By Jessica Rinzuello
September 25, 2014
With the help of social media, do-it-yourself sites like Etsy and Pinterest are allowing people to create more and spend less.
Do-it-yourself projects refer to a piece of work that is done non-professionally. Anyone is capable of creating their own creative projects ideas without having to rely on a professional to pay or make it. DIY ranges from creative works such as, fashion, jewelry etc. So what is the value of DIY projects?
“Do it yourself projects for me are more of a hobby, I have sold a lot of different things like crochet stuff, blankets, beanies, and scarves,” said student Lindsey Wegner of William Paterson University. “I like hand making things because it shows that I not only put meticulous effort into making it, but I also put thought into it.”
With the help of the Internet consumers can get their ideas out there for the world to see. So many people have creative pieces to share and sites like Etsy and Pinterest allow people to showcase their creations and ideas. Pinterest has its own page dedicated just for DIY projects and crafts. According to pinterest.com, the average daily viewers are 37,793 and average daily impressions are 58,310. These sites are gaining more viewers and inspiring people to try new things.
Etsy’s site states “Turn Your Passion into a Business” and people are doing just that.
“I like shopping on Etsy because it supports others who have the same passion as myself, and can create and share their own talents.” said Wegner
Etsy and Pinterest aren’t the only place where creativity can be shared. Through social media people can showcase their tutorials, videos, and posts for a wide range of viewers. Access to these sites give people the opportunity to learn new things right in the comfort of their own home.
PHOTO//Courtesy of Jenna Solimando
Social media accounts are allowing these “DIY” sites to grow. Being able to market for the business outside of the business is huge. People that are just starting out can get more traffic to their site with the help of social media sites like Instagram and Facebook.
For sellers, social media is excelling their business.
“Most of my sales in the beginning were from people I knew who saw me repeatedly posting pictures of my designs on Facebook and Instagram, or from people who saw the posts of my designs through hash-tagging,” said Etsy account holder of website “Of Earth And Sea Designs” Jenna Solimando. “Social media is a very powerful tool, for me, it’s just as important if not more important than my actual Etsy site in terms of advertising.”
This is a great story that really brings awareness to a rising topic that’s been circulating the internet and generally making life a lot easier. I like how you bring up that it’s a great way to save money and get a business to become known among other internet audiences. I would have liked to see other popular forms of DIY’S (maybe an example of a quick compilation of DIY’S on youtube).
I would use less Etsy only because it is a place to sell your DIY products on your own personal business, but it’s more of a buy-sell site than learning a new DIY to an audience.