The “do it yourself” market continues to grow and evolve. The DIYer of today is different than the DIYer of the past. They differ in some of their motivations and how to best reach them.
There are a number of social and financial reasons for the continuing popularity of DIY. The recession caused many people to seek cost-effective ways to live. This includes saving money by completing projects themselves, rather than hiring a professional. They prefer to spend their time instead of their money where the opposite used to be the case.
From a social standpoint, it is an ideology promoting self-sufficiency. The millennial generation is particularly interested in moving away from corporations and big business. They prefer to support small businesses and individuals. This idea encompasses a sufficient lifestyle.
They want to do as much as they can on their own. You can see evidence of this by observing the success of websites like Etsy. This site sells handcrafted products. People love this site. It is geared toward original, unique items made by an individual instead of produced in a factory. The Do It Yourself market is hot. Swarms of people are jumping on this bandwagon.
You can take advantage of this movement and get your products in the hands of the DIY crowd. There is one simple yet powerful method to reach these people. It boils down to offering them instructions and information on how do specific projects that utilize your products.
Remember, these individuals are not experts and usually do not know how to approach a project. They are always seeking instruction so they can do it themselves. You offer the guidance and include your products as part of the project, linking back to your website. There are several ways to deliver the helpful advice to potential customers.
While delivering “How To” advice, don’t forget also to inspire them with the future enjoyment they get from the completed project.
Education and Inspiration Are Key to Do It Yourself Sales
YouTube
Creating instructional YouTube videos is extremely useful. It does not need to be an expensive, overly professional video. A simple “how to” is all you need. The DIY circle uses YouTube extensively to find visual instruction on completing tasks. Here is an example of how one company uses YouTube in this way. A business that sells bricks for outdoor projects created a video about “How to build a garden wall.” They use their bricks in the video and encourage viewers to visit their website, including links in the written description. YouTube is by far the most effective tool available to reach the DIY population.
Blog
A blog is a great resource for people seeking directions. You can easily create a blog for your products and offer advice. Write short “how-to” articles, which link to the specific products recommended for each project. Consider all the possible DIY uses for your products. Write an article for each job. Blogs are very affordable to maintain. From a business and point, this is very cost-effective marketing. In today’s “information age” it is absolutely true that information is the best marketing. When writing blog posts, avoid flowery language, keeping the teachings clear and concise.
E-books and Guides
For larger projects, offer a free e-book or how-to guide. This does not need to be a novel. A well-written guide is all that is required. This is also a great way to build an email list. You can require a person to give their email address in order to receive the e-book. Now you have the email addresses of potential customers and can send them occasional promotional emails. There are numerous e-book websites where you can offer your e-book for free.
The DIY community is thirsty for advice and knowledge. By providing this instruction, you can tap into the DIY market. Use the tools above and get your products to this growing population of “Do it yourself” folks.
If you sell your DIY products through big boxes, like Lowes and Home Depot, you will be proactively helping to grow your sales through them. These efforts help you to stay on the shelf during those scary line reviews.
Here’s another point to keep in mind – Focus on the Project Instead of the Product. Read more here.
Contact us if you’d like to learn more about how to grow your sales.
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