Do It Yourself: Monetizing Your Home Improvement Projects While Inspiring Others

If you’re particularly handy with home improvement projects, the time may have come for you to start making some extra cash for your expertise. Monetizing your projects is a great way to help even more people attain skills and have the confidence to tackle their own DIY ventures. Plus, it’s probably easier than you think! With options like creating a blog, increasing traffic via social media like Instagram, offering local lessons, and making instructional videos, you can earn additional income in no time. Mighty House has done it, and we’re sharing how.

Create a blog

You’ll want to create a blog that stands out from the crowd. Advertisers want to see that it's unique, yet accessible. Make sure your page is free of clutter and easy to navigate. It should be updated regularly, even if it’s not a full post of instructions. Additionally, a Privacy Policy is a must.

Create content that isn’t found anywhere else (or that isn’t done well elsewhere). Try to find a special twist or addition to projects that have been covered. One of the great things about starting a blog is that you’re talking to regular people like yourself. The tone is lighter and you can break it down in layman’s terms versus using industry jargon. That all means that people will be more likely to use your advice and not another’s, driving traffic and bringing in more advertising.

Drive traffic through social media advertising

Ads on social media platforms can bring in major traffic. In fact, according to one study, “26% of social media users say they tend to buy brands they see advertised.” The cost upfront may be high, but the reward of increased traffic to your site will make it worth the investment.

Create ads that will catch people’s attention and, most importantly, make them click. Find fun ways to incorporate your ad. For instance, Instagram stories have become increasingly popular and are a great way to grab people’s attention. If you’re not very tech-savvy or creative, try this free Instagram story template that lets you choose from dozens of different designs for you to make your own.

Offer local lessons

What better way to teach than live and in-person? Try holding local classes. Depending on the difficulty level, you can charge different prices. Local schools and community centers usually let citizens rent out space, but you can also try holding the lessons at your own home. Classes should be organized and focused from start to finish and inspire your students to go home and take on these projects.

Bring in customers with clever local advertising. Take out an ad in the local newspaper, buy a radio advertisement, or distribute flyers. Never underestimate the power of word-of-mouth advertising. Make sure your friends, family, and neighbors all know what you’re up to; they might become customers themselves or know people who could benefit from the classes.

Make instructional videos

Videos are a great in-between teaching option: they’re easier for visual learners to follow and offer a way to reach a larger audience. Wordstream suggests writing a blog post to accompany each video. Usually, it will be some kind of introduction, but you should also consider including a transcription of the video for your Deaf audience. Don’t forget to add timestamps!

To entice advertisers and make things more enjoyable for your audience, find a way to keep things fun and upbeat. DIY projects are often tedious and time-consuming, so you want to retain watchers through the end of the video by keeping it entertaining. Coming up with some kind of unique gimmick — maybe you become the “singing handyperson” — is a great way to bring in curious searchers. Optimize the title and description of the video. Finally, don’t forget to engage with commenters; the more active your page, the better.

Home improvement projects require serious skills and knowledge, and you can be the one to pass them on. Whether you start a blog, utilize social media advertising through Instagram and other platforms, offer local lessons, or make instructional videos, you can not only bring in some extra money; you can inspire others.

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