Nikki Schreiner has at all times had a really busy life, homeschooling her household, shifting round as an Military spouse, and giving again to her neighborhood. And thru all of it she’s at all times had a pastime she liked: stitching.
Someday she determined to begin a stitching weblog: Pin Reduce Sew Studio. She went on to open an Etsy retailer and begin a YouTube channel, and grew all of them slowly and steadily.
She experimented with totally different methods and discovered loads of necessary classes alongside the best way, which she shares on this very sincere and provoking interview.
As we speak, Nikki runs her 6-figure/yr enterprise out of a teeny tiny stitching room in her home.
Hold studying to search out out:
- What occurred to her first weblog
- What was the catalyst for creating her stitching weblog
- How she actually began to earn cash
- The place her earnings comes from
- How she views web site site visitors
- What number of hours per week she works
- Her ideas on website positioning
- Her distinctive method to key phrase analysis
- How she finds content material concepts
- How she builds relationships vs. hyperlinks
- How she markets her weblog, YouTube channel, and shops
- Her ideas on checklist constructing
- The sources and instruments she swears by
- Her major problem to this point
- Her biggest accomplishment
- Her greatest mistake
- Her recommendation for different entrepreneurs
Meet Nikki Schreiner
I’m Nikki, an Military spouse and mother of three teenagers, whom I’ve at all times homeschooled (one has graduated, so solely two left to go)!
We’ve lived in seven states and presently reside in Louisville, KY, which is our favourite up to now and the place we plan to remain if Uncle Sam permits.
Whereas stitching is my prime pastime and now my enterprise, I additionally love images, studying, home initiatives, visiting cool cities across the US, the humanities, the outside, taking part in tennis, board video games, the New York Occasions crossword, and… the checklist goes on.
I’ve at all times been an individual of many pursuits and by no means met a pastime I didn’t need to strive. It’s a present and a curse!
Why She Created Her Web site
I began a weblog within the early 2000s, when running a blog was simply turning into a factor. I blogged about household and residential life, with stitching content material sprinkled in.
Quick ahead a number of years and I continued to weblog casually in that method, however didn’t actually have the time or inclination to monetize it, as I used to be busy homeschooling my youngsters and shifting round a bunch.
As soon as all my youngsters had been a little bit bit older, I attempted my hand at a multi-level advertising firm. I found that I used to be really extremely motivated by the incomes potential, however that at the same time as I grew a really massive downline, the earnings I used to be incomes was not rising in any respect.
The construction in place was designed to maintain me striving whereas having no precise management over the expansion of “my” enterprise. This may increasingly appear unrelated to what I’m doing now, however I really feel it’s necessary to say it as a result of the expertise was the catalyst for Pin Reduce Sew.
In most methods, I’m not tremendous happy with having been concerned with an MLM, however I’m additionally very grateful for that point as a result of it taught me what I used to be able to and helped me to see that I had enterprise potential and that I really preferred the instructing half and the enterprise features of that complete expertise.
Whereas I used to be nonetheless striving to get someplace in that MLM, I actually wanted a brand new laptop computer.
I made a decision to show a couple of youngsters’ stitching camps that summer season as a result of 4 weeks of camp would earn me sufficient to purchase a brand new MacBook.
After these 4 weeks, I not solely had a brand new laptop computer, I had an entire new marketing strategy.
I give up the MLM and set to work. I continued scheduling and instructing stitching camps and courses for teenagers out of my residence, whereas concurrently beginning a brand new stitching weblog and, at my husband’s prodding, a YouTube channel, all underneath the title Pin Reduce Sew Studio.
Issues didn’t take off for me instantly, however the regular earnings from stitching courses was an effective way so as to add some more money to our household’s total earnings.
In the meantime, I steadily labored on my weblog and YouTube channel, rising an viewers but additionally studying to steadiness all of this with three extra strikes, homeschooling, my husband’s deployment, after which Covid.
I had stopped instructing courses when my husband deployed and have targeted solely on creating on-line content material since 2019.
Three years in the past, I began creating PDF printable variations of the tutorials I’d been posting on my weblog and YouTube channel and opened an Etsy store.
For a very long time, I had prevented promoting something as a result of I believed that individuals wouldn’t pay for what was already elsewhere on the Web at no cost. I used to be useless incorrect.
I made gross sales the very first day and have offered tens of hundreds of my printable patterns to this point.
How A lot She’s Making
I name myself the poster baby for gradual and regular progress over time.
It’s been 7 years since I first began my weblog and YouTube channel, and I not educate stitching courses however have grown my on-line enterprise to a degree the place it’s a major second earnings for our household.
Since opening my sample store three years in the past, my earnings has greater than doubled annually, and this yr, 2024, might be my first six-figure yr.
My largest supply of earnings is sample gross sales, which I promote on each Etsy and my very own Squarespace web site.
I’ve two bodily sample booklets that I mail out, however in any other case, my complete store is of digital objects. The 2 retailers collectively earn between $6k and $9k in these summer season months, then these earnings simply double and even triple over This fall, when individuals are shopping for patterns to make for the vacations.
This can be a screenshot of my Etsy sample gross sales, which accounts for two-thirds of my gross sales between each websites.
My different sources of earnings are YouTube AdSense and my weblog advertisements by means of SheMedia. YouTube advertisements differ vastly all year long however appear to have held regular at or round $2k every month this yr up to now, then that quantity climbs to $3 to 4k in This fall.
My weblog advertisements earn $400 to $700 per 30 days. This quantity is low in comparison with many bloggers, however I’ve opted to pour into YouTube and my sample store, utilizing my web site extra as a hub for my content material, gross sales pages, store, and to develop my e mail checklist, relatively than placing all my consideration on getting site visitors from Google and Pinterest.
We’ve in all probability all heard the saying that what we water will develop, however I feel we are able to have a look at it from the alternative viewpoint as nicely. Discover what’s rising, and select to water that.
In my case, YouTube grew very simply in contrast with weblog site visitors, so I shifted my focus to that, utilizing it to drive site visitors to my store and web site.
In any other case, I earn a meager quantity from affiliate gross sales and some selective sponsorships.
I’ve chosen to maintain sponsorships to a minimal as a result of I discovered that I don’t wish to work with deadlines! I feel it’s essential to know your self and never settle for simply any earnings supply if it would make you depressing within the course of.
As for site visitors, in line with Google Analytics, my web site has had 414k guests within the final 12 months. This isn’t a metric I test fairly often, actually.
As soon as I shifted my mindset about web site site visitors vs. precise true followers that lead to gross sales, I used to be in a position to detach myself from evaluating this quantity to others who’re solely running a blog for advert earnings, which isn’t what my enterprise is constructed on.
Advert earnings is simply additional for me, however my store gross sales are my bread and butter, so these are extra necessary numbers for me to trace.
My YouTube channel performs very nicely, at 106k subscribers and over 5,000,000 views!
I’m very happy with what I’ve grown there; it’s such an incredible neighborhood of individuals, and it’s been very profitable at driving folks to my web site to buy my patterns and be a part of my e mail checklist.
I work about 20 hours per week, on precise stitching initiatives and sample making, and on filming and laptop work. I do know this as a result of, once I arrange an LLC this yr, my accountant had me do a wage examine and I needed to calculate on a regular basis I spend.
Nikki’s Major Advertising and marketing Technique
I’ll by no means cease encouraging extra bloggers to take the leap into video content material. I feel including video content material to my technique early on, despite the fact that it took a couple of years for me to begin taking it extra critically, is what has led to a lot of my success.
Video just isn’t solely prioritized in Google search outcomes, YouTube is second solely to Google as essentially the most visited web site on the planet.
Greater than that, although, video permits to your persona and storytelling to shine by means of. Individuals who watch your movies turn out to be loyal to you, your content material, and your small business, as a result of they really feel like they’ve discovered a pal.
Many bloggers I’ve chatted with about video really feel very nervous about placing their faces on the market for the world to see, however I hope extra will get previous that and provides it a strive.
I struggled to begin, too, however movies are actually the a part of my enterprise that makes me really feel most linked to my viewers.
Her Ideas on website positioning
website positioning has at all times been a secondary consideration for me and in mild of the latest adjustments to Google search, I imagine this has labored in my favor! Whereas I do attempt to write weblog articles in a method that they are going to be present in search outcomes, I’ve not prioritized website positioning over writing what my viewers will need and revel in.
As a result of my weblog accommodates articles and tutorials that embody accompanying movies and are distinctive concepts, my web site didn’t get hit negatively by the latest useful content material replace.
That stated, I take into account my web site extra of a hub for my complete enterprise, and web site site visitors just isn’t one thing I focus massively on presently. I put most of my vitality into YouTube viewership and store gross sales.
I do assume understanding website positioning and the way it works is necessary, however I don’t assume it ought to turn out to be a blogger’s complete marketing strategy.
At all times diversifying the place your site visitors comes from and the place you’re posting your content material, plus understanding what your viewers needs, is a way more dependable technique.
I’ll add that Google clearly isn’t the one web site with an algorithm. YouTube has its personal set of website positioning optimization pointers, as does Etsy, as does Pinterest, and so forth. Studying the very best practices for every platform you’re utilizing is necessary as nicely.
Key phrase Analysis
My key phrase technique is the reverse of how I’ve seen many bloggers working.
I’ve already defined that website positioning optimization just isn’t my prime precedence. That implies that, relatively than looking for out the “low-hanging fruit” of matters to cowl in my weblog utilizing instruments and key phrase searches, I first decide what my viewers needs to learn or watch, then I discover the key phrases that pertain to what I’ve created in order that I can be certain I cowl these within the put up, to ensure that it to carry out higher in search outcomes.
I feel others in artistic niches would agree that it’s a must to discover that candy spot between what you need to create and are naturally engaged on, and turning that into content material that evokes others and meets their wants.
Certainly one of my favourite methods to search out matters is by listening to the feedback I obtain in my movies and expecting peoples’ ache factors.
If there’s a query being requested a number of instances, or a tutorial folks maintain asking for, that’s my cue to create content material round it. Merely asking your viewers what they’d wish to see or what they assume is the toughest a part of (fill-in-the-blank), could be an effective way to assemble content material concepts as nicely.
Hyperlink Constructing
I’ve no fancy technique for hyperlink constructing.
I discover it’s significantly better to permit this stuff to occur naturally, and by nurturing relationships with different folks in your area of interest, they may certainly occur naturally.
Instagram is nice for this, in my expertise.
Slightly than having a spirit of competitors with others in my area of interest, I like to share their content material in my tales and shout them out after they have one thing new to supply.
On YouTube additionally, I point out and hyperlink to different channels I’ve gotten an thought from. This leads naturally to others reciprocating and after they do, I obtain hyperlinks, then site visitors, then gross sales. As an added bonus, I’ve made buddies!
Her Content material Creation Course of
I take into account every new video the start of a circle of content material.
For instance, if I create a video tutorial for YouTube, I point out and hyperlink to the printable model of the sample for the undertaking in my store.
My store web page is certain to say that there’s a video tutorial accessible, and I additionally create a weblog put up across the tutorial, embedding the video within the put up, writing some details about it, together with supplies and additional suggestions, and in addition linking to the sample there.
So my YouTube channel, my weblog, and my sample store all have coated the identical undertaking, and all three are linking to one another in a round style.
Lastly, I ship an e mail e-newsletter linking to the brand new undertaking video, put up, and sample. Ideally, I’ll additionally create a social media put up for varied platforms, however since these don’t usually drive gross sales for me, I forgive myself if I don’t.
I’m just one particular person, in any case, and I focus most on what strikes my enterprise ahead within the greatest methods.
This technique covers all my bases and serves individuals who eat content material in every kind of the way.
Some folks choose to look at, some wish to learn, some like the data of their inbox, some need the printable model. I attempt to cowl the content material so that everybody can eat it of their most popular method.
Her Electronic mail Checklist
Like many bloggers, I didn’t perceive the worth of an e mail checklist till it was confirmed to me!
I resisted for some time, however I began an e mail checklist earlier than I actually felt like I had a lot to supply and now I’m so glad I did.
I’ve over 10,000 e mail checklist subscribers and I develop this checklist in a number of methods.
I do have a pop-up on my web site that performs fairly nicely. I even have an possibility to affix my e mail checklist when anybody purchases from my Squarespace store, which is a giant motive why I wish to have my very own store along with Etsy, the place it’s a lot tougher to get folks over to my web site and my e mail checklist.
Lastly, I sometimes make a undertaking on YouTube and supply a free printable instruction sheet for it. As a way to get the freebie, folks must jump over to my store, which I hyperlink to within the video description, and after they get the freebie from my store, they virtually at all times choose into my e mail checklist.
I like my e mail checklist as a result of when I’ve launched a brand new sample, or have one thing to share or announce, it’s such a quick option to make my followers conscious and to make gross sales.
I feel bloggers usually shrink back from utilizing e mail as a result of they don’t need to be “salesy,” and I perceive, however it helps to do not forget that these folks need to be in your checklist. They selected it, they anticipate your emails, and individuals are sensible sufficient to grasp that they are going to be offered to by means of e mail. It’s actually what they signed up for!
In fact, you need to differ your emails and never promote one thing in each one, however don’t let the concern of annoying folks maintain you from utilizing your checklist to its full benefit.
I resisted for a very long time, however now I’ve discovered that if I’m having a gradual week and have to up my earnings actual quick, sending a easy e mail is my first and most suitable choice.
Nikki’s Favourite Assets
I do have some podcast and channel suggestions, however first I need to say that so as to be a great content material creator, it’s a must to be a content material shopper.
Should you had been becoming a member of a jazz band however by no means listened to jazz music in any respect, you wouldn’t be anticipated to develop or turn out to be an skilled. You’d be a poser and would in all probability make a idiot of your self.
The identical is true for content material creation.
If you wish to be a great blogger, learn blogs. If you wish to be a great YouTuber, watch good YouTube channels in every kind of niches.
Discover their storytelling strategies, their pacing, their B-roll, their tone, and ask your self how one can enhance your content material with the concepts you collect. Consuming content material after which utilizing that to enhance your personal is one of the best ways to get good at it.
For running a blog, I like The Blogger Genius Podcast, Pat Flynn, and naturally Area of interest Pursuits!
It’s so inspiring to listen to about different bloggers’ journeys as a result of I’ve usually felt like my path to success was very gradual in contrast with others. Listening to the large number of tales out there’s at all times so encouraging.
For YouTube, I like Suppose Media for common YouTube how-to-succeed recommendation, and Ali Abdal for productiveness. There are a lot of channels I watch and am impressed by although, in many alternative niches.
First, I couldn’t stay with out Canva Professional, and I’m positive many entrepreneurs agree. It’s virtually too good to be true. It has every little thing I want for graphics of every kind. I take advantage of it for weblog graphics, YouTube thumbnails, and I even create all my stitching patterns in Canva Professional.
Second, I’m an enormous fan of Squarespace.
I do know many bloggers sing the praises of WordPress, however I’ve been a Squarespace person for eight years and haven’t had a single difficulty with it. I don’t must take care of fussy plugins or pay for exterior instruments.
It hosts my web site, weblog, sample store, and my e mail checklist multi functional place. It’s user-friendly and trendy, they usually’re at all times including new options that sustain with web site wants and developments.
So for many who wrestle with the educational curve of WordPress or discover it overwhelming, I hope you’ll give Squarespace a strive.
Third, I’ve discovered to make use of Procreate on my iPad previously yr and was in a position to create some bodily stitching how-to booklets, drawing all of the graphics and illustrations myself utilizing Procreate.
I’ve even turned some authentic, niche-specific paintings into stickers to promote in my store and postcards to ship with my bodily sample booklets. In order that’s been a enjoyable instrument to be taught and I’m excited to see what else I can do with that.
Her Largest Problem
I feel I’ve had two massive challenges, the primary being my restricted time.
It’s been actually exhausting at instances to ensure I’m prioritizing the fitting issues in my life, and in addition giving my enterprise the time it wanted to take off, particularly within the earlier years when it wasn’t incomes a lot of an earnings.
I’ve a really full life outdoors of running a blog, so I’ve to ensure I’m not getting pissed off once I don’t really feel like I’m in a position to work as a lot as I’d wish to.
It’s been useful to be taught to make use of the pockets of time I’m granted between my different commitments, although.
By way of my youngsters’ teen years, I’ve spent a lot time sitting within the automotive whereas they’re at varied actions (the factor nobody mentions while you turn out to be a mum or dad is how a lot time you spend within the automotive throughout their teen years), and I discovered to make use of these instances to write down weblog content material or edit YouTube movies.
And I nonetheless homeschool my final two teenagers, so we regularly do faculty at espresso retailers so I can do laptop work whereas they do faculty. Becoming my work into my life, relatively than the opposite method round, is what’s saved it sustainable for me.
The second problem I’ve to say is that of comparability.
We knew once I began this complete factor that it couldn’t price our household cash, as a result of we didn’t have additional to spend on it. I didn’t take running a blog programs or purchase additional instruments or subscriptions that so many had been touting because the keys to running a blog success.
And I additionally knew that I couldn’t go full-on boss babe, as a result of my larger dedication was to my household and neighborhood.
Because of these limitations, my path to success felt a lot slower than others’. Whereas others had been climbing the ranks to the nice advert networks in 12-18 months, I labored for five years earlier than incomes a part-time earnings on-line, and 6 years earlier than my earnings reached full-time, life-altering numbers.
There have been some large setbacks thrown in there too, as is typical with on-line enterprise, however wanting again, I’m most glad that I didn’t give up when it appeared prefer it was going nowhere.
My husband inspired me to maintain going so long as I used to be having fun with it, and to not fixate on the numbers, and it will succeed ultimately.
It wasn’t costing us extra to keep up it than it was incomes, in any case, and it additionally gave me such a artistic and mental outlet when a lot of my life revolved round my youngsters, so why not maintain going?
I’m glad to say he was proper.
Her Best Accomplishment
I’m most proud that I’ve reached this level with my integrity intact and my work/life steadiness underneath management.
I actually attempt to counteract a lot of the buy-this-now influencer tradition and as a substitute promote frugality, creativity, utilizing what you’ve gotten, and making what you like, by means of my movies and content material.
I’ve accepted just one sponsored video supply and rapidly determined that form of content material isn’t for me. I actually really feel that consumerism within the US is uncontrolled in each aspect of our lives and I actually don’t need to add to that chaos.
So to have constructed a enterprise that earns an earnings from one thing I actually created, in a method that feels very sincere, is particular to me.
It’s no small factor for a stay-at-home, homeschooling mother to have the ability to contribute a second full-time earnings for her household, whereas working solely within the margins of life.
The truth that I’m working at one thing I completely love doing is icing on the cake, and it isn’t misplaced on me what a present that is.
It’s tougher and tougher in America for households to stay on one earnings, and my household and I are simply so grateful for what this enterprise has supplied for us.
What She Needs She Knew When She Began
I want I might have identified that it’s okay to filter out the gurus and the boss babes and do issues my very own method.
website positioning and sure different issues are necessary, sure, however they’re not as necessary as your personal uniqueness.
Storytelling, persona, and really caring about what you’re placing on the market can get you simply so far as these issues, and by specializing in these first, you may construct a neighborhood of true followers, who then flip into clients.
There was a few yr once I tried to weblog the rote method, with key phrases and ideal website positioning, and never solely did it really feel inauthentic and boring to me, it didn’t outcome within the progress that I skilled when I discovered extra of a steadiness between what I wished to write down and movie for my viewers, and ensuring it bought seen by stated viewers by means of website positioning and advertising.
“Be your self,” is what I might say to myself again then.
Nikki’s Major Mistake
My greatest mistake was not promoting digital patterns earlier!
Folks like to spend cash. As a frugal particular person myself, I didn’t know this easy truth about human nature. I assumed for method too lengthy that individuals wouldn’t purchase what I might make, or that they’d assume I used to be money-hungry, or that the best way I knew the way to make patterns wouldn’t be skilled sufficient.
Oh, if solely I’d began sooner!
Concern of what folks would assume and say to me held me again for a very long time. As soon as I jumped in, I instantly kicked myself for not beginning this a part of my enterprise years earlier.
Her Recommendation for Different Entrepreneurs
On-line content material creation is an ever altering area, as everyone knows. In case your sole supply of earnings is advertisements or associates, or if you happen to’re simply beginning out and that’s your plan, I’d urge you to assume once more.
The times of simply incomes a full-time earnings from advertisements alone are over for most individuals, and affiliate applications are usually not what they was once.
Bloggers have discovered over the previous yr, we have now zero management over Google and different algorithms and in case your complete enterprise is banking on these platforms, you possibly can lose every little thing with one little algorithm replace.
So, my greatest recommendation is to determine what you may promote. Construct an viewers of true followers by means of your persona, find out about storytelling, make distinctive content material that’s interesting, turn out to be your model, take note of what the wants of your viewers are, after which make them a suggestion.
Create an incredible digital product for them. Your viewers gained’t even must be very massive earlier than you can begin incomes an earnings.
And, because it goes hand in hand with the above recommendation, you should begin constructing an e mail checklist as early as potential.
Even if you happen to don’t have a lot to say to them within the early days, begin constructing it anyway and also you’ll thank your self later.
Your merchandise and your e mail checklist are two issues you’ve gotten management over, so if every little thing else adjustments tomorrow, your small business might be simply effective.
