Marketing Strategy

Location: Remote  |  Type: Part-time / Contract

About Knotty Paw  

Sustainability | Community | Adventures 

 

Knotty Paw is a social enterprise startup creating pet accessories with a focus on sustainability, design, and storytelling. Its signature products are upcycled dog leashes made from repurposed climbing ropes, giving retired materials a second life through thoughtful, locally made products. The brand sits at the intersection of adventure, community, and environmental responsibility, with an emphasis on sharing the story behind each rope and building authentic connections with customers, partners, and the climbing community. 

 About this Role  

Knotty Paw is seeking a Marketing Strategy Contractor (Part-Time Contract Role) for an 8-week, project-based engagement. This role is focused on strengthening the company’s marketing foundation across social media strategy, competitive positioning, and partner-driven growth. The contractor will lead and support social media strategy initiatives and conduct market research to inform content development, competitive positioning, and growth opportunities. The structure is intentional: clear deliverables, weekly check-ins, and a formal onboarding process to make every hour count. This role offers direct collaboration with founders and ownership of high-impact project work.  Success in this role will be measured by progress against << poll team for the main one or two indicators that we feel are important here>>  

Why This Role Exists 

Knotty Paw has seen encouraging signs that its story and product can resonate online, including a recent leash post that generated 5,000+ impressions and shop traffic. At the same time, the brand wants: 

• a more repeatable content system, clearer competitive positioning, 
• a stronger approach to climbing gym partnerships as both a relationship channel and a source of authentic brand storytelling. This contract engagement exists to help answer those questions through structured research, content planning, and practical recommendations the team can use immediately 

Responsibilities 

Social Media Strategy & Execution  

Support the development and execution of social media strategy across current platforms, including Instagram and Facebook, while helping build Knotty Paw’s presence on TikTok. 

• Develop content sourcing ideas and support the creation of content calendars and publishing cadence to drive consistent engagement and that aligns with brand voice.  
• Support on-site marketing efforts at events or conferences, including content capture, partner engagement, and social media storytelling. 
• Track social media metrics and use performance insights to refine content strategy, posting cadence, and platform-specific execution over time. 

 

Market Research & Insights 

Support market research and insight development to help Knotty Paw better understand its competitive landscape, customer behavior, and growth opportunities, and translate those findings into actionable recommendations for marketing and business strategy. 

• Conduct market and competitor research to analyze brand positioning, messaging, and content strategies within the category 
• Identify and recommend research priorities and areas of opportunity based on business needs and emerging trends 
• Evaluate customer segments, behaviors, and content preferences to identify opportunities to improve product adoption and engagement 
• Propose and define research priorities based on business needs, using areas such as competitor positioning, customer behavior, content trends, and growth opportunities as starting points 
• Translate research findings into actionable insights to inform social media strategy, content development, and brand positioning 
• Support the testing and early implementation of identified growth opportunities where applicable 

What you will learn:  

By the end of the contractor engagement, the contractor should have hands-on experience in: 

• translating startup marketing questions into structured market research 
• analyzing competitors and recommending a positioning angle 
• building a lightweight social content plan for a small brand 
• identifying repeatable content sources and drafting sample content 
• turning research and recommendations into an actionable implementation plan 
• how a startup works 
• working with founders and interacting with stakeholders 

Qualifications  

Bring a strong foundation in marketing, research, and communication, along with the curiosity, adaptability, and initiative needed to thrive in a fast-moving startup environment and contribute meaningfully across strategy and execution. 

• Strong interest in marketing, brand building, or early-stage startups 
• Familiarity with social media platforms (e.g., Instagram, TikTok) and an understanding of content trends 
• Strong research and analytical thinking skills, with the ability to synthesize insights into clear recommendations 
• Ability to work independently, manage time effectively, and take initiative in a project-based environment 
• Clear written and verbal communication skills 
• Comfortable working in a evolving startup environment and navigating ambiguity 
• Familiarity with AI tools (e.g., ChatGPT or similar) and an interest in leveraging them to streamline research, content creation, and workflows 
• Experience in social media platform including developing content. Engaging micro influencers as asset.
• Ability to adapt to new internal platforms. 

Role Details – Structure and Compensation  

• Engagement Type: Independent contractor (1099) 
• Duration: 8 weeks (starting July) 
• Schedule: Approximately 10 hours per week 
• Compensation: $16/hour (approximately $1,280 total for the engagement) 
• Structure: Project-based work with defined deliverables and weekly check-ins 

How to Apply

Ready to join the team? Send your resume and a brief introduction to info@knottypaw.com and we'll be in touch!