for York Literature Festival and to Latvia on behalf of the British Council to spread the word about Latvian Literature ahead of London Book Fair.

What advice do you have for PRs looking to get in touch?
The best thing to do is to email me. Bear in mind that I get a lot of requests, too. In fact, unless a book is super relevant to my interests then there’s not much chance that I’ll read it, so it helps to get a feel for the kind of stuff I like. It can also help if there’s something above and beyond just a book on the line – for example, I still have fond memories of a PR from several years ago who sent me a hot water bottle to go with the book so I could get cosy while reading it.

What other blogs do you read?
I actually don’t tend to read many blogs myself, but I follow a lot of people on Goodreads and watch a lot of BookTube channels. In fact, I think quite a lot of people who follow my blog actually mostly get updates from my Goodreads account, because I cross-post all of my reviews both there and on Amazon.

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the queens speech summary

The Queen’s Speech Summary and Reaction

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the queens speech summary

The Queen has unveiled the Government’s plans to end the free movement of EU citizens to the UK after Brexit during the official state opening of Parliament.

Brexit was at the centre of the Queen’s Speech, which reiterated Boris Johnson’s vow to exit the EU by 31 October 2019. Other items on the Government’s post-Brexit legislative agenda included new laws on crime, healthcare and the environment.

To help you prepare for these proposals, our political team has put together this exclusive briefing summarising the key points. Download the analysis here.

Marcus Jaye

Men’s fashion spotlight: Marcus Jaye, The Chic Geek

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Marcus Jaye is The Chic Geek, cult fashion blogging sensation and author of Fashion W*nkers, a new book celebrating fashion passion. For Marcus, the title is a badge of honour and the book covers the dos and don’ts of making your way in the confusing world of style.

We spoke to Marcus about his book, sustainability in the fashion world and how he likes to work with agencies and brands.

Note: surprisingly, this post contains swear words.

How do you describe what you do to other people?
I’m a men’s style blogger under the guise of my alter ego, The Chic Geek. He’s got red hair and glasses, a bit like me, but is much better looking and funnier.

Can you tell us about your book?
My new book, ‘Fashion Wankers – It Takes One To Know One’, launches at the end of October.

Published by Ammonite, the idea is, in the age of Tom Ford’s ‘Fucking Fabulous’, ‘Eggslut’ and ‘Bollocks To Brexit’, the Fashion Wanker is the new fashionista. The truly stylish are the first to poke fun at themselves. It’s all about confidence and being able to laugh at yourself. It’s also a very British thing and what makes us leaders in fashion.

How did the book come about, did you pitch it or were you approached?
I pitched it. I had a previous book in 2011, but I wanted to write something new. This new book is for both sexes and looks at all the different contemporary Fashion Wankers there are and how you can be a better one. Being a fashion wanker is a good thing; a style badge of honour. I wanted to do something that was great for gifting and would put a smile on people’s faces. The world doesn’t need any more boring books.

Fashion Wankers

What was the best part of bringing the book together?
Trying to squeeze all my silly and funny fashion sayings in and celebrating the ridiculousness of fashion, the reason I love it so much.

How important is social media to modern bloggers?
It’s important because it’s your voice. It’s also your ears and eyes to see what is going on in the world. The only negative is the obsession with numbers and vanity side of it.

How significant is waste and sustainability in the fashion world?
Fashion and sustainability are never going to be fully compatible, but there are many things to be done to reduce waste and close the loop on fashion waste and things that are no longer desired. People, brands and companies are making the right noises, but, like with everything, it will come down to the economics.

Marcus JayeWhat’s your favourite item of clothing?
Ooh, that’s a tough one. I bob along on the fashion ocean and am always open to try new things. COS just gave me a trouser/half kilt combo, and, while I was slightly out of my comfort zone, I liked it.

If you had to give one piece of style advice, what would it be?
Don’t overthink it. Ask somebody who you trust and admire for advice. Sometimes it is about stopping wearing something – looking at you skinny jeans – rather than buying something new.

How do you work with brands and PRs?
I want to hear about everything. I particularly like things that are new and never been done before, especially in grooming. You can’t be rigid in this business. What I like/dislike today will be different this time next year. That’s what makes fashion and style exciting and exhausting…

What’s the best collaboration you’ve worked on with an agency or brand?
I really enjoy being able to come up with original concepts and ideas. The Chic Geek is over 10 years old now and I’ve done many collaborations over that time. The best ones are the ones which challenge you and start with a really strong idea. It helps if it’s fun too.

What other blogs do you read?
The men’s community is very supportive and we all see each other at events and launches. I like the ones who have a point of view and opinion and really say something (even if I disagree with it!).

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Mirjam Peternek-McCartney

Travel PR Spotlight with Lemongrass Marketing’s Mirjam Peternek-McCartney

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Lemongrass Marketing CEO and Founder Mirjam Peternek-McCartney has picked up a few travel trade tools during her 19 years working in comms, which includes time at Mangum Management in Germany, working with US account teams for MMGY Hills Balfour, and launching Lemongrass in Oxford in 2007.

Now counting W Dubai, Lanserhof and Martinhal resorts as clients, Mirjam works with high-end luxury properties and destinations with a ‘360-degree’ approach. We spoke to Mirjam about how she and her team tackle challenges, the advantages of keeping it in-house when it comes to travel and what she makes of hotel towel art…

Having worked in comms for 19 years, what have been the biggest changes you’ve seen in the industry, and what do you see as the next potential challenges for PR?
With the explosion of channels now available to consumers, the biggest challenge for travel brands and luxury hotels is to really understand how each of these impact the customer’s booking journey across all of those touchpoints – and to make sure they are present with messages that reflect the traveller’s intent and helping meet their particular needs.

Many hotels want to increase bookings in low season, and we have developed a proprietary methodology and process to identify potential bookers and capture their attention to achieve just that. A big challenge for the industry has always been how to measure what we do, providing proof of return on investment and how that translates into tangible business outcomes. With mobile and big data we are now, for the first time, able to do that – and that excites me! The shape and meaning of PR is involving and the future poses challenges – but I always think that along with all of those challenges, there will also be plenty of opportunities. As an industry we need to move away from a siloed way of thinking. Hotel PR, sales, marketing and reservations teams all need to collaborate more closely to ensure a seamless dreaming/planning/booking/sharing experience for the end consumer – the traveller.

Lemongrass boasts a ‘360-degree service’, with PR, sales, brand partnerships, and social teams – what are the advantages with having all of this in-house?
It comes back to what I mentioned above. We are luxury hotel marketing experts – this means we need to understand every touchpoint of the vastly changed customer journey in order to help our clients boost low season bookings, find hidden revenue opportunities (often where our clients haven’t looked before) and then translate those business challenges into meaningful campaigns across PR, marketing, social/digital, sales etc. This means we have a core team across all of those disciplines inhouse, and expert associates in super specialised areas that we draft in if we feel it is beneficial to the client. Our integrated way of working means more rounded campaigns, cross pollination of ideas, efficient, flexible and agile working practices, and ultimately heads on beds for our hotel clients, all year round!

Can you give us a few examples of particularly challenging/difficult briefs you’ve worked on in your time in the industry?
We’ve had some challenging briefs – of course! But interestingly, it’s never been the technical stuff. Challenging briefs usually had more to do with the fact that our values and those of the client didn’t align. We are fairly unusual in the travel marketing and PR world in that we speak the language of business and creativity, and always link the brief back to the core business objectives of the client. The clients we work best with really appreciate and understand that, and many have been with us from the very early years of Lemongrass Marketing, over a decade ago.

How does Lemongrass work with influencers and bloggers – despite some negative publicity around bad examples in recent years, how are these sections of the media useful for gaining cut-through for a hotel brand?
Influencers are a hugely important part of the customer journey, especially in the ‘dreaming’ and ‘planning’ stages of their holiday. It’s interesting that only 18% of all travellers are set on a hotel brand or destination when having an ‘I-want-to-get-away’ moment. In those moments, people are exploring destination options and ideas with no firm plans – people are looking for inspiration. That can come from a huge number of sources, including influencers.

However, it’s really important to define what we mean by influencers (they could be micro influencers, for example). Influencers may not even have an online presence; they could be people with a golden contact book of friends aka future hotel guests. We work with these ‘connected clans’ a lot, too. Ultimately, you need to do your research, be clear on the objective and deliverable, and advise your client accordingly. We get an influx of requests from influencers on a daily basis. Having put them through all of our analysis, research tools and database, we then only work with about 2% of them.

Moving to ‘traditional media’ – who are some of your favourite journalists in the travel/hospitality space, and why?
I always, without fail, read Sophy Roberts’ stories and the photography on her Instagram account is inspiring. Jane Anderson has an unparalleled knowledge of family travel, but then there are so many great travel journalists out there: Lisa Grainger, Jane Knight, Claire Irvin, Issy von Simpson, Francisca Kellett and lots of new talented writers coming through, too! I prefer straight talking journalists who know what they want and what they don’t want; it is easier for us to create tailored pitches and share stories that will resonate with them.

Many consumers will no longer stay in Trump-affiliated hotels, and chains owned by Brunei – what would you and Lemongrass do to turn around public opinion towards brands with a bad reputation? Do you think it’s possible to overcome political public opinion in the current climate?
I think public opinion can be a force for positive change. If there is a problem at a hotel that needs rectifying, then you must be transparent with your client. It’s no good brushing it under the carpet, throw PR budget at it and hope it’ll go away. It won’t – not in the days of social media. So, while I feel for all the people working at the Dorchester Collection – those hotels are impeccably run by professional and hardworking teams – I think it’s high time some governments stepped in to review their human rights record.

What are your aims for Lemongrass over the next five years?
As well as continuing on our organic growth trajectory, we are planning to become a B-Corp and are all incredibly excited about it. B-Corp is the Gold standard of socially responsible businesses and about creating a new kind of business that balances purpose and profit. As such, we are the perfect partner for sustainable hotels and hotel groups with a purpose and we would love to work with more of those.

And very important – what’s your take on towels shaped into swans on hotel beds? Do you think they should be in the bathroom?
Haha! I like animals, just not on hotel beds! I am not a fan of hotel towel art in any way, shape or form. But I’d love to see hotel guests reuse their towels more. The cost to the environment of daily towel changes is astronomical.

Find Lemongrass Marketing on Twitter, LinkedIn and Instagram, and connect with top travel influencers and journalists on the Vuelio Media Database.

Online Influence Awards 2019

The Online Influence Awards: judges and host announced

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The finalists have been announced, top guests are booking up and the final nominations are coming in thick and fast – the Online Influence Awards are just 46 days away.  

We’re excited to announce that this year the Online Influence Awards will be hosted by critically-acclaimed comedian, Jen Brister, as seen on Live at the Apollo. Brister has recently released her first book The Other Mother and will be touring her latest show, ‘Under Privilege’ around the UK in 2020.

Later this month is the all-important judging day where our panel of experts will spend several hours, and numerous cups of coffee, deciding this year’s winners. The judging process is crucial to what makes the Online Influence Awards unique; we will never ask for public votes or make finalists work for their win, so every victor knows their triumph is truly deserved.

This year’s judges include: Lawrence Gosling, editorial director at Bonhill Media; Liz Wilder, head of financial services at Fleishman; Mike Harris, founder of 89UP; Scott Guthrie, influencer marketing expert; Stephanie Boland, head of digital at Prospect magazine; John Gregory-Smith, chef, author and presenter; Jo Parker, CEO of Chime Specialist Group; James Herring, co-founder of Taylor Herring; Dan Hudson, podcast co-host of A Gay and A NonGay; and Rahul Titus, head of influence at Ogilvy UK.

Nominations
If you think you can impress this panel of influencer experts there’s still time to submit your entry for our four campaign categories: Best B2B Influence Campaign, Best B2C Influence Campaign, Best Cause-Led Influence Campaign and Best Content Agency.

We’ve extended the deadline for entries until Friday 11 October, plus there’s no fee to enter and all shortlisted campaigns will receive a pair of tickets to the big night on Friday 22 November at the Bloomsbury Ballroom.

Tickets
We’ve also extended the deadline for our early bird ticket rate until Friday 11 October, so if you’ve not secured your place at the Online Influence Awards make sure you do it soon!

Best of luck to all our finalists and anyone entering the awards, we can’t wait to see you on the night.

John Roberston

Men’s Lifestyle spotlight: John Robertson, The Everyday Man

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John Robertson created The Everyday Man in 2012 and it’s now one of the top men’s lifestyle blogs in the UK. Covering everything from art and culture to fashion and grooming, John has built a loyal audience with his honest and insightful advice for the modern man.

We caught up with John to find out what it means to be recognized as one of the top 10 men’s lifestyle blogs, the future of blogging and social media, and one of his favourite collaborations.

What does it mean for you to be ranked in the top 10 men’s lifestyle blogs?
It’s a really nice feeling to be recognised for something that you love doing.  When I started The Everyday Man, it was my hobby so for it to have grown over the past eight years into what it is now is something that I still find had to believe.

How much of a community is there around men’s lifestyle bloggers?
I think the community is split into different groups dependent on niche and location. There are a few others who I’ve kept in touch with for a very long time and whom I enjoy chatting about projects and ideas with. This can be a quite a solitary job so it’s nice to have others in the same boat you can chat with.

Did we miss anyone?
There’s loads of guys out there doing great stuff but I think you definitely covered all of my favourites.

What’s the best thing about being a professional blogger?
It’s all pretty cool. I guess getting to test and trial products before they hit the market is very cool. I also love to travel and have been very fortunate to get the chance to head off to some rather cool places on work trips.

What’s does the future of blogging look like?
Who knows? I hope that we’ll start moving away from individual influencer social media style blogs and more into magazine format again as I’ve always preferred those.

What’s the best collaboration you’ve worked on with an agency or brand?
There are so many that it is hard to choose. Though I took part in a road trip with Mercedes last year over in Texas and that was a sure highlight. I got to drive an awesome car through some unbelievable landscape; it was extraordinary and I really loved the content that I gathered too.

What advice would you give PRs looking to get in touch?
Email is always best for me. It helped to be clear of your expectations and wishes from any partnership off the bat too. I hate the ping pong back and forth and I hate contact over social media (Instagram DM) even more.

How important are social media channels to your work, will they ever replace the blog?
For me the blog has always been and will always be my primary channel. Social is great too but I love having the space to really tell a story properly and find that easier on the blog itself.

What’s your favourite outfit?
My style is super classic (maybe boring to some). You’ll normally find me in black jeans or chinos, and a white or black t-shirt. I recently picked up a new jacket from Belstaff as part of a collab though and I love it.

What other blogs do you read?
I love Hypebeast as I’m big into my sneakers and they always have the news on the latest drops.

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PRCA Legal Group’s Meet the Legal Editors

What journalists want from PRs

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What makes a good story to pitch to legal journalists? It’s not as straightforward as you might think, according to the panel at the PRCA Legal Group’s Meet the Legal Editors event.

Legal Group Chair Gus Sellitto of Byfield Consultancy led a discussion with Rose Walker, news editor at Legal Week; freelance journalist and former barrister Catherine Baksi; Eduardo Reyes, features editor at the Law Society Gazette; and James Booth, a reporter at City A.M. covering legal and insurance topics.

No matter what industry you’re working in, the panel’s advice can be used by PRs to shape their pitch and build meaningful media relationships.  

Like any other area of PR, know your audience and understand what they want 
Catherine Baksi said that as a freelance journalist she needs to know the publication thoroughly in order to sell a story and PR professionals need to do the same – read several issues, know the audience inside out, and be certain that the story you pitch is what you would expect to read in that publication. When she’s writing for the national press, she’s looking for a wider consumer angle or impact.  

James Booth also said his readers aren’t focused on legal intricacies. They’re in a hurry and have little specialist knowledge or interest in law firms so they want to hear about City scandals, pay-outs and financial angles, or huge court cases and appeals rather than corporate news. However, both Rose Walker and Eduardo Reyes had recently turned down stories around divorce law as their readers focus on corporate law, or are already clued up on family law. 

What makes a good story for the legal press? 
Scandals; ‘firsts’ like a ruling, case or failure that has happened for the first time; and exclusives, particularly if it offers novelty or controversy. Your story needs to be fresh and not something that’s ’months old’ or has been used recently, even in another publication – again this is where being familiar with the outlet you’re targeting will help. (Eduardo Reyes said if you can get a picture of dog in the story, that will help…).  

The difficulty with good quotes 
James Booth said that he will often turn to a reliable source he can trust to offer quotes that are colourful, challenging or entertaining as well as accurate – and that this is easier said than done. Eduardo Reyes reminded PRs to brief their law firm clients that while accuracy is crucial, media quotes don’t need as much precision as when offering legal advice. Catherine Baksi also asked for novel, interesting and succinct quotes in plain language, from spokespeople confident about speaking to the media. Both Baksi and Reyes warned against asking to check quotes or headlines – both time and ethics mean this is impossible. Another tip was to remind clients to sound ‘more like a person than a lawyer’ and avoid starting quotes with bland clichés like “I’m delighted…”.  

One audience member said that it can be difficult to get a client to accept their PR expertise to make a quote interesting and not just accurate. The panel suggested asking further questions can help to get an interviewee to say something in a different way and result in a quote that’s more punchy, non-generic and easy to digest – and ultimately one that’s more headline-worthy. Going back to your client and saying confidently ’this is what the journalist says they need’ can help.  

What does ’exclusive’ mean to a journalist and when can you offer an exclusive to another journalist? 
This is all about honesty and clarity. The panel agreed that an exclusive doesn’t come with qualifiers – it means it’s something that’s not been covered before, in any sector or outlet, and you’re sharing it with that journalist or publication alone. However, you can give a clear deadline so that if they aren’t interested or can’t use it, you can offer it to another outlet. If you offer an exclusive to a journalist and they accept, you should commit to that or it can damage your relationship with that outlet or journalist in the future. 

This also applies to your own company or client blog. The panel again agreed that you should offer news first to journalists, who don’t have time to monitor individual websites. If a journalist picks up your story (including appointments, reports, or opinion pieces) you’ll reach a wider audience than if you post it on your company blog or website first. 

The mechanics of pitching 
Give plenty of thought to your email subject line – this helps a journalist decide quickly on whether they want to use your story (or find out more). This should contain the sexiest bit and the first line should sum up the story. Catherine Baksi said it’s important for there to be contacts available to answer further questions after you send out a story. If you’re offering a range of spokespeople on a topic, partners can be more confident and quotable than associates who may lack confidence, but fresh and diverse voices are also good for journalists.  

Building a relationship with journalists 
All the panel agreed journalists are increasingly short of time, especially with the ’24-hour deadlines’ culture of online content. Email overload is still a problem and at the same time they’re monitoring social media for trends and stories and facing more scrutiny. However, you can support your journalist contacts by following them and sharing their content on social media (just don’t DM/@ them unless they say that’s their preference – a well-targeted email or phone call remains the best way to contact them).  

Meetings in person need to be brief (coffee rather than lunch), convenient (near to their office) and have a point. Rose Walker said one hour out of the office can mean missed deadlines or losing the opportunity to make several phone calls so it’s important that the journalist gets something concrete out of a meeting – for legal PRs that could mean bringing one of the firm’s partners along.  

Do: 

  • Do read the publication you’re targeting  
  • Do follow the journalists you want to work with on social media (and a retweet doesn’t go amiss) 
  • Do support your client to come up with colourful, succinct quotes  
  • Do ‘treat journalists like human beings and they’ll reciprocate’ 

Don’t: 

  • Don’t ask to check the quotes 
  • Don’t offer an exclusive that’s not exclusive 
  • Don’t use jargon (either PR or legal) 

Vuelio can help you identify the journalists, outlets and influencers relevant to you and your clients. This allows you to quickly target contacts and build new, lasting relationships based on a genuine understanding of what journalists want from you. Find out more. 

 

(Image by kind permission of Byfield Consultancy – http://byfieldconsultancy.com) 

Online Influence Awards 2019

Online Influence Awards nominations deadline extended

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The Online Influence Awards are the first UK Awards designed to celebrate the very best in influence, insight and intelligence from across the world of vloggers, bloggers, Instagrammers, podcasters and campaigners.

Alongside subject categories, from lifestyle and fashion to tech and politics, this year we’ll also reward the best online influence campaigns from organisations and agencies. We want to celebrate the hard work of those reshaping public debate using the power of online influencer marketing.

Taking place on 22 November, the Online Influence Awards are the only UK awards for influencer marketing that combines quantitative analysis with peer review and as such becomes a mark of excellence that distinguishes the high quality of winners’ work.

Nominations are open for agencies and in-house teams with no fee for entry. The new deadline for submissions is Friday 11 October, download your nomination forms here.

The categories are:

Best B2B Influence Campaign
Recognising the very best online influence campaign targeting B2B audiences in 2019.

Best B2C Influence Campaign
This category rewards the very best consumer focused influence campaign in 2019 based on creativity and impact.

Best Cause-Led Influence Campaign
This has been created to recognise the most impactful cause-led online influence campaign for 2019.

Best Content Agency
The award for best agency with a specialism in online influencer marketing able to demonstrate sustained excellence in strategy, business development, talent retention and campaign delivery.

For inspiration, check out our top tips for writing award-winning nominations here.

Good luck!

Carole King

Interiors spotlight: Carole King, Dear Designer’s Blog

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Carole King is top interior design blogger behind Dear Designer’s Blog. Sharing her design inspirations, Dear Designer’s Blog has trends and advice for anyone to transform their home. We spoke to Carole about the future of blogging, her style and her open invitation to PRs.  

Carole King 2019 How do you describe what you do to other people?
I tell them that I write about interior design and try to inspire others to create their own beautiful homes.

How much of a community is there around interiors bloggers?
I met some of my best friends through blogging. Interiors bloggers are very supportive of each other. My passion is interiors but as a blogger you have to know a lot about everything – IT, social media, marketing – and most of it I have learned through speaking to other influencers.

What’s the best thing about being a professional blogger?
The freedom to work on the projects that interest me the most. And it may not be for everyone but I like working from home.

What’s does the future of blogging look like?
A very good question. If I’d know 10 years ago, when I started, how much the industry would change in that time, I wouldn’t have believed it!

How do you describe your style?
It’s quite eclectic. I like bold wallpapers, and anything quirky. But I also believe in working with what you have instead of buying new all the time. It results in an interior that is very personal.

What’s your favourite room in the house?
My bedroom. It’s the top floor of a town house so it’s spacious and quite indulgent. I have an en-suite bathroom and dressing area and I’ve painted the bottom half of the walls black.

Carole King 2019How long do you leave a redesign before wanting to do it again?
Almost immediately. It’s an occupational hazard. I can always see room for improvement, but time and budget restraints mean I have to wait a few years.

What’s the best collaboration you’ve worked on with an agency or brand?
There have been lots, but I always love a collaboration that involves interiors and travel. My two passions.

What advice would you give PRs looking to get in touch?
Just do it. I’m always open to ideas.

What other blogs do you read?
My Scandinavian Home, The Style Files, That’s Not My Age, sfgirlbybay and Emily Henderson are my current favourites.

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Besma Whayeb 2019

Green blog spotlight: Besma Whayeb, Curiously Conscious

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Besma Whayeb is the author of Curiously Conscious, a top 10 green blog. A Green Action Ambassador for Defra, Besma covers ethical lifestyle topics so everyone can make kinder choices for the planet.

We caught up with Besma to find out how the conversation around climate change is evolving, her favourite campaigns she’s worked on and the Ethical Influencers platform she set up.

How do you describe what you do?
I tend to introduce myself as an ethical fashion and lifestyle blogger, and depending on who I’m talking to, clarify what that means! At its core, my role is to share kinder ways to live that benefit the reader, the planet and fellow people too.

How important is social media to your blog – are any channels more important than others?
Social media is half of my job – the other half being writing and curating my blog. I use my blog to share my thoughts and content, and social media to communicate that far and wide. It’s the way I connect with my readers and the eco community online.

Climate change is in the news a lot, do you think it’s getting the attention it needs?
It’s great to see climate change being spoken about almost daily now – although I do worry that I find myself an echo-chamber prioritising climate collapse above all else. The attention levels are there, but what we need now is action.

What do you think Extinction Rebellion and Greta Thunberg have done for the conversation?
XR and Greta Thunberg have elevated and changed the conversation around climate collapse – they’ve made it a priority, through very different ways, and with very different audiences. To see groups of non-violent protestors and masses of school children take to the streets to voice the need to prioritise the environment above all else shows it really does affect everyone, and we all need to be supporting the movement.

Who is ultimately responsible to make change?
We all are, but I do worry that we as individuals are being made to feel responsible about everything. Eco perfectionism is not possible right now, when we need systemic change. Business and politics need to lead the change.

What are the most important steps people can take at an individual level to be more green?
Assess what you can do in your life to make a positive impact, and turn those changes into habits. At the same time, share what you’re doing with friends, family, or even through a blog of your own. Speak to your local politician, and contact brands when you’re unhappy with their products or practices.

Besma Whayeb 2019

What advice would you give PRs and comms?
I’ve been writing my blog for five years now, and while there is less in the way of ethical and eco influencer campaigns, I’ve certainly enjoyed working on many of them – from boutique ethical brands through to giant homeware stores. My best recommendation is to ensure two things are clear with any campaign: the positive impact and the compensation for working with you. Just because a campaign is doing something positive, doesn’t mean I can afford to work for free.

What are the best campaigns you’ve collaborated on?
This past year, I’ve enjoyed working with IKEA on their Live LAGOM campaign – lagom means ‘just enough’ in Swedish, so each month I tried a new challenge to reduce my own impact (be it electricity bills, heating, or growing my own herbs) with varying success! It was a fun one to be part of.

I also recently went paddle-boarding and litter picking with REN Skincare and Plastic Patrol, which was so much fun, and made for a really great awareness campaign.

And for Fairtrade Fortnight, I created a piece all about Fairtrade fashion featuring samples from People Tree. It was something I’d been wanting to explore for a while, and I felt like it was totally fitting for a brand that does so much in the ethical fashion space.

What other blogs do you read?
So many blogs. I compiled a list of 100 ethical blogs I love a while ago, and have since set up the Ethical Influencers platform, to support and showcase similar content creators.

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Carl Thompson 2019

Men’s fashion spotlight: Carl Thompson

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Carl Thompson is the man behind the top 10 eponymous men’s fashion blog. Also the founder of menswear label Hawkins and Shepherd, Carl covers everything from fashion and style to grooming and lifestyle.

In this spotlight, Carl tells us about being in the Top 10 Men’s lifestyle Blogs, the future of blogging, his favourite outfit and how he likes to work with PRs and brands.

What does it mean for you to be ranked in the top 10 men’s lifestyle blogs?
When I first started writing the blog I was really only documenting my personal style journey. Blogging was a thing but not the beast it is today. In a way it’s come full circle. I know bloggers that would just rather be Instagrammers now and not bother with the writing part. For me, I love it. It’s a way of processing the information and digesting it. If I can write about it then I can learn easier, research better. Being recognised by Vuelio is just the icing on the cake. It encourages me to keep going.

Carl Thompson 2019 How much of a community is there around men’s lifestyle bloggers?
There is a real sense of community now. Earlier in the year there was a bit of a backlash against bloggers and influencers in general. I think we’re an easy target in many respects. We’re putting ourselves out there every day on social media. We’re offering social commentary and we’re not immune to criticism. So when the community comes under attack, it galvanises us. That’s why you’re seeing a lot of people actively promoting mental health awareness. It’s more important now than ever because our problems are no longer how do we outrun the sabre tooth tiger back to the cave, it’s how do we deal with passive/aggressive or just out right negativity on social media.

Did we miss anyone?
I think that’s a healthy list. I think Ben Heath from Twenty First Century Gent has an awesome blog. I’m all about the imagery as well as the content and I think Ben’s site is just beautiful. For up and comers you might want to keep an eye on Darren Branch who is making waves and Pete Brooker who has just launched From Tailors With Love, a blog that looks at style through the eyes of James Bond.

What’s the best thing about being a professional blogger?
The best thing for me is the opportunity to learn more about the industry I love. It opens a lot of doors. I interviewed a French Poker Star in Barcelona who barely spoke English. But I learnt about his journey, surviving a car wreck, becoming a father and going on to be mega star. It’s great.

What’s does the future of blogging look like?
Video. I will still write blogs because it’s a process for me. It’s something I can’t stop doing. But I truly believe we’re living in a more visual environment. If you want to learn something you’ll watch it on YouTube.

So for blogging, maybe it will become less informational and more story telling. More personal. But this is just conjecture.

Carl Thompson 2019

What’s the best collaboration you’ve worked on with an agency or brand?
I’ve just recorded a commercial for Andrex where I got to spend a day surrounded by Andrex Puppies. That was like a day out for me. Loved it. Most of the car reviews are the best because you get to travel and drive amazing feats of engineering. Driving in London is joyless, so I always look forward to the car ones.

What advice would you give PRs looking to get in touch?
Take a look at my Instagram page first. I get some crazy offers from whacky clothing companies (which is fine) but I can’t help but think they’re wasting their own time. I don’t wear novelty suits. One PR company sent me a present for Charlie (my dog) before they even got in touch with me. That certainly got my attention.

How important are social media channels to your work, will they ever replace the blog?
They won’t replace my blog but I can tell you some bloggers I know are thinking of hanging up the typewriter. I’d be wary of doing that. Hanging all your hopes on one channel, be it Instagram, YouTube etc, erodes your autonomy. If that platform goes down or changes the rules of the game, your livelihood could be directly affected. Just look at what’s happening right now with the Instagram algorithm.

What’s your favourite outfit?
My favourite go-to outfit will always be one that features my Hawkins & Shepherd cashmere camel coat. It looks great even over a denim shirt. If I were a chef this would be my signature dish. If I were a footballer this would be my 30-yard worldy. (You get the idea).

I also love this outfit for every day client meetings. The blue flannel double breasted suit is from Suit Supply about four years ago. It’s just lasted so well. I keep waiting for something to fall off or come apart, but it’s stayed the course brilliantly.

What other blogs do you read?
First thing in the morning I always like to read a couple of blogs over coffee. The ones I’ve already mentioned. Mr Porter pumps out consistently good content. As does The Rake of course. I get a lot from Instagram, which might point me to various blogs. Then I often watch some style Vlogs and finally shop around some faithful e-commerce stores to see what’s on sale. Yes Reiss. Yes Zara. Yes Marks & Spencer.

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Sophie Robinson Feature

Interior Design Spotlight: Sophie Robinson

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Sophie Robinson has over 20 years’ experience in the industry and her eponymous blog recently ranked in the Top 10 Interior Design Blogs. A familiar face to fans of BBC interior design programmes, Sophie uses her blog to showcase her colourful renovation of her dream home and also co-hosts a podcast with fellow Top 10 blogger, Kate Watson-Smyth.

We spoke to Sophie about her bold style, the rise of Instagram in the blogging community and her favourite campaigns (spoilers: it’s all about the colour!).

How do you describe what you do to other people?
Gosh it’s not straightforward. First up I’m an interior designer. But not what you might expect. I don’t do up rich people’s houses! With my background in magazines, I work within the media designing rooms for photo shoots, TV shows, events and exhibitions. I share my interior design knowledge through my blog, Instagram account and the online courses and workshops that I run. I’m a recognised colour expert and passionate about helping people have vibrant and authentic homes.

How much of a community is there around interiors bloggers?
The community is huge and spills over to social media too. I have always loved working in interior design as the people are just lovely and I’ve always found everyone very supportive. The blogging community in particular have done a great job of democratising what was once a very snooty industry.

Sophie-Robinson

What’s the best thing about being a professional blogger?
Having worked on magazines and for brands for the past fifteen years, what I relish about blogging is I’m in control of my own content. I can choose to talk about and share what I love and it’s allowed me to really follow and deepen my passion for colourful interiors.

What does the future of blogging look like?
I think Instagram has taken a lot of traffic away from blogs in the past couple of years so blogging needs to evolve with the changes. For me, Instagram is easy to dip in and out of and it’s a fast way to learn what people are up to. However, in terms of interior design, sometimes you want a deep dive into a topic and blog post allows you to do that. My website is also not just a blog but a hub that brings together everything I offer, with the regular blog posts the beating heart at the centre of it all.

How do you describe your style?
Bold, colourful, happy.

Sophie-Robinson hallwayWhat’s your favourite room in the house?
My hallway! Odd choice but I’ve gone to town painting it my favourite Lazuli blue. It’s the first thing when I walk through the door and I walk through it throughout the day as I work from home. The hallway connects all the spaces in your home so it deserves some love.

How long do you leave a redesign before wanting to do it again?
OMG it’s the opposite for me. I just want to get rooms finished. I have a builder for a husband and getting any projects finished in our own home just takes forever!

What’s the best collaboration you’ve worked on with an agency or brand?
The best collaborations that work for me are ones that really play into my strengths. I designed a House of Colour in my own signature style for furniture brand DFS, which included designing a room, hosting a live panel debate and holding one of my colour workshops for customers. I also loved doing a media campaign all about the psychology of colour for Habitat. It’s such a fascinating topic and I love how with a little knowledge of this framework people can really get empowered about how they want the home to feel. We did a photoshoot, video content, shop floor installation, as well as hosting press evenings and customer workshops.

Sophie-Robinson

What advice would you give PRs looking to get in touch?
Be really clear on your campaign objectives and pick a blogger who is inline with those brand ideals. I’ll never forget a PR asking if I’d like to be the face of a new trendy kitchen range they were launching. I said, ‘Sure send me over the images of the kitchen’. Well, it was grey. I thought… don’t you know who I am!

What other blogs do you read?
My podcast co-host Mad About The House of course! Kate would never talk to me again if I didn’t! To be fair I’ve read all the blogs in the Vuelio top ten. All very good indeed! As a new entry to this list I’m happy to be in such great company!

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The Politics of Social Media

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The Politics of Social Media web pic

Vuelio commissioned research from MPs across the House of Commons to understand the importance of social media in public engagement. The survey was completed by 137 MPs between June and August 2019.

It found that MPs see face-to-face meetings and social media as the most important communication channels when engaging with constituents. However, when engaging with stakeholders (professionals that work in policy or the media), activities in parliament remain most important:

  • 81% of MPs believe that public attitude towards politicians has changed for the worse because of social media
  • 76% believe social media has made it difficult for the public to source credible information
  • 47% MPs believe social has improved the transparency of politicians

Discover how MPs are using social media and what they think of it, download The Politics of Social Media.

Team Tunnah Eventing

Equestrian blog interview: Sophie Tunnah, Team Tunnah Equestrian

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Sophie Tunnah is an equestrian blogger from Northumberland. On her equestrian lifestyle blog, Team Tunnah Equestrian, she shares stories and adventures from training sessions, competition reports, her favourite products and every day equestrian yard life.

We spoke to Sophie about how she first got into blogging, balancing blogging with her day job, the inspiration for content, setting up an Equestrian bloggers’ Facebook Group and how she works with brands and PRs.

How did you get into blogging?
My first post went live in October 2012, when I started my blog as a way to document our competition performance from the past 2012 Eventing season. I found writing my blog posts gave me a really good way to reflect on the positives and the negatives, so I could focus on what we needed to include in our training plans.

Even though I started my blog seven years ago, I still very much stick to these principles – sharing our stories, adventure and our journey. I’ve added various elements throughout the years, such as product reviews and informative posts about general equestrian topics, but all my posts remain personable and relatable to my experiences.

Team Tunnah EventingHow does your professional experience heading up a global digital marketing team for an international travel brand influence your role as a blogger?
Firstly, I LOVE horses, and I have since as long as I can remember. But over the last 15 years, digital marketing and technology has captured my curiosity too. My blog simply enables me to bring these two passions together.

I’m not as hands on with the projects in my team as I used to be. My blog gives me that hands on touch again. But it doesn’t only play to my own needs, my professional experience and knowledge means that I’m able to keep on the pulse of industry updates and innovations to keep my blog in tip top condition.

When collaborating with brands, my professional side can be a huge advantage as I’m able to view the conversation from both my own blogger seat, but also crucially from the seat of a brand. It’s enabled me to ask questions such as what is the brand looking for from this collaboration, what value are they looking for and how can I better understand their objectives to create a great collaboration pack for them?

I also saw that while there were many blogger support groups on Facebook, there was nothing specifically for equestrian bloggers, like there is for travel, beauty, lifestyle, etc. So in March 2017, I setup the first of its kind group, dedicated to equestrian bloggers to create a place we could all unite, share tips, ideas and knowledge to all help each other become stronger. Hand in hand came my Blogger’s Corner section with posts all about how to get more from your blog and the top tips in a digital space to help any kind of bloggers.

I also offer digital marketing consultancy services, on a part time basis, for brands looking for some extra support, insight or recommendations.

What do you enjoy the most about being an equestrian blogger? What are the main challenges you face?
I love being part of such a supportive community. The equestrian world is known for being competitive and quite nasty at times, however, when I explored the equestrian blogging world, I found it quite the opposite. Everyone is supportive, friendly and prepared to help each other. There’s many different interests, disciplines and opinions, but everyone still seems to come together to create a community that I really enjoy being a part of!

My challenges… Well, as my blog is part time, time always has a part to play, but all that means is that I have to prioritise well and make sure I’m organised when it comes to planning my blog’s content and developments. My next biggest challenge is the ever-changing social media landscape. It can sometimes feel you just start to understand and make it work, before it changes again. But this is a challenge I don’t dislike. It stops you doing the same thing over and over, and all the updates are orientated around better user experience and I want my content to be what they want to enjoy.

Team Tunnah EventingHow do you decide what content to focus on?
By our adventures and what we’ve been up to! Training updates and competition reports are easy to do when we’ve been out for the day.

I recently started looking into Search Console more, looking at what keywords my blog had the most impressions for, but didn’t have strong rankings for. I then ran these keywords through a keyword idea generator to spin off post title ideas to help strengthen our rankings. I also realised that my SEO presence for a key phrase wasn’t as I wanted – equestrian blogger. As such, I’ve created 10-15 post titles to write about over the coming months to strengthen this term directly. I did the same thing for dressage, showjumping and eventing. I’ve looked back at those Search Console keywords for specific products, topics or services, and what pages rank for them so that I can freshen these up.

Are there any particular trends you are noticing?
I think the word influencer took over the word blogger a year or so ago. The size and scale of what a brand is looking for is what then seems to make the selection of who to work with.

As influencers have become a trend across the digital marketing world, it’s leading to a somewhat saturated place and I’ve seen instances (equestrian and not) where bloggers/influencers jump from brand to brand depending on what they’ve been gifted.

I am pleased to see a lot of brands ‘waking up’ to how to select their influencers, especially in the equestrian world, which seems a little further behind industries such as fashion, beauty and travel. It’s not about how many followers you have, but about how many people you can reach AND engage. Brands seem to be able adapt themselves to a sliding scale with the blogger, rather than simply not working with a smaller account in favour of one with one million followers but only a few hundred likes on their content.

Team Tunnah EventingWhat are the best collaborations you’ve worked on?
My best, and favourite, collaboration is with Boudica Equestrian. I was welcomed as their brand ambassador in September 2018 to aid their growth – they are a small start-up and offer personalised online shopping experiences. Laura, who owns the company, was open to my blog due to its real and personable tone and was looking for someone to get behind her business and be dedicated to it growing. It’s aligned totally with my principles and I really enjoy working with her. We will have been collaborating for a year this month, and I really hope it continues for many more years!

Do you accept press releases?
I do, providing they can fit in my content and don’t conflict with existing brand collaborations.

An example of one I accepted is about top tips for winter stabling as it was timely and genuinely offered tips for when your horse is spending less time in the field over the winter. I also accepted a press release about an eventing event taking place as I felt my audience had an interest in this equestrian discipline.

Examples that I haven’t accepted are specific equestrian clothing item releases as this would conflict would Boudica, but prior to that, I didn’t use or wear them; unproven feeding advice and guidelines as I don’t want to publishing any information that could cause problems if incorrect; and very generic equestrian brand press releases as there is no link to them and me.

Do you have a good relationship with PRs? What advice would you give to PR professionals who want to get in touch with you?
The ones I have worked with in the past, I would say I have a good relationship with and always ask to be sent equestrian information for any future opportunities. I enjoy PRs that are interested in making the right connections for the brands that they are representing, which most of them do, but there are some blanket or cold contacts I’ve had that clearly haven’t even read my blog. That’s frustrating!

If any PR wanted to get in touch, please do so! I have no fixed way of working, and so can always offer bespoke solutions depending on the brand’s objectives and desired outcomes. I find this means that every opportunity presented to me actually creates a unique solution proposal back to the PR or brand.

What are your future plans for your blog?
In August I underwent a full redesign, so I don’t think there’s any major design work on the cards, but I am looking to build my social media presence to drive more traffic to my blog and create awareness for it. One of the focus areas will be to research and strategise for my Pinterest profile as we go into 2020. I also want to build an increased search presence in the organic results, and while this isn’t something I can just do and forget about, I’m planning loads of posts in September to the end of the year to give me a good starting point.

I hope that by building on the foundations that I’ve already set, I can also expand the portfolio of brands that I work with and, who knows, it may enable me to learn new things and discover new products and services. This includes outdoor and countryside as well as fitness, to broaden my content and experiences of an all-round equestrian lifestyle; being in the countryside and being fit to take to the saddle!

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IMS header

Agenda announced for the Influencer Marketing Show

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The Influencer Marketing Show is back at Old Billingsgate, London on 22 and 23 October 2019. Vuelio is delighted be the official media partner for this two-day event, which includes up to 40 exhibitors, engaging seminars and insightful workshops.

The show will give delegates everything they need to learn how to create profitable campaigns across social media, discover new partnerships and learn about the growing world of influencer marketing.

The agenda has been announced and alongside the big issues facing the industry, such as measurement, ethics and best practice, the Influencer Marketing Show also looks to the future of influencer marketing and what it holds for the industry.

Designed to help delegates build relationships and share ideas with those in the industry, the event has great opportunities to network outside of the sessions, including a prosecco lounge and networking drinks at the end of day one.

Whether you’re attending to learn more about the world of influencer marketing or you’re on the lookout for the latest tech to boost your strategy, make sure you drop in and say hi to Vuelio who will be at the show on both days.

Tickets are on sale for the Influencer Marketing Show and readers of the Vuelio Blog can get £50 off the ticket price using code VUELIO50.

Press release

6 steps to write a press release

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The press release remains the PR’s choice for distributing news and communicating with the media. Whether you’re tweeting your news or publishing online for search engines and digital audiences, there are six points to follow to ensure your release gets the attention it deserves.

1. Have something to say
The most important step: have some real news to share. What is your company/client doing differently to everyone else? Has this story happened before in your industry? While the appointment of a new HR director might be big news in your organisation, it’s unlikely to spark much excitement externally. However, if your new HR director is implementing an innovative people management scheme, then this could be news.

2. Know your audience
Before you attempt to build a target media list, get to know your audience. Who are you trying to reach? This will enable you to target the right journalists and influencers. The more relevant your news is to their style and audience, the better the chance is of them covering it.

3. Get to the point quickly
Journalists and influencers receive hundreds of releases a day so write a snappy headline and put the story highlights at the beginning. Use the headline as the subject line if you’re emailing your release, which will help the recipient quickly work out that it’s relevant to them. Use this momentum and get to the point in the first paragraph – who, what, when, where, why and how – keeping their attention.

4. Use quotes to add colour but put them in the right place
Quotes can help explain the ‘why’ of your story. Really think about using quotes from experts that add to or move the story on. Quotes appear towards the end of your press release after the facts have been established.

5. Follow the press release template

  1. Headline
  2. All the relevant points in the first paragraph
  3. More detail in the second and third
  4. Quotes
  5. Contact details for more information
  6. Notes to the Editor with extra information that provide some background
  7. Boiler plate explaining what the company (or companies) does and how it describes itself

6. Prepare for follow up
When following up your press release, be ready to provide answers to any questions the journalist has and give time frames for getting back to them. It’s also a good idea to have supporting materials and spokespeople ready for providing extra comment or interviews.

Ready to send a press release but don’t have the right tools? The Vuelio Media Database lists thousands of journalists, editors and influencers with detailed biographies and contact information, and Vuelio Distribution lets you reach them all at the click of a button.

people having a conversation

Top 3 conversation starters for networking

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Summer is coming to an end which means only one thing, event season is about to begin again. As networking drinks, conferences and roundtables start filling up your calendar, make sure you’ve got these three fool-proof conversation starters in your back pocket.

These openers can be used at any networking event, from busy conferences with hundreds of delegates to industry drinks after work. You might find that some conversation starters work better than others in certain situations but the best way to find out is to put them into action.

1.  Have you been to this event before?

Whether you’ve attended the event in the past or it’s your first time, this question opens up conversation whatever their answer is.

If the answer to this question is ‘yes’ this creates the perfect opportunity for you to make the other person feel special and naturally leads the conversation into a discussion about what the event was like last year (or last month if it’s a regular networking event), what they liked and what they’re hoping to get out of the event this year.

Don’t panic if they say ‘no’, you can use this as an opportunity to bond with them about being first-timers to the event, or if you have been before you can suggest sessions to attend or share your positive experience of the previous event.

2. Are you here on your own or with your colleagues?

Obviously, you only want to use this question when approaching someone on their own but it works as a soft conversation starter, especially if that person looks a little nervous.

If the answer is that they’re at the event with colleagues this allows you to ask what their co-workers do, giving you an opening for an introduction and an opportunity to catch up with them as a group later on.

If you’re both flying solo at the event this gives you the chance to bond and share which sessions you’re interested in attending or head to the bar together – make sure you don’t stick to them the whole event, you can always arrange to meet up later. And if you have gone with a group of your colleagues, introduce them to each other, your networking can help their networking too!

3. Do you mind if I join you?

This can work for groups or someone stood on their own and whilst it doesn’t instantly lead to a question, as long as it’s followed up by ‘Hello, I’m… from…’ you can use this as a gateway to the first two questions.

Remember, the majority of people are polite and unlikely to say you can’t join their conversation so bite the bullet and start a conversation, you never know where it might lead.

Advice from the experts

Clarissa Bloom, relationship expert for DrinksPal uses honesty as her tried and tested opener: ‘I often come over and admit I don’t know anyone there, that I feel awkward and ask if it is ok to talk to them. At this point you have admitted your awkwardness, which instantly makes them want to build a conversation and involve you within their group and whatever they are doing. This is a great way to quickly build a rapport, to skip a lot of the ‘starter convo’ and skips you on to the interesting talks.’

Fleur Stamford, comms assistant at TopLine Comms has this top tip: ‘When attending trade shows or exhibitions on behalf of a client, I always make sure to research key attendees beforehand. This doesn’t have to be too time consuming but reading recent articles they’ve written and exploring their social media accounts is a start. It means that I feel more confident in approaching them and introducing myself. From here, the conversation naturally leads into “I’ve noticed you’ve been writing a lot about *topic* recently…” and you discuss both theirs and your opinion on the topic.’

What do you think? Have you got any stellar conversation starters? Or perhaps you’ve had someone introduce themselves with a joke? (Though this is perhaps a risky strategy)

Vuelio attend events throughout the year, you can find out where to find us on the events section of our website here.

Mini Travellers 2019 1

No 1 family travel spotlight: Karen Beddow, Mini Travellers

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Mini Travellers is the number one family travel blog written by Karen Beddow. With the aim of proving that having a young family doesn’t have to stop you seeing the world, Mini Travellers covers day trips, staycations and long-haul destinations for families.

We spoke to Karen about how to get into family travel blogging, being creative around term times and working with PRs who understand the personal touch.

How do you describe what you do to other people?
Honestly it depends who asks. I sometimes say travel writer, sometimes blogger and sometimes, especially if I’m travelling and filling in forms, I still say I’m a lawyer as I still do some consultancy. It’s easier to explain than what I now do.

How do different social channels feed into your blog?
Facebook has always been the channel that I have seen the most engagement from. Instagram is almost a mini channel in itself and I don’t see many click throughs to the blog from it, however while grid posts (especially ads) seem to have fallen dramatically in likes, story engagement is increasing.

How easy is it to get into family travel blogging? Did you have any major concerns?
I didn’t know about blogging when I started. I had read one family travel blog which had inspired me to book a trip but I didn’t know they were a big thing, so I wasn’t worried about starting one. I also never expected mine to take off and become so popular. I do, however, think it was easier to grow a few years back and I wouldn’t want to be starting right now.

What’s the best family destination in the world?
So tricky to say, we love so many places, but this year we have had amazing family holidays to Tanzania, New York and Greece, all of which we loved.

What are your top tips for long distance travel with young children?
Snacks, snack and more snacks. Pack them in your travel bag and in your suitcase to divvy up when you get there too. I often pack breakfast cereal too because if the kids can eat something they like in the morning they are then set up for the day, and they can always eat it for a late supper too.

Mini travellers 2019

How restrictive are term times for the perfect family travel experience?
If you are inventive, they don’t have to be too difficult. We’ve done Portugal, Italy and Germany at half terms really cheaply recently, and when I say cheaply I mean flights from between £200 and £250 for all five of us.

Do you accept press releases?
Sometimes but rarely, as to be honest as I have so many people who write for Mini Travellers now across the country we usually have a lot of content piling up.

What are the best collaborations you’ve worked on?
Again this is tricky to say, but this year our Tanzania collaboration with Tantoo (in country) and Kamageo (UK PR) was an incredible experience for the whole family and we had an amazing 10 days on safari producing video content for them.

What advice would you give to PRs looking to get in touch?
I love it when PRs mention the children by name and show that they’ve read the blog. I’m much more likely to be do the job or do them a favour when they show they are genuinely interested.

What other blogs do you read?
I read a lot of blogs and get so much inspiration from them so it is hard to name a few – but I have just started an Africa with Kids Facebook group with Jenny from Travelynn Family and I am always so inspired by their spirit of adventure.

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awards evening

How to write an award-winning nomination

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We’re fast approaching industry awards season and for the first time the Online Influence Awards are taking nominations for best campaigns and agency. All you need to do is complete a nomination form.

Wait!

Will your entry stand out? And what do you need to consider to be worthy of an award win? Whether you’re going for Best B2C Influence Campaign or Best Content Agency, here are our top tips for writing an award entry that will be sure to catch the judging panel’s eye.

1.  Stick to the point

It’s easy to get carried away when you’re passionate about your subject but make sure you’re still answering the question on the form. Use the word count to keep you on track – don’t forget, our judges will read lots of entries, so you don’t want to lose them in the first paragraph.

2. A picture is worth a thousand words

You’ve spent time and effort creating amazing visuals for a campaign, so show them off! An image or a video can bring your entry to life and catch the judge’s eye. Plus, it won’t affect your word count so you can include them to share your award-winning results and those all-important stats.

3. Proofread you’re award entry

Did you spot it? Proof, proof and proof again. Get your colleagues to read your entry, they’ll spot typos you might have overlooked. Better yet, ask someone who wasn’t involved in the campaign because they’ll be able to sense check what you’ve written and ensure your entry makes sense.

4. Show your personality

Every organisation and every campaign is different, so make sure your award entry is different to everyone else’s. Show off the people who brought the campaign to life, taking the idea from a brief to delivering great results. Remember, the judging panel are people, so if you can make them relate to your entry, you’ve got their attention.

5. Timing is everything

Allow yourself plenty of time to write your entry because every word counts and you might need to write a couple of drafts before sending over the finished article. Remember, judges like to see results, so it’s best to pick a campaign that’s complete and you have the data to back up your success.

Entries are now open for The Online Influence Awards for the following categories:

Best B2B Influence Campaign
Best B2C Influence Campaign
Best Cause-Led Influence Campaign
Best Content Agency

For all the information about how to enter please read our nomination pack.

Good luck and remember – the deadline for entries is Friday 4 October 2019 and there’s no charge to enter.

Have you got a question about the Online Influence Awards? No problem, email Rebecca Potts and she’ll be able to help with your query!