Facebook marketplace is a free feature that allows its users to purchase, buy and trade items with people that are close to them-sort of like a garage sale, only that this is done online. In this marketplace you will find all sorts of items for sale, some are usually big, small, expensive, and cheap.
You can find whatever you are looking for by filtering your search results by location, category, and price. By listing on this marketplace, you can find buyers where they’re. Getting started can be challenging, that’s why in this guide, we will go over how to use the Facebook marketplace.
This marketplace was first introduced in 2007, with more of a C2C approach; this allowed users to post classified ads that are within the sale, housing, and job categories. Following up with that pace, Facebook gradually the ‘’sale’’ feature in groups in February 2015. This enabled users to put their items up for sale.
This became very popular and was referred to as Buy and Sell Groups. What Facebook Marketplace does is that it connects products to people where they shop, inspires and also engages shoppers through visual merchandise, and allows both individuals and businesses to easily transact with clients on their mobile or desktop devices.
How To Use Facebook Marketplace To Buy and Sell
As stated earlier, this platform helps you to sell as an individual or an eCommerce retailer. While there is an option to list your product for sale in any condition for individuals, it isn’t the same for eCommerce retailers, eCommerce retailers have quite a several options to both sell, list, and also promote their products on Facebook Marketplace.
Because of these, we will be going through how to use the Facebook marketplace both for individuals and eCommerce retailers.
How to use Facebook Marketplace (individual Sellers)
If you are an individual seller and you have your own ‘Facebook Shop’ you can easily sell on Facebook Marketplace by following the following steps:
- Go to your Facebook App and locate the marketplace icon, then click on it.
- Click on the “+ Sell Something Icon” button or + Create New Listing (this is for new Facebook)
- Click on Item for Sale.
- After doing all of that, proceed to enter the details of the product you want to sell
- Product Title
- Product Price
- Location
- Product Category
- Product Description
- Add up to about 10 Images of your product.
- Click on Post.
Once you have done all of these, your product listing will go live on the Facebook marketplace, and people that are around your location will be able to view/save/engage with your product listing.
How to use Facebook Marketplace (eCommerce Retailers)
eCommerce businesses have ample options on Facebook Marketplace. If you own a business, you can follow the following steps:
- List your retail item, home rentals, and whatever you want to retail.
- Promote your store or your item on Facebook. This will help you reach more people, even you are not selling directly on Facebook.
- You can as well display new or refurbished items from your Facebook Page Shop on the marketplace for free. This allows customers your customers to purchase without leaving Facebook.
Alternatively, you can sell on Facebook Marketplace through their listing partners. This will go a long way to help you list your inventory on the Facebook Marketplace with less effort.
The Facebook marketplace has an incredible solution that helps you to sync, list, and also manage your shop, this goes a long way to ensure a hassle-free selling experience on Facebook Marketplace with tons of amazing features like:
1. Simplified Listings: Bulk upload and add all your items in one go, along with that, you can set up different pricing, product details, and fulfillment rules that are based on your inventory data.
2. Centralized order Management: Orders that are placed across Facebook surfaces can be fetched directly to your eCommerce store through the Facebook and IG shopping app. From there, you can track, retrieve and fulfill all your orders from one single location.
3. Auto Synchronization of Product Data: You can synchronize your data between Facebook and your eCommerce platform and go ahead to automatically update the changes between them.
The app will keep you notified by synchronizing your inventory and your orders in real-time and will also provide you with constant updates.
Requirement To Sell on Facebook Marketplace
Facebook offers its users an immersive platform that helps them tap into targeted buyers, capture the need of shoppers through real-time messenger, and also helps the selling of items on Facebook Marketplace faster and easier.
However, before selling on Facebook Marketplace, they are certain requirements you’ll need to have.
For individual sellers, you can list your product on Facebook Marketplace when you meet the following requirement:
- A Facebook business page (with shop)
- You need to have physical items to sell
- Compliance with Facebook Merchants Terms and Conditions.
It was worthy to keep in mind that individual sellers on Facebook Marketplace do not check out Facebook features.
If however, you are an eCommerce business, you can sell items on Facebook Marketplace by fulfilling these requirements:
- A US Facebook Business Account/Page
- Business Name and Physical Address
- US Bank accounts for an easy payout.
- Compliance with the terms and conditions of Facebook Commerce and Merchant Policies.
Final Thought!
Selling on Facebook Marketplace has its merit and dis-merit. However, you can also run a comparison check with other online marketplaces, but unlike the rest, Facebook Marketplace has come up with a lucrative and innovative idea of social commerce.
The concept of exchange has always been a result of human connection, and Facebook has always been about building the right connections. With the increase in competition and the rise of omnichannel selling strategies, Facebook Marketplace helps you to tap into a pre-existing network of customers.
With the Facebook marketplace, individuals and eCommerce businesses can now sell inventories and offer deals to shoppers where they are shopping already.
