“DIY” is one of my favorite latest and greatest trends. The Do It Yourself concept has spread across essentially every industry, and highlights how consumers are…doing it themselves (they should really pay me the big bucks for this, am I right?).

DIY has come to encompass home improvement projects, cooking and baking, life hack projects, party planning, event hosting, clothing and fashion…everything. Consumers began showing the world how they made their unique coffee tables, Halloween-themed treats, wedding centerpieces, and most creative yet effective life hacks. It has basically become an internet sport. Anyone can go to social media to find new, and sometimes even more cost-effective ways to fix every day problems, create new additions to their home or wardrobe or make event or party showstoppers for the dessert table. Not only has it become a selling point for many brands who invested in influencers (please see my earlier post on influencers) to post on DIY projects they have done using the brand products, but many consumers now do DIY as a hobby and even side business. On the consumer/user side, it has also become a source of entertainment, interest and passion.

What does DIY Mean for Marketing

DIY poses a lot of great opportunities for brands. If you have the right brand, the resources to invest, and the brainpower for some creativity in your marketing and social media plans…add some DIY to your agenda.

1. DIY Shows Diversity in Product Use

DIY is a great way to show the versatility of your products, how they can be used in different ways, and possibly how they can be combined with your other products to create a unique item or display. This is especially fun for home improvement, home decor, renovation, and other projects for household items or design. Showing that consumers can use items in different ways, or can add their own unique touch to their decor is a great selling point. I am personally a big fan of YouTubers who publish different ways to use old materials in the garage to make a unique dining room table, bathroom renovation or kitchen piece on a budget. Sometimes we do not find everything we want in the store or even from the brands we love, so this is a great way to show that your products can be fit for various preferences and styles.

2. DIY Gives Consumers Explanation That May Not Be as Easy on a Package

DIY is a great way to take consumers through the process of putting together a product or tips for putting their own additions in the project. Not every consumer has a Chip & Joanna Gaines situation, so they might need a little guidance or a few helpful tips. In the same way, not everyone is a baker or cook, so frosting tips and making ghosts out of a boxed cupcake recipe may also have some room for creative guidance. It is almost like getting a cooking or baking lesson right in the comfort of your own kitchen. So, if the Pinterest idea does not go as well the first time…don’t sweat it!

3. DIY & Influencers

As I talked about in an earlier post, influencers are a great way for your brand to attract and relate to your target consumers. Investing in DIY Influencers is a great way to do this. Give your brand some personality with an influencer, while also showing the fun ways your brands’ products can be used and made in unique ways. DIY is a popular social media search, so this is a great way to get your search rankings up while creating a fun twist to your social media presence.

4. DIY Creates Community

One commonliaty on DIY postings and pages, is the community and engagement built from DIY-ers. People asking questions, others sharing how they completed different projects, compliments and suggestions for future videos…the DIY concept has created a community of followers. Implementing this kind of strategy into your brand could be a great way to build a community for your own brand. Listen, if someone can help me accomplish Christmas-themed gifts that actually look like the picture on Pinterest, I am ALL ears.

5. Personalization

Consumers are more commonly looking for opportunities to personalize/customize the products they purchase. Besides keeping this in mind in your product development stages, think of how DIY can help you show consumers the personalization capabilities of your newest items. I especially appreciated a DIY post for Valentine’s Day which inspired me to cut out my own sugar cookie heart [which wound up breaking in half]. I had to stop myself from writing “don’t go bakin’ my heart.” This is just one quirky example of how DIY inspires consumers to put their own touches on gifts or decor.

I love that DIY has opened doors to more creative and personal gift giving, funny yet efficient decor additions, party planning pops, and cheaper alternatives for building a home that is more fit to an owner’s taste. You may even gravitate towards the accounts that show you how to turn your old sweater into a great dress, how to make a strapless bra stay up or fixing the everyday problem that’s seem unsolvable such as a bad stein. Because I tend to gravitate towards a lot of DIY material myself, here are a few of my favorite recent DIY posts:

DIY has opened up so many doors for a big community creatives, entrepreneur enthusiasts, and indidivuals passionate about various projects in home, cooking and fashion. Utilizing this trend to bring some life and fun to your brand is a great way to stand out in competition.

If you can’t get your team on board…do it yourself.

What are some of your favorite DIY accounts/publications?

P.S. If anyone knows what kind of frosting tip I need to make these cake roses LET ME KNOW.

Bean

www.linkedin.com/in/sabinaruggles

@sabinaruggles