By popular demand, we’re breaking down the key factors for driving more traffic to your DIY tutorials. Bonus? By posting tutorials along these guidelines on Hometalk, you will also significantly increase the likelihood of getting your Hometalk tutorials regularly featured in our daily email!
Factor 1: Is it relatable?
Readers are most interested in projects they can relate to, such as upgrading an old builder grade mirror, ripping out nasty carpeted stairs, or brightening up a front door with a fresh coat of paint. When people can relate to the problem you’re solving, they become more interested in the solution. Furthermore, the more accessible your solution is to them, meaning they can buy the materials and do it themselves, the more excited they will be about your project.
Questions to ask yourself:
Is this project relevant and applicable to many people?
Am I solving a problem that many people have?
Are the items I’m using easily found in stores or in people’s homes?
Hot tip: When photographing your project steps, think about the relatable elements and include those photos in your post. For example: your Michaels shopping cart, your walkway “before” the makeover, or those empty soda cans you’re about to transform.
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Factor 2. Is it innovative?
Innovative projects turn ordinary items into extraordinary decor, find clever solutions to common problems, and are affordable and doable while creating a high-impact, great looking end result. “Wow, I would never have thought of that!” pretty much sums up a reader’s reaction to an innovative project.
Questions to ask yourself:
Are you solving a common problem in a new way?
Are you finding a new use for a common item?
Are you getting a high-end look for less?
Hot tip: high end looks are always hot on Hometalk. Browse your favorite catalog and home goods stores to discover items you can replicate in innovative ways!
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Factor 3: Is the end result impressive?
Impressive is subjective and defining it can be a bit tough, but here’s one easy way to think about it. What projects make you stop in admiration when scrolling through Pinterest or instagram? What are the projects you immediately hit share or save on because they're just so gorgeous and well executed? The key here is to get a beautifully styled and photographed “after” picture of your project showing how all of your hard work paid off!
Questions to ask yourself:
Would I share this project if I saw it on my Facebook newsfeed?
Would I send this project to a friend if I saw it on instagram?
Does my after photo do this project justice?
Hot tip: look back at your Hometalk projects that have thousands of views. What made those projects impressive? How can you replicate that?
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Factor 4: Is the tutorial high quality?
“High quality” refers to the quality of photos and copy. A project can be highly relatable and impressive, but if it is poorly written and hard to follow or the photos are dimly lit and grainy, the tutorial will not land with people the same way.
Question to ask yourself:
Would a reader be able to replicate this project by reading my tutorial?
How would I rate the quality of my photos on a scale from 1-10, ten being the highest?
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Factor 5: Is the project too simple?
Too simple either means that most people know how to do the project without a tutorial (i.e. cleaning baseboards with a broom) or that the tutorial has been done so many times in so many variations that people know it by heart. For example, simple grapevine wreaths or crafty signs. These types of tutorials must include an innovative element in order to achieve virality.
Question to ask yourself:
What is one surprising element I can add to an otherwise simple project that’ll take it from ho-hum to wow?!
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Factor 6: Is the project too technical?
This one’s very subjective to the audience you’re speaking to so we’ll frame it in the context of the Hometalk audience. Projects geared towards beginner and intermediate DIYers perform best on Hometalk. Therefore, projects involving advanced tools, machinery, or skills that are not accessible to the average person are less likely to be featured. Cricut projects are a great example - while we love the incredible projects being made using Cricut and Silhouette machines, those projects would be considered too technical, since most Hometalk readers don’t have access to those machines.
Point to remember:
You don’t need to hit every one of these factors perfectly in order to get a viral hit. The goal is to evaluate your tutorial through this lens and try to meet as many of these factors as possible.
Summary:
The four key factors for increasing the likelihood of your tutorials going viral (and being featured on Hometalk!) are relatable, innovative, impressive, and quality.
The two factors that decrease that likelihood are too simple and too technical.
By creating tutorials along these guidelines, you will significantly increase the likelihood of your tutorials going viral, which includes getting thousands of views on Hometalk and regular features in the Hometalk email.
Questions? Feedback?
We love hearing from you!
For the Blogger Traffic Program: nicole@hometalk.com
For the Instagram Influencer Program: aimee@hometalk.com