Most moms who tell me they want to work with local spots are stuck before they even pitch. Not because of their following, but because of one line that is missing from their profile.

When I go look, a lot of the times there is nothing that says where she lives. No city. No state. No area code. Nothing.

So when someone at an agency, or from a brand, is building a list of influencers for a local event, they go to the search bar and they type in the area code or the city, these moms don’t show up on the search.

And WHERE you put it in your profile changes how high you come up on the search.

Your bio and your display name is what makes you the most searchable. Location hashtags don’t do as much as it used to, because hashtags are not carrying searchability the way they used to in most platforms.

Want to see what I mean? Go look at my profile, @hey.itsori. My area code is right there in my bio. When I added my area code, I started getting invited to influencer events.

Same content, same me. The only thing that changed is that people could finally find me, and I was posting & tagging more local places.

I am not going to sit here and tell you to work for free.

But I am also not going to lie to you. At the beginning, a lot of this is free. A LOT of local invites are free.

The event I am about to tell you about below was free when I did it, and I would charge for it today, because I have way more local experience and a bigger local following now than I did then. That is the whole point. Free was the start, not the destination. Just like gifted collabs with products that are sent to your home.

And I still say yes to certain free ones. I get invited to influencer events where the brand is not paying anybody, it is an event, and I go because the access and the room full of people are worth it to me. Not only the amazing brands, but meeting other local creators has been awesome! Like in this event I got invited to by L.A. Colors Cosmetics.

Portfolio, relationships, access, a repeat partner, a local reputation, a foot in the door with an agency. If it buys you none of that and just hands their marketing team free content, that is not a gifted opportunity, that is a job you are not getting paid for.

I said this to my subscribers a while back and I still mean it: you are not working for free, you are building the resume that gets you paid.

I saw an ad on social media for a cool family activity that was only in my area for a few months. It was right after we had just paid for summer camps, so I was trying to find all the free places to go. Life is so expensive yall!

And that’s when it hit me: “Wait, maybe I can also start doing videos for local events.”

I live in Virginia, but my account does not really focus on "local stuff." But why not cover the stuff that exists everywhere? The things that travel around like a circus, or that have locations all over the country. That made sense for my audience and my content.

So I pitched a local event that was only here for a few months, and it worked! This is exactly what I did:

I saved a few hundred dollars and we had an amazing time, twice! I also connected with 5 new local mom creators because they had an influencer event during the first visit.

Since then, I’ve gone to so many events, and posted/tagged so many local places, that now a big percentage of my following is in my local area, so when local brands get with me, depending on what it is, I do get to charge.

Before you say yes, add up what that day would actually cost your family. Tickets, food, parking, the overpriced souvenir your kid will absolutely find. That number is their budget. Now look at what they are asking you to do.

One reel and a couple of stories for a $150 family day? Fair. Three reels, plus a code, plus the right to use your video in their ads, for that same $150? That is not a gifted opportunity, that is a job. Say so nicely and counter with something that works for both of you.

Keep it stupid simple. A video with the walk up to the door. The vendors and products you loved. The people you met if they like to be in your video. First reactions. One thing you/your kid loved that you did not see coming. And the honest answer to "is this worth the money?"

That is it. You are not making a commercial, you are being “the mom friend who showed up somewhere and now I am going to tell you about it”.

Yes. But probably not the way you are picturing it.

Brands that pay big for hosted experiences usually pay the bigger accounts with a large chunk of followers in that city or state, travel accounts, and accounts built around visiting local spots.

But you still can start charging once you grow your account enough, it just may not be as much as you charge for other brand deal types. The usage rights, ad exclusivity, excessive amount of deliverables vs. the experience, a rush turnaround, etc. The second they ask for one of those, turn it into a paid conversation.

Step 1 - Fill out your Creator Profile & Check Out if we have any Brand Deals Available: This is how I match you with real brands & where I keep all of the current deals I am recruiting for. I can’t send you sh*t if I don’t know what you’re about.

Step 2: Download the Free 7-Week Creator Content Monetization Checklist: I mapped out for you the steps to monetize your content. Provides you a roadmap on what to do each week, and includes a portfolio template. A portfolio is a MUST HAVE if you are taking this seriously.

Step 3: Grab the Influencer & UGC Brand Deal Playbook: A complete step-by-step breakdown of the entire brand deal process. From finding brands, pitching, and scriptwriting, to negotiating, reviewing contracts, figuring out your rates, and beyond. Nothing skipped.

You don’t have to do this alone.

You've got me, and a whole squad of moms ready to help in our Facebook Group.

We are going social too, so come find us at @momsmakingcontent on Instagram!

Moms who get it, get together.