Archive for: Media Database

Jen Walshaw is the author of the number one mummy blog in the UK – Mum in the Madhouse. Covering family fun and creative crafts. Mum in the Madhouse has become a must-read for anyone after some creative inspiration and content. We spoke to Jen about being creative, finding her audience and working with brands.

What makes your blog successful?
I think my blog is successful as my family is relatable and authentic. We are just your average family with our ups and downs. Over the years, it has gone from strength to strength, some readers have been with us from the beginning, others found us while looking for a specific solution. It has stood the test of time and remains a trusted voice in a saturated market.

Why did you start your blog?
My blog started out as a diary after a health scare. I had two boys under three with 14 months between them. It was my way of recording our day to day life while reclaiming time for me. I had always wanted to be one of those people that had a batch of journals to look back on but never found pen and paper that appealing long term. I loved being able to create my own digital photo album with words!

How are mummy blogs different from dad blogs?
I am not sure that they are all that different, but I do love that fact that people feel they provide a different perspective. I also love that they are much more prolific than they ever were. I would much prefer to just be pigeonholed as a parent blogger rather than a mummy blogger, however, like every aspect of my life, being a parent is just part of it.

What’s it like to be part of the mummy blogging community?
I have to say that I adore the whole blogging and online community. There will always be someone that has experienced what you have and able to offer insight and advice. Whether it be dealing with the death of a loved one or how to get the tween off the XBox! We relocated (or boomeranged) back to our native North East when I was pregnant with Mini, and the mummy blogging community has enabled me to have an online village to support me while I raise my children. Some of my closest friends have come from blogging.

How do you plan content with the kids?
We talk about things we would like to blog about as a family and then schedule it in. When it comes to cooking and crafting, that is very much just part of our everyday lives so as long as they are happy for me to document it then I will. I want to be respectful of their stories and privacy. As they get older, then they are starting to provide their own content with recipes and reviews.

How do you feel about your kids growing up and reading the blog?
I have no issues with the boys’ reading the blog or any of the posts. I have always been conscious of their privacy and always check with them before posting images of them online. I know a lot of their friends follow me on Instagram and read the blog. Some of them even send me pictures of crafts they have made or recipes they have used.

What’s your favourite collaboration with a brand or PR?
It is so hard to pin it down to just one collaboration. We are big fans of family experiences and have been lucky enough to work with some fantastic brands and have lots of fun at the same time. There have been different favourites depending on the stages of our family life. The man of the house loves car or holiday collaborations, the boys are particularly keen on theme parks, technology and festivals, while for me, like most mums, am happy when the rest of the family is. However, I do love going to concerts, visiting new places and experiencing new things. I am also partial to tea and fabric!

What should PRs know when contacting you?
I am a proud Northerner, so invites to events in the capital mean quite a chunk of travel! I want PRs to understand what I can offer them and their clients, and to develop long-term relationships. Things really need to be relevant to me and my readers. More and more it is about being a trusted voice. It is great to connect with people that understand what you do and see how you can work together for the benefit of their client. I like to provide unique relevant evergreen content that will meet their needs and appeal to my readers and new readers.

What do you call yourself (blogger/content creator/influencer)?
Jack of all trades! It depends on who I am talking to. So, blogger, freelance writer, content creator or that I run a website. I wear many hats, but I do not think that I fit the influencer mould or class myself as an influencer especially as I am all about communication, discussion and engagement with my readers; it is certainly a two-way relationship and I do not set out to influence them. Personally, I am thinking of myself more and more as a maker and creator.

What other blogs do you read?
I am an avid blog reader and love being part of such a wide-ranging and diverse community. I turn to blogs for pretty much everything, looking for a recipe then there is a great blog for that, planning a party, again I turn to a blog.

Jen Walshaw and Mum in the Madhouse are both listed on the Vuelio Influencer Database along with thousands of other leading bloggers, journalists and editors. 

Amanda Coleman is the author of Amandacomms’s Blog, which was recently ranked one of the top 10 UK PR blogs. Amanda is the head of corporate communication at Greater Manchester Police and uses her blog to talk about communications across all types of businesses and organisations. She also provides a unique perspective on the public sector.

We spoke to Amanda about the changes she’s experienced in the PR industry, advice she’d give for people looking to work in comms and the PR/influencer relationship.

What makes your blog successful?
I am not sure but I am pleased that people enjoy what I write and I love getting feedback on my thoughts.

What has writing a blog taught you about the way bloggers see the PR/influencer relationship?
Writing a blog has been an eye-opening experience. Bloggers come in all shapes and sizes and it is vital that those in PR and communication recognise the impact they can have on brands and reputation. We need to take a new look at communication.

What’s the biggest issue facing PR today?
Demonstrating results that will breed credibility within businesses or industry.

What are the biggest changes to the PR industry you’ve seen over your career?
The biggest change over more than 20 years is the ability for anyone to become their own publisher. The technology developments have brought big opportunities as well as many risks.

Will print die out altogether?
No, if it was going to then it would have done by now. It has a place at the moment.

What’s the best social platform?
I like many of them as they do different things. Twitter is the way I get breaking news and signposts to interesting things, Facebook is for personal updates with close friends, Instagram brings visual updates, Pinterest provides a way to corral information and LinkedIn is all about professional updates. I use them all for different reasons.

What’s better, agency or in-house?
I would say in-house as that is where I am at the moment. It provides an opportunity to get into the DNA of an organisation.

What advice would you give someone looking to work in comms?
Get as much work experience as you can to make sure it is what you want to do. The reality may be different to your idealised view of the role. But despite that, it is a great profession for someone with creativity, drive and commitment.

What’s your favourite PR campaign from the last year?
Looking at campaigns is a very narrow view of PR I think there are many organisations that have been producing results through communication including London Fire Brigade who have had a challenging year.

What other blogs do you read?
I tried to read as much as I can from many people including Stephen Waddington, Sarah Hall and others in the Top Ten. But I also try to find new things through Twitter.

Amanda Coleman and Amandacomms’s Blog are listed on the Vuelio Influencer Database along with thousands of other leading bloggers, journalists and editors.

Stuart Masson is The Car Expert. Featuring in the Top 10 UK Automotive Blogs, The Car Expert covers car news and reviews as well as focusing on financing and buying new cars. We spoke to Stuart about developing his blog, the issues in the automotive industry and being honest with products and services from brands.

What makes your blog successful?
Independence and authenticity. We don’t pander to anyone or offer opinions in exchange for free stuff. We provide plain-English advice and information to car buyers without catches; no commissions and no compromises.

I also take time every day to answer reader questions, and The Car Expert has become a powerful resource for confused car buyers and owners.

How has your blog developed from when you first started?
The Car Expert started off with me writing articles that answered a lot of questions that I used to get when selling cars (like ‘Should I buy a diesel car or a petrol car?’ and ‘How does car finance work?’).

It is now part of a larger company, and employs freelance journalists to provide specialist reporting. We’ve had to upgrade server hosting numerous times to accommodate continually growing traffic, and have had to deal with ever-increasing demands on our time to keep producing quality news and advice articles, weekly newsletters, fulfil media opportunities and other things I was never expecting.

We are now more rigorous about producing content to deadlines and on a regular basis, whereas it used to be very much an ad hoc thing where I would write articles as and when inspiration struck and time allowed.

What’s the best car you’ve ever driven?
Certainly the most memorable was an Alfa Romeo 8C supercar. It was a very rare limited-edition model, in left-hand drive and very noisy, and I had to navigate it across south-west London in peak hour traffic, through Hyde Park and out onto the Westway. 80% of the drive was at about 20mph and I was terrified of damaging a £150,000 car that was for sale! It was like being a celebrity, as people were taking photos of the car every time I stopped.

What’s your dream car to own?
A classic 1960s Ferrari. Entirely analogue, beautiful to look at and (apparently) beautiful to drive.

What do you drive at the moment?
My day-to-day car is currently a MINI Cooper hatch, and I also have a 1973 Jaguar XJ6 Series 1 [pictured below] that only comes out on weekends and sunny days.

Can you predict what year autonomous cars will become ubiquitous?
Ubiquity is still a long way away – probably sometime in the 2040s. It’s not about when the first truly autonomous cars will arrive (probably the mid-2020s), but when the majority of used cars are autonomous. It will take decades to eventually replace the 35 million cars currently on UK roads with autonomous versions.

What’s the biggest issue facing the automotive industry at the moment?
Cheap credit propping up sales figures. The car industry is totally reliant on people buying cars they don’t need with money they don’t have. It can’t be a sustainable business model to force your customers into ever-increasing debt to afford new cars every three to four years, and that bubble is going to burst sooner or later.

How do you like to work with PRs?
When they have taken the time to understand who we are and what we do, rather than simply trying to shoehorn mentions, links and ‘brand messages’ for whatever they’re promoting into our content. Unfortunately, that’s becoming the exception rather than the rule these days, and we end up swerving a lot of PR ‘opportunities’ because they involve compromising our values for the benefit of a large, rich company that can frankly afford to behave better.

What’s the best campaign you’ve worked on and why?
There have been a load of highlights along the journey so far, but the common thread – whether huge and elaborate or small and simple – is where brands or agencies don’t try and place expectations, and welcome constructive criticism rather than trying to spin their way out of it. We don’t bash brands or products for sensationalist purposes, but we will criticise where we think it’s fair. Some brands are fine with that, others seem to have dropped us off their Christmas card lists…

What do you call yourself (blogger/influencer/content creator etc)?
I actually don’t know anymore. It feels like these titles have all become blurred and rather meaningless. I’m not a trained journalist, although we do employ journalists for specialist reporting. I suppose when I write, I’m a blogger, but I tend to think of bloggers as people writing about their own personal life stories, whereas I write advice articles based on professional experience.

I’m also an editor, a sub-editor, a publisher and a director, but those roles are all much more easily defined!

What other blogs do you read?
All sorts – I tend to read by topic, rather than following specific authors or bloggers. While I’m following a topic, I’ll zero in on particular authors, but then once I’ve moved on to another topic I tend to leave them behind. That’s probably a reflection of how my own website has always been structured, which is topic-based rather than the story of my personal adventures (or anyone else’s).

Stuart and The Car Expert are listed in the Vuelio Blogger Database, alongside thousands of other influencers including journalists and editors.

This is the second part of our interview with Lizzie Owen, who is both a freelance PR and blogger. You can read her PR Spotlight here. Lizzie started blogging out of a necessity to understand how bloggers work and their needs from a PR perspective.

In this Blogger Spotlight, Lizzie talks to us about being a Progger (we’re making it a thing), working with PR as a blogger and the joy of Frozen.

Why did you start your blog?
While I was working with Portrait Communications, they were handling John Lewis toys and Steiff Teddies. I was contacting parent bloggers for reviews, and found it a totally different type of approach than for press. For a start, they didn’t work the same hours, so response was normally a day later, as they have jobs to go to, lived outside of London and had their own terms and conditions. It was a completely new world.

I met an awesome blogger during this time (2010) called Sian To, who was running a blogging conference called Cybermummy, which she invited me to. I accepted and fell into the world of blogging and set up Mummy in Manolos as a way of understanding it all, almost like some sort of experiment. Then I became one of the bloggers I was approaching, while networking and becoming friends with some of the UK’s top influencers from the other side of the fence. This led to helping Sian with Cybher, collaborating with Molly Makes and my client Home Barn, organising blogger workshops and becoming familiar within this world because I was a blogger too! So I was the PR AND the Blogger….Progger !?!

I loved it, but because my PR business was becoming so busy, my blogging took a bit of a backseat, and I didn’t keep up with it. I wish I had now, as I see so many of my friends doing so well, like the lovely Kate Watson-Smyth and Will Taylor!

How do you work with PRs as a blogger?
Because I’m a PR, I like to approach the brands personally. I know never expect to be given anything in return, especially at this stage, as I’ve only just really got back on it again. I’m not that keen to re-write a brand’s SEO key words though, as it really doesn’t suit my style of writing, and it looks like a sponsored post as it’s not in my voice (I’d hate to ruin my blog by allowing brands to use it just as an SEO platform). Hence why I make that move and approach brands who create products and events I am personally passionate about. I like a PR to approach me with something that fits my brand, because they’ve noticed my Instagram posts, (@mummyinmanolos you lovely lot), or have checked old posts and are familiar with my style. And clearly, I’m quite empathetic when I’m approached, as I do what they do. In fact, they inspire me, and I gain invaluable insight when I am approached. I’m always fascinated by the new and exciting ways to engage bloggers with fun and interactive events.

What’s your favourite thing to blog about?
Originally, this all started out as something to do while I was on Mat Leave, and I absolutely adore Vivienne Westwood and Manolo Blahnik, so you’d think it would be all about fashion and shoes. But actually, I’ve found that as I’ve matured, so many things have become much more of a passion, and I’m hugely into holistic healing, but with a twist. Whatever I talk about has to have cool branding and a beautiful aesthetic with genuine soul to it. I go on a bit about yoga, holistic healing, interiors, fitness, art, food, festivals – so life and style!

What collaborations have you enjoyed working on?
As a blogger, it had to be the private screening of the film Frozen when it first launched in the UK. Disney had organised for the producers of Frozen to fly over from LA for the BAFTAs, Jennifer Lee and Chris Buck who had just won an award, then attended the Soho Hotel cinema screening, with a Q&A session at the end. My little girls just curled into complete shyness when it came to that part, bless them. In fact, so did I! But, it was such an honour considering little ones are still singing ‘Let it go’ to this day! I’ll never forget my smallest Poppy giving Chris Buck a picture of Elsa she’d drawn for him as a thank you.

What other blogs do you read?
So many have come and gone, but my absolute favourites are: Mad About The House; Dear Designer; Arianna’s Daily; Bright Bazaar; The Brand Stylist; Design Sheppherd; Coco’s Tea Party; and Poppy Loves. There are so many incredible blogs out there, it’s fantastic so many are now giving it a go. I love the community!

Lizzie Owen and Mummy in Manolos are both listed on the Vuelio Influencer Database along with thousands of other leading bloggers, journalists and editors. 

Naomi Lewis writes The Naomi Narrative, which was recently ranked in the Top 10 UK Relationship and Dating Blogs. Naomi started her blog after an unbelievably crappy date, and now shares experiences of dates as well advice around sex and relationships. We spoke to Naomi about the best date she’s ever been on, making a good impression and working with brands on campaigns.

What makes your blog successful?
I’m not sure I could pinpoint one certain thing but definitely shameless self-promotion to get my work out there has had an effect. Also, I would’ve though the honesty behind my writing. I don’t just fluff things up for the sake of it, I get right into the nitty gritty and I think people really appreciate the tough love approach.

What’s the best date you’ve ever been on?
It’s nothing grand, I went for a meal and a dance. Sounds pretty plain, right? It was, but great dates are all about the company you keep. We weren’t even meant to be seeing each other this night and I got a text saying, ‘I’ve booked your favourite place at 6 for dinner, I’ll meet you there’. Great start – love the romantic spontaneity, and it just got better. We kept having to send the waitress away because we were gabbing that much we hadn’t had time to even consider what to order, we had a great meal and then went on to have a drink, a dance and a laugh for the rest of the night.

What made this such a great date when it sounds so normal? It was thoughtful, and it was so easy. Just a simple meal and a drink was one of the best dates ever – no grandeur, no forward planning, no massive expense – just good company and great chemistry.

What top tips would you give to people to make a great impression on a first date?
Always answers questions with questions to keep the conversation flowing, there is nothing worse than an awkward silence but if you make an effort to keep things ticking over, then you’ll never have to worry about that! Also, remember the old saying ‘you never get a second chance at a first impression’ because it’s totally true – don’t be afraid to get dolled up to the nines or suited and booted, and keep smiling – it’s infectious.

What does Valentine’s Day mean to you?
I mean, sure, it’s a good excuse to spoil your partner but IMO, it’s become a bit of a Hallmark season now. I think and people can go a little overboard which is, of course, fine as everyone’s different. In my opinion, the little things throughout the year adding together mean more than a grand gesture on Valentine’s Day would – but like I said, that’s just me.

How much is your content about you and your experiences, and how much is it about others?
It’s a real mixture of both. I’ve written a lot about my own dates, the single life and my emotions and now that I’m in a long-term relationship, I write about the trials and tribulations of being in a relationship – the good, the bad and the ugly! I also find it useful to write up things I’ve learned that are happening in the dating scene too. For instance, new apps and their pros/cons, new dating trends that are surfacing, and a bit of the psychology behind dating and relationships too. It’s all SO interesting and the great thing about it is that EVERY SINGLE PERSON can relate to it all.

What’s your favourite thing to write about?
I’m a bit six-of-one-half-a-dozen-of-the-other when it comes to my favourite writing style. I do like to get deep with some posts and really explore why we do what we do and what happens when, etc, and go into a bunch of detail, of course with a positive spin on it all. Like this one.

However, I have just as much fun writing blogs that are a little more risqué but putting in a little humour too to take the ‘awky’ edge off. Like this one.

How do you like to work with PRs and brands?
I guess it all depends on the brand/campaign. I really like to put my own spin on things and the brand/campaign has to be inexplicably linked to dating/relationships because my content always has to stay true to my own brand. The brands I’ve worked with so far have been great because there’s always been give and take and being able to communicate exactly what you want to achieve from either end ensures that everyone gets what they want out of the campaign – which is the dream right?

Are there any stand out campaigns that you have been involved with?
I’ve worked with all sorts of brands, from lingerie and sex toys, to greetings cards, health and wellbeing, and apps. There has been a whole plethora of different campaigns I’ve been lucky to be a part of but I would say the biggest things to come out of my blog are my columns.

Due to the success of my blog, I’ve landed myself a column in #DATING – the only dating magazine on the market and I have a weekly column talking all things dating, sex and relationships in real life magazine Loveit!

What do you call yourself (blogger/influencer/content creator)?
I’d definitely call myself a blogger because I’m all about the writing. Of course, I appreciate other blogs with beautiful photos but for me, blogging’s all about the words.

What other blogs do you read?
I must admit, I love reading other dating and relationships blogs, it’s always good to see difference in perspective and opinion on subjects you’re interested in! For instance, All Sweetness and Life, Never Settle (Eve Greenow), etc.

Naomi is listed with her blog on the Vuelio Influencer Database along with thousands of other leading bloggers, journalists and editors. 

Hayley Hall has rebranded her award-winning beauty blog – London Beauty Queen, which has been a key part of the beauty blogging industry since its launch 2010. Now called Hayley Hall UK, the blog covers more than beauty with fashion, lifestyle and thought-pieces also featuring prominently.

We caught up with Hayley to find out about the rebrand and what it means for the blog.

Why have you rebranded?
It’s something I’d been thinking a lot about in the last year or so, having been using the LBQ alias for nearly a decade. Although the name had become rather iconic, I felt I was becoming more and more distanced from it – especially as I started as a 27-year-old single Londoner and am now a 35-year-old married woman living in the Shires! I felt like it no longer reflected who I was or what I wanted to write about, so I spent a year transitioning away from only beauty and introducing more topics – including fashion, lifestyle, travel, wedding and home.

Back in 2010 we all picked random names that stuck in heads but didn’t exactly have longevity, so it was an inevitability to drop LBQ at some point; when I married last year, it seemed like a natural progression to adopt my new name as my online identity too.

What can we expect from Hayley Hall?
More of the same – I’ve spent 12 months transitioning and measuring the popularity of different types of content, so the name change is more of a branding issue than anything else.

What’s the rebranding process like in terms of website management?
Easier than you may expect, but you do have to prepare and be organised! The hardest thing was finding social handles that I could use, so I spent a long time setting up test accounts and claiming different names so they would be as consistent as possible. The URL switch was relatively easy and londonbeautyqueen.com will continue to redirect to hayleyhall.uk, but it’s all the niggly bits that take the time; it was a full day of admin and updating to get it all in order.

Are you measuring the brand change in any way/are you hoping for any particular outcomes?
One of the main reasons for the name change was the fact many brands and PRs couldn’t see past my URL; they made the assumption that I was only interested in beauty or was much younger than I am. I’m hoping rebranding helps me to build connections outside of the beauty world and continue to connect with brands I’m passionate about.

How does this affect how you’re working with brands/PRs?
Only positively – I’m open to covering different topics and collaborating with different sectors.

Do you think this marks a wider trend in bloggers moving from single topics to broader lifestyle subjects?
Yes absolutely. Many of us started with a singular interest, but after doing the same thing for such a long time, it’s vital to diversify to maintain your passion. I became a bit lethargic with beauty launches, having seen the same thing five times already, so I needed to introduce new areas to keep my creativity flowing. Readers are also increasingly interested in the person behind the blog, rather than just what they’re reviewing; I get some of my best engagement on fashion posts and thought pieces, although beauty will always remain a huge focus for me.

Do you consider yourself a lifestyle brand?
Not really. I’m a writer and creative, even though what I’ve created is a brand in the simplest terms.

What do you call yourself (blogger, content creator, influencer)?
All of the above, depending upon who I’m talking to! I work with a lot of brands on a consultancy basis (utilising my decades worth of experience in digital marketing, social media and branding) so I’m not just one thing – even day to day I totally change!

Hayley Hall and her blog, Hayley Hall, are both listed on the Vuelio Influencer Database.