Five Things You Shouldn’t Have Missed – 19 January 2017

This week’s Five Things includes YouTube’s new payment rules, Tesco’s Clubcard criticism, the Fake News Award, a Dublin hotel that’s banned bloggers and Big Narstie presenting the weather.

1. YouTube payment rules

YouTubeThe Logan Paul scandal that originally hit at the beginning of January, and led to an unprecedented YouTube apology, has now made it into a third week of Five Things. Last week, the platform promised ‘more steps’ to ensure videos like Logan’s never appeared again. That has been revealed as a manual review system, where YouTube staff will review all clips before they are added to a premium service that pairs the top creators with leading brands (a service Logan Paul was removed from last week).

This follows a previous announcement that YouTube would have over 10,000 workers reviewing clips on the platform anyway, by the end of 2018. With manual review in place, YouTube will be taking on more responsible for offensive videos and controversial content.

The platform is also making it harder for creators to make money off their videos, with no videos including adverts unless the creator has at least 1,000 subscribers and more than 4,000 hours of their content has been viewed in the past 12 months. This is likely to hit niche creators and those that consider YouTube a supplementary income, but generally shouldn’t hit the bulk of the platform too hard. If someone is making enough money from YouTube that they consider it a viable income, they probably already meet YouTube’s new requirements.

 

2. Tesco Clubcard changes and the backlash

chrisdorney / Shutterstock.comThis week, Tesco changed its Clubcard rewards offer overnight. Instead of some deals being worth four times the value of the Clubcard points and some being worth two, everything became three times the value of the points. The backlash was immediate, with customers who were saving up points claiming they had been robbed of the additional value. This led to another change, as Tesco then decided to delay the new system until 10 June.

It is unclear what motivated the initial immediate change, but what became very obvious was how customers feel about their Clubcard points. As the points are promoting ‘loyalty’ in visiting the store – something that has hit the supermarket industry hard in recent years – making the unannounced change was always going to be a big risk. Now it’s been delayed, expect hundreds of deals to be cashed in at all associated businesses before June.

 

3. Fake News Awards

FakiesDonald Trump announced his Fake News Awards for 2017 on the GOP’s blog. The 11 winners were dominated by CNN and the New York Times, who managed six between them. While the announcement has provoked mirth and bemusement from many, a political leader attacking his nation’s free press should be concerning for us all. That it’s expected of Donald Trump makes it no less alarming.

 

4. Dublin hotel bans bloggers

Dublin Hotel
Beauty and fitness influencer Elle Darby asked a hotel in Dublin for a free stay in return for some coverage on her YouTube and Instagram channels. Unfortunately, the hotel was The White Moose Café in Dublin, and owner Paul Stenson already has a reputation for his controversial attitudes to some groups of people, including vegans and breastfeeders. He published her request on Facebook with a big ‘no’ and things quickly blew up.

The issue has raised questions over how much influence is understood in the wider community and the validity of blogging as both a career and an industry.

 

5. Big Narstie presents the weather
Grime star Big Narstie fulfilled a ‘big dream’ by presenting the weather on Good Morning Britain this week. Starting with ‘Aight, boom. The streets of England’, and taking in pets, ‘a bag of snow’ and Lemsip, you know it’s worth a watch:

 

Have WE missed something? Let us know on Twitter @Vuelio.

agency competition

Influence at Creative Shootout

We are delighted to be supporting this year’s Creative Shootout and providing finalists with an ‘Influencer Hotline’ during their creative process.

The Creative Shootout is an annual competition that presents a charity brief to the finalists, who then have four hours create a ten-minute pitch. The ‘Live’ Final is just that, with the audience voting on each pitch to decide the top three, including a winner whose pitch will be supported by £250,000 media prize fund from 1XL, and £30,000 worth of agency fees from this year’s Charity FareShare.

Vuelio is known for its influencer relations, from the world-famous blog rankings to the Vuelio Awards – ‘the Oscars of the blogging world’. And we also publish a range of surveys and reports with unique insight into all types of influencers and their relationships with PR and brands. The Vuelio Influencer Database lists thousands of both new and traditional influencers from newspaper editors and politicians to the hottest Instagram stars.

Our in-house research team spend hundreds of hours identifying these influencers, understanding how they work and discussing what topics they like to cover. We create profiles and write biographies so our clients know the best ways to engage with each influencer on an individual level. Good influencer outreach is about identifying the people that can reach your audience and getting to know them, inside out.

We’ll be using our in-house expertise for the Creative Shootout with our dedicated ‘Influencer Hotline’. Our unique intelligence service will be just a phone call away for all the finalists when planning their pitches.

Whether it’s identifying the influencers that can unlock campaign success or revealing which social platforms are best for engagement, our team will be on hand for all the finalists’ influencer needs.

And if the finalists need to know anything about media outreach, monitoring or analysis – well we can help with that too. In fact, Vuelio prides itself on its diverse offering and is always happy to help people looking to engage their audience, whether it’s the public, media or government. Our integrated software can help you build and maintain relationships with, quite literally, anyone.

Fakies

Fake News Awards: and the winner is…

Donald Trump has been promising the ‘Fake News Awards’ for a couple of weeks, and after it was postponed once, excitement reached fever pitch last night as the anticipated time finally arrived.

Rather anticlimactically, the Fake News Awards were not revealed at a black tie gala dinner but in a blog post on the GOP’s official website (yes, really). Tweeted by Donald Trump, ‘The Highly-Anticipated 2017 Fake News Awards’ named 11 ‘winners’.

Despite their campaigning, there weren’t prizes for either Stephen Colbert (who campaigned with a billboard in Times Square) or Trevor Noah (who ran a full page ad in the New York Times).

Unsurprisingly, CNN were the big winners from the night, bagging four #Fakies. The New York Times managed two, while Newsweek, The Washington Post, Time and ABC took one each. The final award was aimed at the mainstream media for reporting ‘Russia Collusion’.

When Trump announced the award winners, the GOP site crashed, showing the huge level of interest there is in another strange moment in a presidency of strange moments.

When the site was back up and running, readers were not only greeted with the 11 award winners, but also 10 ‘results’ Trump has achieved, from ‘recognizing Jerusalem as the capital of the State of Israel’ to ‘African Americans and Hispanics are enjoying the lowest unemployment rate in recorded history’.

What’s most concerning about the Fake News Awards, is not that they’re clearly a promotional tool for Trump’s ‘good’ work, but that they’re being widely mocked. The world has now reached a level of apathy for ethics that the President of the most powerful nation in the world can openly attack the media, and by extension the freedom of the press, and it be considered a joke.

The Fakies should concern everyone.

Trump has spent a long time undermining the validity of the press, and for the most part, the press has played along. The more this happens, the more Trump will be able to act or behave however he likes without being held accountable.

There was once a time when a front page could topple a government, but in the age of Trump, that power has gone. Everyone, from the media to the public, are now just helpless bystanders to the Trump show – and who knows what will be next.

Keep it SimpElle

Blogger Spotlight: Elle Linton, Keep it SimpElle

Elle Linton is the author behind Keep it SimpElle, the top 10 Fitness and Exercise blog. A health and fitness professional, Elle teaches fitness as well as writing about it and has worked with a number of brands in the fitness sector. We spoke to her about fitness at the beginning of the year, owning her blog and working with PR. 

How would you describe your blog?
I like to think of my blog as an online CV so everyone can get to know a little about me but also as a place to connect and create a community of people interested and passionate about health, fitness and food. It’s a space for me to share things and have real conversations about topics that are maybe a little more in-depth than social media platforms can handle.

How important is the beginning of the year for you and your content?
I think January is renowned for being all about fitness and eating well after the indulgences of the celebratory season. Personally, I’ve tried not to add to all the ‘noise’ out there but this is a time to utilise where I can connect with new people and grow my community by inspiring others.

How did you get into fitness?
I was always into sport when growing up, however during adolescence I struggled with anemia and motivation. I only got back into sport and fitness when I combined my love for science with P.E (because it was more theory than practical) and chose to study Exercise Science at university. I’d say I was pretty inactive during my years studying but the little activity I did do had huge physiological and physical benefits for me, mostly helping me to cope with stress and very uncomfortable menstrual cycles. When I started working after my degree I met my friend Lex, who inspired me to learn more about eating well, got me started on my running journey and encouraged me to teach fitness classes!

Keep it SimpElle

What advice would you give someone that wants to start getting fit and healthy?
I’d tell them to make it their goal to try as many different activities as they need to until they find one that they really enjoy. The options feel almost limitless…

Reach out to friends and family to support you or encourage someone else to get started with you for moral support and accountability. Set yourself some goals and don’t forget to ensure your progress; there are lots of free apps out, wearable tech or just simple body measurement using a tape measure. When it comes to food, make small changes like eating out less, cutting down on alcohol, switch up your snacks for healthier versions or just add more colour to your plate in the form of vegetables!

What would you say to someone who says they’ve given up the gym (already!)?
I’d ask them to re-evaluate why they started in the first place; what were their goals? Did they seem unachievable? What has stopped them and how can they remove any barriers? Fitness really isn’t something someone else can do for you or make you do… you have to do it for yourself and be really clear on your why.

What’s your favourite exercise?
Right now I’m loving barbell work especially in classes. Learning the back lifts is also empowering and gives you a little more confidence to walk into the weights room in any gym and know what you’re doing. I particularly love exercises that target my lower body like front squats and deadlifts.

Is there any fitness challenge you’ve planned to conquer?
I’m hoping to complete the Tough Mudder series this year. I had my first taste last year completing the half and I enjoyed it so much more than I ever expected. I’m also keen to get back on my bike for another challenge after cycling from London to Paris in 2017 with some of my blogging buddies. I love a little spontaneity too so who knows what other opportunities might find themselves on my radar for 2018!

What’s the best way for PRs to work with you at the beginning of the year?
It’s a really busy time for those in health and fitness so I love it when I get contacted with a clear brief for projects that are mutually beneficial to both the brand and myself. I know it’s hard to come up with great ideas too but original themes, something a little outside the box of what we’re all expecting, makes it interesting for content creators and then our audience.

Want to work with influencers? Try the Vuelio Media Database and get access to 11,000 UK Bloggers in Fitness, fashion, lifestyle & more.

What PR campaigns have you enjoyed working on?
It’s hard to pick but a few definitely spring to mind… There was the Suunto campaign when they launched their new Spartan Trainer watch, which is perfect for obstacle races and outdoor fun, in addition to everything a regular gps watch has to offer. I got to test it out at Tough Mudder and also for the first ever Barbados Cycling Festival, which was also another favourite of mine. I was born in Barbados and was at home at the time of the event so I organised a bike for myself and took part in the sportive. It was amazing to be involved in such an event and to be doing something that’s new to me in Barbados (usually just sun, sea and sand!). Then there was the RideLondon – Surrey 46 sportive in the summer, which was my first time taking part in the event and a good introduction to the 100-mile event that I hope to take part in one day.

What do you call yourself? [eg. Blogger/influencer/content creator]
First and foremost I call myself a Fitness Professional. Then I’d say Blogger as that was the platform that got me started and allowed me to be creative. It’s also the only platform that is mine – I think we sometimes forget that platforms like Instagram are not owned by us and could be taken away without notice! So everything I do, I see as supplementary to my blog.

What other blogs do you read?
I’m always reading a huge variety of blogs but a few of my current faves include Hues of Delahaye for travel and photography inspiration, A Pretty Place to Play for running inspo and mental health topics, That’s My Mum for fitness and girl boss inspiration and The Girl Outdoors to inspire some outdoor adventures!

 

Elle and Keep it SimpElle are both listed on the Vuelio Influencer Database along with thousands of other amazing bloggers, journalists and editors. 

The Ambient – a new publication for smart homes

Paul Lamkin and James Stables have launched The Ambient, a new site dedicated to smart homes. A sister publication to Wareable, which covers wearable tech and the ‘connected self’, The Ambient will focus on smart home news and product reviews.

With lighting, speakers, thermostats and security now all part of the smart home, Lamkin and Stables believe now is the perfect time for a dedicated publication. And as 154 million European and American homes are expected to be smart by 2021, there’s a huge untapped market for smart home news.

We caught up with Paul Lamkin to talk about the launch and how The Ambient will work with PR and brands.

James Stables and Paul LamkinJames Stables and Paul Lamkin

Why have you decided to launch The Ambient now?
When we launched Wareable, we noticed that wearable tech wasn’t a clear focus for any of the other mainstream tech sites, so we decided to try and fill that gap and become the voice of authority for an emerging consumer-tech genre. It’s the same idea behind The Ambient – no one is giving the smart home the justice it deserves; it should be much more than just a note on the site.

How long will it take for smart homes to become the norm? 
I think they are already becoming the norm. The rise of smart speakers and assistants such as Amazon Alexa, Siri through Apple HomeKit and Google Assistant have proven themselves to be the missing link to truly smart homes.

What’s The Ambient’s relationship with Wareable?
For now, we’re keeping it pretty flexible. James (Stables), Sophie (Charara) and I are pretty much ‘full-time’ on The Ambient (while keeping an eye on Wareable), and the Wareable team will also be contributing to The Ambient (Michael Sawh and Connor Allison in the UK and Hugh Langley and Husain Sumra in the US). In a few months’ time, we’ll take stock and structure the teams a bit more formally.

What’s the editorial structure of The Ambient?
Sophie, as associate editor, is essentially running the show editorially, with James and I going back to being ‘writers’ for the first time in a few years.

What’s the expected audience of The Ambient?
We’re certainly looking at tech enthusiasts and early adopters but also users focused on outcomes and driven by design. Yes, they’re passionate about their home but no-one gets excited about a thermostat or a light bulb. This readership will be passionate about their home more so than the tech.

Our readers want to enjoy a smarter home and an easier life without compromises. They want to benefit from better and more enjoyable experiences in the home and impress their friends, without having to ruin the aesthetics of their home. Tech now goes hand-in-hand with great design.

Do you have any targets for traffic?
We grew Wareable from zero to a site that had a record month of almost five million unique users, so we certainly have a standard we want to achieve.

What content/pitches are you looking for from PRs/brands? 
We’re here to test and review the best gear on the market, explain how to get your smart home up and running and show you how to get the most from it. Therefore, we need to know, and be able to test, all the new devices hitting the market.

What’s the best way for PRs and brands to work with you?
Pitches over email work best and face-to-face briefings are also great. Also, take us out for beers. We like beers.

 

The Ambient and its editorial team are listed on the Vuelio Influencer Database along with thousands of other publications, journalists and influencers. 

Great Monday

5 ways to combat Blue Monday

Today is apparently the most depressing day of the year. Don’t let this Monday’s bad PR get you down, take a few minutes to work through our tip list and defeat Blue Monday.

Created by Sky Travel in a 2005, Blue Monday is the result of a pseudo equation that draws on factors such as weather (DON’T LOOK OUTSIDE), debt level, time since Christmas, time since failing New Year’s resolutions, motivational levels and the need to take action.

It’s obviously not true (unless you work in public comms in Hawaii and then it might), but to really stick it to Blue Monday, here are five things you can do now, to ensure an excellent day:

1. Contact PR pros you don’t work with
Plan a meet up, even if it’s just a quick coffee, with someone you normally ‘don’t have time’ to see. Spreading creativity, talking about the industry and sharing success stories is a great way to feel refreshed and invigorated.

 

2. Learn something new
Are you great at pitching but struggle with analysis? Maybe you love the high pressure world of fire-fighting issues but think writing press releases is mundane? Pick something you know you could improve and learn more about it. Whether you talk to a colleague who has more experience or book a full training course to become expert, finish the day smarter than you started.

 

3. Agency? Research new clients
You do this anyway, but why not take 10 minutes as a team to quickly find potential clients. When the 10 minutes are up, pitch them to each other and decide if any of them deserve more work. The short time limit will boost your energy and sharpen your focus for other projects.

 

4. In house? Create a new campaign
As a team, spend 10 minutes creating new ideas for campaigns – and no idea is a bad idea. At the end of the 10 minutes, agree on the best and whether it needs more work. It’s a great way to bond with your team and get the creative juices flowing.

 

5. Build one new relationship
You have your media contacts, you know which journalists and bloggers are most receptive to your brand and message – but there are always more. The Vuelio Media Database lists thousands of potential media partners for you; search, find someone new, check their contact preferences and strike up a conversation. Maybe you can pitch them a new campaign or maybe they can cover an existing project, either way it’s time to grow your network.

How are you going to combat Blue Monday? Got any tips? Let us know on Twitter @Vuelio.

12 January

Five Things You Shouldn’t Have Missed – 12 January 2018

This week’s Five Things You Shouldn’t Have Missed from the world of media, PR and comms includes YouTube’s response to Logan Paul, Facebook’s news feed changing, Steve Bannon, the Daily Mail and Virgin Trains argument, and Carrie Gracie’s BBC pay row. 

 

1. YouTube and Logan Paul

YouTube has apologised for taking so long to officially respond to the Logan Paul controversy of last week. The video-sharing platform posted an explanation on Twitter, claiming it was upset with the video Logan Paul had posted. It finished the thread with:

 

The ‘further consequences’ were later revealed, when YouTube announced it had cut some business ties with the viral star. This includes removing Logan Paul from its Google Preferred programme, the platform that allows brands to sell ads to the top 5% of content creators – which is likely to severely damage Logan Paul’s sizeable income. They’ve also put original projects with Logan Paul, including a proposed film, on hold.

Further details about the steps YouTube is taking to ensure ‘videos like this’ never circulate again are yet to materialise, but the YouTube community will be keeping a close eye on any policy or algorithm changes.

 

2. Facebook to change news feed

Facebook news feed changes

Mark Zuckerberg has announced the news feed algorithm is to change, with more focus on friends and family posts and less on those from businesses, brands and media. This is after feedback that the latter group is ‘crowding out the personal moments that leads us to connect more with each other’.

In Zuckerberg’s lengthy post on the decision, he says: ‘We feel a responsibility to make sure our services aren’t just fun to use, but also good for people’s well-being. So we’ve studied this trend carefully by looking at the academic research and doing our own research with leading experts at universities. The research shows that when we use social media to connect with people we care about, it can be good for our well-being.’

The move from ‘focusing on helping you find relevant content’, to ‘helping you have more meaningful social interactions’ is very much going back to Facebook’s roots. The social platform was, for many years, primarily focused on posts from people you knew rather than promoting itself as one of the biggest content delivery platforms in the world. This change is likely to hit thousands of publishers very hard, as for many sites, Facebook is the biggest single source of traffic. The announcement has led to a drop in Facebook’s share price when markets opened. If the plan is properly followed through, expect corporate backlash, businesses closing down and huge changes to the media landscape.

 

3. Sloppy Steve

Perhaps it’s a rite of passage for all of Trump’s ‘enemies’ – once they get a nickname, they know they’ve really riled him. Trump’s former White House Chief Strategist, “Sloppy” Steve Bannon, was this week fired from his role at the helm of Breitbart News. It is the latest part of his tumultuous relationship with Trump and his supporters, from genius insider to detractor and traitor. After his comments about Donald Trump Jnr’s ‘treasonous’ meeting with Russian contacts appeared in Michael Wolff’s explosive book, Bannon’s departure from Breitbart seemed inevitable. Trump was quick to distance himself from his former ally, before laying into him:

 

 

4. Daily Mail attacks Virgin

Daily mail row

It was revealed this week that Virgin Trains has stopped selling the Daily Mail due to its incompatibility with the Virgin Trains brand. The company stopped carrying the paper back in November, but at the time it told the Daily Mail it was ‘saving space’ by selling only three papers: the Mirror, FT and Times.

Drew McMillan, head of colleague communication and engagement at Virgin, sent internal staff a memo that said: ‘Thousands of people choose to read the Daily Mail every day. But they will no longer be reading it courtesy of VT. There’s been considerable concern raised by colleagues about the Mail’s editorial position on issues such as immigration, LGBT rights and unemployment.

‘We’ve decided that this paper is not compatible with the VT brand and our beliefs.’

The Daily Mail struck back; a spokesman said: ‘It is disgraceful that, at a time of massive customer dissatisfaction over ever-increasing rail fares, and after the taxpayer was forced to bail out Virgin’s East Coast mainline franchise, a decision strongly criticised by the Mail, that Virgin Trains should now announce that for political reasons it is censoring the choice of newspapers it offers to passengers.

‘It is equally rich that Virgin chose to launch this attack on free speech in the Aslef trade union journal. For the record Virgin used to sell only 70 Daily Mails a day.’

They then made the issue about Brexit, as the spokesman continued with: ‘They informed us last November that to save space, they were restricting sales to just three newspapers: the Mirror, FT and Times. They gave no other reason, but it may be no coincidence that all those titles, like Virgin owner Sir Richard Branson, are pro-Remain.’

Critics of Virgin’s move suggest the company is censoring ‘free press’ whereas supporters believe the company is well within its rights to choose which publications it sells to its customers.

 

5. Carrie Gracie and the BBC pay row

BBC

Carrie Gracie stepped down from her role as China editor at the BBC this week, after accusing the public broadcaster of ‘breaking equality law’ and ‘resisting pressure for a fair and transparent pay structure’. She highlights an ongoing struggle to be paid equally to the other international editors, particularly John Sopel, US editor, and Jeremy Bowen, Middle East editor. Her struggles proved fruitless so she’s quit her post and will return to the UK newsroom.

Gracie made the announcement hours before she was due to host the Today programme, which she has done all week. In a plot worthy of W1A, Gracie was unable to talk about her own news story, due to impartiality rules, and so couldn’t cover the biggest story of the day. Other journalists who had expressed support for Gracie were also banned from discussing the issue on air.

In a further twist, it has now been revealed that John Humphreys and John Sopel were recorded discussing the story off air, and Humphreys made several derogatory remarks including: ‘I could save you the trouble as I could volunteer that I’ve handed over already more than you f***ing earn but I’m still left with more than anybody else and that seems to me to be entirely just – something like that would do it?’

This might not be the last time we see Mr Humphreys in Five Things You Shouldn’t Have Missed.

Judicial Office

Lords vote for second stage of Leveson

The House of Lords last night defeated the Government after Baroness Hollins tabled an amendment to the Data Protection Bill pushing for the second stage of the Leveson inquiry.

The second part of the Leveson inquiry was originally intended to address: ‘The extent of unlawful or improper conduct within News International, other media organisations or other organisations. It will also consider the extent to which any relevant police force investigated allegations relating to News International, and whether the police received corrupt payments or were otherwise complicit in misconduct.’

As the amendments arose as part of the new data protection bill – part of GDPR in the EU – it is now intended that the second phase should particularly focus on data breaches made by the press.

This is in contrast to the first part, which looked at the culture, practices and ethics of the press.

The second stage was dropped from the Conservative manifesto in the election last year, as the party claimed the first stage had been sufficiently comprehensive. As reported in the BBC, the Conservatives also believed the criminal investigations that might arise from stage two had already occurred as a result of stage one.

Crossbench peer Baroness Hollins wasn’t satisfied with this and claimed victims of crime were ‘promised’ a second phase of inquiry and it should be honoured as a matter of ‘good faith’. The vote backed her amendment by 238 to 209.

The Government’s new culture secretary, Matt Hancock said the Lords had voted to ‘restrict press freedoms’. In a tweet, he goes on to say, ‘This vote will undermine high quality journalism, fail to resolve challenges the media face and is a hammer blow to local press. We support a free press and will seek to overturn these amendments in the Commons’.

The Lords also voted in favour for another measure – one which would force newspapers not signed up to the regulator to pay both sides’ legal costs in any court cases of data protection breaches, no matter the outcome of the case. This measure could arguably hit local newspapers hard, if any cases were to be brought against them.

The amendments will now make their way back to Parliament, where they are likely to be overturned by the Government. Previous proposed press reforms have struggled in the Commons – and the press’s relationship with the Government was a big part of the first stage of the Leveson inquiry – whereas the unelected Lords typically take a harder line.

Ayo Adepoju

Blogger Spotlight: Ayo Adepoju, We Plug GOOD Music

We Plug GOOD Music (WPGM) features the latest and best emerging music from around the world. Written by a team of contributors under the direction of editor-in-chief Ayo Adepoju, We Plug GOOD Music recently made the Top 10 UK Music Blogs. We caught up with Ayo to talk about the best artists in the world right now, working with PRs and brand collaborations.

How would you describe your blog?
We believe in the power of good music. An innovation borne out of passion for new and emerging music, and efforts to revolutionise the way new music is discovered and consumed, WPGM provides a relevant platform to promote and raise awareness for the best new music and artists.

What makes your blog successful?
Our diverse contributors and writers and the wide range of new and exciting music we showcase and highlight.

Who was the best artist of 2017?
Hard to pick one, so here are five: Lorde, Kendrick Lamar, St. Vincent, Vince Staples and SZA. Honourable mentions to JAY-Z and J Hus.

Is there a breakthrough music act we should be looking out for in 2018?
Yxng Bane, Team Salut, IAMDDB and Yaeji.

What are the last three songs you listened to? (Be honest!)

  • Sona – Feeling You
  • Jack Da Union – Lock Down
  • Travis Greene – Made A Way

What’s your preferred method of listening to music (streaming, downloads, vinyl, cassette)?
Streaming.

Want to work with influencers? Try the Vuelio Media Database and get access to 11,000 UK Bloggers in Music, Film, Arts & more.

Name a musical performance in history you wish you could have seen
Jay-Z at Glastonbury.

How do you like to work with PRs?
We prefer to be contacted via email.

Do you have any examples of favourite brand campaigns/collaborations you’ve worked on?
Some of our fav brand collaborations have been with Lipton Ice Tea, McDonalds, Pepsi Max and adidas.

What other blogs do you read?
Trench Magazine, The FADER, Conversations About Her.

 

Ayo Adepoju and We Plug GOOD Music are both listed on the Vuelio Influencer Database along with thousands of other amazing bloggers, journalists and editors. 

A and R Factory, Stefan Toren

Blogger Spotlight: Stefan Toren, A&R Factory

A&R Factory launched in 2012 and is one of the most prominent blogs in the A&R scene. Promoting new and emerging talent, A&R Factory was recently ranked in the Top 10 UK Music Blogs. We spoke to Stefan Toren, A&R Manager at the blog, who told us about Yebba, his favourite methods of consuming music and working with brands. 

How would you describe your blog?
A&R Factory is representing new and emerging unsigned music from across the world. Our readership includes independent and major labels, publishers, management companies, radio stations, PR and sync companies from across the world who use our website as a resource to discover and sign acts.

What makes your blog successful?
Staying independent and true to new and unsigned music.

In your opinion, who is the best artist of 2017?
As always, Ed Sheeran never disappoints!

Is there a breakthrough music act we should be looking out for in 2018?
Yebba

What are the last three songs you listened to? (Be honest!)

  1. Lou Bega – Mambo No. 5 (don’t judge)
  2. The Beatles – I Am The Walrus
  3. Wolf Alice – Moaning Lisa Smile

What’s your preferred method of listening to music?
Streaming / Download / Vinyl

Name a musical performance in history you wish you could have seen?
Queen (Live Aid 1985).

How do you like to work with PRs?
Connect with us via email, no spam. Let’s work together on breaking new artists.

Want to work with influencers? Try the Vuelio Media Database and get access to 11,000 UK Bloggers in Music, Film, Arts & more.

Do you have any examples of favourite brand campaigns/collaborations you’ve worked on?
Last year, we were honoured to work with Zippo lighters promoting the limited edition download festival lighter.

What do you prefer to call yourself (blogger/influencer/content creators etc)?
Tough call, I would say an Influential Blogger!

What other blogs do you read?
Music Business WorldwideDitto Music Blog, Hypebot.

 

Stefan and A&R Factory are both listed on the Vuelio Influencer Database along with thousands of other leading bloggers, journalists and editors. 

Swoon Worthy

Blogger Interview: Kimberly Duran, Swoon Worthy

Kimberly Duran is the author of Swoon Worthy, which won the Best DIY & Interior Design Blog at the Vuelio Blog Awards 2017. A self-confessed maximalist, Kimberly loves colour and print and big bold designs. Swoon Worthy impressed judges with its visual style and professional approach to blogging.

We caught up with the best interior design blogger in the country to discuss moving house, winning awards and why PR pros and brands should never resort to ‘cut and paste’ jobs.

Why did you start your blog?
I have always been an avid reader of blogs, ever since the late 90s when they were still called weblogs (showing my age there!). Fast forward ten years or so and I started following a lot of home interiors blogs – the first one I remember discovering was called Young House Love, which is a very well-known blog in the US. It was a young couple who had done up their own house in a beautiful but attainable way. I was inspired by them, so when we moved into our home in 2010, I decided I wanted to try my hand at blogging as well.

I started by simply cataloguing the changes we were making on the house and I thought a few people would be interested and I would be able to meet likeminded individuals. But, to my surprise, my audience started to grow and soon from what was simply a hobby, it developed into a full-time career.

After seven years of blogging about my home, we have just sold it and will be moving into another so I’m excited to share the process of decorating a totally new project with my readers.

Swoon WorthyCongratulations! Is it exciting to start on a ‘blank canvas’?
Massively exciting! My other half, Wayne, is an avid DIYer, so I think we make a very good team. He says I’ve got the vision and he’s got the ability! I tend to do all the decorating: I come up with the design concepts and the sourcing but I also do all the painting, the wallpapering, putting up shelves and mirrors, and he does my ‘hardcore DIY’, as I like to call it – the heavy lifting: plastering, tiling, electrics and all that good stuff.

How do you feel about leaving your current house?
I don’t think it’s sunk in yet to be honest! I’m sure when we start to pack up it will hit me harder. This house has been our passion project, so leaving it behind knowing that I started my blog here and it is the reason Swoon Worthy became popular… it holds a lot of emotional ties! I think I’m more excited than sad, but ask again when the house is all packed up and I’ll probably be crying in a ball in the corner thinking, ‘What have we done?!’

And the new home will become the new focus for the blog?
The house is always the centrepiece of the blog. When I started, it was rare to see UK interiors bloggers who talked about their own homes. I saw a lot of bloggers that were more focused on what was happening in the design world, different shows they were attending or trends in design (I talk about that as well but just on a more personal level). I like to think Swoon Worthy was probably one of the first in this country that allowed readers into the blogger’s home and made it a personal thing where people felt like they were along for the ride.

I think it was one of the things that made my blog stand out at the time – readers know the house, they know us – they even know our pets! Being able to really know the person behind the blog is a big part of my ethos.

How do you feel about having so much of you online?
I don’t share everything, there is a part of our lives that is private and I’m protective of that in certain ways. Though I’ve never shied away from being open with people. On posts where I feel like maybe I’m sharing too much, I’ve had a positive response and amazing comments; my audience always surprises and humbles me in that respect. My readers are warm, lovely and understanding – I’m very lucky in that I seem to have attracted a wonderful bunch!

Kimberly DuranWhat about the interior blogging community, what’s that like?
It’s amazing how supportive the community is. Maybe it’s because it’s a more niche subject, but I don’t see a lot of the pettiness, back stabbing or fierce competition I’ve seen in some other blogging circles.

Finding a group of likeminded people is so important when you’re blogging because it can be a very lonely journey. Most of us who do it full time are sitting behind computer screens all day and it can feel isolating. Throughout my day I’m chatting and talking to people in my community non-stop, and I also get to see a lot of them at events and press trips. I’ve made good friends through blogging.

What does winning the Best DIY & Interiors Blog at the Vuelio Blog Awards mean to you?
It’s an amazing accolade, especially as the judges are celebrated people in their own industries. To be a finalist is an honour but to win is mind blowing. And I love the Vuelio Blog Awards – getting dressed up and coming together for a day where bloggers are celebrated is fantastic!

I don’t think the average person on the street understands how much work a blogger does and how many things you need to be very good at to be a successful blogger. So, having an industry that comes together and celebrates that, is absolutely amazing.

You have a great social presence, what platforms work best for you?
One of my biggest traffic drivers is, and probably always will be, Pinterest. It is so visually driven and you have a direct link from the image to your blog, so it’s a great traffic driver for a visual subject. I also LOVE Instagram – I can’t help myself. I know it’s not the best for traffic, but it’s good for driving awareness of my brand – although the algorithms are currently doing my head in! I’ve sort of lost my love for Facebook to be honest and Twitter is always good for networking but I don’t spend a lot of time on it.

My focus has and always will be blog, so that’s where I want people to land and all my social platforms are really only there to support the blog.

How do your social platforms work with collaborations?
Nowadays a lot of brands are focused on Instagram, so I’m seeing more collaborations where they want Instagram posts. Almost every collaboration will include social shares in some shape or form, maybe on one particular platform or sometimes across the board. I don’t have a massive Instagram following compared to others, but since I hit the 10K point last year, the interest from brands has increased and I have seen more requests for collaborations on Instagram posts.

What’s your preferred way to collaborate with PRs and brands?
I like to have an ongoing relationship with brands and continuous collaborations. My ideal scenario is having a brand that’s a great fit for my blog so that if they have something in particular or new they’d like to promote, they’ll think of me because they know my audience will respond well to it.

I particularly enjoy styling specific items – showing my audience how something might work in a lifestyle setting. I think my readers enjoy seeing things in my home and in my ‘eclectic boho glam’ style rather than just using promotional images from the brand, and I like doing those kinds of posts because they are just more personal and more creatively challenging.

Want to work with influencers? Try the Vuelio Media Database and get access to 11,000 UK Bloggers in Interiors, DIY, Lifestyle & more.

What should brands know about you?
I have quite a recognisable style and what frustrates me is when a brand or PR will tell me they’ve ‘been reading the blog and it’s amazing’, and then, say, offer me a Scandi-style cushion. If they had looked at my blog for 10 minutes they’d know that Scandi is about as far away from my style as possible! It’s obvious to me that in those circumstances the brands or PRs haven’t registered or taken notice of my aesthetic at all. Any collaboration has to reflect the Swoon Worthy look and feel because I know that my readers will know immediately if I’m showing off something I would never buy for my own home. I don’t do any collaborations that aren’t the right fit for me.

Beyond that, I do understand that outreach specialists don’t have time to go through 750 blogs and know everything intimately! But just knowing perhaps that I’m American or knowing I’m in Manchester, not London, or they are aware I have pets but no kids – these are all little touches that tell me they’ve done their research.

I can always tell a ‘cut and paste’ jobs, so get to know me!

 

Get to know Kimberly; both she and Swoon Worthy are listed on the Vuelio Influencer Database along with thousands of other leading bloggers, journalists and editors. 

Peter Preston Guardian editor

Peter Preston dies aged 79

Peter Preston, former editor of the Guardian and a journalism giant, has died at the age of 79. Preston joined the Guardian in 1963 and went on to become editor for 20 years, from 1975 to 1995. His later career saw him write a column for the Guardian and Observer.

In the Guardian’s obituary, Preston is credited with transforming the paper into a ‘genuine national force’ with an ‘international reputation’. He helped the title fight back against the launch of the Independent and a ‘brutal price war’. He also came up with the concept of a secondary daily features supplement by launching G2.

Preston was considered an old-school newspaper man and one of the finest journalists of his generation who had a genuine passion for the industry he worked in. His final column, published on New Year’s Eve, discusses how the press should hold itself to its own values of ‘transparency and rigour’.

Preston’s son, Ben, is executive editor at The Times and has written a moving account of his dad’s ‘good death’. He said: ‘Dad died a good death, one that amplified the qualities we so admired while he lived. Resilience, bravery, wisdom — he was loved and loving until the end. The fulcrum of our family.’

Alan Rusbridger, who was Preston’s deputy before succeeding him in 1995, paid tribute to his former boss: ‘Peter embodied all the best virtues of the paper he edited with such distinction for so long. He combined great integrity, a stubborn toughness and a decent humanity with real strategic vision. The paper owes him an immense debt.

‘To the end he worked tirelessly for the protection of reporters and editors around the world and towards the education of journalists in Eastern Europe and Africa. He will be sorely missed.’

Katharine Viner, editor-in-chief of the Guardian and Observer, said: ‘Since I became editor-in-chief of the Guardian and the Observer in 2015, Peter has been a kind and unobtrusively supportive friend, providing advice and insights and the kind of ballast that could only come from someone who’d been there and done it.

‘His last email to me was to praise the Guardian’s membership figures and ended with the comment “hope you’re in good heart”. He will be missed by everyone at the Guardian.’

Michael White, former political editor of the Guardian and who worked with Preston, said: ‘At first glance Peter Preston was an improbable Fleet Street editor. He wasn’t charismatic and never raised his voice, he was taciturn and soft-spoken, often elliptical, both in conversation and his writing. He chewed the ends of biros.

‘But beneath the outward diffidence lay a powerful determination and nimble intelligence which he deployed constantly to refresh the Guardian through two tough decades. Quick and clever, with a warm, mischievous sense of humour, Peter loved print and never lost faith in the future of newspapers.’

The Guardian is requesting memories of Peter Preston, which can be submitted here.

Poundland

Five Things You Shouldn’t Have Missed – 5 January 2018

Happy New Year! This is the first Five Things of 2018, covering all the biggest stories you shouldn’t have missed from PR, media and comms. This week including Logan Paul, Elf Behaving Badly, Philip Morris quitting smoking, PRWeek and BME PR Pros’ new initiative and the evacuation of the ITV News at 10 [VIDEO].

1. Logan Paul

Top American YouTuber, Logan Paul, caused outrage this week when he released a video showing a dead body at a suicide hotspot in Japan. Not only were the images of the deceased considered inappropriate (especially considering the young age of much of his audience), but concern was also raised that Logan and his friends were seen to be making jokes about the situation.

After fellow YouTubers, celebrities and the general public denounced his behaviour, Logan removed the video and replaced it with an apology. This video’s claim he was ‘attempting to raise awareness’ of suicide and mental health has been called a poor excuse, causing further problems for the star. Logan Paul hasn’t posted a video since the apology two days ago, but his subscriber numbers have remained steady at over 15 million.

 

2. Lewd Elf boosts sales

Elf behaving badly

Poundland’s now infamous ‘Elf Behaving Badly’ campaign – including an image that led Twinings to complain – boosted sales by driving ‘significant numbers of shoppers’ into stores in the week before Christmas. As reported in PRWeek, more than 200,000 ‘bad elves’ were sold, alongside over one million elf accessories – contributing to £59m sales, up 20 per cent on the same period in 2016.

The ASA is investigating the campaign after receiving around 80 complaints about the Twitter posts, claiming the ads are offensive, too sexualised or unsuitable as they could be seen by children. Poundland released a statement saying the complaints: ‘contrasted with thousands of people who said they loved our naughty elf pictures – not least because it reminded them that Britain is famous for the saucy postcard and panto’.

 

3. Philip Morris wants to give up cigarettes

quit smoking

One of the world’s largest cigarette companies has made a New Year’s Resolution to ‘give up cigarettes’. Philip Morris launched an advertising campaign with the claim, ‘Our ambition is to stop selling cigarettes in the UK’. The full advert, visible here in The Drum, explains the company is launching a campaign website to help smokers quit or adopt alternative options (like vaping); supporting local authority cessation services where smoking rates are highest; seeking government approval to insert information into packs on quitting or switching; and expanding its range of alternative products in the UK.

The campaign is focused on the UK, though the global Philip Morris brand also believes in a ‘smoke-free future’.

 

4. PRWeek’s BME mentoring scheme

BME PR and PRWeek

PR Week UK and BME PR Pros have launched a new mentorship scheme to support the advancement of individuals from minority backgrounds. BME professionals in comms and public affairs can apply to be a mentee, where they will be mentored by one of 15 top industry experts.  Elizabeth Bananuka, founder of BME PR Pros, said: ‘The BME PR Pros/PRWeek Mentoring Scheme is about BME leaders and rising stars joining forces to promote diversity and support the careers of talented BME professionals keen to progress to the next stage of their careers – be it from account manager to account director, agency to in-house, MD to agency owner.’

Applications to become a mentee close at 5pm on Friday, 16 February. More information is available here.

 

ITV News at Ten evacuated (sound the alarm)

ITV News at Ten was cut short this week when a fire alarm evacuation caused the programme to end early. While the alarm could be heard for some time before the programme was taken off air, the presenter, Tom Bradby, seemed unsure of the best course of action. See the full clip below:

Daniel Green

Blogger Spotlight: Daniel Green, CineVue

CineVue is an independent film blog founded by Daniel Green. Recently ranked in the Top 10 UK Film Blogs, CineVue is maintained by editor-at-large Ben Nicholson and a team of writers. We caught up with Daniel to talk about world and arthouse cinema, the team’s favourite film of 2017 and working collaboratively with PR professionals.

How would you describe your blog? 
We are a team of passionate, UK-based cinéastes dedicated to bringing our readers the best possible quality of film criticism, from reviews of the latest theatrical and DVD/Blu-ray releases to special features and international film festival coverage.

What makes your blog successful? 
I think it would be our devotion to world cinema and arthouse filmmaking over the latest offering from the Disney/DC/Marvel stables. Our festival coverage is very comprehensive.

How many films do you see in an average week? 
Typically, 5-10 new releases a week – more if we also have writers covering festivals abroad.

What’s your favourite film of all time? 
A very tricky question, although our favourite film of the last 12 months – as voted by our writers – was Sean Baker’s The Florida Project.

Least favourite film of all time? 
Anything that purely exists as Oscar bait – Forrest Gump, perhaps? Or The Blind Side. Both awful.

Want to work with influencers? Try the Vuelio Media Database and get access to 11,000 UK Bloggers in film, TV, lifestyle & more.

Film that’s yet to be released that you’re most excited about seeing? 
We have just done a rundown of our 20 most anticipated films of 2018. New films from Pablo Larrain (The True American) and Nuri Bilge Ceylan (The Wild Pear Tree) will always entice.

What will win the Best Picture Oscar 2018? 
The pessimist in me says Dunkirk but you never know. A bold(er) choice by the Academy would be for Get Out or the excellent Mudbound.

How do you like to work with PRs? 
We maintain good working relationships with all the necessary PRs in order to maintain wide coverage of new releases. Just don’t badger them!

Can you tell us about your favourite brand collaboration or screening experience? 
Anything from The Badlands Collective; they put on a double bill of David Fincher’s The Game and Jonathan Glazer’s Birth (both on 35mm) that was unbelievably good.

What do you call yourselves? Bloggers/influencers/content creators?
We’re writers, nice and simple.

What other blogs do you read? 
I would highly recommend the likes of Sight & Sound and Film Comment – both originated and continue in print form. But for a pure film blog my tip would be Notebook, courtesy of the folk behind the platform MUBI.

CineVue and its writers are listed on the Vuelio Influencer Database, the leading blogger database available to the PR and communications industries.

7 PR New Year’s Resolutions

Morning too dark? Feeling bloated? Groggy head? Welcome to 2018! Today is the first day back in the office for a lot of the country so now is the perfect time to make your professional New Year’s resolutions. And because it’s your first day back, we’ve done all the hard work for you.

7 New Year’s Resolutions for the public relations professional:

1. Make new friends…
2018 is a brand new year and you’ve got the chance to make new friends and find new ways of reaching your audience. If you’re stuck in a cycle of the same old influencers for your outreach, now is the time to reach newbies – there’s always more relevant influencers than you think. And if you’re struggling to find those people, you obviously aren’t using the Vuelio Influencer Database.

2. …and stay in touch with old friends
Making new friends doesn’t mean you have to forgot your old friends. Good relationships need nurturing, give your influencers a little bit of TLC in 2018 – wish those journalists, broadcasters and bloggers ‘Happy New Year’ and make it clear you’re available when they need you.

3. Adopt a healthy balanced diet
Instagram is great! It’s a great way to reach millennials and spread brand awareness. But is it great for links and tangible ROI? That’s fine, it’s what we use Twitter for! But is your entire target market on Twitter? That’s why we use magazines, most of your audience read them – but your client asked you to do something new and innovative… so an experiential event is in order!

Don’t use one channel to reach your audience, take advantage of all the routes that now exist in a healthy, balanced way.

4. Lose the flab
You’re a professional storyteller, not a salesperson. You don’t need to communicate your product or service by describing it as the most amazing, incredible idea since sliced bread! Be innovative and use your creativity – that’s why you went into PR in the first place.

5. Be more organised
Not sure who is talking to which stakeholder? How’s that line of enquiry going? Did someone get back to that member of the public? No one likes to be caught out and a little organisation can go a long way. Vuelio Stakeholder Management can track what’s happening with all stakeholder interactions in your organisation so you know what’s been said, when.

6. Stop being boring
Another PowerPoint? Is that really the best way to tell your company, colleagues and the board how awesome you are? Investors don’t want to sit through endless slides of static clippings, and let’s be honest – neither do you! 2018 is the year that visually attractive, interactive displays are used to share content and media coverage – check out this Canvas from the Vuelio Blog Awards to see what we mean, then find out how to make your own Canvas here.

7. Don’t be lazy
It can’t be said enough in these Resolutions. You’re here because you’re creative – so be creative! The year of 2017 is over, leave the concepts and ideas that made it great behind you, and focus on 2018. It may take some time to find the next big thing, but the UK PR industry is incredible – so that next idea could come from anyone, including you.

Five things

Five Things You Shouldn’t Have Missed – 29 December 2017

Happy Merry Betwixtmas (maybe)! Some things still happen in the week of television and food, so here’s our round up of Five Things You probably Missed from the world of media, comms and PR.

Instagram’s stats

Instagram stats
A bit later than the other tech giants, Instagram has released its top 10s of the year from most popular hashtag (#love) to most-liked post (Beyonce’s pregnancy announcement). One part of the 2017 release was most-popular stories, something that’s usually not visible to the outside world. This created an interesting top 10, where having the biggest following didn’t necessarily equate to having the most popular stories – which begs the question: what is true influence?

 

Ofcom complaints of the year

cOMPLAINTS

Ofcom has released the most complained about moments on TV from 2017, with Good Morning Britain topping the list for giving an interview with Dr Michael Davidson, a man who believes homosexuality is ‘an aberration’. Piers Morgan was delighted to be ‘No. 1’ on the complaint list and even retweeted Nigel Farage’s comment that he was ‘doing something right’. The full list of complained-about moments is largely made up by ITV, with BBC One and Sky News taking one each:

  1. Good Morning Britain, ITV, September 5 – 1,142 complaints about interview with Dr Michael Davidson
  2. Press Preview, Sky News, June 20 – 1,063 complaints about comments made by journalist Melanie Phillips
  3. Britain’s Got Talent, ITV, June 1 – 665 complaints over Amanda Holden’s dress
  4. Coronation Street, ITV, October 27 – 541 complaints over violent scenes involving Pat Phelan
  5. Comic Relief 2017, BBC One, March 24 – 339 complaints about swearing and sexual innuendo involving Vic Reeves and Russell Brand
  6. Emmerdale, ITV, March 6 – 275 complaints over prison scenes featuring violence and homophobic abuse towards Aaron Dingle
  7. I’m a Celebrity… Get Me Out of Here! ITV, December 7 – 243 complaints about alleged bullying towards Iain Lee
  8. This Morning, ITV, November 13 – 181 complaints about interviewee’s comments on transgender issues
  9. Good Morning Britain, ITV, June 20 – 176 complaints about interview with English Defence League co-founder Tommy Robinson
  10. Benidorm, ITV, May 3 – 137 complaints about comments made about a character with a cleft lip

 

Christmas Viewing Figures

Santa TV

Another list, this time the viewing figures for Christmas day, which were won by the Queen’s speech on both BBC and ITV. In second place, but leading the field of programmes on just one channel, was Mrs Brown’s Boys Christmas special. The BBC dominated the top 10 list, though the top 10 average was down from 2016.

 

Prince Harry takes over Today

In what will surely be a cracking scene in Netflix’s The Crown season 28, Prince Harry was this week a guest editor of BBC Radio 4’s Today programme. The fifth in line to the throne interviewed Obama and Prince Charles as well as talking about mental health and the armed forces. A highlight was his quickfire questions for Obama who seemed equally amused and unimpressed.

 

A look back at 2017

Everyone is doing it, so we’re joining in. Have a favourite moment from 2017? Whatever it is, here’s one you DEFINITELY shouldn’t have missed:

 

Seen something we’ve missed? Let us know on Twitter.

Christmas

Five Things You Shouldn’t Have Missed – 22 December 2017

Our weekly round-up of the biggest stories from media, PR and comms including Twitter’s ban, lists of the year and a very funny video.

Twitter suspends Britain First

Tweeting

Twitter updated its policies around hate speech, which led to the almost-immediate removal of the extremist Britain First account along with its leader and deputy. Twitter is planning on being more aggressive in its enforcement of the policies but a number of accounts remain, perhaps due to their ‘newsworthiness’.

Twitter, Facebook and Google were also called in front of the Home Affairs Committee this week, for an investigation into online abuse and its links to violence. They were accused of not taking it seriously enough.

Top 10 rankings

Blog rankings

Vuelio is proud of the blog rankings we create and maintain, identifying the very best of blogging by each sector. But which of our rankings are the most popular? Thankfully, you needn’t ask that question any more.

Most popular posts from 2017

most read

Wondering what our most popular posts were from 2017? Wonder no more – from the Vuelio Blog Awards to football related interviews, 2017 was the year of variety. Sadly, no Five Things post made the list.

We met Hand Luggage Only

Award winning bloggers? Tick.
Amazing travel photography? Tick.
Two of the nicest bloggers in the world? You bet!

Yaya and Lloyd write Hand Luggage Only and were kind enough to tell us about the world of blogging and PR relationships. And check out their quickfire questions in the video below:

Christmas is only three days away

Christmas

If you haven’t started shopping, it’s already too late.

Crafts blog

Blogger Spotlight: Kate Williams, Crafts on Sea

Kate Williams writes Crafts on Sea, which was recently ranked as one of the Top 10 UK Craft Blogs. Covering achievable crafts for kids and adults, Crafts on Sea demonstrates makes and shares fun family activities. We spoke to Kate about trends in crafts, not being paid in craft supplies and working on excellent campaigns.

How would you describe your blog?
Achievable crafts for kids and adults. There’s stuff to keep the kids busy but also things for the grown ups too – I’ve got a lot of colouring pages! I like to hope there’s something that would interest or inspire everyone on there; my own kids love things like Star Wars, Marvel and Paw Patrol so that inspires the kind of making that we do as well as season interests like Christmas or Halloween.

Why did you start your blog?
Well my husband was starting a blog and I didn’t want to be left out! He ended up not doing one but over the years mine has grown. I’ve always written but I don’t have the patience to sit and write 10,000 words! A blog post is the right kind of length for me.

What’s your favourite craft?
Well it’s a really simple one but I love these paper plate emojis. They’re just a proper stress-free craft that kids of all ages can do. More importantly, though, I know my kids loved this one as they both took their versions into school and nursery the next day for Show and Tell – that’s when you really know something has gone well!

What do you think the place of physical crafts is in a ‘digital’ world?
I think more people will look on Pinterest for kids crafts than will buy a book telling them how to make things – absolutely. I know I’ll look on YouTube to find out how to crochet because I need to see how it’s actually done and as a parent I can’t always get out to a class. Physical books and classes still have a role (I’ve written a book of crafts too) but the internet is a huge part of people’s lives now.

Want to work with influencers? Try the Vuelio Media Database and get access to 11,000 UK Bloggers in crafts, family, lifestyle & more.

How much do trends in crafts affect your blog?
Well it’s December and I’m thinking about my Valentine’s Day crafts so quite a lot! I try to plan quite far in advance for season crafts and there’s also been big trends that crafts are affected by. Colouring has been really big, rock painting was a trend that’s still ongoing and even DIY fidget spinners were really popular this year. I try to listen to what my kids and their friends are talking about and plan around that too.

What will the 2018 trend be?
I think nature crafts are becoming more of a thing, especially as ‘forest schooling’ becomes more influential. Who knows for the rest of it though, some trends just seem to come out of nowhere – who would have thought that bottle flipping would be a big thing?!

How do you like to work with PRs?
I like them to be honest, tell me what they want to achieve and then I can see if it’s something I can help with. I’ve worked on a really great campaign recently for Marks & Spencer (through iCrossing) that was just so well thought out and had such a detailed brief. It was great as I knew exactly what they wanted so I could make sure I had it all planned properly. The campaign has done really well in terms of pageviews for me too, so it’s been a total pleasure to work on all round. I do want to be able to properly promote the clients I work with!

What one thing should PRs know about you?
Not just myself but most bloggers are incredibly professional and come from a professional background, I laugh with my friends about how my job is making stuff out of paper plates (much more fun than my old office job) but my background is in marketing, research and fundraising. In order to pay the mortgage each month you need to know everything about the latest changes in social media algorithm, what hosting companies are the best and be able to code; it’s not just a job about making pretty stuff. Failing that, I would love people to stop asking to pay me in craft materials – at risk of sounding rude, I have more paints and paper than the average craft store!

What’s your favourite craft company?
My friend Gude runs The Paperdashery and she has the most amazing washi tapes as well as a fantastic subscription box service.

What other blogs do you read?
For kids crafts Red Ted Art, Arty Crafty Kids, Rainy Day Mum and Play and Learn Every Day are brilliant. Lulastic and The Hippyshake is my grown up read for activism and lifestyle stuff.

 

Kate Williams and her blog Crafts on Sea are both listed on the Vuelio Influencer Database, the UK’s leading influencer database available to the PR and communications industries.

most read

Top 10 Blog Posts from 2017

Interviews, lists and the Vuelio Blog Awards – 2017 has seen huge variety across our most popular posts.

The most dominant topic, though, is surely football, which reflects its dominance in society. The popularity of the sport is seen in a number of our most-read posts of 2017, including our number one:

1. Blogger Spotlight: Paul Brennan, Celtic Quick News

Paul Brennan_CelticQuickNews
Celtic Quick News is the place where you’ll find the latest Celtic news and features, Posted 365 days a year. Celtic Quick News encourages Celtic fans to join the conversations on the blog and to have their say. In this spotlight Paul, who features on our top ten football ranking chats to us about how he got into blogging, why he loves football, and how he likes to work with PRs.

 

2. 11 Blogs You Need To Follow In 2017

topblogsof2017
A ranking of exciting new bloggers to follow in 2017. Check out who made the list way back in January.

 

3. Blogger Spotlight: Iain Dale, West Ham Till I Die

Iain Dale_West Ham Til I Die
Launched in 2006, West Ham Till I Die is authored by Iain Dale and has become one of the most visited football blogs in the UK, attracting more than 60,000 readers. Described as ‘an oasis of sensible debate without the aggression and swearing’, West Ham supporters are invited to comment on articles posted daily. In this spotlight, Ian, who features on our top ten football blog ranking, chats to us about his blogging career, which spans over fourteen years, working as a presenter for LBC Radio, and his unwavering support for West Ham.

 

4. The Best 14 Bloggers In The UK

Vuelio
The winners of the 2017 Vuelio Blog Awards were revealed at the Bloomsbury Big Top on Friday, 24 November. Hundreds came together in the fabulous Bloomsbury Big Top to enjoy top entertainment, fire dancers, aerial silk artists, fine dining, the hilarious Ellie Taylor, and the company of the best bloggers in the UK right now! In their third year, the Vuelio Blog Awards continued to show why the UK blogging industry is the world’s best.

 

5. PR Spotlight: Alison Dagwell, Digital Mums

AlisonDagwell-DigitalMums
Launched in 2014, by Nikki Cochrane and Kathryn Tyler, Digital Mums specialises in getting mums job-ready with in demand social media and digital skills, so they can find rewarding roles that sync with family life. In this spotlight, Ali Dagwell, co-head of storytelling at Digital Mums, chats to us about her 15-year career in PR, crisis management, working on campaigns that empower new mothers, and why flexible working hours for women with children are important.

 

6. Shortlist Revealed for The Vuelio Blog Awards 2017

Vuelio Blog Awards - The Event 01
The shortlist for the Vuelio Blog Awards, with more finalists than ever before. The full list of finalists represents the crème de la crème of the blogosphere.

 

7. Grimsby Town: Chequebook Journalism In The Lower Leagues

Laptop in front of football game
If you managed the comms department of a lower league football club, would you ask the local newspaper (a news organisation that is genuinely interested in writing about you) to pay for one-to-one access to your club manager? This club did.

 

8. Journalist Spotlight: Kara Godfrey, Express.co.uk

Kara Godfrey_Vuelio
An interview with Kara Godfrey when she was appointed online travel reporter at the Express. Kara chats to Vuelio about her experience working in a fast-paced, digital environment, the evolution of her London lifestyle blog, social media engagement, what makes for good PR relations and her favourite place to travel.

 

9. 5 PR Mistakes To Avoid When Sending A Press Release

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Press releases are still a fundamental cornerstone of the PR industry, and while social, digital, events and meetings may yield strong results, the humble press release is here to stay.

 

10. Blogger Spotlight: Nichola West, Globalmouse Travels

Nichola West
Globalmouse Travels was ranked as number one in the Top 10 UK Family Travel Blogs. Authored by Nichola West, Globalmouse Travels covers the unusual parts of holidays, away from the tourist traps and clichés. Nichola speaks to us about off-the-beaten-track experiences, camping with Bedouin nomads in Oman and collaborating with PRs.

 

Got a story for us that will be our most popular in 2018? Or perhaps you’d like to take part in a spotlight? Either way, get in touch today.

Tweeting

Twitter suspends Britain First

Twitter revised its hate speech rules, which then led to the suspension of the official Britain First account and the accounts of its leaders: Paul Golding and Jayda Fransen.

The new rules have been brought in to ‘reduce hateful conduct’ and ‘abusive behavior’. Twitter has broken down its new policies into two sections:

New rules on violence and physical harm:

‘Accounts that affiliate with organizations that use or promote violence against civilians to further their causes. Groups included in this policy will be those that identify as such or engage in activity — both on and off the platform — that promotes violence. This policy does not apply to military or government entities and we will consider exceptions for groups that are currently engaging in (or have engaged in) peaceful resolution.

‘Content that glorifies violence or the perpetrators of a violent act. This includes celebrating any violent act in a manner that may inspire others to replicate it or any violence where people were targeted because of their membership in a protected group. We will require offending Tweets to be removed and repeated violations will result in permanent suspension.’

Expanding the rules to include related content:

‘Any account that abuses or threatens others through their profile information, including their username, display name, or profile bio. If an account’s profile information includes a violent threat or multiple slurs, epithets, racist or sexist tropes, incites fear, or reduces someone to less than human, it will be permanently suspended. We plan to develop internal tools to help us identify violating accounts to supplement user reports.

‘Hateful imagery will now be considered sensitive media under our media policy. We consider hateful imagery to be logos, symbols, or images whose purpose is to promote hostility and malice against others based on their race, religion, disability, sexual orientation, or ethnicity/national origin. If this type of content appears in header or profile images, we will now accept profile-level reports and require account owners to remove any violating media.’

Twitter aims to be ‘more aggressive’ in its enforcement of these new policies as it attempts to battle the perceived hate flooding the platform. It acknowledges that it ‘may make some mistakes’, and is working to create a ‘robust appeals process’.

That the platform has moved forward to remove extremist Britain First accounts before creating this appeals process is testament to the problem Twitter is facing. That said, new accounts for Britain First and Jayda Fransen are now on the platform, the latter having joined yesterday. It’s unclear if these are genuine or how they’ll be treated by Twitter’s policies.

Other accounts that could be argued to breach policies remain active – from Katie Hopkins, whose tweets this morning suggest she fears being suspended (no links, feel free to check out her tweets), to President Donald Trump, who has previously retweeted controversial Jayda Fransen videos.

Twitter founder and CEO Jack Dorsey has previously said Donald Trump’s tweets are important as they allow him to be held accountable. They’re also ‘newsworthy’ and so allowed to remain as part of the discussion.

The problem with these new policies is drawing certain lines of acceptability for users, which only seem to apply to some. It’s not clear if Twitter genuinely believes Trump’s policy-breaching behaviour is actually important news or if they’re protecting their business by staying relevant. It could be argued that the more influential and higher status the individual, the more damaging their hate and violence-filled speech is.

Expect this story to build momentum as further accounts are suspended and, perhaps more significantly, others are allowed to remain.