The Blogger's Club
At Right Hand PR we meet inspirational journalists and bloggers on daily basis. In fact, we are journalists and bloggers ourselves - obsessed with all things media, we are 24/7 researching inspirational stories and receiving PR submissions. Being on both sides of the media made us realise there can be a lot of miscommunication between brands and bloggers. Victoria India Price AKA VIPXO, one of the bloggers we follow and collaborate with, said:
"Big let downs are when they (Brand Managers) don’t get your name correct, or for me personally when they shorten it to Vicky. I hate it! Also when they’ve not done their research and they’re trying to get you to feature their brand/product which makes no sense. I get so many emails and press releases about products which don’t fit in on my blog at all."
That's one of the reasons why we have decide to start The Blogger's Club! It's an online destination for bloggers and brands to meet and understand each other's needs and interests.
We believe the key is finding the right bloggers and matching them with brands they and their community (not followers!) will be excited to discover. We also feel it's time to start an open conversation about one of the fastest growing professions in the world - blogging - with all its perks, downfalls and possibilities!
We wanted to know what it means to be a professional blogger, how it's different from magazine publishing and what bloggers honestly feel about working with PRs! To get the ball rolling, we talked to the lovely Victoria India Price of VIPXO:
Victoria India Price, Founder of VIPXO
Name of the Blog: VIPXO
Name of the Blogger: Victoria India Price
Followers: 12.3k Instagram; 15k Twitter
Interests: Travel, Fashion, Food, Lifestyle, Beauty
VICTORIA IS THE FOUNDER AND THE VOICE BEHIND VIPXO
Can you remember your first blog post? How and why did you start blogging?
I can! I wrote about my day. It was snowing; I was stressed with uni work and was moaning about how untidy my housemates were! I started blogging for a uni project as a way to document my work, I really liked the idea so decided to carry on doing it in my own time. I just loved it, I still do!
Think about the latest post you published: when you compare the two what is the biggest learning you can identify?
My writing, spelling and grammar have improved A LOT. I can tell I’m a lot older now too (5 years to be exact) as all those stupid things bothering me then just seem so trivial now.
How do you think blogging is different from magazine (even online) publishing?
Bloggers are relatable, you get to know a blogger and they’re more believable. They’re also a lot more current and up to date than magazines.
Victoria writes honest reviews about things she does and places she goes to
What is one thing about blogging that readers and brands usually forget?
How long it takes to do posts! Taking photos, editing and writing takes hours. Some brands expect products to be up the next day after receiving the item. But if you’re going to be honest and do a real review you need time. I have a schedule for my posts too and a lot of the time its first come first served with a waiting list.
A lot of brands come to bloggers because of the community they’ve built. Yet, a lot of bloggers are very protective of their followers - sponsored content can easily spoil that relationship. What are your views on this?
I agree to some extent. I do sponsored posts occasionally but I only ever work with brands which fit in with my blog and what my readers will find interesting to read. Sponsored content about door handles wouldn’t appeal to anyone!
VICTORIA'S RECENT TRIP TO SANTORINI IS DOCUMENTED ON HER BLOG
When you are approached by a brand or a PR agency what do you expect? What are the big let downs and what are the nice encounters?
Big let downs are when they don’t get your name correct, or for me personally when they shorten it to Vicky. I hate it! Also when they’ve not done their research and they’re trying to get you to feature their brand/product which makes no sense. I get so many emails and press releases about products which don’t fit in on my blog at all. The nice things are wanting to work with me in the first place and when they take the time to get to know the person behind the blog.
What does a professional blogger’s life look like? Tell us about your day!
Well I work in marketing now, my blog is back to being my hobby and not my full time job which has its challenges. I tend to take and edit my photos at the weekend and do my writing during my lunch break at work. I try to keep my evenings to myself. I spend all day in social media and with a 2h commute a day, when I get home I want to get in my PJs and chill! It’s all about finding the right balance; some weeks are easier than others.
Brand collaborations can be fun. Let’s say you get approached by a food or beverage brand asking to participate in a campaign. What would your dream project look like?
I’m doing Slimming World at the moment so I’d love to do a collaboration with them, something like creating a 7 day menu or a week of sugar free yummy desserts. A recipe book would be fun!
OLIVIA BURTON MINK HUMMINGBIRD WATCH FROM TWISTED TIME
Thanks Vicky! Just kidding... Visit Victoria's blog VIPXO to find out more about her lifestyle and her honest approach to writing brand reviews!
Right Hand Team
Meet the Team - A Q&A with Right Hand Account Manager, Rasa Jusionyte
What was your earliest food memory?
My grandma used to grow strawberries in her back garden. Every evening we picked them together, mashed them up with sugar and milk, and ate them with sweet white bread. I know it sounds a lot like baby food, but to this day it’s the only way I really enjoy it!
Also, for as long as I can remember my mum has headed up an art gallery. It’s right above a really lovely restaurant and I pretty much grew up there. As a child I had tremendous appetite (still do!), I ate literally everything. I could eat a steak for breakfast and ask for some soup for afters. Few things have changed (although, I am much more of a Pip & Nut and porridge person now), but food still is my love-language - I love making food and sharing it with others, I am addicted to visiting new places and trying new products. My grandmother is very much like that too. As a child, she had very little to eat and so food has become a symbol of love in our family.
What did you want to be when you were growing up?
A journalist! Always. My grandfather was an Editor of a legendary children’s magazine. I learnt how to read at a very early age and remember sitting in my room, aged 5, reading the magazine and thinking to myself: that’s not so difficult, I can do that too!
Later on, I had a radio show, wrote for local papers and participated in poetry competitions. I went on to launch The Magic Elephant (TME), which is a brand publishing studio. 9 out of 10 brand blogs are grim, I wanted to change that. TME quickly grew into Portfolio, first a blog, then a magazine, and we started designing content-led websites like Spoon Cereals. I loved every moment of working on that account, it was great fun and I can’t wait to continue doing it here at Right Hand - we have big plans and we’re stewing lots of new ideas!
What is your fondest food memory?
My sister lives in Paris, back when I was at school I spent a few summers with her. Once we went on a 3-week road trip around the south coast, we put on so much weight, but every single bite was worth it. We even had our own apricot tree in the back garden…!
Back when I was working for Busaba Eathai, I had the pleasure to work with David Thompson and Alan Yau. I was very young when I joined the team and I’m so grateful for the opportunity afforded me. It gave me access not only to the best restaurants and kitchens, but also the higher operations of overarching HQ and Marketing. I learnt a great deal about food, culture and honed brand style.
What made you decide to join Right Hand PR?
I had a very lovely dinner with Alex and remember cycling home thinking: “Wait, did that just happen? Did we agree to start working together?!” I have always admired her work and I also secretly wanted to explore the world of PR. I am a bit of a fanatic when it comes to work and if I am not doing something I really love, I suffer, that’s why Right Hand was so perfect for me.
Where to next?
There’s no such thing as an end point. Only growth. We both have big plans, so ‘next’ is simply doing excellent work at the present moment and continuing to develop.
We are also starting to work with Maven and that’s another amazing happening I am very excited about.
What was your earliest food memory?
Well…my first word was ‘bucky’ AKA biscuit, a sign of things to come…! With a globetrotting Irish, French, Algerian and Trinidadian family, and parents who worked for British Airways, I was always bound to be something of a food and travel obsessive!
What did you want to be when you were growing up?
If you’d had asked me this question when I was a small child, I wouldn’t have plumped for astronaut or ballerina, rather, I would have told you that I would like to be a hotelier…! Perhaps it was Home Alone 2 that clinched it.
What is your fondest food memory?
Just the one would be far too hard to call…! My mother’s perfect roast chicken and sage & onion stuffing; diving into mussels and slurping up all the juices with my dad in the Canadian Rockies; eating cockles dug up on the beach in my home away from home, County Mayo in the West of Ireland; exploring London’s food scene with my wonderful friends, ever on a quest to find the ultimate sashimi.
What made you decide to launch your own food, drink and travel PR company?
The notion came to me over ribeye, bone marrow, Margaux and salted caramel Rolos at the launch of Hawksmoor Air Street – if ever there could be a headier recipe for inspiration, I don’t know of one! – but the beginnings were somewhat organic, and almost a happy accident, my first client was recommended to talk to me by several people, we met, clicked, and the recommendations have been flooding in ever since. Working in the food and drink start-up world is fantastic as everyone is so incredibly supportive of other start-ups and entrepreneurs who are honest, kind, hard working and passionate about what they do.
Where to next?
2015 is all about honing what Right Hand does – exemplary press and social media campaigns that are closely tied to clients’ objectives – with the core ethos of delivering in a creative, ideas-rammed, friendly and supportive manner. We’re adding strings to our bow, with video production high on the agenda. I’m also finalising pieces on absinthe (the research was…interesting…!) and Sandows cold brew coffee for the next print edition of The Holborn, where I am lucky enough to be Bar Editor, meeting fantastic, inspirational journalists and craftspeople along the way!
