The Threaded Vine is a local women-owned small business in Richmond, Virginia, making custom hand-embroidered clothing and accessories for babies, toddlers, and mamas.
The Threaded Vine is a local women-owned small business in Richmond, Virginia, making custom hand-embroidered clothing and accessories for babies, toddlers, and mamas.
THE threaded vine
THE threaded vine
CLIENT CASE STUDY
Brand Growth Strategy
photo by katie matthews
photo by katie matthews
VIEWS BEFORE
VIEWS AFTER
ENGAGEMENT BEFORE
ENGAGEMENT AFTER
After listening closely to both their frustrations and goals, we identified a clear gap between where their brand currently was and where they wanted it to be. While they had a strong product and were consistently creating content, their efforts weren’t supporting sales or long-term growth. We began with a full brand audit across their digital presence, including their website, social platforms, and Etsy shop to understand how their brand was performing in the context of their business goals and the industry they are in.
HOW WE STARTED
Once we spent time getting to know them personally, it became immediately clear that the most powerful opportunity was already there — their story. Just as personal as the details in their embroidered work, their brand needed to reflect them to truly stand out. We identified a gap in the embroidery market: while many brands were producing similar products and content, very few were building emotionally resonant, story-driven brands. By leaning into this gap, they could create distinction instead of competition.
We refined their ideal audience and connected every visual and messaging choice back to the customer they wanted to attract. Their brand identity, content, and tone now clearly signaled who the product was for — and who it wasn’t.
Once we spent time getting to know them personally, it became immediately clear that the most powerful opportunity was already there — their story. Just as personal as the details in their embroidered work, their brand needed to reflect them to truly stand out. We identified a gap in the embroidery market: while many brands were producing similar products and content, very few were building emotionally resonant, story-driven brands. By leaning into this gap, they could create distinction instead of competition.
We refined their ideal audience and connected every visual and messaging choice back to the customer they wanted to attract. Their brand identity, content, and tone now clearly signaled who the product was for — and who it wasn’t.
OUR APPROACH
OUR PROCESS & THE RESULTS
We worked with them in person to create a simple, repeatable studio setup, including guidance on props, lighting, and timing — all designed to support their brand story without adding extra work. Once the visual foundation was in place, we introduced clear content pillars to eliminate confusion around what to post. This shifted them from random posting to intentional creation — product-focused content, brand storytelling, and reels designed to attract aligned customers.
We also helped them remove the pressure for them to constantly “be in” their content while still supporting their personal story behind their brand. Their branding and visuals now did the heavy lifting, allowing them to show up in a way that felt natural and effortless.
With clarity in place, they gained confidence and excitement around their business and brand. They started confidently creating content that visually aligned with the direction they wanted to go in with their brand, and as a result, started attracting customers who aligned with their product and had a purchase intent.
- Sold out of their holiday offerings and created a waitlist
- Tripled their following in five months with ideal customers as followers
- Removed pressure to perform on camera and instead, created content that focused on their handmade process
- Their brand scaled beyond Instagram and grew their email list in the hundreds
- They used Instagram to build a sustainable business, not viral moments
They were a custom embroidery small business with a strong, thoughtful product, but no clear direction for using Instagram to showcase their work or grow their shop. They felt frustrated and stuck, knowing they had more to offer but unsure how to translate that into content that actually supported sales. Their content was built around trends rather than intention. They were creating reels designed to perform well within the algorithm, which brought attention but not alignment. While one reel reached over 351K views, that visibility attracted the wrong audience without a clear brand positioning or a defined audience, attracting primarily DIYers looking for tutorials and how-to content, rather than customers interested in purchasing a handcrafted, custom embroidered piece. As a result, their Instagram presence created visibility without purpose — engagement that felt encouraging on the surface, but didn’t move the business forward or support their goals.
They were a custom embroidery small business with a strong, thoughtful product, but no clear direction for using Instagram to showcase their work or grow their shop. They felt frustrated and stuck, knowing they had more to offer but unsure how to translate that into content that actually supported sales. Their content was built around trends rather than intention. They were creating reels designed to perform well within the algorithm, which brought attention but not alignment. While one reel reached over 351K views, that visibility attracted the wrong audience without a clear brand positioning or a defined audience, attracting primarily DIYers looking for tutorials and how-to content, rather than customers interested in purchasing a handcrafted, custom embroidered piece. As a result, their Instagram presence created visibility without purpose — engagement that felt encouraging on the surface, but didn’t move the business forward or support their goals.
The issue wasn’t the quality of the product or the effort being put into content. The problem was branding & positioning. Their messaging and content style signaled education and instruction, not craftsmanship, meaning, or purchase intent. Without a clear content hierarchy or a defined audience, their growth stalled in the wrong direction. They wanted clarity around how to present their work in a way that attracted the right audience — customers who valued handmade craftsmanship and were ready to buy, not just viewers looking to learn how to make it themselves. They also wanted to create a cohesive brand that aligned with how much thought and heart they put into their custom pieces, but they couldn’t quite pull the vision together on their own.
The issue wasn’t the quality of the product or the effort being put into content. The problem was branding & positioning. Their messaging and content style signaled education and instruction, not craftsmanship, meaning, or purchase intent. Without a clear content hierarchy or a defined audience, their growth stalled in the wrong direction. They wanted clarity around how to present their work in a way that attracted the right audience — customers who valued handmade craftsmanship and were ready to buy, not just viewers looking to learn how to make it themselves. They also wanted to create a cohesive brand that aligned with how much thought and heart they put into their custom pieces, but they couldn’t quite pull the vision together on their own.
The Problem
The Problem
WHAT WASN'T WORKING
WHAT WASN'T WORKING
Who They Were Before
Who They Were Before
SIMPLE LOGO DESIGN + BRAND COLORS
STATS
STATS
OUR APPROACH
After listening closely to both their frustrations and goals, we identified a clear gap between where their brand currently was and where they wanted it to be. While they had a strong product and were consistently creating content, their efforts weren’t supporting sales or long-term growth. We began with a full brand audit across their digital presence, including their website, social platforms, and Etsy shop to understand how their brand was performing in the context of their business goals and the industry they are in.
HOW WE STARTED
Who They Were After