By Sarah Neumeyer
A few weeks ago, I wrote about how fun and cost effective buying on Facebook Marketplace can be (read that here). Now, I want to share some tips for selling on Facebook Marketplace.
One man’s trash…
We all have things around our house that we don’t use, but that doesn’t mean they should be destined for the trash. There are people out there in Facebook-land that are looking for all sorts of things. Chances are, someone is looking for what you no longer want. Selling on Facebook Marketplace is a great way to give items a second chance at life, move things out of your home, and make a little money in the process.
I, myself, have actually sold more than $900 worth of items on Facebook Marketplace. And that doesn’t take into account the several garage sales I’ve advertised for through Marketplace. My typical items are usually furniture or children’s toys/etc, but I have seen just about anything you can imagine for sale, outside of a few Facebook mandated exclusions like live animals and weapons. I use the cash generated from these sales for things like new furniture when I want to redecorate, or for vacations (like our annual girls’ trip!!).
Now I’ll walk you through the basic steps of selling something on Facebook Marketplace. For this example, I’ll be using my matching rattan bar stools, that happen to be a Marketplace purchase themselves! All of my screenshots are from the Facebook App for iPhone, but other apps shouldn’t differ too much, and if using a laptop or tablet, many of these tips will still apply.
1.Photos
First, you’re going to want to take some good photos of the item you want to sell. Tips for “good photos” include 1) natural lighting (no big shadows), 2) multiple angles if applicable, 3) no distracting elements in the background (move clutter away), and 4) include pictures of any damage.
You can see how I placed the stools in natural, flat lighting so there were no awkward shadows and so the color of the stools looked as accurate as possible. I included two views of the stools so that potential buyers could get a good idea of what they really look like. I made sure the area around the stools wasn’t messy, and cropped the photos in tight– messy photos can give the impression that the items you are trying to sell may be coming from a dirty home, even if that’s not true. The stools have no damaged areas, but if they did I would have provided a close up of the damage. And for some items, especially for large furniture like dressers, or for decorative items, it can be nice to style the object in a pleasing way, so that buyers can invision the item’s potential.
2.Marketplace Profile
After your photos are ready, open Marketplace on your Facebook App (located at the bottom of your screen, pictured in blue in the screenshot under “Create New Listing”, or in your Facebook Menu bar). Once you are in Marketplace, click on the profile button at the top of your screen. It looks like a gray circle with a black figure silhouette (circled in red in the image below). This icon takes you to your marketplace profile.
3.Create New Listing
Once in your profile, you’ll see the button to “create new listing” at the top. This is what you will click to begin making your sales listing. It is worth noting, you may double check your location just underneath this blue button to be sure you are selling your item in your desired area.
When you click the “create new listing” button, a menu will appear from the bottom of your screen. Choose the option that best describes whatever you wish to sell. For my bar stools, I will select “items.”
4.Photos and Description
You will automatically be directed to a new page, where you can upload your photos by clicking “add photos” at the top. Try to select your photos in order, because the first photo selected will be the main photo on the sales post. You want your potential buyers to be able to see exactly what you are selling by just a glance at that photo.
Fill in all applicable info boxes. Title your post concisely and descriptively. Choose a reasonable price (for help on pricing, search for similar items on Marketplace, Ebay, Mercari, or other resale sites. Choose a fitting category. Be honest about the condition of your item. If it has scratches and dents, it is not in “like new” condition.
Scroll down to complete filling in the description box. Be clear and concise. Include measurements if applicable. Include the history of the item if applicable. If it is electronic, state it’s age and operation status. Provide any information you would want to know if you were looking to purchase the item. List the location of where you want the item to be picked up. List your payment options. I wrote “cash only” but this may limit your buyers. Online payment options include Paypal, Venmo, Apple Pay, Facebook Pay, and more. Do your research and pick what best suits your needs. You can see that I wrote “no holds” in my description. This means that I am not willing to hold the item for an extended period of time without payment while someone tries to arrange their schedule, money, etc. This part is up to you, but I usually want to move my items out quickly and I don’t always trust those people to follow through with the purchase. To be fair though, I will usually give my buyers 3-4 hours to arrange for pickup if they truly seem interested. You may also list items as “first come, first served” and then whoever arrives first with payment gets the item.
If you look at the photo above, you’ll see an option to add more details. This is up to you if you want to complete this part. It is not required for posting. You can also choose to “hide from friends” if you don’t want your Facebook friends to know about it (maybe you’re selling a gift?), “list in more places” if you want to easily duplicate the listing in resale groups in which you might be a member, or add “additional listing options.” The more locations, descriptions, key words, and details you provide, the easier it will be for people to find.
5.Delivery Method
Once you are happy with your listing details and photos, click “next.” You will be directed to the “delivery method” page, pictured below.
This is very important. Make sure you choose the delivery option that you want here. The default option is “shipping & local pickup,” meaning local people can meet you for pick up, AND others can have the item mailed to them. If you do not want to deal with shipping, choose “local pickup only.” You may also choose “shipping only” if you so choose. One helpful thing is that Facebook helps you navigate the shipping fees.
6.Publish
After you select your delivery method, you are done! Just click “publish” and watch your messenger app for inquiries!
Additional tips for selling on Facebook Marketplace:
-Know what cannot be sold on Marketplace: digital products; weapons, ammunition, or explosives; animals; illegal, prescription, or recreational drugs; ingestible supplements; real, virtual, or fake currency; misleading, deceptive, or offensive items.
-Be smart, stay safe: Don’t disclose personal information. Meet in a public place. Take a friend with you or make sure someone knows where you are at all times. Know that some profiles may be fake- if anything seems off, it is not a problem to cut off the sale.
-Don’t fall for scams: a popular scam right now is that the buyer will ask for your phone number and for you to tell them a numerical code that will be sent to you “so they know that you are real.” This is a scam. Just delete and move on.
-Negotiating on price can sell your items quicker: if you are open to negotiations or offers, include so in your item description.
-Renew your listings: Facebook will automatically prompt you to re-list your items after a certain amount of time if they don’t sell. Doing so will refresh your post so more people will see it. You can also change your price then (or at any time) if you desire.
-Respond to messages promptly: The quicker you respond to inquiries, the faster your items will sell. People tend to move on very quickly from items they are interested in. Communicate with them as soon as you can to keep their attention.
-Post on or before the weekend: You can list at any time and be successful, but I notice that I sell things more quickly when I post near the weekend, when people have more time to pick up the items. Of course, if you are not available on the weekend (or any other specific time) wait till you can meet before you list your item.
-Mark items as sold: When you sell an item, be sure to mark it as “sold” so you don’t keep getting inquiries about it, and can focus on the next thing you want to sell!
I hope these tips can help you navigate Facebook Marketplace. It really is a fun and convenient way to declutter and make some spare cash. There is always more to learn and new tricks to try, so please share them in the comments when you find them!
