As a full-time travel blogger constantly hopping between Southeast Asian countries, I’ve always struggled with monetizing my journeys beyond sponsored posts. Last month in Chiang Mai, I found myself surrounded by exquisite handmade umbrellas at the weekend night market. The vibrant colors danced under the lantern light, and the delicate paper felt like whispered stories under my fingertips. But all I could do was take photos for my blog – these beautiful creations remained inaccessible to my followers back home.
I’d tried everything before. eBay listings felt like shouting into the void, while Facebook Marketplace required constant reposting. The worst was when I attempted Instagram Live sales – the unstable connection at a Bangkok floating market kept dropping, and my excitement about the hand-painted ceramics turned to frustration as comments piled up with “frozen screen!” and “audio cutting out!”
It was during a rainy afternoon in Hoi An, while sharing coffee with another digital nomad at a riverside café, that I first heard about Whatnot. “It’s built for live selling,” she said, showing me how she’d auctioned vintage ao dai dresses just days earlier. The orange and white interface glowed warmly on her phone screen, but I remained skeptical – wasn’t this just another social commerce platform?
My first Whatnot broadcast happened right there in that Vietnamese café. The “Go Live” button pulsed invitingly, and within minutes, 20 viewers joined my stream. As I held up silk lanterns that cast crimson patterns across my hands, the comments exploded with heart emojis and purchase requests. The built-in payment system processed everything seamlessly – no more awkward PayPal invoices or delayed payments.
What truly won me over was the comparison. Unlike Instagram’s algorithm that buries live videos, Whatnot’s community actively seeks shopping experiences. The difference became crystal clear when I streamed from two locations: a chaotic morning fish market in Tokyo, and a serene Kyoto temple garden. Both times, the platform maintained stunning video quality that made the fresh tuna’s iridescent scales and the handcrafted incense textures appear vividly real to viewers.
Now, my Whatnot sessions have become as essential as my passport. From demonstrating how to wear a Philippine traditional blanket in Baguio’s chilly mountains to sharing the story behind Balinese wood carvings, each live sale feels like bringing my followers along on my adventures. The cheerful cha-ching sound of sales notifications has become my favorite travel melody.
If there’s one minor drawback, it’s the learning curve for creating compelling show descriptions – but that’s mastered within a few broadcasts.
If you’re a traveler sitting on untapped treasures from your journeys, maybe Whatnot deserves your attention. I’ve been using it for all my live sales lately – just download the app and start with items you’re passionate about. Who knows? Your next travel find might become someone’s cherished possession back home.