We’re looking to add to our writing team! Here at EVM we value the voices and perspectives of our writing team and are looking to add even more diversity to our group. If you’re interested in becoming a contributor for EVM, please read through the following FAQ and then fill out the application below by January 09, 2021.
FAQs:
What do I get out of this?
The most valuable thing we can offer, according to our current team, is the stronger sense of community and opportunity to meet and bond with other moms with varied backgrounds and lifestyles. But additionally, you’ll receive the following perks:
Hosted Experiences: Occasionally East Valley Moms receives free tickets to local events or free products that a company offers in exchange for social media mentions—we love passing these along to our team!
Professional photos of you and your family: You’ll get a minimum of two mini photo session from our exclusive photographer, Bailey Wilson Photography, over the course of the year. Both sessions will highlight you and your kiddos, and they’ll be yours to keep (no watermarks, etc.)
Shout-outs: We love and totally want to support local businesses, for sure. Please feel free to “mention” a business (with a limit of one link) in a post where it makes sense.
Commission: Many writers come into our team with great relationships with local brands that you already do business with, that are also a great fit to our brand. For any leads that you connect us to, we’ll provide you with a 12% sales commission as a ‘thank you’ for helping us build our brand.
Causes Dear and Near to You: We want to give our readers an opportunity to learn more about the things that matter to you, our contributor team! We know that you all have causes that are close to your heart and we want you to have the chance to share those on the blog. This opportunity is open quarterly to first come, first serve. Each contributor can choose one non-profit every 18-24 months that you’d like to promote (by writing a post about who they are, what they do, why they matter to you, etc.). Of course, non-profits must fit into the mission of East Valley Moms and make sense from an editorial guidelines perspective (i.e. supporting families and kids in some capacity).
We’ll offer this non-profit the post and three months of image advertisement (a 300X250 image that will be showcased in the Heart of EVM place on our sidebar) for free – which is a valued at more than $2000 in advertising value!
Promotion for You and Your Brand: Many writers come onto our team as a way to network and get the word out about their own “brand” in some form or fashion. Helping moms in our community is what East Valley Moms does best.
If you have your own product or service that you would like to promote, we support you! Assuming your business is complementary to our readers (meaning it’s a good fit for local moms or families and follows the national CMN guidelines) we’d love to chat with you about promotion opportunities.
While we are not able to offer a no-cost formal advertising/promotions to our team (for the same reasons stated above), in general, we offer contributors a discount on our promotional fees, as well as in-kind earned media opportunities including takeover Tuesdays, social media shout-outs, etc.
East Valley Moms Event Admission: In most instances, contributors receive free admission to our branded events. Our playdates and Mom’s Night Out’s – plan to be there (and bring a friend)! You do need to RSVP through the call for attendance, and we expect you to share the event Facebook page and posts with your personal profiles and friends so they can purchase tickets through the regular channels. Of course, in-person events are paused due to the COVID-19 global pandemic.
What is the mission of East Valley Moms?
East Valley Moms is a hyperlocal digital media platform to connect local parents with local resources and storytelling to inspire a more connected, joyful parenting journey across Mesa, Gilbert, Tempe, Chandler, Apache Junction and Queen Creek.
Do I need to be a writer?
We want local moms with interesting lives, backgrounds, and perspectives on parenthood who understand how to create compelling content to share and connect with others. We want people who are willing to connect to others, who are eager to grow their personal support system, and who believe in the motto, “better together.” We do expect prompt communication however.
What is expected of me?
- Submit one *unique* piece of content per month. (We do not accept previously published content.)
- Be on Facebook and Instagram (for team communication and social engagement)
- Commit to us for one year.
- Be comfortable with social media and a little bit of oversharing, generally.
Do you give me topics, or do I come up with them on my own?
We have an editorial calendar with topics to start from and build from, but of course, newsworthy content can change any time in this 24/7 newscycle. Our audience craves localized, personal and relatable mom stories most.
What do I write about?
Parenting in the East Valley/Phoenix area. We look for localized content focusing on parenthood, partnership, friendship, and small businesses around town.
How do I apply?
Application is super simple, all online, and linked below. We ask that all applicants include a previously unpublished blog post or written piece for us to review as your sample (you can include more if you want, but one is required). If you are invited to join the team, and choose to do so, we will use this submission as your first piece (so you are able to hit the ground running!)
Your sample should be:
- between 300-800 words (less is more!)
- well-edited
- topical to parenthood
- topical to East Valley/Phoenix living
- profanity-free
Applicant Deadline: January 9, 2021, and you must be available on January 30, 2021, from 2-4 p.m. for our writers retreat (child care will be provided).
You will be notified that we received your submission via an email from an executive team member.
All applicants will be notified of their status by January 16, 2021 via email.
