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Tips and advice for Pioneers

Tips and advice from existing Pioneers about how to get the most out of participating in the Pioneer Program

Maddy King avatar
Written by Maddy King
Updated over a week ago

This article is part of the Pioneer Resource Center, which provides information, guidance, and resources for Pioneers and Community Champions to help them activate and grow their local Stitch community. You can find an overview of the Pioneer Program here.

Becoming a Pioneer can feel a little daunting at first, as you learn a lot about how to activate your local Stitch community. Our article on activating and growing the community in your area outlines the steps Pioneers take to get their community started, and is the best place to start, but we don't want you to feel overwhelmed! Being a Pioneer doesn't need to be a lot of work, and can be a lot of fun.

So we asked our existing Pioneers for their top pieces of advice for new Pioneers to ensure you're getting the most out of the program. Here is what they came up with.

1. Host events for activities you are planning to do anyway

We've found it works well to make your first events as general as possible - pub meals, popular movies, etc, so that you attract a wide variety of people. But this works best if it is something you would be doing anyway. Creating events around things you're already interested in doing means you meet people who genuinely share your enthusiasms and interests — and if someone can't make it, you still have fun.

2. Don't shape your events around other people

People will ask you for an infinite number of changes to events you're putting effort into hosting. Our advice: Do the events you want to do at the times that suit you. If people want changes, they can host events themselves.

3. Show people how to host their own events

Bring your laptop and walk people through how to sign up, join, and host their own events. This means less work for you and more events for everyone else.

4. It takes time

Some communities take 6 months to get started. Seasonal changes affect people's ability to go out, and some people just need a lot of motivation to get started. Don't give up. Keep posting regular fun events and things will happen for you.

5. If you're active in building your community, we will run ads to support you

We run Facebook ads in Pioneer regions with 3 or more upcoming events. We increase the budget on those ads (so more people see them) if there are more than 3 upcoming events. If the number of events declines, the ads get turned off. Regularity is everything.

6. Remember, we're all just people looking to connect

Not everyone will be outgoing and exciting, but we're all just people wanting to connect. Greet event attendees with kindness and inclusivity first and foremost, and you'll change a person's life.

7. You're Stitch's representative

As a Pioneer in your region, you're representing Stitch to new people. Upholding Stitch's values of fairness and friendliness is a great way to demonstrate to people what the Stitch platform is all about.

8. Host online icebreakers

Hosting an online event the night before an in-person meetup can help those who feel anxious get to know a couple of people so they won’t walk into an event alone. It can make a big difference to the comfort levels of event attendees, and bring more people out in person.

9. Try a Zoom event if in-person events aren’t taking off yet

In the same vein, people in your local community might find it easier to join a virtual event before coming along to an in-person one. Particularly in winter or in remote regions, it can be an excellent idea to host virtual events first to enable the community to get to know each other.

10. Experiment with different approaches

Different things work in different regions. You can use someone else’s suggested event as inspiration - create the event and invite everyone who said yes to the suggested event. You can use "Tentative:" as a prefix for events where the date / time might change, so you can still gauge interest. Feel free to experiment and try new things to learn what your community are interested in.

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