BBC doc

Paul Dacre steps down, Twitter reacts

/0 Comments/in , , , , /by

Paul Dacre has announced he is to step down from his role of editor of the Daily Mail, after 26 years in charge. The media giant will become chairman and editor in chief of Associated Newspapers (which changed its name to DMG Media), but this move still marks the end of an era in British news.

It’s difficult to know where to begin when talking about Dacre, his success as an editor is unquestionable but his role in society has often been contentious and many are celebrating the news of his departure.

Dacre used his announcement to staff to talk about the success of the Mail under his editorship, the paper’s victories – from the famous Stephen Lawrence front page to the recent anti-plastics campaign – and the whole team’s effort in the ‘battle for freedom of expression against those who seek to impose statutory regulation of the press’.

Lord Rothermere, who owns the publisher but has always given Dacre editorial freedom, said, ‘Paul is, quite simply, the greatest Fleet Street Editor of his generation’.

The BBC’s media editor, Amol Rajan, who seemingly broke the story last night, said, ‘Paul Dacre was the last of his kind’.

On Twitter the reaction was more mixed.

His support of the current Conservative Government and its leader Theresa May has also been highlighted by many, including Matt Chorley in his hugely influential Red Box email. Chorley wrote: ‘Theresa May reads The Times because she likes the Sudoku. She reads the Daily Mail because she likes to know what Britain thinks. Well, her idea of Britain. And really it’s about what Paul Dacre, her loudest cheerleader, thinks.’

Chorley also quotes an unnamed government source who text him saying ‘Bad news for Theresa. Dacre’s the last person in the country who thought she was any good’. Ouch.

As for Dacre’s replacement, there are many contenders being touted by the press, from The Sun’s Tony Gallagher and the Telegraph’s Chris Evans to the Mail on Sunday’s Georgie Greig:

What hasn’t been overlooked is one particular outside choice. Before Paul Dacre became editor of the Mail, he had a brief stint editing the Evening Standard. Someone else who is currently a short period into his editorship of the Evening Standard is George Osborne. Though suggestions he wanted the job were quickly denied by the man himself:

Dacre will step down in November, before his 70th birthday.

David Evans

Top Men’s Fashion Blog: Grey Fox

/0 Comments/in , , , , , /by

Grey Fox is the ‘mature search for style’, written by David Evans. The blog recently ranked in the Top 10 UK Men’s Fashion Blogs and has been a stalwart of the male fashion blogging scene for years. With fashion and menswear content for all men, Grey Fox has built a loyal following and provides a unique perspective in the blogosphere.

We spoke to David about the origins of men’s style, how shoes can make or break an outfit and the amazing campaigns he’s collaborated on.

Grey-FoxWhat makes your blog unique?
I’m a men’s style blogger aged 63. The blog started as my search for style as an older man. There are few enough men’s style blogs and even fewer that cater for the man over forty (in fact I only know a very small handful). However, while my main readership is over 40 on the blog, on Instagram it’s aged between 25 and 35! I describe a fairly classic menswear style and, at the moment, that appeals to all ages.

Will Men’s Fashion ever catch up with Women’s Fashion?
I suspect that men’s fashion has already overtaken women’s in terms of amounts being spent. Some studies show that men spend monthly more than women and it’s certainly the case that the men’s clothing market is growing twice as fast as women’s. Interest in menswear is huge; I see this on my blog and social media.

Who is your favourite ever designer?
I don’t really have one as I like to find inspiration from many directions. Having said that, I love what New & Lingwood and Oliver Spencer are doing and there are many small menswear businesses here in the UK that deserve our attention, such as SEH Kelly, Marwood, Lamler and others.

What up-and-coming designers will be tomorrow’s stars?
Again, I can’t really say. The world of men’s style is different from the more volcanic fashion world where names come and (usually) go, and are quickly forgotten. My interest is in the durability of classic styles inspired by Savile Row and Jermyn Street but which includes many newer and younger brands.

What’s the best fashion show for men?
Oliver Spencer always do a great show at London Fashion Week Men’s, but looking more widely at the world of menswear, Pitti Uomo in Florence is, for me at the moment, the greatest display of men’s fashions and style. While it is largely Italian, there are some 100 plus British brands there this June and it’s a great place to see the best-dressed men in the world. I’d love to see something similar in London where there is so much creativity and, arguably, the whole concept of men’s style originated.

Grey FoxShoes or watch?
Shoes can make or break a look. Poor ones can ruin the best outfit, while good shoes can lift a mundane look. I do like a good watch though – a vintage example adds a real touch of style.

Beards: in or out?
Men should wear what they like – it’s a question of style, not fashion.

What one thing should PRs/brands know about you?
I represent a demographic that is growing fast. Over fifties are wanting to spend time and money on style, holidays and consumer goods. They are responsible for nearly half of consumer spending and brands ignore them at their peril.

What are the best campaigns/collaborations you’ve worked on?
Driving a Maserati in Northern Ireland recently for Maserati UK. Designing a summer collection with Alexandra Wood. Driving a Range Rover Velar in Norway. Having hats made by Taylor Red Millinery – there are so many which have been great fun.

What other blogs do you read?
It probably sounds terrible, but I don’t. Time is precious and I prefer to follow on Instagram where I follow all the main menswear Instagrammers. One blog I do like to follow is That’s Not My Age in which Alyson Walsh talks about style for older women.

Reach-the-right-influencers-with-the-Vuelio-media-database

MENSWEARSTYLE

Craig Landale – the number one men’s fashion blogger

/0 Comments/in , , , , , , /by

Craig Landale continues to dominate the men’s fashion and lifestyle scene with his blog MenswearStyle. Topping the Men’s Lifestyle ranking and winning two awards at the Vuelio Blog Awards 2017 – Best Men’s Lifestyle Blog and Best UK Blog – now Craig has been named number one in the Top 10 Men’s Fashion Blogs.

We spoke to Craig about his favourite designers, working collaboratively on experiential PR campaigns and why he no longer reads the competition.

What makes your blog unique?
MenswearStyle is unique because it brings an informative but light-hearted voice to the menswear industry, covering not just the high street and high designers but start-ups and crowdfunded brands too. We bring an authentic and honest outlook to current trends as well as bringing focus to important movements such as sustainable fashion. The blog isn’t the only way of consuming our publication as we also have a Podcast and Street Style gallery, as well as a shop which lists thousands of products from online retailers.

Will Men’s Fashion ever catch up with Women’s Fashion?
I don’t think men will ever consume fashion in the same way women do. The average woman is more inclined to buy for the season and dispose of prior season’s garments, whereas the average man is looking to buy higher quality items with an interesting story that is expertly manufactured and will last years to come. The number of designers, collaborations and developments within the industry is certainly gaining traction though.

MenswearStyle

Who is your favourite ever designer?
Oliver Spencer is my favourite. The style of clothing he makes basically sums up my taste in clothing. It’s relaxed, understated and everyday comfortable wearable pieces that fit really well. I always look forward to his fashion shows each season in London too. I like how he uses non-model guys (usually his friends) mixed in with the usual runway models too.

What up-and-coming designers will be tomorrow’s stars?
That’s a tough one, If I knew this I’d be in a different job but I’ve recently interview Genevieve Sweeney for MenswearStyle and I really like her British-made knitwear. Her designs are so interesting, yet not too overbearing or trend-led. Definitely a brand to watch for the coming AW18 season.

What’s the best fashion show for men?
I always prefer catwalk shows where the garments are wearable. Some designers go for the theatrical element to a show and that’s ok, but I personally don’t like it. I love menswear for what it is and I like to see it being worn in the way it is intended to be in normal life. In fact, when I think back to my favourite ever runway show, it was back when LFWM was LCM and Hackett put on a show with a live orchestra and it gave me goose bumps. It made me proud to be working within the British menswear industry.

Menswear Style

Shoes or watch?
I really like to wear a good watch and I find them a bit trickier to buy compared to shoes. With shoes I’d always suggest a British made Brogue or Oxford as an essential, but watches are completely evolving. I really like what Shinola and Uniform Wares are doing at the moment.

Beards: in or out?
They’re still in and show no signs of going anywhere just yet. Even in high-summer you should expect to still see them. However, they will be trimmed down with reduced thickness to avoid being itchy and uncomfortable.

What one thing should PRs/brands know about you?
I run the UK’s best blog according to Vuelio and I’m also a CIM qualified marketeer. Not only do I love menswear but I like interiors and homeware too.

Reach-the-right-influencers-with-the-Vuelio-media-database

What are the best campaigns/collaborations you’ve worked on?
Over the six years of running MenswearStyle there have been many, but a few recent standouts are Gore-Tex where I headed out to Berlin to see their most recent developments in garment technology, Volvo where I test-drove their new XC40 car in Barcelona and Slaters where I styled two partywear inspired outfits for a London photoshoot and was interviewed for their in-store magazine.

What other blogs do you read?
I’m actually trying a new thing at the moment where I don’t look at my competition. I had read that if you pay too much attention to the competition you start to replicate them and you lose your creativity and all-important unique angle that gives you your difference and sets you apart from the crowd. I seem much happier for doing it and an unnecessary pressure has been lifted as a result.

Craig and his award-winning blog are both listed on the Vuelio Influencer Database along with thousands of other bloggers, vloggers, journalists and opportunities.

Webinar

How to improve your influencer relations

/0 Comments/in , , , /by

Influencer relations is a vital skill for the modern PR professional. Influencers are often thought of as ‘new media’ – bloggers, vloggers and Instagrammers, but they can also be journalists, editors and broadcasters – anyone we work with who influences their audience is an ‘influencer’.

What traditional influencers have, though, is an industry and organisation behind them and their work. With established practices, and rules and codes to follow, collaborations with traditional influencers are generally straightforward. The rise of bloggers has brought new methods of collaboration to the industry and with it, uncertainty over what rules should be followed.

How to Improve Your Influencer Relations was our recent webinar that aimed to make these rules simple. With guest presenters Anne-Marie Lacey, managing director of Filament PR and Debbie Sharratt, independent PR practitioner and blogger at My Boys Club, we looked at the different rules that exist for new ‘influencers’ (from the CAP Code to Google SEO), and how to easily follow them for both bloggers AND PRs.

The webinar recording is now online, check it out here, to find out:

  • How to use the ASA guidelines, CAP code, Google rules and social media secrets
  • What paid-for content really means and when you need to disclose
  • How ethical relationships can boost your brand’s reputation and ROI
  • What to do if your influencers break the rules
Train

How integration improved Greater Anglia’s PR

/0 Comments/in , , , , , , , /by

Public relations has never been an industry that relies on one skill set or a single speciality. As the PRCA’s recent census showed, PR and communications covers a vast array of disciplines from reputation management and strategy planning to writing articles, SEO and sales promotion.

Your role is increasingly diverse, so the last thing you need is lots of different platforms when you want to manage everything in one place. That’s why Vuelio is fully integrated software to cater for all your needs, whether it’s finding new influencers to build relationships with, monitoring your coverage (and automatically linking it to your distribution), creating reports and proving how awesome you are or managing relationships with the press, clients and public.

True integration takes the hard work out of PR. But don’t take our word for it – Juliette Maxam, media manager at Greater Anglia, told us how Vuelio’s integrated platform has made their PR ‘seamless’.

Find out more about integrated software

Greater Anglia

The problem
Before Vuelio, we were collating press coverage manually, reading everything individually and producing our own analysis – it was a hugely time-consuming process. Now, Vuelio has freed up our time so we can focus on the PR we want to do.

The solution
Vuelio has given us to ability to do a number of things on one platform.

We distribute press releases, which makes things much easier to send out, and the monitoring allows us to track our coverage back to the releases – it’s seamless. The distribution is also great for sending out pictures and video, and allows us to see who is opening and not opening releases, so we can better manage our follow up.

One of the best features is the media analysis and reporting – it is so flexible and allows us to drill down into so many different topic areas and analyse enquiries. Also, the charts are presented clearly in the graphic dashboard and we can customise different parts. So, with things like sentiment, we can tweak individual articles, which is much quicker than having to do each one manually (like we did before).

The reporting function is useful for a number of reasons, from when we’re internally asked how well a particular release or campaign has done, for example the new range of trains, to creating regular reports for different teams. And, because we can tag all our coverage, it allows us to easily report on different areas, like competitors.

We also use Vuelio to log press enquiries, giving us a record of what we did in the past. The media team finds it particularly useful as they can easily see what (and when) previous enquiries were made.

And we use Canvas, which we really like – it allows us to quickly and easily send a single link out with all our coverage in one place.

Joining Vuelio
With Vuelio, everything is all in one place, and everything is connected. We can see how much coverage we’re getting and for what releases, which will ultimately make planning future campaigns more successful.

The whole process of joining Vuelio, from our first point of contact, was really good. The Vuelio team worked really hard, especially as I feel like we were really demanding with what we wanted, including good value for money. The set up was also great; one of our requirements has been face-to-face customer support and that’s what’s happened – which is really important for us.

Vuelio is a really useful, efficient and smart way of distributing press releases, tracking enquiries and analysing our coverage.

Ready for integrated software? Fill in this form and we’ll be in touch.

Five Things you shouldn't have missed

Five Things: Arkady Babcenko, WWW, Madeley vs Williamson, Evening Standard and Roseanne

/0 Comments/in , , , , , , /by

This week’s Five Things includes the journalist who did(n’t) die, the world wide web, Madeley vs Williamson, accusations against the Evening Standard and the end of Roseanne.

1. Arkady Babchenko

Ukraine Russia

Arkady Babchenko is the Russian dissident journalist based in Kiev, who was in the news on Tuesday following his ‘assassination’. Less than 24 hours later, Babchenko made a shock appearance on a live TV press conference, to reveal the whole ‘murder’ had been a ruse to ‘foil a Russian assassination plot’. He was particularly apologetic to his wife, who was not in on the ploy and had believed he was dead after finding his bloodied body.

The cold war antics have jarred with modern day practices and Ukraine has been widely condemned for its part in spreading ‘fake news’. Harlem Desir, a representative from the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe, said: ‘I deplore the decision to spread false information on the life of a journalist. It is the duty of the state to provide correct information to the public.’

Christophe Deloire, head of Reporters Without Borders, said: ‘Reporters Without Borders expresses its sharp indignation on learning of the Ukrainian secret service’s manipulation carried out as part of an information war’.

The good news is that Babchenko is still alive, Ukraine are claiming a victory having made an arrest and the journalist will now live under the country’s protection. The bad news is the continuing spread of misinformation has never been perceived as so damaging to society and this has only made that situation worse.

 

2. Half the world’s online

internet use trends

Mary Meeker, partner at Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers has released her annual report of internet trends. The presentation, made at the Recode conference, covers a vast array of internet-related stats from smartphone prices (down on average), to the importance of immigration to US tech companies. There are 294 slides to the presentation, but one of the biggest stats is that there are now more than 3.6bn internet users; for the first time ever, over half the world’s population is now online. Meeker noted that this may be a problem for internet service companies – ‘growth is harder to find after hitting 50% market penetration’ – but the graph is still showing a steady rise, with no signs of the ominous plateau.

Pew Research Center

And what are all these people doing online? Well, if it’s in the US and they’re a teenager, they’re probably on YouTube. A new survey from the Pew Research Center suggests 85% of teens use YouTube, whereas only 51% use Facebook. This huge decline in Facebook use (down from 71% in 2015), will be painful for the company although it is offset by the rise in popularity of Facebook-owned Instagram, which is used by 72% of teens, up from 52% in 2015.

The biggest problem for Facebook is probably the rise of Snapchat: it is now used by 69% of teens (up from 41% in 2015), and, perhaps more significantly, 35% of teens say they use Snapchat most often (compared with just 10% who use Facebook most often).

 

3. Gavin Williamson is shut up and sent away

Richard Madeley was applauded this week for getting fed up with Gavin Williamson, defence secretary, for not answering his question. Madeley, who was pressing Williamson on his ‘Russia should go away, it should shut up’ remarks, eventually cut Williamson off as the latter made no attempt to acknowledge the question. The next day, Madeley wrote a piece for The Guardian, ‘Cutting short Gavin Williamson was the most popular thing I’ve ever done’, which is hard to argue with.

Check out the full exchange below, and watch to the end for the elephant’s comic timing.

 

4. London Evening Standard accused of selling editorial

London evening standard

The Evening Standard has been accused by Open Democracy of selling positive editorial to a range of companies including Google and Uber. It is allegedly part of the Evening Standard’s London 2020 project, a means to bring in more money via sponsored content and events. Open Democracy says the project has gone one step further and is offering, ‘“favourable” news coverage of the firms involved, with readers unable to differentiate between “news” that is paid-for and other commercially-branded content.’

It also quotes an unnamed senior Starbucks executive who said: ‘Buying positive news coverage is PR death…something you might do in Saudi Arabia, but not here. This wasn’t right for us. We do engage in advertorial but that’s just marketing. We don’t need to buy our reputation.’

If true, this would seriously undermine the Evening Standard’s journalists’ authority and respectability.

The Evening Standard has denied the story. In a statement to The Drum, Jon O’Donnell, managing director at ESI commercial, said the idea ES was ‘selling news’ was ‘grossly inaccurate and a wildly misunderstood interpretation of the London 2020 project.’

He continued: ‘This will, as with all commercial content, be clearly identifiable as such. Under no circumstances have these clients been guaranteed news coverage for their own ends, nor would they ever be. Properly signposted commercial content within an editorial product is an accepted part of the news industry and is nothing new for publishers.’

Few publishers have run with the story and it seems like there’s little real evidence it’s true. Though eagle eyed readers will, of course, now be checking every Uber and Google story in the Evening Standard over the next few weeks to see if they’re fairly, or unfairly, praised.

 

5. Goodbye Roseanne

Roseanne barr

Roseanne Barr hit the news this week after a racist tweet, which she then seemed to defend, led to her hit sitcom ‘Roseanne’ to be cancelled. The star had made a racist comment about Valerie Jarrett, former advisor to Obama. In a victory for decisive crisis comms, ABC, the channel on which Roseanne is broadcast, announced it would not renew a second series as the tweet was ‘repugnant and inconsistent with our values’.

Roseanne, who blamed the racism on sleeping pills (no, really), begged for her job back, both on and off Twitter, but the decision stands. In her defence, the White House accused the entertainment industry of ‘hypocrisy’, suggesting ‘liberal TV stars’ suffered no consequences for saying ‘the most horrible things’ about President Trump. Roseanne is a high-profile Trump supporter and her character on the show also supported Trump.

Unfortunately, suggestions that the show could continue with a replacement for Roseanne are unfounded.

 

 

Something we’ve missed? Let us know on Twitter. 

Mighty gadget

Interview with top tech blog Mighty Gadget

/0 Comments/in , , , , , /by

James Smythe is the man behind the independent tech blog, Mighty Gadget. Recently named in the Top 10 UK Tech Blogs, Mighty Gadget covers everything from TVs to phones and holds exclusive competitions for top tech prizes. We spoke to James about the latest trends in tech, his favourite gadgets and working with excellent PR agencies.

What makes your blog unique?
Mighty Gadget is an independent blog, probably 80%+ of the content is mine. I cover all aspects of tech, but due to being limited to just one writer I tend to cover things that interest me personally. I love the normal stuff like mobile and audio visual, but I also cover as much fitness related technology as possible. I love gadgets that can track all my fitness and health stats!

What’s the best gadget/tech you own?
There are too many to choose from! My current favourite is my Ring doorbell; I get so many review samples delivered and picked up it is very frustrating when I miss the door, so this has helped loads. Apart from that, from a pure use perspective it’s my main PC, I spend all day doing my work on it and I am also a keen PC gamer.

What trends should we expect to see in tech in the near future?
Home Automation appears to be going mainstream now thanks to Alexa and Hue. So, I think we will see these devices becoming commonplace within the home.

From a fitness perspective, I think there is a good chance that Android Wear devices will start to eat into the traditional sports watch market. You already have Garmin, Fitbit, and Suunto integrating smartwatch type features into their watches. Current Android watches have okay fitness tracking, but it is nowhere near the level of Garmin, so I wouldn’t be surprised if we see an Android OS watch in the next year or so that is much more focused on sports with options to pair with all the sensors many athletes use.

Which tech companies are the giants of the future?
I can’t think of any specific company but EVs and automated vehicles appear to be the next big tech revolution that is well underway and we all know the names involved in that industry. Beyond that, I may be biased due to my interest in health, but I think the longevity industry will take off in the next few years. We have already seen a growing trend of people being more conscious about their health; the supplements industry is worth $37 billion-a-year in the US, so I think the next logical step is the trend towards prolonging your life as much as possible. There are already quite a few companies that claim to be able to lengthen telomeres, which are a key component in ageing.

What phone do you have?
Huawei Mate 10 – it is not the latest and greatest, but the camera is superb, and the battery lasts all day, so it is perfect for working on the go.

What’s the best tech invention EVER?
So much to choose from! I would say the Internet; it’s an obvious choice but it’s a technological revolution that has affected everyone in such a large way.

How do you like to work with PRs?
They can be frustrating at times, but I appreciate it is difficult dealing with hundreds of bloggers all pestering you for review samples or event details. I wouldn’t be able to cover as much content as I do without their help.

What’s the best campaign/collaboration you’ve worked on?
I have worked with Acer multiple times over the years at first with Otto Comms & PR, and now with Agent 42. They have always been great to deal with, responsive to all emails, easy deliveries and pickup and well-organised events. This year I had a great time with Qualcomm at MWC which was organised by Hotwire Global; it was a great event, all the PR team that looked after us made things run smoothly with a laid-back schedule that allowed us to explore MWC in our own time.

Reach-the-right-influencers-with-the-Vuelio-media-database

What one thing should PRs know about you?
I live in Blackpool! So, unless you are paying for the train journey, it is unlikely I will be able to attend a press event. It isn’t the best place to live when you are a tech blogger!

What other blogs do you read?
I sometimes stalk rival blogs such as Gadgety News to see if they are reviewing anything I might be able to blag. I am a fan of DC Rainmaker, the same as everyone in the fitness industry; he offers an unrivalled level of detail in his fitness tech reviews. Automated Home is great for home automation stuff. Then OC3D and bit-tech for PC-related news.

James Smythe and Mighty Gadget are both listed on the Vuelio Influencer Database along with thousands of other bloggers, vloggers, journalists and opportunities.

GDPR

GDPR vs USA

/0 Comments/in , , , /by

The GDPR is finally here (hooray!). The new data privacy regulation that covers EU citizens (and, yes, those in the UK even after it leaves), is now in force across Europe. Designed to give more control to individuals over how their data is collected and processed, the GDPR has been a hot topic for months in the UK, but seems to have caught some in the US by surprise.

Here at Vuelio, we’ve embraced the General Data Protection Regulation and have done everything we can to prepare our users and the communications industry for the biggest data protection upheaval in 20 years. Not only did we publish white papers, guides and Q&As, spoke at events and hosted a webinar, we also upgraded our software to cater to the industry’s needs.

Unfortunately, it seems not everyone was so prepared. Even though the GDPR has been on the horizon for years, many businesses have clearly been caught without a plan, including large corporations on the other side of the pond.

LA Times

Publisher Tronc’s papers, including the LA Times and Chicago Tribune, now all carry the same message on their websites to European visitors, denying access. This appears to have irritated Andrea Jelinek, head of the EU’s Data Protection Board, who said in an email to Bloomberg: ‘GDPR didn’t just fall from heaven. Everyone had plenty of time to prepare.’

As reported by the Columbia Journalism Review (CJR), other US news sites have approached the GDPR issue in a different way. USA Today, for example, has stripped away most of its ad-related software; while the US version is over 5MB and has over 800 ad-related requests in the website’s code, the EU version is less than half a megabyte and contains no third-party content at all. CJR believes this will impact publishers who are already struggling with digital revenues, which rely on ad tracking software.

It’s not just publishers. Wilbur Ross, US Commerce Secretary, has spoken out against the GDPR, suggesting it would make EU trade with any other nation much harder. Writing in the Financial Times, Ross said: ‘As currently envisioned, GDPR’s implementation could significantly interrupt transatlantic co-operation and create unnecessary barriers to trade, not only for the US, but for everyone outside the EU.’

Ross also expresses concern about governmental cooperation, claiming the GDPR has created ‘unclear legal obligations’ and that the US Government does not have ‘a clear understanding of what is required to comply’. He obviously hasn’t read our white paper, The GDPR Made Simple.

Silicon Valley, responsible for a large slice of Europe’s digital services, is no doubt lobbying the US Government to do what it can to relax laws, but it’s hard to see what ground can be made (especially as the EU has been preparing for the regulation since 2016).

That Google and Facebook were both reported for breaching the GDPR on 25 May was inevitable, but it’s made the US situation much more desperate. Both companies claim they have spent months preparing and believe they are compliant (Mark Zuckerberg also recently said the company believes in the rules and are rolling them out globally), but with potential fines reaching up to 4% of turnover, which in Google’s case would equate to nearly $4.5bn, if they’re wrong then the consequences will be devastating (for Google).

The GDPR is here to stay, and for those that have prepared, it’s a manageable addition to data privacy laws. But for whole nations, including the US, it’s now become a blockage that has the potential to change the face of global digital services forever.

Need help with GDPR compliance? Vuelio is here to help – find out more.

Radio 1

Nick Grimshaw and Greg James to swap shows

/0 Comments/in , , , , /by

Nick Grimshaw has announced that he is stepping down from his role of host of the Radio 1 Breakfast Show. He is swapping with Greg James, and will host a ‘brand new’ drivetime show.

This week, Grimshaw became the second-longest running breakfast show host in Radio 1 history, overtaking Tony Blackburn. Grimshaw took over from Chris Moyles, who still holds the record for the longest time as breakfast show host, in 2012, which marked a shift in the station’s strategy to appeal to a purposefully younger audience.

From 2012 onwards, the show’s audience numbers dropped dramatically, but station controller Ben Cooper has always defended the station as ‘the most relevant youth brand in the UK today’. Radio 1 also boasts a huge reach across social media, making traditional listening figures less significant. Cooper said: ‘Grimmy’s done a brilliant job reinventing the feel and tone of the breakfast show by connecting with new audiences in new ways in the digital age.’

James joined Radio 1 straight from student radio, a career path Cooper has previously expressed an interest in to find fresh talent, even calling James the ‘poster boy’ of that route into radio.

Cooper said: ‘I’m so proud that Radio 1 produces and nurtures the best talent in the industry – I gave Greg his first show when he joined us from student radio and now he’s getting the most famous radio gig in the world – it’s going to be fantastic.’

James said: ‘I am completely beside myself that I’ve been given the chance to present the most famous radio show in the world. It really doesn’t get any bigger than this and I really want to build on the great work Grimmy has done.’

Grimmy’s route into radio was more traditional for Radio 1, working on a series of music related TV shows and smaller Radio shows before landing the big job. When he was appointed to the role, many questioned how a man known for partying late with the rich and famous would cope with such early mornings, but his five-year run has surely put questions of his commitment to the role to bed. And now, at least, he’ll get to sleep.

Grimshaw said: ‘It was always my dream to do the breakfast show and I’m very grateful that I got to live my dream every day for what will be nearly six years. But six years is a long time and this isn’t a forever job.

‘I had the time of my life. I’ve decided it’s time for a change and a new show. I love Radio 1 and can’t wait to get on with the new time slot and the removal of all alarms from my house.’

This news follows a previous announcement that Radio 1 is moving to a four-day week/three-day weekend, which starts next month. Grimshaw and James will swap shows in the Autumn.

All changes on broadcast radio are kept up to date in the Vuelio Media Database. 

S4 Capital

Can Sorrell do it again?

/0 Comments/in , , , /by

Sir Martin Sorrell has started his comeback, just six weeks after his departure from WPP. The marketing mogul has announced he is taking over Derriston Capital, a stock exchange listed cash shell, which he will use to build a new kind of marketing services group.

In 1985, Sorrell took over Wire and Plastic Products plc (WPP), turning it, through a series of high profile takeovers, into the world’s largest advertising company. In April, Sorrell stepped down after WPP began an investigation into supposed misconduct.

Now Sorrell is starting again. As reported by The Guardian, the 73-year-old has acquired Derriston Capital with £40m of his own money and £11m from other investors. Some of those investors have also signed ‘non-binding letters of support’ to provide more than £150m of additional funding for Sorrell’s acquisition plans.

Derriston Capital reportedly started talks with Sorrell just weeks after his WPP departure. It has been announced the company will change its name to S4 Capital, which references four generations of the Sorrell family.

S4 Capital has announced there are already a number of potential acquisition targets: ‘The directors of the company understand that S4 Capital is at present in preliminary discussions regarding a select number of potential acquisitions that would fit with the strategy of building a multinational communication services business.’

When Sorrell left WPP, he said the world needed a new kind of agency, one that was ‘more agile, more responsive, less layered, less bureaucratic, less heavy’. S4 Capital has backed this departure from a traditional marketing services company, saying the company is looking to acquire ‘businesses focused on technology, data and content’.

Sorrell, who is executive chairman of S4 Capital, said: ‘There are significant opportunities for development in technology, data and content. I look forward to making this happen.’

It has also been announced a number of Sorrell’s former colleagues and friends are to join him in his new venture, including Rupert Faure Walker, who assisted with the takeover of J Walter Thompson and Ogilvy & Mather in the late 1980s, and Paul Roy, founder of investment management company NewSmith Capital Partners.

WPP has not commented on the news, but probably regrets such a loose weave contract they had in place with Sorrell, which not only lacked a non-compete clause and allowed Sorrell to leave at any time, but also meant the company will now be paying him up to £20m over the next five years.

The advertising industry has been struggling for some time in the age of Google and Facebook, and the market is already oversaturated by the big five. But, if anyone can engineer another meteoric rise and create a new marketing super giant, Sorrell can.

Freelancer emma harrison

‘I love working with PRs’, Journalist Spotlight with Emma Harrison

/0 Comments/in , , , , , /by

Emma Harrison is a freelance journalist who has written for a number of leading outlets. In this journalist spotlight, Emma discusses how she juggles her busy workload, manages multiple deadlines and works with passionate PRs.

Can you describe a typical working day for you as a freelance writer?
Generally, I am always busy! I am lucky to undertake contract editorial work alongside my freelancing writing at the moment. There is always an email to send, calls to return, research to undertake and copy to write. It’s not just a day job for me and you can often find me working evenings and weekends too. I try to keep a sense of balance though as sometimes you do need to take a step back in order to move forwards.

You contribute to a variety of publications. How do you juggle your various workloads?
By keeping a list of deadlines – it can be challenging when they all seem to be due at the same time, but you just need to buckle down and stay focused. I use a physical diary, to do lists and the calendar on my phone, so I always know where I am with everything.

How did you first get into journalism?
It’s only been in the last few years to be honest, I previously worked in marketing and my favourite element was writing copy. I have gradually moved over to more of an editorially-focused role, however, I am still able to utilise those digital marketing skills from time to time!

What are the most enjoyable parts of your job? What are some of the challenges you face?
I think there are always challenges in every job, but it is all about how you tackle those challenges. From a freelancing perspective, I suppose that sometimes your workload is full on busy but there are occasions where you are less busy. I am the sort of person that loves to be busy all of the time, so when I am not it can be a little frustrating.

How do you use social media to write, research and distribute content?
Social media is amazing for distributing content and for finding new and exciting brands to write about. Who doesn’t love the #journorequest hashtag?

What is your relationship with PRs like? What would you say to any PR professionals who want to work with you?
I absolutely love working with PRs; they are always so enthusiastic and passionate about their clients, which is great. I would say to PR companies that I read every single email and press release that comes through. I do my best to reply to everybody and always keep people’s details on file, so even if I don’t have any opportunities right now to include your brand, who knows what might happen in the future.

What type of press material are you interested in receiving?
Anything goes, as long as it has a strong hook, of course!

[testimonial_view id=20]

Reach-the-right-influencers-with-the-Vuelio-media-database

Emma Harrison is listed on the Vuelio Influencer Database along with thousands of other freelancers, journalists, bloggers, vloggers and opportunities.

General Data Protection Regulation

Five GDPR resources you shouldn’t have missed

/0 Comments/in , , , , , /by

HAPPY GDPR DAY! We’ve been excited about the GDPR for months (years even) and finally it is upon us.

Hopefully you’re not panicking too much about the implication of the biggest data protection changes in the last 20 years, but, if you are – don’t despair! Very few companies are fully compliant right now, so there’s still time to sort yourself out and work towards the GDPR requirements.

And, if you need a little help, here’s five GDPR resources you shouldn’t have missed:

1. What you need to know about the GDPR

Our first white paper, published back in February, covers the GDPR in the broadest terms. It gives an overview of what the GDPR is, defines key terms like Data Controller and Data Processor and builds a picture of what you need to do to comply.

Best for: an introduction to the GDPR

 

2. Your Guide to Vuelio and the GDPR

Many of our users asked for a more comprehensive overview of the GDPR, so we created this guide! It explains the GDPR and your requirements in detail, as well as customer specific information when working with Vuelio as a Data Controller and Data Processor.

Best for: Vuelio customers and anyone who wants to understand the complexities of the GDPR

 

3. GDPR for Comms

We were delighted to be joined by data guru and GDPR expert, Rowenna Fielding – senior data protection lead at Protecture – for this exclusive webinar. Outlining how the GDPR affects PR and comms, Rowenna also took questions from the audience to help with industry-specific queries.

Best for: listening to an expert discuss the GDPR in relation to the comms industry

 

4. FAQs parts 1 and 2

We had SO many questions from the webinar that we had to follow it up with TWO blog posts. Rowenna very kindly answered questions about the GDPR, here, while we answered questions about using Vuelio in compliance with the GDPR, here.

Best for: finding answers to questions you’ve probably been asking in the office

 

5. The GDPR Made Simple

Our second white paper, published this week, making everything to do with the GDPR simple and easy to follow. There can be a lot of jargon and advice online, so we’ve condensed it into easy-to-follow sections that will help you meet your compliance requirements.

Best for: anyone overloaded by the GDPR who just wants a simple read

Beast London

BEAST – a New East London Magazine

/0 Comments/in , , , , /by

BEAST is a new magazine catering for an East London audience. Focusing on lifestyle topics, from restaurant reviews to quirky days out, BEAST is now working towards its first printed issue.

We caught up with Nicky Acketts, creative director at BEAST, who told us about launching the new East London lifestyle magazine, going back to basics and always being up for an adventure…

Can you tell us a bit about the recently launched BEAST magazine? What makes it different from other publications?
BEAST hopes to reflect the pulse of East London, sparking discussion around shared passions and providing an aspirational and invigorating guide to the area. Bringing together communities, local business and those visiting the area.

What are the main challenges when getting a new magazine up and running?
Our main challenges are ensuring we can deliver high quality content within budget and initially to encourage advertisers to take a leap of faith with a new brand.

What do you enjoy the most about your job? What are some of the more difficult aspects?
My mind is constantly buzzing with ideas. I’m a proactive person who’s keen to not miss an opportunity or adventure. Whether it’s supporting and introducing others or jumping on the next exciting thing for us to feature, I like to keep moving. I love meeting people and hearing their story; There are so many incredible people making their mark out there.

It’s important to have an end plan and to be specific about what your product or service is and does.

How do you engage your audience? Does social media play a significant role?
Social media plays a big part nowadays, but I don’t believe it’s the be all and end all. I believe in getting back to basics. People have become adept at screening out the bombardment of digital marketing messages that can become irritating and annoying, therefore they don’t see anything. So, we have an uncluttered, stylish and calmer approach, and I think people will actually engage in the things they find of interest.

Where do you hope to take the publication in the future?
We’d like to take BEAST nationally, if not globally. We definitely have our eye on NYC!

What type of press material are you interested in receiving?
We encourage ideas and collaboration, whatever the subject matter. The more weird and wonderful, the better.

[testimonial_view id=19]

Nicky and BEAST are both listings on the Vuelio Influencer Database along with thousands of other bloggers, vloggers, journalists, editors and opportunities. 

Reach-the-right-influencers-with-the-Vuelio-media-database

GDPR Made simple

The GDPR Made Simple

/0 Comments/in , , , /by

Our latest white paper, The GDPR Made Simple, is now available online.

The GDPR is the biggest shake up of data protection law in the last 20 years, and will affect every country in the EU (yes, including the UK – even after we leave).

We’ve seen lots of content and guidance online, but unfortunately not everything seems to give a clear picture of what the GDPR means for you and what you need to do to comply.

The GDPR Made Simple aims to cut through the noise, simply spelling out what the GDPR is, what it means for your day-to-day practices and how you can easily comply with the GDPR.

The GDPR comes into force on Friday, but it’s unlikely everyone will be fully compliant by then. What’s important is being able to show you’re making the right effort to understand the Regulation and implement best practice across your business.

This white paper covers:

  • What the GDPR is, and what types of data it includes
  • When you’re a Data Controller and what that means your responsibilities are
  • Individual’s rights and what they mean for your data processing
  • What a lawful basis is and why you need to have one
  • How to work with Subject Access Requests

One of the most fundamental parts of the GDPR is knowing what it is and understanding your obligations for compliance. That means you can’t give a third party responsibility for complying with the GDPR, which is why guides like this are so important.

Artificial intelligence in PR

Humans still needed – CIPR research reveals the impact of AI

/0 Comments/in , , /by

The CIPR’s #AIinPR panel has published research revealing the impact of artificial intelligence on the PR industry over the next five years. For now, it looks like humans and their jobs are safe.

The #AIinPR panel was launched in February to explore the impact of AI on public relations and the wider business community. This new research, led by Jean Valin, principal of Valin Strategic Communications, is the first comprehensive assessment of the impact of AI on PR skills. The panel wanted to determine how much AI was already used in public relations and how fast it is evolving.

The first stage of the research was to establish what skills and abilities are needed to practice public relations. Adapting the Global Alliance Global Body of Knowledge, which describes 50 skills, the CIPR created the following diagram:

PR skills diagram

It then used its crowdsourced list of PR tools and an independent panel to determine which of these skills could currently be replaced by AI:

Skills in PR

The research found that 12% of the skills are currently complemented or have already been replaced by AI in today’s market.

It carried out the same process to determine how this will change in five years:

artificial intelligence

The research predicts that 38% of skills could be complemented or replaced by AI in five years, but key human traits, like empathy, trust, humour and relationship building, cannot be automated.

Valin said: ‘We need to emphasise education, experiential learning and continuous development of these very human traits that are valued in our profession.’

The report draws on the CIPR’s State of the Profession 2018 survey, which says the most common PR activities are copy writing, strategic planning and social media relations. The research says that even social media relations, the discipline that can be most improved by AI, will still need human skills, such as editing, sensitivity, emotional intelligence and applying good judgement and ethics.

As such, AI looks set to improve public relations practitioner’s roles and make their lives easier without replacing them in their work.

Valin said: ‘AI is about to massively change our lives. The public relations profession needs to keep up. We need more experience with these tools and more critical reviews to learn how best to use them and their limitations.’

Stephen Waddington, chair of the CIPR Artificial Intelligence Panel, said: ‘The CIPR is publishing the paper with intention of starting a debate on the issue. We’d welcome comments and challenges to the analysis. We’d also welcome approaches from any other organisations around the world that are working this area.’

GDPR

GDPR and bloggers: what are the rules?

/0 Comments/in , , , , , , /by

John Adams of DadBlogUK.com recently wrote a guest post for us proposing the need for a blogger association. As part of the subsequent conversation on Twitter, bloggers said some topics, like the GDPR, needed to be better clarified for bloggers (something an association would be able to do).

At Vuelio we’ve been doing a lot of work around the GDPR, telling the comms industry what it means for them and what they might need to do. You can read our white paper, guide, listen to our webinar, and see answers to frequently asked questions part one and two.

Here, we’ve put together some questions bloggers might have about the GDPR, with answers below:

I’m only a hobbyist, does the GDPR apply to me?
The GDPR applies to anyone who is collecting and using EU citizens’ personal data. It doesn’t matter if you’re a full-time blogger or work for free.

What’s personal data?
Anything that can identify an individual – whether it’s on its own (an email address) or combined with another piece of information (a job title and a company). So, if you’re collecting names, emails, personal preferences and anything else that could identify people, then you’re processing personal data.

Am I Controller or Processor of this data?
The GDPR splits responsibility of data into Data Controllers and Data Processors. Controllers decide how data is collected/managed/used and Processors do what they’re told by the Controllers to process the data in a lawful way that’s compliant with the GDPR.

So, if you’re running a competition, starting a newsletter or doing a giveaway, you’re deciding what information is collected, how it’s stored and what you’re using it for. You’re a Data Controller. Your processors will most likely be software platforms you use, like your web platform, your host and your email platform.

Can I get someone to sort this out for me?
No (sorry). The GDPR is your responsibility. If there’s one thing that’s clear, it’s that you need to understand your own obligations and compliance with the GDPR. Guides like this can only ever be guides – you need to understand why your data processing is compliant with the GDPR, and if you don’t (or it isn’t) you probably shouldn’t be processing data.

What kinds of areas am I processing personal data?
Possibly (but not limited to): newsletters, competitions, giveaways, comments, analytics tracking (if it includes identifiers like an IP address), inbound and outbound emails through your email platform, PR/brand contact sheets and invoicing information.

What does the GDPR say I must do when using this information?
You must have a lawful basis for processing personal data. There are six, but it’s likely you’ll consider one of three: consent, legitimate interest and contract.

Consent: This basis is all about giving individuals real choice and control. There are specific rules about consent, especially how clear you make the consent so people know what they’re agreeing to up front.

Consent must be a positive opt-in, so you can’t make people opt-out by unticking boxes. They must be actively choosing to agree to whatever it is you want from them.

In all cases, you must make it clear why you’re collecting their data and what their data is being used for. So, if they’re signing up to a newsletter, the data is being used to send them your content – that’s a simple explanation. But, if you’re then using that data to give it to partner brands or sell lists to certain PR agencies, that’s more complicated and you must make it explicit on the sign-up form.

This also includes the stages of processing and storage, and you must explain they will have a clear means to opt out at any point (and give them a clear means to opt out from any comms you send them). Not everything has to be written on a consent form; you could write detailed information in your privacy policy and link to it. But when in doubt about what to include, include it – it’s better to have too much information than not enough.

Legitimate interest: This is the broadest basis for processing personal data and you may use it when someone would realistically expect you to process their data for a particular purpose. For bloggers, this might be analytics tracking or storing emails with personal data in your inbox. You need to work out your legitimate interest and it must be weighed against the rights and freedoms of the person whose data you’re processing. You must publish this and direct people whose data you’re processing with a legitimate interest to it. One possibility is writing out the legitimate interest explanation clearly in your privacy policy and then linking it from emails.

You must also give a clear means for people to opt out at all times, should they exercise their right to do so.

Contract: Sometimes you have to process someone’s information to fulfil a contractual obligation. This would apply for invoices and billing, but you still need to document that this is the basis you’re using. If you’re using contract as the basis, processing must not exceed what would be reasonably expected by the other party (so you can’t sign someone up for your newsletter because you’re billing them).

Do I have to tell everyone that I have their data and how I’m using it?
Yes, but that doesn’t mean you should be sending people emails to ‘reconsent’ (if you do, you could be in breaching PECR, which is a whole other post!). If you’re processing data under legitimate interest, you must still tell people you have their data and it’s being processed on the basis of your legitimate interest.

What if someone wants to stop me processing their data?
Unless you have a good, legal reason to continue processing their data (which would be in your legitimate interest), then you must comply. Your data storing platform should have a means for you to remove them without removing all of their details (so you don’t accidentally re-add someone who requested removal).

What if someone wants to know what data I store on them?
This is called a Subject Access Request (SAR) and you have 30 days to comply. You have to let them know about ALL the data you’ve processed that pertains to them – including information from your email platform, inbox, CMS, any spreadsheets and anywhere else you’ve used or stored their data.

Do I need records of what data I have?
Probably, though it’s different for different sized companies (see below). Records should include what data you’re collecting, your lawful basis, types of processing, security measures and granular details like how and when you obtained someone’s data. This is useful if someone wants to know what data you have on them.

I don’t process data very often, do I need to keep records?
The Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) is responsible for policing GDPR compliance in the UK. The ICO states that if you have less than 250 employees, you only need to keep records for processing activities that:

  • Are not occasional
  • Could result in a risk to the rights and freedoms of individuals
  • Involve the processing of special categories of data or criminal conviction and offence data

What about breaches?
If you find out that the personal data you hold is subject to a breach (it’s been hacked into or you’ve left a logged-in laptop on the train) then you MUST report it to the ICO within 72 hours. If it’s an accident and you generally have good processes in place to comply with the GDPR, then the ICO will look more favourably on you. If you’ve not got any evidence you’ve considered the GDPR or processed data lawfully, then the ICO has the power to fine you up to £17m. Yikes!

What if I’m collecting data for a third party, like a brand or PR agency?
This must be clearly explained in your privacy policy – the GDPR is all about people knowing how and why their data is being used.

What about the platforms I use?
You are responsible for ensuring you’re using only GDPR-compliant platforms. Check your terms, email any help desks you have and find out how they’re complying with the GDPR. If they don’t seem right, or aren’t being helpful, shop around – this is important and all companies should be taking it seriously. At Vuelio we’ve taken our responsibility as both a Data Controller and a Data Processor very seriously, and communicated this to our clients and the industry we work in. We believe every software company should be doing the same.

 

Want to know more? The ICO’s website may help or you can tweet us and we can do our best, but remember – you must understand the GDPR and you are ultimately responsible for complying.

The Best (and worst) royal wedding tie-ins

/0 Comments/in , , , , /by

The Royal Wedding was a giant spectacle, driving the news agenda and dominating the global conversation. Whether you loved it or hated it, there’s no denying that for business, it has been a great opportunity to jump on the brand wagon with marketing tie-ins and special products to celebrate Harry and Meghan’s big day.

Before we go any further, for any PRs and marketers looking to capitalise on royal events, it’s worth considering this advice from the ASA. Part of the guidance says you shouldn’t show or mention members of the royal family in marketing comms without their permission. Yikes. It would likely take a complaint from the royal family for the ASA to stop these adverts, which seems unlikely (unless the product tie-in is REALLY offensive) but rules are rules.

Back to the fun bit, we’ve put together a Vuelio Canvas of the best and worst of these brand tie-ins, without any judgement at all (honest).

Canvas is a unique way to present content, whether it’s social links, web stories or your own uploaded content, that you can use for press books, newsletters or just to show off how awesome you are.

Click on the Canvas below to see the full royal show:

Harry and Meghan

Five Things: No influencers, New Look, Yanny, Lil Tay, and Zuckerberg and Leveson

/0 Comments/in , , , , , , , , /by

So much has happened that choosing Five Things You Shouldn’t Have Missed this week has been like deciding who will accompany Meghan Markle down the aisle, except we didn’t end up with Charles.

1. No Influencers Allowed

Blog Awards

The Vuelio Blog Awards are back, back, back! The biggest night of the year to celebrate bloggers is taking place at the Bloomsbury Big Top in London, on 30 November. Blogging’s best will be dressed to the nines enjoying live circus acts, fine dining and the greatest award ceremony on earth (probably). As part of the launch we have just one rule, which thankfully most bloggers seem to agree with: No Influencers Allowed.

 

2. New Look New Price

New Look fat tax

New Look were in trouble this week after being accused of having a ‘Fat Tax’. It was revealed that larger clothes (in the same style) were more expensive than their smaller version. A shopper spotted a pair of trousers in its Curves range, which were 15% more than a pair in the main collection. The story created a mini storm as many believed it was a tax on being fat, while others thought it was reasonable to charge more for using more material. New Look has said it is now reviewing prices and added: ‘We are proud of the ranges we offer to our Plus Size customers and value all customers, no matter what their body shape or size.’

 

3. Yanny or Laurel?

Yanny Laurel

Is it Yanny or is it Laurel? Different people hear different things and like ‘The Dress’, it’s divided the internet. Obviously, it’s Yanny, but some still insist on saying they hear Laurel. The Kardashians are debating it and Trump’s presidential team (including Trump himself) even joined in. You can decide for yourself by listening to the clip in the tweet below:

If you want to be really freaked out, check this out:

 

4. Lil Tay

Lil Tay Instagram

If you haven’t heard of Lil Tay, fair enough, but the nine-year-old ‘flexer’ has nearly two million followers on Instagram. Posting pictures and videos showing off her extravagant wealth, Lil Tay hit the news this week, not for being under age on Instagram (which says all users must be over 13), but instead for allegedly causing her mother to leave her job as a realtor. It turns out Lil Tay and her mother were using the boss of the real estate company’s car as well as houses they were selling as the backdrop to the videos. The mother seems to have been directing and filming, but the move has seemingly backfired. Whether Lil Tay now has enough momentum to support the family through Instagram remains to be seen.

 

5. Zuck and Leveson out (again)

Leveson

Last week we reported that the second part of the Leveson inquiry was voted down in parliament. This week we can report that the second part of the Leveson inquiry has been voted down in parliament. Yes, again. The Lords sent it back hoping the slim margin from the last vote could be overturned, but the Government were victorious once more (by an increased margin), so it looks like Leveson II has been well and truly defeated.

A few months ago, it was announced that Mark Zuckerberg would not attend the UK’s Digital, Culture, Media and Sport Committee meeting to answer for Facebook, instead sending CTO Mike Schroepfer. The Committee have tried again but, once more, Zuckerberg has declined the invitation. As if to rub salt into the wound, a day later he accepted an invitation to meet the representatives of the European Parliament on a trip that will also take in French officials. It’s not clear why the UK has been snubbed in favour of its European neighbours.

 

Did we miss anything? Let us know on Twitter @Vuelio.

Search Engine Optimisation

What is Search Engine Optimisation?

/0 Comments/in , , , /by

Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) is often seen as the topic of unwanted emails, confusing code speak and consultancy advice. This guest post from Art Raifi, founder and owner of Black Bird Marketing, aims to clarify what SEO is, why it’s important and what you can do to improve yours.

According to Search Engine Land, ‘SEO is the process of getting traffic from the “free,” “organic,” “editorial” or “natural” search results on search engines’. Accordingly, we can say that SEO optimises a point of contact (i.e. website) for search engines (i.e. Google and Bing).

If you are new to the topic than you might ask, ‘Why would I want to optimise my professional website for search engines?’

A great SEO strategy takes into account optimisation based on relevancy because search engines evaluate the content of a website.

How to Optimise for Search Engines
To optimise user-experiences, search engines have developed complex algorithms that evaluate the composition of a website based on certain criteria. These criteria include, but are not limited to:

  • Quality of the content
  • On-page and off-page optimisation
  • Meta tags
  • Loading speed of the website
  • Relevance
  • Authority and more

Based on these criteria, the algorithm can detect which websites are optimised and which aren’t. In turn determining which sites to rank in its search results.

Google and Bing’s mission are to offer users the information that they are looking for instantly. For example, if you are searching for a keyword, such as ‘Dogs’ the search engine will prompt you with numerous links of dog related pages. The links are ranked from the most optimised, relevant and authoritative pages to the least.

However, gaining the trust of Google and ranking for specific keywords (in our case ‘Dogs’) is not an easy task. SEO is an ongoing process that needs to be supported by a long-term strategy. There are two factors that have to be taken into consideration when deciding whether to engage in SEO efforts, which are time and competition.

The Time Factor
Time is a valuable resource in the SEO world. Search Engines like to rank authoritative websites. But what gives a site authority?

In SEO, authority is defined by many sub factors, including the age of the website, the number of referrals that link back to the website (i.e. social sharing, hyperlinks across other pages) and the quality of the content (is it reliable?).

Experts claim that SEO efforts take a minimum of six to 12 months to show any results. This is largely due to the fact that search engines are continuously crawling (looking into) thousands of websites.

The Competition Factor
In addition to the time factor, there is also competition. SEO keywords are defined as specific phrases that a user searches for in Google or Bing.

On one hand, there are competitive keywords that drive tons of traffic to sites ranked for that specific keyword; and on the other hand, there are less competitive keywords that generate significantly less traffic.

The goal of SEO experts is to find keywords that are not too competitive, but they carry the potential to generate relevant organic traffic. The process of finding a keyword is known as keyword research, and it involves the use of various tools that help us understand the competitiveness and relevance of various keywords.

Tools such as SEMrush, seoMOZ, Wordtracker, and Google Keyword Planner provide the information necessary to find relevant keywords for which you can rank.

Relevancy and Authority
Up until this point, we have talked about the importance of optimisation and its impact on SEO. However, SEO is much more than entering a few code snippets to the website or changing header titles and descriptions. While optimising is extremely important, one must also consider the relevance of the content and the perception that the website has in the eyes of the search engines.

Relevancy
Relevancy, in SEO, is defined by the relationship between a particular keyword and the content of the website.

To illustrate let’s return to the ‘Dog’ keyword example. A page that talks about Cars will never rank for a keyword such as ‘dog videos’ – irrespective of the links that it has generated. That’s because search engines have grown to become smart machines that can’t be fooled.

Their advanced algorithms do not rank pages, unless the selected keywords have a strong relationship with the content found on the page.

When optimising your pages, take into account the relationship between the content of that page and the keyword.

Authority
We have already defined authority in relation to time. In reality, search engines use hundreds of factors when evaluating the authority of the page.

Active websites are expected to generate external links that the search engines use as signals to give the site the authority it deserves.

External links, otherwise known as backlinks, are one of the many important factors on which the rank of your page depends. Various updates and patches have rendered many factors irrelevant, but backlinks have successfully survived the test of time.

Of course, backlinks – similar to keywords – have to be relevant to the content of the page.

NOTE: Be mindful of those trying to sell you backlinks. It’s the easiest way for you to get blacklisted by Google and other search engines.

Lastly, in SEO, quality will always beat quantity; 1,000 links from sites that do not rank, are irrelevant and untrusted by search engines, does not compare to one quality link from The Economist.

Final Words
In the last decade, Search Engine Optimisation has grown to become a vehicle that drives the growth of local, internet and international businesses.

At the same time, SEO has shifted the way businesses function and compete. In turn, this has prompted many to engage in SEO efforts, in an attempt to stay ahead of competition.

When optimizing your website for search engines, you should take into consideration relevancy and authority. Make sure your content is relevant to the queries or keywords and keep building links over time to increase the authority of your site.

Accomplishing these steps will take time, effort and money – factors which have traditionally discouraged businesses to jump into SEO.

Yet, those who neglect it are missing out on a unique opportunity to take their businesses to the next level. Businesses are now being forced into SEO or risk losing out to the competition.

[testimonial_view id=18]

Vuelio Blog Awards 2018

No influencers allowed – the Vuelio Blog Awards 2018

/11 Comments/in , , , , /by

The Vuelio Blog Awards are the biggest celebration of bloggers in the UK. Taking place on 30 November 2018 at the Bloomsbury Big Top in London, this year’s event promises to be even bigger and better than ever before, and there’s only one rule – no influencers.

Bloggers, vloggers, Instagrammers, tweeters, Facebookers, YouTubers, writers, content creators, makers, editors, publishers, photographers, directors and small business owners – all are welcome to the greatest night of the year. So are PRs, comms pros, practitioners, officers, creatives, account managers and copywriters.

But influencers? I don’t think we’re the event for you.

Our winners from the last three years – from political supremo, Guido Fawkes, and super parent, Slummy Single Mummy to interior design guru, Mad About the House, and fashion goddess, Inthefrow – do many things; they run businesses, they write books, they tell stories and, yes, they influence their audience.

But Spielberg doesn’t call himself a ticket tout, Gordon Ramsey doesn’t call himself a tummy filler and Jessica Ennis-Hill don’t call herself a sportswear seller. When did we stop taking pride in the work we do to focus on the results we create – often for other people?

We speak to the blogosphere all the time and recently we’ve been asking them: what do you like to be called? And do you know what they don’t say? Influencer. Many tell us they’re not influencers or they don’t want to be called influencer.

That’s why The Vuelio Blog Awards don’t require a minimum social follower count to be shortlisted, you don’t have to enter yourself and we will never ask bloggers to secure votes to help them win.

Instead, we bring together a diverse panel of judges, all leaders in their respective industries, who pore over every finalist to determine the winners. They may consider how influential a blog is, but what they’re looking for is quality of content, relevance to the topic, beautiful aesthetics and uniqueness – something that makes a blog stand out against everything else in the field.

That means that when you win, you know your prize is truly deserved because your blog is outstanding. We reward the work you put in because we think this industry is hard, and the very best bloggers, vloggers and content creators deserve to be recognised.

So, if influence is just a result of how awesome you are at your job, the Vuelio Blog Awards 2018 will take place on 30 November at the Bloomsbury Big Top. Save the date.