Bearded Backchat with PR Chelle McCann 

Bearded Backchat is a chance for me to interview PR people and fellow bloggers. This week is Chelle McCann, who blogs over at themumingtonpost.com.

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Who are you?

Michelle McCann - most call me Chelle

Do you have an “official” title?

Not really. I call myself a professional chatterbox so not to sound pretentious. 

Who do you work for?

I run a small business called Social Sparkle that supports small business online with their social media and blogging.

I started my business in 2011. It’s my own company and I set up after seeing a gap in the market for freelance social media support. 

The idea was that the business could be flexible around my daughter and in return for clients knowing my need for flexibility they would get a better value service than say if they used a digital agency where fees are often higher.

Every penny counts when you are a start-up or small business.

This year I am partnering up with Susanne to relaunch the business on my return from maternity leave.

What’s the best part of being a PR person?

Seeing products prelaunch and finding that our bloggers love them! It’s a nerve-wracking time for everyone involved!  

And the worst part?

Chelle

The million-dollar question. What do you want from a blogger?

The ideal blogger would be one that cares as much as we do. You cannot get better than that.

And what should bloggers avoid when doing posts for PR people?

I think that honesty is the best policy and if there is an issue I love to be given advance notice to make it right. Theres nothing worse than someone writing something and not giving your client a right to reply or a chance to make it right.

In terms of blogging I look at the previous posts and their social media. Sometimes their reviews might not be great but they feature products widely in other ways. It’s not just the link backs for me it’s the daily use and love of the product.

We work for a change bag company and this year we’ve not asked ambassadors for a review but Instagram images. To me this works so well as the images have shown different uses and days out. It gives the product more life.

What can you recommend to other bloggers to increase the traffic to their sites?

Write what you feel, share brilliant photos and don’t think a number is everything. When you stop thinking stats and more about your content the traffic will build and follow. Basically don’t write for numbers write with feeling!

Do you have a favourite blog post that you can pick out from a blogger you’ve worked with?

I love the Instagram feeds we have had from @belledubrighton and @buddingsmiles in our Babymule ambassador campaign. We have let them take over our feed too from this month. It’s been a great way to build relationships!

Which brands do you enjoy working with?

I love working with BumpPR as they come from a place I love. Supporting small UK based business with their heart and soul into it!

Everyone has that one company that they have always wanted to work with, but have never quite been able to. Who is yours?

Oh gosh I have been incredibly lucky! I have worked with and do work with some lovely clients.

It would probably be an independent clothing company like Daisychainbaby or Kyna Boutique. Oh and selfish mother and Bambino goodies as I just love what they do! I like working with indies!

Lastly, if I asked you for a good blog to read, who would you recommend?

I love reading mothers always right, make, do and push, budding smiles and ghostwriter mum. Off the parenting trail a bit I love ZeitMyGeist.

What would you ask another PR?

What’s the worst experience you’ve had either with a client or a blogger and how did you manage it? 

… and how would you answer that?

Thankfully I had my worst experience early on!

I took on what could’ve been my biggest client. I did have some gut feeling around it that didn’t sit right but in the early days didn’t rely on just that feeling as we needed to earn an income!

The client ended up not paying and it all ended in small claims where we won. We had evidence of all the work and emails to and from the client showing we had followed each bit of work as requested.

The judge ruled in our favour but that clients business folded before we could get what was owed. Since that I’ve always trusted my gut instinct! It’s a hard lesson to learn but I’m glad I did early on! 

Thanks Chelle, it was a pleasure talking to you!

You can follow Chelle on Twitter or visit her at The Mummington Post.

You can see all of the Bearded Backchat interview series by clicking here!

(Header adapted from an original design by www.lucykatedesign.co.uk, with thanks)

by DannyUK

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