Instagram is the social media platform that everyone seems to be on these days, and it’s the perfect place to promote your product or service. The fact that it’s such a popular place in Thailand means that there’s a great opportunity to take advantage of the growing audience and promote your business there. As with any other country or region, there are a number of opportunities and platforms that you can use to reach people in Thailand and build up a presence on social media there.
One of the stars of Thailand’s social media scene is Charlie P. As the name would suggest, Charlie is quite the popular Instagrammer in Thailand, and he has over 400,000 followers on the platform. If you’re looking for a new Instagrammer to follow in Thailand, then look no further as this is one you should definitely consider.
Not only is he a popular Instagrammer, but he has also graced the pages of GQ Thailand as their “man of the year” for 2019. In addition to being popular on social media, Charlie is also the founder and CEO of Mad Hippie, an influencer agency that represents over 20 popular Instagrammers in Thailand, including Charlie himself.
Why Is Thailand Popular On Instagram?
It’s quite an interesting phenomenon how Thailand has become so popular on the Instagram platform. The country only has a population of around 67 million, which is around 5.9 million fewer people than the United States. Despite this, Thailand has over 200 million Instagram followers, and this makes it the 33rd most followed country on the platform. It would seem that people in Thailand are very interested in fashion and beauty, and this was evident when looking at the top posts on the country’s page.
When it comes to fashion, the top post is a photo of an extravagant floral crown that the Instagrammer weds to the screen display of a luxury watch. The second post is an outfit composed of a white dress with red and yellow accents, and the third post is black and white images of models with sunglasses and hairstyle accreditation. This is just a small selection of the fashion content that Thailand posts on the platform, and it’s quite an interesting look into the country’s fashion scene.
Building Up A Thailand Social Media Following
If you’re looking to take your Instagram following to the next level in Thailand, then simply follow these steps to expand your reach to the country’s 220 million-strong population:
1. Join The Social Media Revolution
If you’ve been putting off joining a social media community, then the time has come to get on board. The fact that there are over 20 million-plus active users within Thailand alone means that there’s an incredible market opportunity waiting to be tapped into. A study by Future Inc found that 84% of Thai people use social media, and this makes the country ripe for the joining of a community. If you’ve been on social media for a while, then this will be an easy step to take as you already have a following. Simply search for the name of the community you wish to join and click the Join button.
2. Use Hashtags
One of the primary ways that people discover content on the Instagram platform is through hashtags. When someone posts a picture with a particular hashtag, then their content will appear in the search result alongside other users’ similar content that is also tagged with the same hashtag. When someone clicks on a result, a feed of content will appear to them.
This is an easy way to reach people in Thailand as a whole, and it also means that whenever you join a community, your content will be visible to a wider audience. For instance, the hashtag #mybeautyis and the name of the beauty brand Nudie Rouge appear in the hashtag search bar over 100 times every day. If you include the keyword #mybeautyis in your caption for a photo, then that content will appear to be relevant to anyone searching for it, regardless of whether they are in Thailand or not.
3. Use Geolocation
If you’ve been to Thailand, then you’ll know that the country is huge with lots of landmarks and attractions. One way of expanding your reach to people in Thailand and increasing the likelihood of them discovering your content is through geolocation. The closer you are to a landmark, museum, or popular attraction, the more people will discover your content. To increase the chances of your content being discovered in Thailand, simply check the location where you are (if this is not your home), and it will suggest places and landmarks that you can check out or visit. This is a very easy and effective way of reaching people in Thailand and creating buzz about your content.
4. Grow A Thanegie
Thailand is well-known for having lots of natural beauty, and one way of demonstrating this is through the Thanegie ecosystem. If you’ve ever shopped at a Thailand e-commerce store, then you’ll know that these stores rely heavily on affiliate marketing. This is where an advertiser pays a merchant to have their product or service advertised to the public. The merchant then gets a commission for any sales that result from the ad.
Through affiliate marketing, we can get an idea of how much revenue a particular store has generated. Take a look at Amazon.com’s revenue in Thailand since launching the Amazon Store in the country:
2019: $10.9 million
2018: $7.8 million
2017: $5.6 million
2016: $3.7 million
2015: $3.2 million
2014: $2.3 million
As you can see, Amazon’s revenue only increased by around 10% in 2019 compared to the previous year. However, Amazon is not the only e-commerce store to do well in Thailand. The country is ripe for online shopping, and this means that you can potentially tap into this market and gain some traction with a small budget. One important factor to note is that Thailand is a member of the ‘GA’ group of countries that use the Amazon Pay system. This basically means that all Amazon shoppers in Thailand can access their account with one email address and one password, and this saves customers the hassle of having to create an account with every transaction.
5. Partner With A Local Marketing Agency
If you don’t have the time or resources to build an effective online store in Thailand, then there are still options for you to reach people there. One way of doing this is through local marketing agencies. These agencies can help you gain exposure and increase brand awareness in Thailand, and in exchange for a small fee, they will help you build up a basic account on various platforms.
To attract potential customers to your store, you’ll need to post regularly and become known as a reliable supplier of quality products. To engage with potential customers, you’ll need to make yourself available to talk about your products whenever they want to. The people over 40 years old in Thailand are the most active digital nomads, and if you can reach this demographic, then you can ensure that you’ll gain a large and loyal customer base in the country. With more and more people transitioning to digital nomadism, your product will be in high demand, and this will translate to increased sales and growth.
To get started, simply fill out a short form detailing the specifics of your business, your location, and the type of products you specialize in. Once this is completed, you’ll be provided with a quote, after which you can decide whether or not to continue with the project.
This is a short guide to help you get started on your road to internet stardom in Thailand. Keep in mind that not all businesses will be successful, but with determination and a little bit of luck, you can certainly build a lucrative platform for yourself.