In 2020, U.S. homeowners spent an average of $8,305 on home improvement projects. And many experts predict that the trend of people spending more time at home will continue long after the pandemic ceases. So, if you have a passion for DIY home improvements, why not make some money by documenting your projects?
OK, I know what you’re thinking.
“That’s a crazy idea.”
“That will never work because no one cares about the wall I painted or the new popcorn ceiling I freed my living room from.”
“I don’t even think I could get anyone interested in my full-scale, two-year-long renovation on the house I just flipped.”
Think again.
There are a lot of home improvement bloggers out there—like thousands and thousands. And many of them influence countless homeowners around the world.
Here’s my point: If you want to monetize your home improvement projects and inspire others to enact their own DIY passion, you can. And Mathieson Design is going to give you some practical tips for how to do it:
Create a blog.
First things first—get your home improvement blog up and running. In the most basic sense, your blog is where you’ll tell the story behind your projects and provide advice to others.
The best approach is to come out swinging in one niche. For example, if you’re an expert on refinishing hardwood floors, start brainstorming topics you can talk about in that niche, and focus the early stages of your blog on those topics. This will help you establish yourself as an expert, which will give you a strong foundation for growing your audience.
Form an LLC.
Before you get too deep into the process of blogging, you might want to consider setting up a business structure. When you start raking in the dough, you should treat your endeavor like a business and establish an LLC.
Unlike a sole proprietorship, an LLC will provide you with liability protection and tax advantages. And unlike a corporation, LLCs are pretty simple to set up and manage. You can actually register LLC in NC in as few as five steps!
Engage on social media.
You can have the highest-quality design and content on your blog, but unless people know about it, it’s not going to do much for your influence (or wallet). Make sure you are engaging users on social media platforms like Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter. Post content daily, and look for ways to connect with other bloggers. Moreover, you can drive some serious traffic to your blog by using paid ads.
Get affiliated.
Affiliate marketing is one of the most common ways for bloggers to monetize their efforts. This form of passive income is something that you can set and forget. Basically, you agree to an affiliate program with a large company, such as Amazon. A lot of home improvement bloggers use Amazon because it sells many—if not all—of the products they use on projects.
Once you become an affiliate, you can place links throughout your blog posts that direct the audience to specific product pages on Amazon. If a reader clicks on the link and buys the product, then you make a percentage of the sale. Over time, you can make a legitimate income through affiliate marketing. Plus, if you genuinely love a product, you would probably promote it anyway. So, it’s a win-win!
The Bottom Line
You can (and probably should) monetize your home improvement journey! Not only does it provide you with an outlet for sharing your stories and expertise with others, but you can even turn it into a full-fledged business if you want. Remember the tips above, and you’ll get off to a stellar start.
Jean Mathieson is an Interior Designer and Realtor® living and working in
Holly Springs, North Carolina.
