Home DIY blogs are big business
Sherry and John Petersik are taking on dated blue trim and flowery wallpaper with gusto in their quest to transform their 1970s house into a sleek dream home. In many ways they are just an everyday couple with a toddler and a Chihuahua named Burger 鈥� but that would overlook the online horde that follows their every hammer stroke on their blog, 鈥淵oung House Love,鈥� which earns more than 4 million page views a month and provides a full-time living for the couple.
Do-it-yourself home renovation has been a passionate hobby for millions for decades, but a new generation of homeowners, who are as savvy with social media sites as they are with nail guns, are attracting enough readers and advertising revenue to quit their day jobs.
In Alaska, homemaker Ana White was a newlywed trying to pinch pennies when she came up with the idea of making her own farmhouse bed. She uploaded her DIY plan onto her blog, and today her furniture plans are viewed 8 million times a month on her site.
Other home improvement blogs, such as 鈥淗ouse Tweaking鈥� and 鈥淏ower Power,鈥� attract between 250,000 and 1 million page views a month. Unlike 鈥淭his Old House鈥� or DIY manuals of the past, these bloggers foster virtual friendships with their readers through social media tools like Instagram and Pinterest and by throwing in details of their personal lives as they recount the trials of retiling the bathroom or ripping up the back deck.
That鈥檚 piqued the interest of home improvement retailers like The Home Depot, The Tile Shop, and Ballard Designs, which are seeking creative ways to boost sales in an economy still recovering from a housing slump.
鈥淭he last two years has been the biggest explosion [in advertising on blogs], with brands realizing how powerful blogs are and realizing we have a huge voice out there,鈥� says full-time blogger Rhoda Vickers of Atlanta.
Last year, Ms. Vickers started the Haven Conference in Atlanta for home improvement bloggers. This year, the conference sold out in 17 days 鈥� eight months before the August event. 鈥淎t least half [of the attendees] are going to be serious bloggers who want to turn it into a business,鈥� she says of the 350 registrants. 鈥淭here are so many people who are interested in working at home, getting out of the rat race. I think it鈥檚 very attractive.鈥�
Despite the appeal of showering your house with love for a full-time living, 鈥渋t鈥檚 not that easy,鈥� Vickers warns. 鈥淵ou really have to have a business head, too.鈥�
