If you’re selling something on the internet, chances are you’ve heard of Facebook Marketplace and the potential it offers sellers to connect with buyers without having to pay listing fees or a portion of their sales to eBay or Amazon. But how do you actually use it? What are the differences between Facebook Marketplace and eBay, besides the obvious? And how do you sell your item so that you get the best possible price? Here’s what you need to know about selling on Facebook Marketplace.
What is Facebook Marketplace?
Facebook marketplace section is a big part of their expanding ecosystem. It’s an e-commerce/marketplace platform where you can connect with people who are also interested in buying or selling goods. The platform was launched back in 2014 and since then, it has become more mature and engaging.
Today, users have made around $5 billion through Facebook marketplace with half of that being sold for cash. Additionally, there are several other platforms that work within Marketplace like OfferUp and Letgo. These companies provide additional tools like payment options and transaction tracking which has made them very popular as well.
It’s important to note that Facebook marketplace is only available in select countries but if your interested you can contact them directly to check if they’re available in your country.
The value of Facebook Marketplace
For buyers, and especially for sellers, using Facebook Marketplace is a no-brainer. It’s free (ad-supported), easy to use, and has more than two billion active users. Plus, it’s right on your phone in a place you already check dozens of times a day.
If your item sells quickly or you decide that selling isn’t for you, just take it down and move on with your life—it doesn’t cost anything extra or take any time away from what you usually do with your phone. However, there are some tips and tricks to selling successfully on Facebook Marketplace:
7 Tips For Selling Successfully On Facebook Marketplace: 1. Decide how you want to sell – Offer first…or let others bid? 2. Upload photos of items – 3 things they need to be successful 3. Write a clear description – Make sure potential buyers know exactly what they’re getting 4. Set a fair price – 5 tips for setting an attractive but fair price 5. Choose who can see your listing – Want people outside your network or group memberships? 6.
Getting started with Facebook Marketplace
The first thing you need to do is download and install Facebook’s mobile app, which is available for both iOS and Android. Once it’s installed, head to your profile page and tap About. Then hit Goals in Settings and select Marketplace, then tap Goal Started at the bottom of your screen. Now you can begin using Facebook Marketplace! But first… you should update some privacy settings so people can’t see your posts outside of Facebook Marketplace.
Head to Settings (the gear icon) on top right corner > Privacy > Edit Your settings…then check off where you want people seeing your posts! For example: Friends except marketplace posts. This way people won’t know what kind of stuff you’re selling on Facebook. You may also want to check off where you want private messages from friends versus those who are not yet friends. Check off Only Show My Messages From Friends, and uncheck Marketplace conversations with non-friends if you want to keep things private within Marketplace only.
Tips for success on Facebook
Buyers on marketplaces are in a rush, so don’t waste their time by posting pictures that are blurry or too small. Make sure your posts are fully visible (many people hold their phones at an angle), and make sure you’re not covering up any vital information with text overlays. Speaking of which: keep it simple! Too much text is overwhelming and makes it difficult for buyers to understand what you’re selling, not to mention what they need to do next. And remember: use proper grammar and spelling, especially if English isn’t your first language. Just because most communication on Facebook happens through emoticons doesn’t mean that its users aren’t looking for professionalism. People buy from other people, after all—so even though buyers won’t be able to meet you face-to-face before completing their purchase, they still want to know who they’re dealing with. Take good photos of your items and show off some personality!
Selling on Facebook can boost your business.
If you’re a small business, selling on Facebook can help you reach more customers and increase your sales. Even large companies have successfully used Marketplace to drive new sales. If you’re using your personal account, set up a professional seller account before setting up your first sale. In order to comply with privacy laws and guard against spammy or abusive posts, Facebook doesn’t allow sellers to post advertisements outside of their own business accounts or pages.
In order to advertise on Facebook, you need an official company page. Once you’ve created your account, complete all required fields including item description, price and category. Items in good condition get 13 times more exposure than items that are not .
You should also consider shipping terms such as same-day delivery or free shipping to attract buyers—58% of people expect free shipping when shopping online . Also make sure that any photos include appropriate product information such as size and color so shoppers know exactly what they’re buying.
