About the Job: We are seeking a freelance, remote public relations expert to help us take our business to the next level.
About the Company: Stitch People was founded by Lizzy and Spencer Bean in 2013, born out of Lizzy’s existential life crisis graduating college, her unhappy work environment, a need for a creative outlet, and a their great desire to be entrepreneurs. The company originally focused on finished products – customized, handmade cross-stitched family portraits. However, the niche was obvious. People wanted to make these themselves so Lizzy and Spencer followed the trend to become the leading experts in all things “cross-stitch family portraits.” Our primary product is our “Do-It-Yourself Stitch People” book, and subsequent physical and digital pattern offerings.
Our Needs with a PR Specialist: We need someone to help us take our exposure to the next level. Stitch People is the Original, and the Home of the cross-stitched family portrait. When we started, though we were only on Etsy briefly before starting our own website, we were one of 3 search options for “cross-stitch family portrait.” Today, there are more than 899 options when the same terms are searched, and that’s because of us! We encourage people to use Stitch People as a creative outlet for themselves, and we encourage others to sell their finished portraits (not patterns! that’s illegal) as a source of income and entrepreneurship for themselves. We even offer the Stitch People Academy to teach this entrepreneurial information!! But because of this, we want to establish ourselves as the original/the authority. And more sales would always be great. We want to be SEEN by a bigger audience.
Desired Deliverables:
- Magazine exposure
- Blogs
- Podcasts
- HOLIDAY GIFT GUIDES
- TV appearances
- Anything else you might suggest
Rate: Negotiable. We know you likely have a price per hour you charge. Let’s talk. We’re interested in seeing our monetary investment directly tied with measurable goals and deliverables.
Current Placements, etc:
- Monthly Column in Cross-Stitcher Magazine, current (since 2017)
- Featured in April 2018 episode of Hallmark Home and Family
- Upcoming episode of PBS’ Start Up series, next season
- Blogs, various (can dig this up for you), nothing too huge
- Webinar with Kim Schaaf’s Club Create
- Lauren Conrad: She has our book and has posted her finished projects. We’d like to coordinate with her but have had a difficult time connecting
- Features in a couple other cross-stitch magazines over the years
Expectations:
- We don’t have the time to be detail oriented on your behalf. We need someone who doesn’t need proofreading. After a while, we don’t even really want to have to approve what’s being sent out.
- We can’t tell you what to do. We don’t know what needs to be done in this arena. We’re hiring you to tell us what to do, and to tell us that what you’re doing is best. (But, it needs to actually be the best.)
- We’ll be working remotely, so most/all communication will take place via email.
- We’d love a weekly or every-other week summary of efforts made, progress, etc. Keep us in the loop.
- You must be willing to bug us. We run two businesses and get spread very thin very easily. If you need something from us, and you haven’t gotten it, you must be willing to bug us until we get it to you.
- You must be up for anticipating needs, and being two steps ahead of us as far as your responsibilities are concerned.
Please email resume to lizzy@stitchpeople.com and instead of a standard cover letter, please just tell me in the body of your email what I don’t know relating to Stitch People getting with the program regarding Public Relations. Example subjects (but no need to answer these questions specifically): Have you worked with small businesses or crafting businesses and learned about specific PR challenges? Do you have excellent connections to crafting and women’s magazines? Are there PR outlets I don’t even know exist that Stitch People should utilize? Etc.
Thank you!
