To Expand the Market for Local Textiles into the Digital Realm, an Unsri Professor Trains Songket Artisans in Limbang Jaya Village to Create Promotional Content Using Android

Sriwijaya University (Unsri) organized a Community Service program titled “Enhancing Android-Based Promotion of Songket through the Creation of Photo and Video Content Featuring Products by Artisans in Limbang Jaya Village” in Limbang Jaya Village, Tanjung Batu Subdistrict, Ogan Ilir Regency. Running from August through September 2026, this empowerment initiative is led by Dr. Anita Desiani, S.Si., M.Kom., and involves 15 traditional songket artisans in adapting to the digital marketing ecosystem.

This program was conceived in response to shifting consumer behavior in the digital age, where the appeal of cultural products no longer relies solely on word-of-mouth promotion or physical exhibitions, but rather begins with visual displays on smartphone screens. Using the Android devices they use daily, the artisans were guided on how to transform their devices into digital showcases that highlight the beauty of the motifs, the intricacy of the weaving, and the philosophical value of regional songket to a wider market.

In hands-on training sessions, the Unsri outreach team equipped participants with product photography techniques, natural lighting setups, shot angle selection, and professional photo and video editing using popular apps like Canva and CapCut—all without the need for expensive equipment. In addition to visual production, the artisans were also trained to design digital promotion strategies through the Instagram platform, including crafting storytelling captions, scheduling posts effectively, and interpreting analytics to understand audience responses.

Through this collaboration between Unsri academics and the traditional textile artisans’ community in Limbang Jaya Village, the preservation of ancestral cultural heritage has proven to go hand in hand with advancements in information technology. It is hoped that this improvement in digital marketing literacy will strengthen the competitiveness of local weaving MSMEs in the creative economy sector while ensuring the economic sustainability of artisans’ families in the future.