The Comprehensive Guide to Selling on Facebook Marketplace

The digital age has changed the way we do business. Nowadays, more and more people are shopping online than in physical retail stores. With so many new platforms to sell on, it can be hard to decide which one is the best for you! That is why we will dive deeper into how Facebook Marketplace works and show you how it can help your reselling business grow!

Facebook Marketplace is a convenient way to get rid of your old furniture, clothes, and other household items you no longer want to use. But, there is a lot of confusion on how it works and what items can be sold. This article will help you understand the ins and outs of selling on Facebook Marketplace, including some tips and tricks to help you have a smooth and seamless reselling business.

What is Facebook Marketplace

Facebook Marketplace is a relatively new addition to the social media platform first introduced in 2016. It instantly became popular because of how easy it is to buy and sell an item compared to other e-commerce platforms like Amazon and eBay.

Aside from its user-friendly interface, it also offers a wide range of potential customers. Facebook has 2.9 billion monthly active users. 4% or an estimate of 800 million of those are active marketplace users each month. Facebook continues to be the leading social media platform, making it an excellent medium to start your reselling business.

How Facebook Marketplace Works

Facebook Marketplace is a new way for people to buy and sell locally. It's not an auction site like eBay or Amazon, but rather a classified ads style platform where sellers can list items they want to sell with pictures and details about what they're selling. In a simple term, You can list anything you want for sale in your area or up to 50 miles away from where you live. The person who posts the item will set the price and decide whether they want cash or exchange. They can also specify what they are looking for in return if they choose an exchange.

Another reason you try Facebook marketplace is that they do not charge any fee for the sellers. No listing fee, no subscription fee, nothing. However, if you want to maximize your reach, there is an option to boost your post. The boosted post will then turn into an ad, where you have the chance to manually customize your target market or let Facebook handle it automatically, which will be based on your metrics.

Like other marketplaces, you can find all sorts of items on Facebook Marketplace, from used clothing and furniture to new electronics and toys. You can buy and sell anything you can think of, as long as it is not part of the prohibited item list or against Facebook marketplace rules.

Here is the full list of categories available on Facebook Marketplace:

Apparel
Classifieds
Electronics
Entertainment
Family
Free stuff
Garden & outdoor
Hobbies
Home goods
Home improvement supplies
Pet supplies
Property rentals
Sporting goods
Toys & games
Vehicles

Just make sure you list your items according to their right category to avoid getting disapproved. Suppose you think your listing is not against the Facebook marketplace community standards and is not on the prohibited items list. In that case, you can file an appeal, and the Facebook Marketplace will take a second look.

Facebook Marketplace Rules

Facebook marketplace is a great way to make some extra cash and sell items you no longer need or want. All items listed on Marketplace will become a public listing and can be seen by anyone browsing the marketplace, in their newsfeed, search results, and other places inside or outside Facebook. But before you click that "publish listing" button, you should first learn and follow their commerce policies (for Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp). All items sold on Facebook should follow Facebook community standards.

Facebook Community Standards

Facebook made sure that the Facebook marketplace is a safe buying and selling platform for all its users. All products must comply with the following requirements before being posted as a listing on the marketplace and buy and sell groups.

Authenticity - Any misrepresentation on the product listing is not allowed. This includes an unmatched cover photo to its title and description.
Safety - Any listings that threaten, discriminate, intimidate, harass, or exclude other users are not allowed.
Privacy - Personal privacy and information matters. Any listings that disclose the personal information of the buyer or seller are not allowed.

All products sold on Facebook must comply with Facebook's Community Standards and abide by the Commerce Policies. This also applies to the following:

Marketplace
Buying and Selling Groups
Page Shops
Instagram Shops

In order to better understand Commerce Policies, here are some of the prohibited items you cannot sell on Facebook:

Prohibited Items

Adult Products - Any listing that promotes buying, selling, and the use of adult products is not allowed.
Alcohol - Any listing that promotes buy and sell of alcohol is not allowed
Animals and Animal Products - Selling animals, animal products, or adoption are not allowed on Marketplace and Buy and Sell groups.
Currency and other Financial Instruments - This includes buying and selling of real or fake documents, currency (Physical and virtual), and other financial instruments.
Digital Media and Electronic Devices - This includes streaming content in an unauthorized manner.
Hazardous Materials and Substances - Any listing that promotes the buying and selling of unsafe goods and substances are not allowed
Human Body Parts and Fluids - Any listing promoting the buy and sell of human body parts and fluids are strictly not allowed.
Human Exploitation, Sexual Services, and Sexually Positioned Products - This includes any form of human trafficking, prostitution, and other sexual services and products.
Ingestible Supplements - Any listing that promotes buy and sell of ingestible supplements are not allowed
Jobs - Job opportunities should be listed in their appropriate category to prevent any deceptive, fraudulent, or unclear business model.
Medical Healthcare Related Products - Any healthcare-related items are not allowed, including medical devices.
Misleading or Hateful Products - This also includes any products that promote discrimination.
No Actual Product - Anything that is not a real item cannot be sold on Facebook. This includes but is not limited to lost and found posts, jokes, and News.
Online Gambling - Includes gaming, betting, lotteries, raffles, casinos, sweepstakes, bingo, and facilitation of online gambling.
Prescription Drugs, Recreational Drugs, and Drug Paraphernalia - Any listing promoting the buy and sell of drugs and other drug paraphernalia are not allowed.
Recalled Products - Any listing promoting the buy and sell of recalled products is not allowed.
Services - Services cannot be sold on Marketplace and buy and sell groups.
Stolen Items - Any listing that sells stolen products are not allowed.
Subscriptions and Digital Products - Any listing that promotes the buy and sell of subscriptions and digital products are not allowed.
Third-Party Infringement - Anything that violates the intellectual property rights of any third party, such as copyright or trademark.
Tobacco Products - Any listing that promotes the buying and selling of any smoking products containing nicotine is not allowed.
Used Cosmetics - Selling of used products is not allowed.
Weapons, Ammunition, and Explosives. Selling any weapon, ammunition, explosives, and other harmful products are not allowed.

Restricted Items

The following are restricted to sell on Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp:

Events, Concert or Admission Tickets
Gift Cards and Vouchers

All listings are subject to approval before other users can see them on the Marketplace and other buy and sell groups on Facebook. You will receive a notification once your request has been approved or rejected.

How to Sell on Facebook Marketplace

Now that you've learned what items can be sold on the Facebook marketplace and those prohibited items you should stay away from, it's time to learn how to sell and set up your reselling journey on this platform. Here is the step-by-step guide on how to sell on the Facebook marketplace, including creating and managing your listing, where to source items for your listing and other tips and tricks in reselling.

Set Up Your Facebook Marketplace Account

To use the Facebook marketplace, you need to have an account first. If it is your first time making an account on Facebook-- worry not! Creating a free account can take less than 5 minutes.

To create an account:

Go to Facebook.com
Click "Create an Account"
Enter your personal information and click "Sign Up."

After signing up, do not forget to fill up all the necessary information so more people will trust you. In most cases, people would check your account first before making a purchase. If you do not have basic identification or even a profile picture with your real pictures in it, other users may find your account sketchy and will definitely not buy from your listings.

After setting up your Facebook account, let us now set up your marketplace account. You can set up a marketplace account in the app or on the website.

In the app:

Click the marketplace located at the left side menu
Add the photo of the item you want to sell
Add the listing title
Add product description
Add your desired price
Add location and select category
Click "Publish."

Before your listing goes live, it will be reviewed first by the Facebook Marketplace team. Suppose the product is not against their community standards and not on the list of prohibited items. In that case, you will receive a notification that your listing is now active and can be seen by other marketplace users.

How to Create and Manage Your Listing

There are so many benefits of selling on the Facebook marketplace, including a potential customer base of 2 billion people who use the app each month! With Facebook Marketplace, selling items is easier than ever before.

In this example, we will create and manage a listing using a desktop. Simply follow the step by step guide below:

Step 1: From your news feed, click the marketplace icon located in the left menu

Step 2: Tap the "Create New Listing" button, then click "Item For Sale."

Step 3: Select "Add Photos" to upload a photo of your item from your mobile phone or desktop.

Step 4: Enter the title and description of the item you sell.

Step 5: Add your desired price. If you want to mark the item as Free, just enter "0" as the price.

Step 6: Click "Publish" to post your listing. Your listing will be reviewed first. Then you'll receive a notification within a few minutes whether it is approved or denied.

Pro-Tip: If you don't want your friends to see the item that you are selling, toggle the "hide your listing from your Facebook friends" button. It will still be visible to other users of the platform.

Other Factors to Consider:

Creating and managing listings on Facebook is easy and can be done in just a few clicks. But, the most critical part is making sure people will actually click your listing, inquire, and eventually make a purchase.

We have listed down other factors you must consider when making a Facebook listing. This includes advanced selling tips and tricks for a smooth and seamless marketplace business.

1. Quality Photo

Listings with images receive 39% more interaction than text-based content. Adding photos to your listing will lessen buyers asking for more pictures of the item and will also speed up their buying decision. If you do not have a budget for a professional photographer, there are a lot of photo editing apps you can use to enhance the photo of your item.

Remember that a quality photo matters most, especially in the increasing competition in the market. Try to take a picture of the item at different angles, match the item with complementing colors, make sure to have a clutter-free background, and use a photo editing app to remove any unwanted elements on your item. Just ensure not to exaggerate editing your photo or try to hide any flaws, stains, and damages.

Buyers can leave you a review on your Marketplace account after making a purchase. DIsclosing the item's condition is important to avoid unnecessary returns or problems in the future. Plus, satisfied buyers can give you a 5-star rating and an excellent recommendation to attract more potential customers from buying on you.

2. Listing Title and Description

In order to captivate more people into your listings, your cover photos must also match the listing and product description. Facebook will not also allow your listing to be published your photos are not matching with its listing title and description.

Also, make sure to enter the relevant information on your listing title and description. Never forget to add the brand name, item name, color, size, and condition of your item. In this way, people searching for a specific product or brand will easily find your listing. When writing your product description, ensure that all the relevant information about your product is already indicated. If the item you are selling has signs of wear and tear, holes, stains, or damages- make sure to disclose it on the description box.

You can also include if the item is a fixed price or are you open for negotiation. Other buyers might as for an additional discount or lowball you. Remember to always be respectful and simply decline the offer if it is too unreasonable. In this way, the buyer will be more aware of the item's condition and your terms and conditions. It will also save you from the hassle process of unwanted returns or complaints.

3. Price

The idea of pricing your items depends on the item's condition, high demand, or the rarity of the item (limited edition.) Some customers can be rude and criticize you, especially if you resell an item for more than the retail price.

Before deciding on the price of your item, a little product research will pay off. Try to look for similar items on the marketplace and other platforms. If you can, try to match the price of your item. Expect that people will negotiate; that is why we recommend adding 10-25% more to your published price. Remember not to take a loss from your item. If the customer becomes rude or would ask for an unreasonable price, simply decline the offer and stay firm with your lowest price.

4. Location

Facebook marketplace is a great platform to sell locally. The algorithm connects the buyer to the nearest seller of their location. So if you are selling locally, most of your customers are also around your area. Those sellers aiming to extend their reach can opt to boost their listings. If you have a local store or are open to meeting your customers, you can highlight it on the shipping or delivery feature.

Meeting Up

If you are open to meeting strangers, remember to always be cautious at all times. Try to meet in a shopping center parking lot or other places with many other people. You can also meet up in the nearby Police station. In most cases, they have a "meeting place" for buyers and sellers in a well-lighted area for a safer transaction. If you are uncomfortable meeting someone in an unfamiliar place, you can give them your home or store address to pick up the item.

Keep in mind not to disclose any personal information without checking the profile of the customers you are transacting with. Make sure to check a few photos of themselves and their essential identification, such as the city where they live or work if something is off, better not to proceed with the transaction. You can report any suspicious people or suspicious activity on the Marketplace.

Free Delivery

Most of the buyers would like to meet up, especially when they are transacting with high-valued items. But some customers do not have extra time to do all these things. You can offer free local delivery to nearby places convenient for you. You can also offer a discounted shipping fee for out-of-range areas to entice more customers.

Remember that you will be charged a 5% selling fee if you set up shipping on your listing. This fee covers the cost of payment processing using the Facebook checkout system. For example, you sell an item for $100, and Facebook will charge you a $5 selling fee.

5. Boosting Posts

Due to the increased competition in the local area, selling general items can be pretty challenging. If you are a seller experiencing the same, you can boost your post to extend your reach and get more potential buyers. Facebook lets you advertise your listing by "Boosting" them. Boosting them means that it will turn into marketplace ads with few advantages.

Benefits of Boosting your listing

Affordable - You can set your own daily budget and date range. Facebook also lets you track your ad expenses and notifies you if you exceed your own monthly ad budget.
Your listing on top of News Feeds - All boosted posts will appear in people's news feeds, search pages, and other places inside and outside of Facebook.
Customize Your Audience - Facebook allows you to customize your audience from demographics, location, interests, and activity. If you are still unfamiliar with your insights, you can let Facebook set the audience automatically to reach your target market.
Listing Performace - You can view the result of your boosted posts and work out the gaps for a better ad campaign.

How to Boost a Listing

To boost your listing, simply follow the step by step guide below:

Step 1: Click the Marketplace icon on the left menu

Step 2: Click "Your Listings." and select the listing you want to promote

Step 3: Select "Boost Listing."

Step 4: Set your daily budget and campaign duration. Facebook will estimate your audience based on your budget. You can adjust this accordingly.

Step 5: Choose your audience. Facebook allows you to target other Facebook users by age, location, interests, and activity. You can save these custom audience settings for your future use.

Step 6: After defining your audience, click "Promote Now" to begin your campaign.

Facebook will notify you once your boosted ad starts running. You can monitor its metrics performance (clicks, reach, engagement) in real-time.

Final Thoughts:

The Facebook marketplace has a different approach than other e-commerce sites like eBay and Craigslist. The Facebook marketplace has its advantages and disadvantages when it comes to buying and selling online. Because of its convenience, some even made this their ticket out of the minimum wage job.

Many marketplace sellers are earning six-digit figures annually, but just like any other job, you must also invest effort, money, and time for it to work out. Thanks to the digital world we live in right now, you can now have an online shop while doing other things you love

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