Where and how should my Thai friend promote her silk business online?
October 1, 2020 1:23 PM Subscribe
I’m asking on behalf of a friend, based in Bangkok. She sells beautiful handwoven silk and cotton cloth in the Mudmee style, sourced from artisans in Isan, Northeast Thailand. Currently she mainly sells locally, but would like to attract more international custom. I would love to hear your suggestions for where she should be selling and any tips for marketing her business online.
She has recently created accounts on Facebook and Instagram, which should give you an idea. How can they be improved?
If you’ve bought this sort of product directly from producers or small-scale resellers overseas, what questions would you be asking? What information would you require? How would you discover these pages in the first place?
Are there other websites on which she should be selling? Should she be on Etsy, Shopify or eBay? If so, how easy would that be to set up and maintain, for someone who isn’t very technical or English-speaking?
While she doesn’t produce the fabrics herself (although her family used to weave silk in the past), she cares passionately about supporting traditional crafts in rural Thailand, where these industries are in danger of disappearing. I’m wondering if she should aim to tell more of this story in her marketing – eg. through photos of the workshops and villages she sources from. Would this be worth the extra effort?
She has recently created accounts on Facebook and Instagram, which should give you an idea. How can they be improved?
If you’ve bought this sort of product directly from producers or small-scale resellers overseas, what questions would you be asking? What information would you require? How would you discover these pages in the first place?
Are there other websites on which she should be selling? Should she be on Etsy, Shopify or eBay? If so, how easy would that be to set up and maintain, for someone who isn’t very technical or English-speaking?
While she doesn’t produce the fabrics herself (although her family used to weave silk in the past), she cares passionately about supporting traditional crafts in rural Thailand, where these industries are in danger of disappearing. I’m wondering if she should aim to tell more of this story in her marketing – eg. through photos of the workshops and villages she sources from. Would this be worth the extra effort?
Best answer: I'm based in the US, and I have purchased silk from small international sellers in the past, usually via links shared by friends who are interested in historical costuming.
I am more comfortable buying from eBay or etsy because they handle payment. However, I would consider ordering directly from your friend if her Facebook page had a pinned post or a section of the About page that told me, in English, how to do it. I would need to know that she really does ship internationally, I would need to have some sort of information about the shipping costs (even if it's just "state your interest and I'll email you an invoice"), and I would need to know how to send her money (all else being equal, I'd expect a credit card payment mediated by PayPal). I would also really want to know the fiber content of the piece I was buying (is it all silk, or a silk-rayon blend? etc.)
posted by yarntheory at 4:13 PM on October 1, 2020 [1 favorite]
I am more comfortable buying from eBay or etsy because they handle payment. However, I would consider ordering directly from your friend if her Facebook page had a pinned post or a section of the About page that told me, in English, how to do it. I would need to know that she really does ship internationally, I would need to have some sort of information about the shipping costs (even if it's just "state your interest and I'll email you an invoice"), and I would need to know how to send her money (all else being equal, I'd expect a credit card payment mediated by PayPal). I would also really want to know the fiber content of the piece I was buying (is it all silk, or a silk-rayon blend? etc.)
posted by yarntheory at 4:13 PM on October 1, 2020 [1 favorite]
Best answer: The first thing I thought of was selling through Ten Thousand Villages, but it looks like that is a long shot.
I would and have purchased quality hand made goods like yarn, soap, glass beads, and gold jewelry through Etsy. I feel more comfortable going through something like that than a random personal store page. I'm not big on Ebay, but that might just be me.
As a counterpoint to guilt about silkworms, I am an American and felt not at all squeamish about the images and story about silk production. Though, granted, I already understood the general process and have made my peace with respectfully consuming animals and animal products.
posted by carrioncomfort at 4:26 PM on October 1, 2020 [2 favorites]
I would and have purchased quality hand made goods like yarn, soap, glass beads, and gold jewelry through Etsy. I feel more comfortable going through something like that than a random personal store page. I'm not big on Ebay, but that might just be me.
As a counterpoint to guilt about silkworms, I am an American and felt not at all squeamish about the images and story about silk production. Though, granted, I already understood the general process and have made my peace with respectfully consuming animals and animal products.
posted by carrioncomfort at 4:26 PM on October 1, 2020 [2 favorites]
Best answer: As a buyer of fabric: definitely Etsy, and listings in English, with measurements in inches (width) and yards (length).
posted by music for skeletons at 9:15 PM on October 1, 2020 [1 favorite]
posted by music for skeletons at 9:15 PM on October 1, 2020 [1 favorite]
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posted by amtho at 2:22 PM on October 1, 2020