Everyone is familiar with Facebook as a platform to keep in touch with friends and family, exchange photos, and join interest groups. But did you know that you can also sell products on Facebook and even start an e-commerce business? All you need is an active Facebook account!
I’ll show you how to sell on Facebook Marketplace using tried-and-true methods in this post. I advise
What is a Facebook Marketplace?
Facebook launched the Marketplace in 2016 and it rapidly became a popular platform to sell things to local buyers. Facebook’s Marketplace is a safer and more user-friendly platform for local sales than Craigslist.
Facebook distinguishes itself from Craigslist even further by allowing eligible vendors to offer nationwide shipping for products in specific categories, giving them a significantly bigger client base than local-only sellers.
How big is it? Facebook has 2.9 billion monthly active users, including 1 billion Marketplace users per month.
People often think of the Marketplace as a clearinghouse for people’s used or unwanted home things because of its origins as a local buy/sell platform (which it certainly can be used as).
Yet, because of its shipping capabilities, it is also ideal for retail arbitrage, which is the practice of purchasing in-demand things from a retail store and reselling them online at a greater price.
If you’re new to the Marketplace, take some time to walk around and discover what’s available. You can buy and sell almost anything on eBay or Craigslist, including automobiles, couches, video games, furniture, and more.
Who Should Sell Their Goods On Facebook Marketplace?
The quick answer is anyone! The Facebook Marketplace isn’t just for folks who want to get rid of extra items; it’s also for entrepreneurs, e-commerce firms, Amazon sellers, woodworkers, handmade artists, brick-and-mortar establishments, and so on.
In truth, selling techniques differ little between Facebook and other marketplaces such as Amazon and eBay.
Costs Associated with the Facebook Marketplace
Unlike other e-commerce or reselling platforms, Facebook charges no listing fees if you sell locally. Whenever a client placed a shipping order, the seller is only charged 5% of the selling price, or a flat cost of $0.40 for shipments of $8.00 or less. Because of the little overhead, listing products on Facebook is a no-brainer for both new and established eCommerce retailers.
Facebook declared in the About Fees section that they will waive their regular sell cost for any items marked as shipped until 11:59 pm Pacific Time on June 30, 2023.
What Do You Need To Start Selling on Facebook?
An active Facebook account is all that’s required to begin selling on Facebook Marketplace. It’s actually that easy! If you want to offer to ship on your listings, you must go through the additional process of submitting your payment and shipping details.
Factors To Consider When Selling on Facebook Marketplace
Orders must be despatched within three days and delivered within seven days.
You have three business days after you check out to send an item you sell on Facebook
#1. Marketplace using any carrier that offers tracking services.
For sellers who are used to alternative shipping methods, you will need to readjust to guarantee that your things reach on time and without problems. If something does come up, your reputation as an internet merchant will suffer.
#2. Facebook Marketplace is not compatible with all e-commerce platforms.
Not every e-commerce business platform integrates with Facebook. Be sure your business can integrate with the platform before deciding whether or not to sell on Facebook Marketplace.
If it doesn’t, you can have trouble monitoring inventory counts or keeping listings up-to-date.
#3. Buyers will communicate and send messages in large numbers.
As with any sales channel, Facebook Marketplace will get inquiries from customers who are interested in purchasing your product or who have already purchased and are arranging for delivery.
You’ll want to quickly master your tone and communication templates for pre- and post-purchase inquiries from clients.
Customer service communications are an often-overlooked opportunity to highlight your brand’s voice and actually satisfy customers.
Selling on Facebook Marketplace: Advantages and Disadvantages
Facebook Marketplace has grown as an alternate choice for online merchants and consumers, even outperforming traditional online markets such as Amazon, Craigslist, and eBay in some cases.
They were able to do so primarily for two reasons:
#1. Extended reach
Facebook is a social media powerhouse, with approximately 3 billion active monthly users. The Facebook app is also the platform on which users in the United States spend the most time during the day.
With these figures to back it up, Facebook Marketplace has grown tremendously in the last six years, with a billion monthly visits and a million active Facebook Shops.
There may be no better market available for merchants to reach the broadest audience.
#2. Customer service that is tailored to their needs.
Like Facebook itself, Facebook Marketplace gained popularity due to its capacity to be customized, particularly for its users.
Through the use of a clever algorithm, the platform reveals products relevant to users and their search patterns, assisting your business in finding the proper customers.
This also helps to guarantee that your product is noticed by the proper audience, increasing the possibility that an encounter will lead to a purchase.
Is There a Fee to Sell on Facebook Marketplace?
For selling things on Facebook Marketplace, Facebook will not charge you a listing fee.
But, there are sell fees to consider. The selling fee is 5% for each shipping or $.40 for orders of $8 or less.
How Can I Enhance Facebook Marketplace Sales?
There are various ways you can alter your Marketplace listing to attract more buyers, including the following:
- Adding extra keywords to the title and description of your Facebook listing will improve it.
- Write a longer description that includes more information about the item.
- Hire a professional photographer to capture high-quality images of your products.
Do I Need To Sell My Goods on Facebook Marketplace?
The answer is, of course, unique to each individual and the commodity they wish to sell.
Our general recommendation? If you’re in the right market, you should definitely sell on Facebook Marketplace. There is no other ready-made shop online quite like it, given the sheer scale and reach of the platforms — and the billions of people who use them. You can sell practically anything if there is high demand.
What Should You Sell on Facebook?
You may sell almost anything on Facebook Marketplace, similar to eBay and Craigslist. Your first step in selling on Facebook is to go around your house, garage, or attic to determine if you have anything valuable enough to resell.
This can include anything from old furniture to outdated electronics, video games, kitchen equipment, books, and so on. Look around the Marketplace to discover what others in your region are selling.
While you’re at it, take note of the product descriptions and photographs of other sellers. What information did you find useful as a potential customer, and where do you see room for improvement? Does the seller, for example, give the product’s dimensions and well-lit images shot from several angles? As you design your own listings, keep your insights in mind (more on building listings in Step 4).
Categories in the Facebook Marketplace:
On the marketplace, you can sell in a variety of categories, including clothing, musical instruments, and pet supplies.
The complete list of Facebook Marketplace categories is provided below:
- Vehicles
- Real Estate Rentals
- Apparel Classifieds
- Electronics
- Family Entertainment Freebies
- Gardening and outdoor activities
- Home Furnishings
- Supplies for home improvement
- House sales
- Musical instruments
- Office Supplies
- Pet supplies
- Sporting goods
- Toys and games
- Buy & sell groups
You can see that there is a Facebook Marketplace category for everything you want to sell.
Product Analysis for Facebook Marketplace
When you begin selling on Facebook Marketplace, you should conduct some product research to ensure that what you are offering is profitable. This is an important step, especially for sellers who want to start or grow an e-commerce business using Facebook.
Successful product research is based on data; it evaluates how many units of a given product sell over time and at what price, as well as how many other suppliers compete for the same clients within a specific niche.
When it comes to the platform, Facebook Marketplace doesn’t provide many sales statistics, but after you search for something, you can sort by “Sold” things.
This provides you with a better idea of what similar things have sold for. Search for “sofa” on Facebook Marketplace, for instance, if you resell couches. After you hit search, other filters, including “availability,” will appear on the left-hand side. Choose “Sold.”
All recently sold items linked to your search will be displayed in the Marketplace.
To see when an item was listed, go to the individual listing.
Facebook Marketplace primarily deals in local sales of one-time things, so we don’t have much data on what sells and what doesn’t. But it doesn’t mean we have to predict what will sell; instead, we may look at what sells on other marketplaces like eBay and Amazon.
There are shortcuts to determining profitability, as well as a number of e-commerce business tools that handle all of the heavy labor.
Facebook Marketplace Policies
Make sure to review the Facebook Marketplace Commerce Policies to understand more about Marketplace, including what types of products are permitted and forbidden.
Marketplace, Buy, and Sell Facebook Groups, Page Shops, and Instagram Shopping are all subject to the Commerce Policies.
What Can be Offered For Sale on the Facebook Marketplace?
You can sell nearly anything on Facebook Marketplace as long as you respect Facebook’s Business Rules. According to Facebook, the top five most popular item categories are:
- Items for the home.
- Furniture.
- Babies and children’s goods.
- Shoes and clothes for women.
- Automobiles including trucks, and motorcycles.
What Can You Not Sell On Facebook Marketplace?
A list of things that are not permitted to be sold on Marketplace is maintained by Facebook. Examples include;
- Digital goods or subscriptions
- Weapons, ammunition, or explosives.
- Animals.
- Substances that are illegal, prescribed, or recreational.
- Medical or healthcare products.
- Tobacco goods and related accessories.
- Supplements that are easily absorbed.
- Adult goods and services.
- Services for gambling with real money.
- Real, virtual, or counterfeit money.
- Items that are misleading, deceptive, or insulting.
- Products that have been recalled.
- You must sell a physical product.
- Anything that isn’t an actual commodity for sale, such as “in search of” posts, cannot be sold.
- Posts on lost and found items.
- Jokes.
- News.
Housekeeping and event tickets, for example, are only offered on the marketplace through collaboration with one of Facebook’s partners.
The item’s description must correspond to the image.
The photographs of the things you upload must match the title and description you provide. Although descriptions are not essential, including one can help you get more offers and earn more confidence with potential buyers.
Furthermore, Facebook Marketplace listings cannot include or describe a before and after image to describe a product’s benefits.
Conclusion
After you sell your first thing on Facebook, you’ll be hooked. This user-friendly platform makes it simple for both consumers and sellers to shop.
You only need a Facebook account to sell things from your home on the same day.
I hope this comprehensive information will assist you in beginning your sell journey! Give it a try and let us know how it goes in the comments now that you know how to sell on Facebook Marketplace.
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