When it comes to online selling, Facebook Marketplace garners enormous traction and helps generate successful sales for businesses at different levels.
Facebook Marketplace has helped over 33% of small businesses to boost their sales. It currently has a user base of 300 million who are actively seeking suitable goods and services.
While it has proven to show successful conversions, every seller on the marketplace can sometimes fall short in optimizing their selling process.
Achieving successful results requires strategy, even if you are selling just one time or reselling refurbished products.
On the Facebook Marketplace, we usually recommend our readers to do the following:
- Use high-quality photos
- Write accurate descriptions that are compelling
- Place strategic titles
- Put clear status updates
- Clear rules on local delivery and prompt communication
- Analyse competitive pricing
- Leverage Facebook Groups like buy-and-sell groups
While we have only touched the tip of the iceberg, a lot goes into planning to get the desired results. Building trust, being courteous with buyers, responding quickly, and more also play an important role.
With that, let’s create a blueprint with the best tips for selling on the Facebook Marketplace.
| New to the FB Marketplace? Here’s a guide on how to sell on the Facebook Marketplace for beginners. |
Table of Contents
Selling Tips on Facebook Marketplace
Let’s delve into the different tips that can boost your visibility and sales on the Facebook Marketplace:
Enhance Your Facebook Profile & Product Listings
Your Marketplace is like a mini storefront. This mini storefront will build your reputation and help rake in profits.
To kickstart, you must have an eye-catching Facebook profile and Marketplace listing information that effectively captures everything about you and what you’re selling. Or, if you’re running a business, ensure it captures everything about your business and what products you offer. Every detail must be clear and concise.
Having a Facebook Page is also a great way to boost visibility and have a dedicated place for products.
| Wondering what items sell the best on the FB Marketplace? Check out our latest guide on the best selling products on the Facebook Marketplace. |
Here’s how you can enhance your Facebook profile:
- To build credibility, apply display images. A smiling or a professional shot will do.
- If it’s a business, use your brand’s logo.
- Keep the seller description short, but it must contain all the essential information about your business. For example:
“Welcome to my shop! I specialize in furniture, electronics, and collectables. Based in New York City, delivery options are available. Trusted seller with quick communication.”
- FB Marketplace lets customers add reviews and ratings. Focus on building seller ratings to boost sales of your listings. This will leave a positive impression on potential buyers, and it is more effective if you plan on selling more on the platform.
- Add as much detail to your listing as possible. Add accurate titles, descriptions, and product details. Be transparent, for example:
Ensure your listings are consistent throughout. Use similar image styles for consistency, and write detailed yet friendly descriptions.
| Pro Tip: If you own a business, creating a Business Page on Facebook is best. You can even link it to Facebook Shops via Shopify, WooCommerce, Google Merchant Center, etc. This helps provide you with an additional storefront for your business. |
Leverage Facebook Buy-and-Sell Groups
The most important point is to utilise Facebook’s internal sources, like Facebook Groups. Using Facebook Groups help you find the buy-and-sell groups.
As a local seller, joining buy-and-sell groups and cross-posting your Marketplace listings can boost visibility and help the right buyers find you.
These groups differ from regular Facebook groups as they focus more on buying, selling or promoting products to serious buyers. You can use them to:
– List items for sale
– Mark items as sold
– Search items to buy [for buyers]
Many buyers on Facebook find these groups trustworthy, as they typically undergo an approval process. The moderators keep a track of authentic buyers and sellers and ensure that proper rules and regulations are followed.
Coming to cross-posting, you can find these groups through these methods:
1. Filter the results by selecting the “Groups” tab on the left navigation bar. Select from the following options:
2. Review each group’s size and recent activity to identify the most active ones.
3. Enter specific keywords in Facebook’s search bar, like “buy sell [your city or area]” or “[product type] buy sell.” Like this:
4. If you’re selling niche or speciality items, consider joining groups that extend beyond your local area.
Pro tip: On these Groups, it is important to use localized tone and language, such as “Bay Area Baby Products” or “Furniture Deals in Columbus.” This helps find buyers easily in your preferred location.
| Your product listings need more visibility! For that, run ads for Facebook Marketplace for wider reach and garner more targeted audience. |
Post When Your Ideal Customers Are Active
Displaying your Marketplace listings at the right time is important for making sales. Different users are active at different times.
One should know that there is no “one size fits all” rule when it comes to choosing the best time to post listings on the Marketplace. However, there are ways to find the right time to post them. Here’s what you need to do:
– Research the times when your target audience is most active. This can be done by using Facebook’s own analytics feature, called Facebook Insights. It gives you details into demographics, user behaviour, location, ad clicks, and more. It can be accessed on the Meta Business Suite.
- If you are new, run engagement campaigns for your Marketplace listings or use buy-and-sell groups (as mentioned in the previous section), to find niche clientele. Check the two for 1 week or 30 days. Once you have done this, go to Meta Business Suite and analyse when your target audience is usually active.
Please note that you cannot manage Facebook Marketplace directly through Meta Business Suite. Still, you can use it to handle messages, ads, and insights related to Marketplace listings posted via your Facebook Page. - When you post during the peak times across the weeks, your posts and listings will appear when users are mostly online. Additionally, repost or refresh your listing every 7 to 10 days to prevent it from sinking in search results.
| Further Reading: Want a general overview of the best times to post on Facebook? Get the latest timings to publish ads, posts, and more! |
Offer Meetups in Busy Areas
If you’re a seller delivering products yourself, meeting at a busy, public, and safe location is best to conduct a secure delivery and transaction exchange. This fosters trust and safety for both the buyer and seller and also shows the buyer that you’re a trustworthy business.
This also removes the fear and risk of scams and theft. Meeting in a busy, neutral, and safe environment reduces hesitation and makes them more comfortable committing to the deal.
Some of the good meetup spots would be:
- Shopping mall parking lots
- Food courts
- Coffee Shops
- Community halls and centers
- Police station parking areas
| Pro Tip: Ensure the meetups happen during the daylight hours and not late at night. |
Providing Delivery Services
If you can provide delivery services, it is important to use a customer-focused approach. One of the biggest friction points for some buyers can be a lack of transportation, old age, or unavailability.
To reduce it, delivery services can increase your value perception as buyers will see you as more professional.
A strategic roadmap to delivery would be the following:
- Small products: You can offer free delivery within 2 or 3 miles. This removes friction for impulse buyers.
- Medium products (like electronics): Offer a meetup at a central, safe location. Bring fully charged items and demonstrate how they work.
- Large products (like furniture or other appliances): Charge delivery with an added fee. If you don’t have a heavy vehicle like a truck, you can partner with third-party services like TaskRabbit, Dolly, or GoShare, where these services deliver on your behalf. You can include this in your pricing or let the buyer book it directly.
Other effective methods you can apply to your delivery plan:
- Schedule Deliveries: Stack deliveries on the same day. For instance, if multiple buyers live in the same location or area, schedule the deliveries back-to-back to save time.
- Set Delivery Zones: In your listing, write something like this: “Delivery available within 12 miles of downtown for $12.” This clearly sets expectations and avoids confusion.
| Pro Tip: Another popular way is porch-side pick-ups. It removes the hassle of delivery and is a great option for local selling. |
Pricing Products Smartly
Pricing plays a crucial role in the buying process. This requires venturing into the market first and checking what your competitors or similar sellers offer. Remember that Facebook Marketplace caters more to local people, so the pricing may vary from place to place.
To analyse the competitive pricing, do the following:
- Conduct thorough market research. Use tools like Scraper and Apify. Also, use Google Trends or the Meta Ads Library to understand consumer demand.
- Apply marketing tactics, such as pricing your product at $199.95 or $198.98 instead of $200. This is called psychological pricing. It creates the illusion that the customer is saving money.
- Offer better deals than lowering the price. For example, deals like “Laptop carries a carrying bag + charger + mouse,” or “If picked today, get free coffee filters with the coffee maker” help you clear out inventory . For customers, it becomes a valuable purchase with added perks.
- If you want to sell quickly, price aggressively lower than your competitors. If you’re patient, set a mid-to-high price and wait. Apply 15-20% below the average market price for fast sale pricing.
While adding pricing to products, you will also face negotiations. This brings us to our next point.
| Also Read: Facebook Ad Specs: The Complete Guide How To Sell Furniture & Boost Your Earnings? How To Sell Handmade Items? |
Price Negotiation Management
In most cases, buyers expect to bargain on the FB Marketplace. If you set your price too low, you immediately lose margin. In this case, use price anchoring. List the item slightly higher than your minimum acceptable price.
Let’s say, if you want $70, list it at $85. A buyer who offers $70-$75 feels like they “won” the negotiation, while you still meet your target.
To reinforce the value, mention the retail price in your listing. For example, you can put “Retail $250, asking $95, negotiable.” Anchoring makes your price seem like a bargain in comparison.
| Pro Tip: Use Facebook Messenger to have a consolidated space dedicated to all communications and negotiations. This also preserves the buyers’, as well as the seller’s, privacy. If you’re providing contact details, ensure you use business numbers and refrain from using personal contact numbers to avoid risks. If you wish to use it, use it at your own discretion. |
More strategies you can apply include:
- Using the retail minus approach, which means that buyers are typically looking for deals, not retail prices, and they expect meaningful discounts based on an item’s condition.
This approach generally works like this: - Around 60–80% of retail for brand-new or unopened items
- 40–60% for lightly used items in excellent condition
- Just 20–30% for heavily used or older products.
- Mention the original retail price, like “Purchased at $400, selling for $200 – half the retail price!”
Be Honest About Your Listing
Being honest boosts trust and safety. Adding honest listings reduces the chances of bad reviews, refunds, and returns. When your listings aren’t transparent, customers can leave negative reviews, which can hurt your future sales.
This also helps filter out unserious shoppers and attract genuine ones. Chances of endless questions also reduce.
Clear, detailed, transparent listings look more professional, and buyers often pay a premium for trust. Here’s an example:
- Listing A: iPhone for sale, works amazingly.
- Listing B: iPhone 13, 128GB, battery health 87%, small scratch on screen (check photo), factory reset, includes charger.
Listing A may raise suspicions because of the lack of details and vague description. Meanwhile, listing B signals assurance and professionalism. So, even if listing B is at a higher cost compared to listing A, customers will prefer B over A.
Bonus: Extra Advice for Better Selling on FB Marketplace
There are things that sellers must keep in mind to reduce friction between themselves and the buyer. Not following them can hamper your selling process on the marketplace:
Here’s a list of extra tips that you must include in your selling process:
- After a sale is made, remove the item from the listing. If a sold item is still visible, it can result in a poor user experience. We are emphasising this because some users like to leave reviews. To avoid a negative review, it is best to remove the product immediately once it is sold.
- Boost your Facebook Marketplace listing. It essentially means paying to promote your existing listing so that it reaches a wider audience. Unlike full Facebook ads, it’s simpler as you boost directly from the listing without using Ads Manager or complex settings. This can be done by doing the following:
Go to Marketplace > Your Listings > Select a listing > Click Boost Listing > Set budget, duration, and audience > Review and click Promote Now. - Sellers should keep chats brief and to the point. Facebook may only enable ratings after enough conversation or once an item is marked as sold. If someone seems fishy or a potential scam, block or report them to avoid wasting time and reduce the chance of receiving a rating from them.
- Avoid adding blurry images; the listing will not look genuine. Also, avoid using flowery language with no substance. For example, terms like “best thing ever” for a $10 vacuum cleaner will look shady.
- Avoid ghosting buyers. If someone shows interest in your product even after it’s sold, apologize politely. This will foster a good shopping experience, and the customer may return for other products.
- Notice which categories sell fastest. For example, electronics might move in one day, and furniture in two weeks. Keep track of which price points and posting times generate the most interest.
Conclusion
If you’re a one-time seller or running a business on the platform, the Facebook marketplace is your go-to solution to generate desired profits. E-commerce businesses can also venture into the FB Marketplace and sell products.
It is not just about selling, but also building communities and helping other local folks find exactly what they are looking for. Facebook Marketplace takes selling a step further with
- Create a trustworthy Facebook profile with a clear photo or business logo, and write a short, informative bio to build credibility with buyers.
- Write detailed, honest listings with clear photos, accurate titles, and transparent descriptions—buyers trust and engage more with well-presented products.
- Price your items strategically by researching local competition, using tactics such as bundling extras, using 5 or 9 in the final price, or pricing slightly above your target to leave room for negotiation.
- Cross-post your listings in relevant local buy-and-sell Facebook Groups using familiar, localized language to increase visibility.
- Analyse when your target audience is most active with the help of Meta Business Suite. Additionally, refresh listings every 7 to 10 days to stay at the top of marketplace results.
- Offer safe public meetups in well-known locations during the day, and consider providing flexible delivery options to make purchasing easier for buyers.
- Keep communication short and professional. Block scamsters or frauds, and avoid sharing personal info or committing to meetups too early.
FAQs
What is the safest way to pay someone on Facebook Marketplace?
The safest way to pay is with cash during local pickup, as you can inspect the item before handing over money. For shipped items, PayPal Goods & Services is the best option because it provides buyer and seller protection.
Should I give someone my phone number on Facebook Marketplace?
It is not recommended to share your phone number. Many scams on Marketplace begin with requests for phone numbers, which can be used for verification fraud or spam. All communication should remain within Facebook Messenger.
How do I attract customers to my Facebook Marketplace?
You can attract more buyers by using clear, well-lit photos, writing detailed and keyword-rich titles and descriptions, pricing items competitively, offering delivery or safe meetup options, posting at peak browsing times, cross-posting in local buy-and-sell groups, and responding quickly to inquiries.
What sells faster on Facebook Marketplace?
Electronics, furniture, baby and kids products, outdoor equipment, branded clothes, and gaming consoles tend to sell the fastest. These categories move quickly because they are in high demand and buyers are always looking for deals in these areas.
How to get paid on Facebook Marketplace local pickup?
The standard method is cash on the spot. Some sellers accept PayPal Goods & Services or bank transfers, but these should only be confirmed before releasing the item, as fake screenshots of payments are common scams.
What is the most risky payment method?
The riskiest methods are Venmo, Zelle, and CashApp because they do not offer buyer or seller protection. Once money is sent, it cannot be reversed, leaving both parties vulnerable to fraud.
What are the Facebook Marketplace fees?
For local pickup with cash, there are no fees. If you use Facebook Checkout or shipping through Marketplace, Facebook charges a 5% fee per shipment or a flat $0.40 fee for items priced under $8.
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