Press and Bloggers - Vuelio

Green blog spotlight: Besma Whayeb, Curiously Conscious

September 20, 2019/0 Comments/in PR Pulse, PR, Blogger, Blogger Spotlight Media Database, PR, Press and Bloggers Blog Posts /by Vuelio UK

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.

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.

Men’s fashion spotlight: Carl Thompson

September 18, 2019/0 Comments/in PR Pulse, PR, Blogger, Blogger Spotlight Media Database, PR, Press and Bloggers Blog Posts /by Vuelio UK

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.

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.

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.

Think’s Jackie Scully on Influence, her marathon wedding and five inspirational challenges

September 17, 2019/0 Comments/in PR Pulse, journalism, PR PR, Comms, Press and Bloggers Blog Posts /by Vuelio UK

Jackie Scully is the deputy managing director of Think, the membership publishing agency behind CIPR’s Influence magazine. Known for pushing boundaries, Influence has won a heap of industry awards and is often recognised for its cutting-edge approach to the medium of print.

Jackie is not only known for being a driving force professionally at Think but also using that infectious energy to push personal boundaries, defeating cancer and achieving incredible feats of endurance at the same time.

We spoke to Jackie about her work with Influence as well as her extraordinary personal story and using her platform to raise money for charities, including her five challenges to mark five years clear of cancer.

Anyone wishing to donate to Jackie can do so here.

How does Influence fit in with your other magazines, and how does it stand out?
Influence is unlike any other magazine I’ve ever worked on. This is a membership magazine that isn’t afraid to push the boundaries – to the point that even editorial planning meetings are challenging. This is a magazine that swears and puts a picture of marijuana on the cover (I drew the line at scratch and sniff for obvious reasons), manipulates its magazine tagline (a sacred constant) to get its point across, gave column inches to (whisper it) Katie Hopkins and is the proud owner of its very own signature theme tune (linked to a piece around the power of sonic branding). I have genuinely lost more sleep over this magazine than any other project (for all the right reasons). But, when you take risks, you reap the rewards (in terms of reader engagement and awards). You should see the awards shelf!

What’s the importance of Influence to the PR industry?
Influence is a daring, intelligent and playful magazine with a serious point (or points) to make. PR professionals need new skills to futureproof themselves, for example, so we don’t just talk about the future, we actually roll up our sleeves and test it out (the world’s first-ever video cover for a membership magazine is a good example of this). More importantly, after working hard in the early years to establish the brand, we are now in a position to open doors few can – and tell brilliant stories that give the industry profile.

Who did George Osborne speak to for his first interview as editor of the Evening Standard? Influence (and it got a mention on the Today programme). Who was allowed to do a photo shoot with a Barbie and a mini magazine, getting behind the scenes at a famously-secretive company in the process? Influence. This credibility meant that when we launched a mental health campaign this year (in light of statistics revealing a growing concern in this area for PR professionals), included a blank spread in the magazine, a near-blank cover and encouraged people to take ten minutes out of their day to join our #influencetakesten initiative, we had a reach of more than 1.3m.

What’s your role with the magazine?
The buck ultimately stops with me as publisher of the title, which means that when an illustration about rebranding Saudi Arabia hits my desk, for example, I don’t just think ‘that’s bright and colourful’, I think ‘lose the weapons’. With a magazine that makes a point of going further than everyone else, I do have to spend a lot of time holding my nerve – while also organising and pushing the team, managing deadlines, budgets and paper orders and ensuring revenue targets are hit, all while thinking strategically about the future. The best part of my role is challenging the team to think bigger in every planning session. It has led to some really creative thinking and I am proud to play a small part in making that possible.

You’re an incredibly inspirational person, if you don’t mind me saying. Can you tell us about your wedding?
Well, I am not sure about that, but thank you for saying so. I guess, the way I see it, any inspiration I provide is purely accidental. My wedding (in my head) was supposed to be an edible affair (think edible invites, centrepieces, favours etc) to support the fact there is a lot of baking in our house. But, after waiting 13 years for a proposal and then getting diagnosed with breast cancer just three weeks later (at the age of 32), everything changed. I started running through treatment (with a hip full of metal following completely-unrelated surgery in my 20s) to prove to my body I was done with it throwing major health obstacles in my path. I ended up doing my first-ever 10k for charity just a week before my last chemo.

So, when my treatment finished and my boyfriend hinted at the wedding plans, I said there was only one way to do it – and that involved running and fundraising. So, on 23 April 2017, my husband and I became the first couple in the world to get married on the Cutty Sark before the London Marathon, run the marathon and then trek the Great Wall of China for honeymoon. It was an incredible moment in our lives (David Seaman’s wife Frankie – of Dancing on Ice fame – even made my wedding dress).

And now you’re doing five challenges, and are already on number five?
Yep, to celebrate being five years clear of cancer, I decided not to go down the pub, but instead attempt five massive endurance events to try and raise £5k for five amazing charities (all the fives!) that supported me through treatment and are doing amazing things every day for those facing serious illness. So far, I’ve walked 66 miles round the Isle of Wight (it took 28 hours and was brutal), completed a 70.3 ironman in 8hrs 50m, climbed Ben Nevis and ran a 34-mile ultramarathon up and down the cliffs of the south coast. Now all that stands between me and that ultimate finish line is a 137-mile Coast to Coast cycle across the UK.

I am so grateful (and proud) that my body is still in one piece with just one challenge to go. It has been tough. I think I might even be the first woman in the world to have run an ultramarathon with my rather colourful health history. How cool is that? (or maybe stupid depending on your appetite for long-distance anything).

What’s going through your mind when you’re doing these incredible endurance events?
When it gets really tough, I remind myself of those who are less fortunate. I have lost so many friends to cancer (under 40). I know people who struggle to walk up the stairs (and having had to learn to walk again in my 20s, I know how demoralising that can be). I know that pushing myself and moving forward helps other people move forward. So, I just keep going. I also try not to think about the distance or the time (thanks to the guy on the microphone at one event, who pointed out loudly that in finishing a 21k stage walking, we only had another 85k to go)! And, most importantly, I think about all the food I can eat at the end without even the smallest hint of guilt.

How important do you think it is for other people to see what you’ve achieved?
What makes me smile so much is thinking that by pursuing my own edges (and I haven’t found them yet, yay), I have, in some small way, motivated other people to do the same – whether that’s a couch to 5k or doing their first-ever running race. I have seen what exercise can do to change the course of a day and it feels amazing to think that I have helped other people carve out time and space for themselves. While gifting our wedding to charity was a wonderful experience, it was the hope we offered to those struggling with illness and mobility that meant the most. One woman, who heard the story and saw me running, decided to get out of a wheelchair and walk for the first time in a year. Her daughter wrote to me the day after the marathon and said that I’d given her a hope she couldn’t find for herself. I’ll never forget her words.

What’s it like to be recognised by the industry for the person you are, alongside the work you do, for example receiving the PPA’s Unsung Hero award and being named a Champion of Kindness?
It feels absolutely awesome. I am the same person whether I am at the top of a mountain, mentoring a young person in the industry or leading a meeting. Someone recently said to me that being in a meeting with me was like being hooked up to the mains electricity (I think that’s a good thing). I put energy into everything and everyone and that’s what keeps me going.

I have learned the hard way that if you rush through life just trying to take on the world of work – expecting others to want and do the same – you forget to live. It is only when you put effort into your life as well as your work (rather than simply being a workaholic) that you can taste genuine success.

What messages do you give other people who look up to you?
My favourite mantra is ‘say yes unless you really really really really should say no’. Do something that scares you (you will remember the brave decisions not the safe ones). Embrace change (life won’t go according to plan and that’s ok). Don’t be afraid of searching for your edges (and helping others to do the same). Back yourself (believe you can and you will). Choose kindness (both for yourself and for others for when the currency is kindness we are all millionaires). And, when you are having a bad day, look up! It is only by turning your face to the sky that you can see a way through life’s clouds.

If you could leave us with one message today, what would it be?
Write your own definition of success. Not the one society has written for you (big career, big house, family, etc). I am my imperfections, a product of the things in life I would never have chosen. I am grateful every day for that fact. And (if I am allowed two), make your life mean something. When I was in hospital after life-saving surgery, a nurse stopped me and said ‘Jackie, are you doing something every day you’d be proud to put on your gravestone?’ The answer, of course, was no. I am so grateful that I got the opportunity to change what will one day be written there. No longer the Jackie who just worked too hard. My wish is that when I do leave this world (my consultant thinks I’ll make the age of 92 so I’ve got a fair way to go) I am remembered as the woman who gave people hope, made them believe anything was possible and gave them a reason to smile. I hope the same for you.

It’s never too late to make what you do matter.

Interior Design Spotlight: Sophie Robinson

September 16, 2019/0 Comments/in PR Pulse, PR, Blogger, Blogger Spotlight Media Database, PR, Press and Bloggers Blog Posts /by Vuelio UK

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.

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.

What’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.

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!

Clarity in Confusion – Navigating Party Conference Season

September 16, 2019/in PR, Press and Bloggers /by Vuelio UK

Politics is changing by the second, making it harder to keep up with the issues that affect you and your clients.

We have three panelists to guide us through this confusion: Katie Roscoe, Head of UK Public Affairs – Helicopters and Civil at Airbus; James Baker, PR and Public Affairs Associate at Brunswick, who advised Boris Johnson on his successful leadership campaign; and Alexander Tiley, former Press and Comms Officer to a Labour MEP and now working in public affairs.

Our guests discuss how to navigate the current political climate, what you should be prioritising and the importance of the Party Conference Season for your engagement.

MPs believe social media has a negative impact on politics

September 12, 2019/0 Comments/in PR Pulse, Public Affairs Political Services, Comms, Press and Bloggers Blog Posts /by Vuelio UK

Research commissioned by Vuelio, the political and media software provider, has found that MPs believe social media has a negative impact on politics, with four in five (81%) of the 137 MPs surveyed believing public attitudes towards politicians have been changed for the worse as a result of social media. The research is released at a time of heightened speculation regarding an early general election. It is important to recognise the central role that social media is likely to play in any subsequent campaign, as a crucial communication tool for all of the main parties.

According to MPs, there are specific ways in which social media has damaged public engagement. Over three quarters (79%) believe social media has made it difficult for the public to source information from trustworthy sources and 78% believe it leads to people being overloaded with information. This impacts policy making, with two in five (42%) MPs believing social media has changed the policy making process for the worse, and a third (36%) believe it has changed public understanding of policy for the worse.

DOWNLOAD THE FULL RESULTS HERE

While MPs believe, on balance, that social media has had negative impact on politics, they do recognise some positives. Almost half (47%) of MPs say it has improved the transparency of politics and around two in five (44%) say it has improved engagement between politicians and the public.

Commenting on the research, Joanna Arnold, CEO of Vuelio said: ‘Social media has ushered in a new era of political immediacy that is reshaping how politicians engage with the public. While recognising that social media has improved transparency, four in five MPs believe it has changed public attitudes towards politicians for the worse. The depth of concern that MPs have is a timely reminder of the risks of social media as well as the potential it has to transform political engagement.’

Max McEwan, Senior Consultant at ComRes said: ‘While politicians clearly have misgivings about the impact of social media on the political process, they are increasingly reliant on these new tools of communication. This is particularly true for MPs in marginal constituencies, for whom the research shows that social media is the most important channel when engaging with potential voters. We therefore stand poised to enter an election that could be decided based, in part, via a communication channel that MPs consider to have damaged the political process.’

Rachael Clamp Chart.PR, MCIPR, Chair of CIPR Public Affairs said: ‘This is fascinating research. A challenge for politicians and a pause for thought for anyone who wants to engage with them.

‘Social media has broken down barriers and removed some of the mystery surrounding the nature of our ‘them’ and ‘us’ politics. But the role of an MP has also become ambiguous. What some MPs say has driven engagement with constituents hasn’t resulted in better debate and is eroding traditional media channels. MPs are also making a distinction between how they engage with the public and how they engage with lobbyists, which is part of ethical lobbying practice.’

While MPs consider on balance that social media has had negative impact on politics, they recognise that it is around twice as important as securing editorial coverage in communicating with constituents (64% vs. 35%). Social media is considered only marginally less important as having face to face meetings with constituents (64% vs 70%). The importance of social media for constituent engagement increases among younger MPs with three quarters (74%) of MPs born since 1970 saying social media is an important communication channel for engaging with constituents compared to half (49%) of those born in the middle decade of the last century (1950-1959).

Labour MPs are most likely to consider social media as important to engagement compared with Conservative MPs (75% vs 57%). When it comes to reaching stakeholders working in policy or the media, MPs consider activities in parliament, such as parliamentary debates and APPG sessions as significantly more important (60%) opposed to less than half that figure (25%) choosing social media.

This research was commissioned by Vuelio to understand the changing relationship between MPs, the press, editorial and social media. ComRes surveyed 137 MPs (51 Conservative, 67 Labour, nine SNP and 10 others) using a combination of paper and online surveys. The survey was conducted between 11 June and 12 August 2019. Data have been weighted by party and region to be representative of the House of Commons.

Do you know the influencer marketing rules?

September 11, 2019/0 Comments/in PR Pulse, PR, Media, Blogger, PR Club PR, Press and Bloggers Blog Posts /by Vuelio UK

The CMA has launched a survey with PromoVeritas to help the industry test is knowledge of influencer marketing rules.

If you work in PR or marketing and are actively working with bloggers, vloggers, Instagrammers, podcasters and creators then you have responsibilities around gifting and collaborations. Likewise, if you’re working in content creation as an ‘influencer’, then you need to know the rules around working with brands and agencies to make sure you’re getting it right.

The survey only takes a few minutes to complete and let’s you know your score when you get to the end.

Take the survey here.

The CMA will use the results to continue educating the industry about what they need to do in order to raise standards and promote best practice.

It follows the pledge that celebrities and influencers made back in January to clean up their act on social media. This cohort included Ellie Goulding, Alexa Chung, Millie Mackintosh and Zoella.

Vuelio continues to support best practice in the industry both with its clients and the influencers we connect them to. By following the correct process you can ensure your work is seen as high quality, which, no matter what side of the influencer marketing relationship you’re on, benefits your audience and your brand.

Equestrian blog interview: Sophie Tunnah, Team Tunnah Equestrian

September 10, 2019/0 Comments/in PR Pulse, PR, Blogger, Blogger Spotlight Media Database, PR, Press and Bloggers Blog Posts /by Vuelio UK

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.

How 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.

How 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.

What 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!

Number one interior design blogger: Kate Watson-Smyth, Mad About The House

September 9, 2019/0 Comments/in PR Pulse, PR, Blogger, Blogger Spotlight PR, Press and Bloggers Blog Posts /by Vuelio UK

Kate Watson-Smyth is the number one interiors blogger behind the multi-award-winning Mad About The House. A journalist and published author, Kate has designed The Mad House as a sourcebook for modern living.

We spoke to Kate about the future of blogging, the sense of community on Instagram, working with brands creatively and her favourite blogs to read.

How do you describe what you do to other people?
Author/Blogger/Stylist/Whatever.

How much of a community is there around interiors bloggers?
There is a real sense of community in our field. Particularly on Instagram where we all chat to each other and there’s lots of sharing of each other’s work in stories. I love that aspect of it. It also feels very friendly and welcoming when people share the renovations they are doing and ask for, and receive, advice, ideas and tips.

What’s the best thing about being a professional blogger (if that’s how you refer to yourself)?
I don’t refer to myself as such but that’s probably because I’m a journalist – and therefore a professional writer – by trade. For me the best part of the job is the variety of opportunities that it has brought me. From being able to earn my living from writing, which is my first love, and expanding that into books (my third will be out in March 2020) to interior styling as well as helping people find the decor that is right for them; and then setting up a podcast, The Great Indoors, with television presenter Sophie Robinson [Ranked fourth in the top 10].

More recently I have begun using my platform, if you can call it that, to set up a directory of interiors and homewares brands that are actively trying to reduce their impact on the planet. Do Less Harm aims to be a comprehensive listing of companies in this sector with details of what they are doing when it comes to packaging, disposal, eco-friendly practices and sustainable production. It’s only just launched so it’s small at the moment, but I’m hoping it will grow and be a useful, and huge, resource as well as persuading other companies that they need to step up their own game when they can see what their competitors are doing.

What’s does the future of blogging look like?
Well isn’t that the $64m question! For the last few years people have been predicting the death of the blog and I think many of them did take a hit from the rise of Instagram, but Instagram is proving tricksy these days and many people find it frustrating that their pictures aren’t being shown to their audience, which has in turn led to a resurgence of blogging. There was an evening a few months ago when Instagram went down for hours and people all turned up on Twitter announcing that they had written blog posts for the first time in ages. And that, for me, was key. We don’t own Instagram and if it closed down or disappeared, your audience would go with it. You own your blog and its content and no-one can take that away from you.

The other point is that your blog is like your street address – you can always find it and the content that is there. It’s a nightmare searching Instagram hashtags trying to find the brilliant thing you’re sure you saw two months ago when you can’t remember the name of the person who posted it. Long live blogs I say. But then I would, wouldn’t I!

How do you describe your style?
Constantly evolving, but let’s go with monochrome maximalism for the time being.

What’s your favourite room in the house?
The last one I decorated.

How long do you leave a redesign before wanting to do it again?
That completely depends. I might be constantly tweaking but it’s a rolling thing. We moved into this house nine years ago. We painted it all white, then gradually all shades of grey and I have just finished painting out all the grey, so that’s going to average at every three years or so if my sums are right. That said, I realise that how often I redecorate is probably a different answer from how often I want to redecorate…

What’s the best collaboration you’ve worked on with an agency or brand?
That’s a tough one. I could tell you the worst! (I won’t). There have been many over the years and I tend to like them for the creative freedom and/or the people I work with as well as doing something new. So, Velux was fun because we made a video, which was different and they were a great team. Working with DFS was cool as I worked with Sophie and we styled a roomset according to our own (very different styles), and Bisque Radiators was great because it was nominated for an award.

What advice would you give PRs looking to get in touch?
Do email me. Don’t DM me on Instagram because it’s easy to miss those messages. Don’t address me as ‘Mad’ and do have an idea of what we might do together based on where our mutual strengths lie. It’s always better too, if the brand isn’t overly controlling about what they want.

I have worked on several campaigns that start off as ‘we want to work with you because we love your feed and think it’s a good fit…’ and end up being ‘you need to post this at this time and we want approval of every story and caption that goes out’. I can see that sometimes that is necessary because things can go wrong, but often it ends up killing the creativity that they wanted to hire in the first place. A little give and take and discussion in both directions is always good.

What other blogs do you read?
I love French for Pineapple [ranked tenth in the top 10] – no one is better at spotting a trend than her, Jess at Gold is a Neutral, and Sophie of course – I need to know if she’s being rude about my boring lack of colour that week. I think Melanie Lissack and Karen Knox of Making Spaces are both really talented and clever. I also love Caroline Hirons for all things beauty and Wardrobe Icons for fashion that I mostly can’t afford but like to look at.

Do less harm

September 4, 2019/0 Comments/in PR Pulse, PR, Blogger PR, Press and Bloggers Blog Posts /by Vuelio UK

Kate Watson-Smyth, who writes the UK’s number one interior design blog Mad About The House, has launched Do Less Harm: The Directory.

The Directory is designed to help interiors shoppers ask the right questions and base purchasing decisions on those companies and providers who are trying to reduce their harmful impact on the planet.

It also serves as a sustainability round-up because some companies don’t shout about their activities so it will be a one-stop-shop where everything can be seen in one place.

Kate is accepting new submissions from brands and organisations to share their sustainability status. PRs are invited to complete the online form, whether you represent a big high street retailer or bespoke business.

Kate said: ‘The fashion industry has begun to talk about sustainability and I realised that we still don’t have clear information in the interiors world. Often pieces that are made from recycled materials can be very expensive (and limited edition) and I wanted to look at how companies operate as a whole – from their creation to their disposal so that we, as consumers, can decide where to spend our budget.

‘It might be that we can choose three companies selling sofas at the same price, but one is UK-made, one will recycle your old sofa and the other is shipping from China and will dump your old one in landfill. If you have the right information you can choose where you want to spend your money.’

The Directory is still in its infancy but Kate has ambitions for it to become the resource for sustainability when it comes to furnishing or renovating your home.

No 1 family travel spotlight: Karen Beddow, Mini Travellers

August 23, 2019/0 Comments/in PR Pulse, PR, Blogger, Blogger Spotlight Media Database, PR, Press and Bloggers Blog Posts /by Holly Hodges

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.

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.

Family travel spotlight: Kirstie Pelling, The Family Adventure Project

August 20, 2019/0 Comments/in PR Pulse, PR, Blogger, Blogger Spotlight Media Database, PR, Press and Bloggers Blog Posts /by Holly Hodges

Kirstie Pelling is the author of The Family Adventure Project, a top 10 family travel blog. Following Kirstie and husband Stuart’s journeys around the world with their three children, the blog encourages readers to try new experiences and challenges. We spoke to Kirstie about making lifelong friends while travelling, the versatility of Japan and her advice for PRs looking to get in touch (it’s a marriage, not a one-night stand).

How do you describe what you do to other people?
I have been a freelance journalist for thirty years, working in radio, print media and online. So that’s what I tend to call myself, although my writing life is eclectic – I have also worked as a digital poet amongst other things.

How do different social channels feed into your blog?
Our feeds are an extension of our blog personality and presence but often reach different audiences. For example, we enjoy the cycling community on Twitter and regularly interact with those active in promoting local tourism like the Morecambe Bay Partnership. On Facebook, our audience is more fellow family travelers from around the world and people who love the outdoors. Some of our followers and friends have engaged with us for more than a decade and we learn from their experiences and travels as much as they learn from ours. In fact, sometimes when I’m in a tricky situation I think what would Thomas or Brenda do?

How easy is it to get into family travel? Did you have any major concerns?
We never actually stopped travelling when we started a family so for us this wasn’t an issue. In fact, my greatest challenge came when I fell pregnant while on a gap year cycling adventure with our two toddlers. Doctors advised me that exercise wouldn’t harm the baby, but at the tip of New Zealand, six months pregnant, I was tempted to throw my bike into the sea rather than get back on it with the bump.

There are always concerns about safety when travelling with young kids, but the key is to think it all through. When the children were babies, we bought the best cycle trailers on the market. When they were tweens, they took up stoker positions on our tandems. When they first rode their own bikes, we cycled in Scandinavian countries where cycling was normal and traffic polite. And for adventure sports like canoeing, rafting and glacier hiking, we engaged experts to help and guide us.

What’s the best family destination in the world?
Japan delivered something for everyone. The kids loved the robots and electronic districts as well as activities like making wax food and learning temple etiquette. We swam in sacred lakes, ate in bizarre themed restaurants and enjoyed onsens and ryokans. We loved Iceland too, for its wild outdoors and quirky character. And you can’t beat our home county of Cumbria for the scenery; the lakes and fells are part of our kids’ DNA.

What are your top tips for long distance travel with young children?
It’s all in the planning. Fly at the best times for their body clocks, don’t try to pack in more than one big thing a day and try to relax and give them some freedom to explore. Also, strangers are not necessarily a danger. Rely on the help and local knowledge of other families; we’ve been rescued by all sorts of kind souls over two decades and are still friends with many of them.

How restrictive are term times for the perfect family experience?
Very restrictive. We have abandoned plans for many trips based on the prohibitive cost of taking five of us away in peak season. The Government’s policy on this is detrimental to the less well off. It’s a shame as I strongly believe travel is good for family bonding and building shared memories and this is being compromised for a whole generation.

Do you accept press releases?
Of course. They help keep us briefed on changes in the travel industry and what destinations are offering families.

What are the best collaborations you’ve worked on?
We love collaborating. Our whole blog is a collaboration between myself and my husband, and the kids help make our YouTube videos. We love to work with tourist boards and brands to brainstorm innovative campaigns. I am also a member of the Family Travel Collective, a group of five experienced journalists who have their own blogs in different family travel niches (other members are Cathy from Mummy Travels, Gretta from Mums Do Travel, Nichola from Globalmouse Travels and Ting from My Travel Monkey). I also work with Captivate to provide collective coverage for tourist boards.

What advice would you give to PRs looking to get in touch?
Our most effective relationships with PRs have been long term, with occasional contact when there is something new to promote or update. Some PRs make the mistake of thinking the only valuable coverage is immediate; I like to think of it as a one-night stand versus a marriage. As a freelance for many outlets, I might include a destination years later in a round up post, revisit with teens instead of toddlers or keep updating one of my own posts to rank higher on Google. One of the best examples of this is Catalonia/Costa Brava tourism, where we have worked together on and off for over a decade. They understand the value of a lasting relationship.

What other blogs do you read?
There are many great family travel blogs out there, in fact I love all of the blogs on the recent Vuelio Top 10 list. Paula Eber at Road Trip Nation is a great writer and intrepid family traveller, and I have just read the proofs of her book about cycling the world. I also enjoy reading about Becky Enright’s exploits at Borders of Adventure.

4 tips to win silly season

August 19, 2019/0 Comments/in PR Pulse, PR, PR News, PR Club Media Database, PR, Press and Bloggers Blog Posts /by Jake O'Neill

August is a slow month for news, with parliament on recess, half the entertainment industry in Edinburgh and August bank holiday just around the corner. But that doesn’t mean there isn’t plenty of opportunity for great PR to secure cut through and still make the front pages. In fact, in many ways there’s even more opportunity.

Here’s four quick tips to help you take this silly season seriously.

1. People still want news
While the UK has fewer citizens at home – with some 24 million people going abroad at some point in Q3 each year – these people aren’t all on holiday at the same time and, in our connected world, people still check in with news or social media and can see the stories you’re releasing.

Tip 1: Some stories won’t make sense in August (particularly anything political), but you shouldn’t hold on to a great story just because it’s summer.

2. Context is vital
Parliament is on recess, which means there’s less attention for political stories. Similarly, children are on summer holidays, which means school stories won’t get much traction but activities and events for families will do much better than normal (especially as we reach the end of holidays and best laid plans for keeping kids entertained start wearing thin).

Tip 2: Carry out audience research, find out what matters most during August to your target(s) and create messaging to suit those needs. For research inspiration, check out our latest highlights from the ResponseSource Press Release Wire.

3. Your contacts go on holiday
You may have the perfect black book of senior contacts at all the best publications, but even Dacre took a holiday occasionally. Maybe. And just because a desk editor or star reporter is abroad, it doesn’t mean the publication stops creating news and content.

Tip 3: Make sure you know who to contact when your contact is away. If you’re struggling to find the right people, the Vuelio Media Database lists thousands of journalists, editors and influencers with detailed profiles and preferred contact information.

4. Silly season ends abruptly
Many schools return on 2 September and parliament is back on 3 September. At that point there will be just 58 days until the UK is due to leave the European Union, so expect the news agenda to include only one topic for a couple of months. Getting coverage in September is going to much harder and it’s also going to take a lot more work; is there anything you can do now to make that easier?

Tip 4: If you’re finding it quieter, and you don’t have the stories to fill the void, use this time wisely because you’ll miss it when it’s gone.

What tips have you got to win silly season? Let us know on Twitter @Vuelio, and we’ll retweet the best.

Crisis Comms for Terrorist Incidents

August 9, 2019/in PR, Press and Bloggers /by Vuelio UK

How do you manage crisis comms for terrorist related events?

A new guide by the CIPR and CPNI explains how the right communications can mitigate the harmful effects of terrorist incidents and in some cases even prevent them in the first place.

We are delighted that the guide’s co-authors Sarah Pinch, Managing Director of Pinch Point Communications and Dan Gerrella, Associate Director at Liz Male Consulting will join our webinar, Expect the Unexpected – Crisis Comms for Terrorist Incidents to discuss best practice for communication management before, during and after terrorist incidents.

Cycling blogger spotlight: Andrew Sykes, CyclingEurope.org

August 9, 2019/0 Comments/in PR Pulse, PR, Blogger, Blogger Spotlight Media Database, PR, Press and Bloggers Blog Posts /by Christina Pirilla

Andrew Sykes is the writer and cyclist behind CyclingEurope.org, a top 10 UK cycling blog. Covering the best routes and cycling tips, Andrew has also published three books about his travels across Europe.

We spoke to Andrew about being part of the cycling blogger community, his new bike Wanda and the best way to get in touch if you’re a PR or brand.

How do you describe what you do to other people?
I am, above all, a cyclist. Combined with a love to explore this wonderful continent that we called Europe (as well as the other six!) and the skills to express my experiences in words, I suppose I’m also a traveller and writer.

How did you discover your love of cycling?
I have always been a cyclist or at least from the point when I learned to ride a bicycle when I was very young. It remains, in my opinion, the most practical way to get from A to B and, after crossing Europe for the first time in 2010, I discovered that the combination of cycling, long-distance travelling and writing was a very good one indeed.

What’s the best bike you’ve ever ridden?
The one that I have just invested in! It’s a wonderful Koga Signature WorldTraveller bike from the Netherlands. With its hub gears, carbon belt and sturdy build, it should hopefully have me crossing more continents in the years to come. It’s also got a name: Wanda.

What’s the best cycle route in the world?
The best cycle route is the one that you abandon your car to make on two wheels instead. That could be across the country, to work or just to the end of the street.

The next big thing in cycling – what are your predictions?
I’ve mentioned my new bicycle already and some of its features; the hub gears and carbon belt are not new but, now that hub brakes have almost become standard, surely advanced drive systems are next. Time will tell. Efficient power generation when cycling has also come a long way in recent years, especially as everyone wants to keep their high-tech devices topped up on the go. Expect to see big advances in that area too.

What’s the cycling blogging community like to be a part of?
It’s great to be at the heart of it. Most cyclists are very down to earth people; we reflect the machines that we ride; humble, inconspicuous, environmentally friendly… and I’m proud to be part of that group of people.

Do you accept press releases?
Yes, as long as the general topic is in line with the themes of CyclingEurope.org, namely cycling, travel and/or adventure. And I don’t turn things away simply because they are not about Europe!

What are the best campaigns you’ve collaborated on?
I’ve worked with many groups over the years helping to promote a range of services and products that I think may be of use to the readers of the website: clothing manufacturers, travel specialists and transport companies. I’m also increasingly working with tourist authorities writing bespoke content for the site about their particular corner of the world.

What advice would you give to PRs/brands reaching out to you?
Be honest in your approach. Avoid telling me that you’ve always been a fan of the site, that seems unlikely. And if you are offering sponsored content, be up front about the financial side of things. Most long-term relationships kick off with everyone knowing where they stand.

What other blogs do you read?
I’m familiar with most of the sites on the current Vuelio top ten list of cycling blogs but I have to admit that Brian Palmer’s thewashingmachinepost is hard to beat in terms of his shear depth of knowledge and attention to detail. Impressive stuff!

Family Travel Spotlight: Nichola West, Globalmouse Travels

August 8, 2019/0 Comments/in PR Pulse, PR, Blogger Media Database, PR, Press and Bloggers Blog Posts /by Holly Hodges

Nichola West is the author of Globalmouse Travels, which was recently named in the top 10 UK Family travel blogs. Exploring the real side of destinations – rather than the well-worn tourist routes – Nichola and her family travel both in the UK and around the world. We caught up with Nichola to find out about the beauty of Oman, her advice for family travel and how she likes to work with PRs and brands.

How do you describe what you do to other people?
I say I try to inspire other people to keep travelling with their children, while getting to enjoy doing exactly that with mine.

How do different social channels feed into your blog?
They all work really differently, Twitter is good for chatting (and I co-run a monthly Twitter chat #familytravelhour with Lonely Planet Kids and other travel bloggers once a month, which is a fun place to all connect and talk travel); Instagram is like a blog in itself, working as a more immediate look at our travels as they happen; and Facebook is a nice place to share other travel news as well as what we’re up to. I am starting to really get in to YouTube too and enjoy making videos of the places we visit.

How easy is it to get into family travel? Did you have any major concerns?
I was really daunted by family travel in the beginning. We took a couple of trips to France that seemed quite stressful and resigned ourselves, after years of travelling as a couple, to little trips to France, thinking that was as far as we would go. Then we won a competition to travel to the Cook Islands and that transformed our mindset. If we could travel for over 24 hours with a one-year-old, we could travel anywhere. So now we go wherever any of us fancies. It was a moment of realisation that you have to relax and just go with it because anything is possible.

What’s the best family destination in the world?
Our favourite destination is Oman. We all just love it. We stayed in some beautiful resorts with swimming pools and perfect for relaxation, visited deserts for sleeping out under the stars and camel riding with nomadic Bedouins, and went to beaches to watch endangered turtles hatch. The Omani people are so friendly and welcoming and we loved the warmth of the country.

What are your top tips for long distance travel with young children?
My top tips are to relax and enjoy it. Take sticker books, wipes, snacks from home and a camera and you’ll have the best time. Children really do create a welcoming environment and we’ve had such wonderful experiences travelling in new cultures thanks to travelling with them.

How restrictive are term times for the perfect family travel experience?
Term times are definitely restrictive and annoying but then there are plenty of breaks and the key is to plan ahead. Book flights when they come out, as far in advance as you can, and you can get some great bargains. It’s also worth keeping an eye on the holidays of other countries around the world, for example Scotland usually break up before the rest of England and go back earlier so you might find it cheaper to travel up to Glasgow or Edinburgh to fly out from later in the summer when they’re back at school. In the same way, most of the US and Scandinavian countries go back to school before England, in mid-August, so going later in the month will mean more accommodation options and some good offers.

Do you accept press releases?
Definitely. It’s always good to hear the latest industry news.

What are the best collaborations you’ve worked on?
I work with a great group of family travel bloggers, The Family Travel Collective and together we have worked on some fantastic campaigns with brands including Hyundai and BenQ and destinations from Durham to Tunisia. It’s a wonderful, collaborative way to work and I love the results we get when we join together to increase reach. I also personally love working with Visit Scotland who really understand what we are looking for on a trip, from a family travel perspective and also with Visit Denmark who we just love.

What advice would you give to PRs looking to get in touch?
Please do! We love to hear from PRs and whether it’s a fully joined together campaign you’d like us to work with you on or you’re looking for ideas of how we can work together we’d love to hear from you and help to create some exciting content.

What other blogs do you read?
I love Tigerlillyquinn, Along Dusty Roads, Mrs O and many other family travel blogs.

Pretty dangerous: how can you ensure the influencers you work with stay safe?

August 7, 2019/0 Comments/in PR Pulse, PR, Social Media, Blogger Media Database, PR, Press and Bloggers Blog Posts /by Phoebe-Jane Boyd

Taking risks – and taking pictures of those risks – is what separates influencers from their followers. Sharing aspects of your life online that the rest of us keep private, and investing time in creating a profile with no guarantee of success, is a risk most of us won’t take.

An office job is safer, but potentially not as profitable as, say, being able to sell gamer girl bathwater after becoming popular online. Risk for the online influencer can bring rewards of attention, followers and clout, but badly-planned risk can cause great harm to reputation and personal safety. Scary examples of influencers acting dangerously for their audience now pop up in the mainstream media on a regular basis, so we’ve asked PRs who’ve worked closely with influencers how to keep those tempted by risky shots safe.

Feeling green after visits to the blue ‘Novosibirsk Maldives’
Novosibirsk in Russia has a lake with water so blue it’s almost unnatural… which it actually is, being a man-made ash dump for the local coal plant. Unfortunately, it’s also being used as the location for glamourous Instagram photoshoots. Those who’ve chosen to swim in the toxic water for pictures have reported allergic reactions and skin irritation alongside social success. So, is it worth it?

‘There are safe areas to get beautiful shots, such as controlled viewpoints, safe pools and there are even some lovely picturesque indoor spaces that have been set up now, with their “instagrammability” being their main attraction. If you’re an influencer, perhaps all of your income will come from promoting products and services on your platform. Do you really believe that those said things would be promoted to a heightened extent if you place yourself in a dangerous position to photograph them?’ – Jessica Pardoe, digital PR & outreach executive at Tecmark

‘I’d recommend to any influencers to look elsewhere as you can find plenty of alternatives that won’t involve losing an organ or their sight. Norway offers a number of locations that look incredibly similar, if not better – I would push for them to find an alternative scene for their shoots. As bad as it is to say, a huge amount of influencers images are touched up on Photoshop or via apps, therefore while they might be taking huge risks to get that turquoise shot, the question remains whether it is worth it when you could be paddling in the Brighton sea and with a few flicks of the finger you could make it look like an exotic resort’ – James Carfell, marketing for Collier

Instagram couples pretend to be Spider-Man and Mary Jane
Kelly Castille and Kody Workman of Instagram account positravelty received a backlash after posting a pic of Kody dangling Kelly from an infinity pool during a kiss.

‘At the end of the day we are to hold ourselves accountable for the decisions that we make,’ is what they posted next to the photo. Others held them accountable for promoting the dangerous lengths they went to for a pretty picture. They’re not the only dangerous kissers on Instagram, Camille and Jean of backpackdiariez shared one of their ‘wildest kisses’ in May, taken while hanging out of a train door.

‘The best thing PR agencies can do to make sure influencers don’t put themselves in risky situations is to remind them that they – the influencer – are essentially a role model for their followers. When an influencer does something that is out of bounds or potentially dangerous, they are setting a negative precedent. Brands should be very clear when drawing up contracts about what behaviour is or isn’t acceptable’ – Gabrielle Sarpong, PR executive at Feel Good Contacts

Chernobyl series sparks selfies
Tourism to Chernobyl is up following the success of the HBO series detailing the events of the 1986 tragedy – Instagrammers travelling to the site to take some pretty awful selfies is also reportedly on the rise. As well as coming across as callous and potentially harming their reputation, influencers posing in front of abandoned disaster areas also risk their health.

‘When it comes to talent putting themselves in dangerous positions, we would ensure that their safety is our top priority. There is no point risking a life ‘for the gram’. And if a more particular shot was required, we would ensure that all the right precautions were taken, the conditions were right and we have the right creatives to assist in production. Ultimately co-creating the content (instead of an individual curating the content alone) is paramount to ensure everything runs safely, smoothly and avoids any unnecessary danger’ – William Soulier, CEO and co-founder of Talent Village

Overexposure to idealised images could be harming the mental health of influencers
Just as posing in toxic water, over dangerous precipices and near radiation can result in pretty shots for social, obsessing over the shares they get can harm the influencers posting them. Recent research published in the Psychology of Popular Media Culture journal found that Instagram, more than any other social media platform, triggers comparisons and feelings of inadequacy and anxiety. This has led the platform to trial hiding public-facing stats, in the hopes it will reduce the pressure on users (read our white paper about that very topic here).

‘In the age of Instagram manipulation, photoshop editing and augmented reality, it is hard to know which image is genuine and which has been changed to look so incredibly far from the original shot. Many influencers will take 100 photos before posting a single one, trying to get that ideal shot and forgetting the natural aspect of showing who you are and letting your personality shine through’ – James Carfell

‘When you work with an influencer as a PR, they effectively work for you. I truly believe that those working in influencer marketing know exactly how to maintain relations with their influencers, and how to keep them out of harm’s way when they are promoting’ – Jessica Pardoe

If you’re a PR who’s looking to connect with influencers, but aren’t sure how to help them avoid the risks? You can encourage the social media generation to behave responsibly outdoors and find professional influencers to work with on the Vuelio Influencer Database.

5 PR tips from Bloggers

August 5, 2019/0 Comments/in Five Things, PR Pulse, PR, Blogger, PR Club Media Database, PR, Press and Bloggers Blog Posts /by Jake O'Neill

At Vuelio we talk to bloggers, vloggers and Instagrammers all the time about how they work, what best practice looks like and the advice they have for PRs. From men’s fashion to green content, we’ve hand-picked five of the best tips to help you get ahead in influencer marketing.

1. Build relationships
Grey Fox’s David Evans wants to use brand relationships to show his audience that new clothes aren’t just for 20-year-olds. With any blogger, long-term relationships are more likely to yield positive results as their audience will see a true collaboration and trust that their influencer believes in your brand, rather than seeing it as a one-off promotion.

2. Start conversations as early as possible
This advice comes from Andrew and Emily of Along Dusty Roads, who have to plan their trips months in advance. While not everyone needs such a lengthy lead time, the longer you can give bloggers, the more likely they’ll be able to say yes to a collaboration and then focus on creating compelling and relevant content.

3. Don’t just include or invite us because you feel you have to, include us because you want to
This tip comes from Kate Everall, one half of LesBeMums. Inclusion and diversity should be built in to all campaigns because it’s more engaging, not because it makes you look good (or even worse, doesn’t make you look bad). More diverse campaigns can reach more diverse audiences and lead to greater success.

4. Treat us as creative partners rather than blank advertising hoardings
Slouching Towards Thatcham’s Tim Liew advocates creative collaborations that can produce results again and again. No matter what the medium or channel, influencers are successful because they’ve built their own audience with their own unique creativity and voice. Only those that don’t understand the true value of influencer marketing would ignore that.

5. Treat bloggers as real human beings
This tip is from Jeremy Williams of The Earthbound Report, but it’s one we hear again and again. Make sure you take some time to learn about the blogger or influencer you’re pitching to, ensure their content is a good fit for your campaign and then contact them in a personal, and personalised, manner. One of the biggest complaints we get is bloggers being emailed without their name or with the name of their blog, which inevitably leads to poor engagement and no collaboration.

Vuelio is proud to celebrate influence in all its forms at this year’s Online Influence Awards. Find out how you get involved here.

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Family Travel Spotlight: Claire Hall, Tin Box Traveller

August 2, 2019/0 Comments/in PR Pulse, PR, Blogger, Blogger Spotlight Media Database, PR, Press and Bloggers Blog Posts /by Holly Hodges

Claire Hall is the author of Tin Box Traveller, a top 10 family travel blog. Covering family adventures both at home and abroad, Claire writes about tips and tricks to keep both young and old(er) happy on holiday. We spoke to Claire the mechanics of her blog, the joys of holidaying in the UK and how she likes to measure the success of campaigns with PRs and brands over long periods of time.

How do you describe what you do to other people?
Ha! This is always an interesting one. I tell people I’m a writer because ‘blogger’ either draws blank looks or smirks (sad but true).

But actually, I’ve always been a writer. I started my career in journalism. I’m now a blogger, video-maker, freelance writer and social media manager. My background in writing is the foundation for everything I do today, which amounts to a career I love.

How do different social channels feed into your blog?
I am on all the big social media channels and try to use each of them daily. Facebook and Pinterest are the ones that generate the most traffic to my blog but they don’t necessarily take the most work to manage.

Instagram is where I spend most of my time. However, I have a love-hate relationship with it. It’s like a mini-blog for me. I see very little traffic coming from Instagram to Tin Box Traveller when compared to Facebook or Pinterest, but I enjoy writing for it and curating my images. Maybe that will change if I go over the golden 10k follower threshold.

It will be interesting to see how the visibility of likes on Instagram changes this platform in the year ahead.

How easy is it to get into family travel? Did you have any major concerns?
It’s simple really. If you want to travel with your kids, do it. Don’t let anyone tell you it can’t be done. We took our first trip with our eldest when she was six weeks old and haven’t looked back.

As long as you plan for things to be a bit different to your pre-kid travels, give yourselves plenty of time, and research the places that you are staying, it can be done. There are so many great family travel blogs now – if you have a question, tap it into Google and the answer will be there.

What’s the best family destination in the world?
We love holidaying in the UK. Cornwall is an amazing destination for families. The beaches, family attractions and scope for outdoor activities are endless.

However, if you are looking for somewhere abroad, I’m a big fan of Italy. The Italian Lakes have so much for families to do. And if you enjoy a city break then Tuscany has plenty to choose from and two easily accessible airports from the UK: Pisa and Florence.

What are your top tips for long distance travel with young children?
We haven’t flown long haul with the kids yet, but we have done plenty of long road trips. My top tip for car journeys is to break the trip up with regular stops so that you can all get a break. I took my girls on a few solo road trips last year and we would have all been totally frazzled without pit stops and overnight breaks.

How restrictive are term times for the perfect family travel experience?
I know they are a major issue for lots of families. We have the extra restriction of my husband being in the armed forces and did take the girls out of school for three days last academic year. My husband was deployed over Christmas and New Year, so the Armed Forces Covenant allowed us to get some family time back when his next leave period didn’t synchronise with the school holidays.

Do you accept press releases?
I receive lots of press releases but rarely use them. Some might spark an idea and there are some seasonal events that I want to know about. However, press releases about research rarely capture my attention.

What are the best collaborations you’ve worked on?
This year I’ve worked on some great collaborations with brands that have really got to know Tin Box Traveller before they’ve approached me. Bailey of Bristol, who manufacture touring caravans, asked me to work with them on promoting caravan holidays to my audience.

This is a brilliant brand match for me as I started out as caravan blogger. Since then Tin Box Traveller has evolved to cover all kinds of family travel, but this collaboration made me feel like I had come full circle with the blog. We still love caravan holidays so it’s been great to share this with followers who may not have been with us from the start.

I’ve also worked with Parkdean Resorts and Al Fresco Holidays on campaigns and holiday reviews over several years. It’s great to track the success of these long-term relationships.

What advice would you give to PRs looking to get in touch?
Have a read of my blog and take a look at my social media channels. If our audiences have similar interests then let’s chat.

What other blogs do you read?
I read so many other family travel blogs. The adventures of Mini Travellers, Mummytravels, My Travel Monkey and Travelynn Family always inspire me.

Family travel spotlight: Cathy Winston, MummyTravels

July 31, 2019/0 Comments/in PR Pulse, PR, PR News, Blogger, Blogger Spotlight Media Database, PR, Press and Bloggers Blog Posts /by Holly Hodges

MummyTravels has once again been named in the top 10 UK family travel blogs. Written by Cathy Winston, MummyTravels is full of tips for travelling with little ones as well as insight into single parent travel and exploring new countries around the world. We spoke to Cathy to find out how she got into family travel, the community of bloggers around her and the best campaigns she’s worked on.

How do you describe what you do to other people?
I usually call myself a travel writer – I’m a professional journalist as well as blogger so that covers both, but I’d say blogger rather than influencer or content creator.

How do different social channels feed into your blog?
I tend to think of each one as an extension of the blog in some way – Facebook is where I go to chat to fellow travel-loving parents and for day-to-day updates about trips. Instagram is all about the photos (although I enjoy the immediacy of Stories as much as the grid shots… and can have a little more control over whose accounts I see!).

As Twitter is so fast-moving, I don’t often have time to keep up with all the conversations, so it’s more about sharing links and live content on trips, as well as Twitter chats – I’m one of the co-hosts of #familytravelhour with Lonely Planet Kids.

I also have a podcast, Kidventures, which I co-host with my friend and fellow family travel blogger Ting from My Travel Monkey and videos on YouTube which have more standalone content but also complement the blog posts.

How easy is it to get into family travel? Did you have any major concerns?
The fact that everyone told me I couldn’t travel with a baby was what inspired the blog in the first place, and I hope that people reading it will be inspired to see that’s not true at all, there’s really nothing to stop families travelling if they want to. When I started the blog, it was more of a creative outlet for me and an attempt to answer the question of whether I could keep travelling, so I don’t think I could ever have foreseen quite how much it would grow over the years.

There are always challenges to travelling with children, including the practical ones when you have a baby and a toddler – I also often travel solo with my daughter, so I’m very aware I’m the only adult on hand a lot of the time. Safety is still the main concern, I’m much less inclined to take risks when I travel with her, but the more you travel, the more you realise that a lot of the concerns (enduring long-haul flights, jetlag, what food they’ll eat) are always things you can deal with and work around.

What’s the best family destination in the world?
I’m not sure I can choose just one! It would need to have sunshine, a beach and a pool (for both of us!) but also plenty to explore and discover, whether it’s historic buildings and temples or getting to discover another culture and way of life. But we’ve found that in South East Asia, Caribbean islands, Greece and the UK – even if the sun is a little less guaranteed at home.

What are your top tips for long distance travel with young children?
Plenty of snacks and plenty of entertainment. Audio books have worked really well for us, especially when my daughter can’t watch something on a screen (or I don’t want her too), but with short attention spans, more really is more – I’d rather carry a dozen things to occupy her for a short time and keep rotating them than rely on one or two ways to entertain her.

I also try to have a back-up plan for most eventualities (places to stop, extra food for planes, spare clothes, portable powerbank) but then go with the flow as much as possible.

How restrictive are term times for the perfect family travel experience?
There’s no question they are restrictive – not least because prices do rise in school holidays, sometimes dramatically. Some destinations are best visited at a time of year which always falls during term time too, or are simply so far away that it’s difficult to visit outside the longer summer holidays.

But having said that, you can still still make the most of each holiday: school needn’t mean you can’t see the world. Visiting destinations outside their peak season can also work well in holiday time – we went to Cambodia one summer, for example, when it’s quieter and slightly cheaper for green season, rather than the more popular European beach destinations.

Do you accept press releases?
Yes, although I’d rarely write anything based solely on a press release unless it was a sponsored post for example.

What are the best collaborations you’ve worked on?
The best collaborations tend to be the ones where both sides are clear on the deliverables and any deadlines in advance, but happy to allow some creative freedom and for me to suggest what will perform best on the blog. The results have to work well for both brand and blogger but being too prescriptive doesn’t always produce the best outcome.

Some great recent ones which stick in my mind were a collaboration with Hyundai, where I could design my own road trip and got to showcase the car as well as having some great content to write about. Similarly, with Ikos Resorts in Corfu, our stay included the chance to explore the island (as for all guests) as well as the hotel facilities, while returning to Stoke-on-Trent where I grew up let me share some experiences I remember from my childhood as well as discovering somewhere new.

It’s also wonderful to be able to give my daughter opportunities through the blog – our trip to Lapland last December is one of the most memorable for her sheer excitement at seeing snow, huskies and Santa.

I’m also part of a blogging collective, the Family Travel Collective, with four other award-winning family travel bloggers – Ting from My Travel Monkey, Nichola from Globalmouse Travels, Kirstie from The Family Adventure Project and Gretta from Mums Do Travel – working on campaigns together. From a personal point of view, it’s great working with four creative, inspiring bloggers who love travelling with kids as much as I do, and for brands, it means they get a much greater reach than any one of us could produce alone, as well as a cohesive campaign across multiple blogs for added impact.

What advice would you give to PRs looking to get in touch?
Please take the time to look at the blog first. I’m always open to suggestions and ideas, but if there isn’t a strong family travel angle, it’s unlikely to work. And for the same reasons, anything aimed firmly at toddlers or teens won’t suit my seven-year-old. As a rule, my daughter will usually travel with me on trips for blog coverage, which also normally means school holiday dates.

It’s great if people can be explicit about whether they’re contacting me for the blog too. There’s often overlap with my freelance journalism but it saves having a conversation to discover where you’re looking for coverage to appear. I’ve got to the stage of discussing itineraries only to discover PRs are hoping I might also be able to pitch the story to additional outlets. And while that’s not an impossibility, it’s easiest to have the conversation at the start rather than holding dates during our limited travel time and it then falling through.

What other blogs do you read?
Mostly other UK family travel blogs – too many to name but I expect most or all of Vuelio’s Top 10 list! Suitcases and Sandcastles always has beautiful photos and tells wonderful stories, while the adventures of Travelynn Family are truly inspiring.

As more blogs focus on SEO (myself included), I love stumbling across anything that really transports me to a destination or gets me thinking about life though. There’s nothing like great writing, whatever the subject.

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