Interview with a PR: Bethanie Jane

Todays post is a little different as the lovely Bethanie has answered my questions about blogging and PR/digital marketing. I was curious to get a PRs opinion and I thought my blog readers would be interested too! Check out Bethanie's Blog (here) and twitter (here).

I’m Bethanie, a 24 year old Digital Marketing Manager from Newcastle. With my job I work with a lot of bloggers, so I see things from both sides (if "sides" is the way you would put it)! As well as working in PR, I’m a fashion and lifestyle blogger at bethaniejane.co.uk. 

1. From a PRs perspective, what do you look for in a blog/blogger?

When I’m looking for bloggers, it’s hard not to let personal tastes get in the way! I’m really a fan of clean and simple blogs, but I know that’s not everyone’s cup of tea. As well as the usual domain authority, page rank and following, it’s important to look at the content. I usually avoid blogs that have a big list of adverts down the side as it looks messy. I also usually avoid blogs that are sponsored post after sponsored post - this tells us that a blog has no real passion for what they are doing, and just wants to make money! 

2. What advice would you give to someone wanting to work in PR/digital marketing?

I would say get some experience! Volunteer for a charity, do some work experience with a company or an agency - that’s so valuable on your CV! A lot of charities welcome volunteers to take over their Twitter for a day or write a blog post for them. Volunteer work always looks great on a CV too, whatever your line of work is! 

3. What is the most challenging aspect of your job? 

The most challenging thing would be probably time. Working in an agency, we all have a list of clients with targets and deadlines which can be challenging sometimes. It’s no problem for me though as I love the business and the fast pace of it!

4. As a blogger yourself, what do you love/hate about blogging?

My moans would probably be about bloggers that give good ones a bad name. I read a blog post named “Dear PRs, sincerely bloggers” the other day and was a bit surprised at what I read! It was very matter of fact and even contained the phrase “deal with it”. It’s a shame that some of these blogs are around, but you’ll be pleased that PRs don’t tar all with the same brush! Another gripe is the #PRRequest hashtag that seems to have divided the community. As a PR I tend to avoid bloggers that are constantly asking for things on the hashtag, but I can’t say the same thing for everyone! 

On a more positive note, I absolutely love the network we have - it’s a great environment. I love to try out new brands and share them with my readers now and again. I also like meeting new people at blogging events, people I would never ever bump into in a normal situations! 

5. With big bloggers signing big book deals and taking the world by storm, what do you think of the rise of bloggers in the mainstream media?

It’s absolutely great, blogs like Zoella and Tanya Burr are doing really well! Same with a blog I've followed for a while, Deliciously Ella. Brands are now really seeing the value of blogs these days so it’s a really positive step. 

Thanks to Bethanie for answering my questions! 

What are your answers and opinions with regards to my questions?