With people spending an average of 2 hours and 26 minutes per day using social media, more and more brands are focusing their marketing efforts on social commerce.
In today’s dynamic world of social commerce, customers explore products and complete transactions through social media. If we take a look at the market scenario, in 2022, social commerce hit $728 billion globally and is expected to have a solid 31.6% growth each year from 2023 to 2030, pushing revenues to an impressive $6.2 trillion.
Now, if we name the top social media platforms to sell on, the users of Facebook clearly outnumber the users of other platforms. From Facebook shops to the Facebook marketplace to Facebook buy-and-sell groups, there are many ways you can sell on Facebook.
In this guide, we will discover the ways to use the Facebook marketplace to boost your sales.
What is Facebook marketplace for business?
Launched in October 2016, Facebook Marketplace was introduced as a platform that enabled users to buy and sell products locally. It is now available in 228 countries, regions, and territories as of 2023.
Facebook’s Marketplace is a destination where users can explore, purchase, and sell a variety of items. Here, users have the flexibility to peruse listings, look for locally available items, or discover products that can be conveniently delivered to them.
This innovative platform marks Facebook’s strategic venture into diverse markets, positioning itself to other established services such as eBay and Craigslist. The Marketplace empowers the sellers to showcase their items to a local audience, fostering a dynamic and accessible online marketplace experience.
If you run a business, you can use the Facebook marketplace to
- Promote your shop or items and expand your reach, even if your business doesn’t post there directly.
- Showcase new or refurbished items from your Facebook Page shop on Marketplace for free. Customers can make purchases without leaving Facebook, but eligibility is limited to sellers with a checkout-enabled shop.
- Establish your business Page shop and sell as a business on the Marketplace. (This functionality is available only to eligible sellers and for specific items).
Some proven benefits of selling on Facebook Marketplace
1. Easy to use
Becoming a Marketplace seller is a breeze; all you require is an active Facebook account or page. Plus, when using Facebook as a channel to showcase your product or service, you can expect a flood of messages from interested customers.
The Facebook marketplace also facilitates you with easy management to handle your messages properly. Even it makes it easy to integrate with other social networks like Instagram or WhatsApp.
2. You can offer a personalised customer experience
One great advantage of the Facebook marketplace is that you get the opportunity for direct, one-on-one connections with your prospects. When someone discovers and likes your product, they can easily send you a message for inquiries, fostering a direct line of communication to address their essential questions.
Also, on Facebook, you can tailor your audience depending on those who’ve made purchases or engaged with your page. Additionally, you can connect with potential customers who align with your core audience profiles.
3. It allows expanded outreach
Facebook is one of the most widely used social media platforms globally, with billions of active users. By leveraging Facebook Marketplace, sellers instantly tap into this vast user base, increasing the visibility of their products or services.
Investing in the Facebook marketplace is valuable as it connects you with potential buyers actively searching for products like yours.
4. Creates mobile-friendly listing
Facebook Marketplace effortlessly generates listings that are mobile-friendly. Given that 98% of Facebook users use mobile phones to access the platform, your listings are automatically optimised for mobile devices. No need to concern yourself with adapting your listings for these users-they’re ready to go.
5. Most importantly, it is free
Listing your products is absolutely free, no matter how many you want to showcase. Also, there are no fees for creating an account or managing your products on the platform; the only charge is incurred upon successfully selling a product.
This makes it a fantastic choice for entrepreneurs and small businesses working with tight marketing budgets or those not ready to invest in full-fledged ecommerce platforms. As the overhead costs remain low, sellers can optimise their profits.
Steps to sell on the Facebook marketplace
Before you start posting and selling your products, check Facebook’s Commerce Policy to make sure whether your products are eligible to be posted on the Marketplace or not.
For example, some of the prohibited content include,
- Alcohol
- Body parts and fluids
- Digital media and electronic devices
- Documents, currency and financial instruments
- Hazardous goods and materials
- Ingestible supplements
- Medical and healthcare product
- Land, animals and animal products
If your products fit the guidelines, you can follow the steps here,
- Access your Facebook account and navigate to the Marketplace icon.
- Thoroughly review and accept the Marketplace terms of service.
- Set up your marketplace profile, adding a profile picture, cover photo, and a brief description for a personalised touch.
- To list items for sale, simply click on the Sell button and Choose the product you wish to list from the three available options: Items for sale, Vehicles for sale, and Homes for rent.
- In order to create your product listing, you need to include the following information,
Title
Price
Category of the product
Description of what you’re selling
Location
Product image and product description - Once you add all these, you are all set to sell.
Final words
With the rapid rise of competition and the advent of omnichannel strategies, merchants are actively exploring fresh avenues to broaden their sales channels. Hands down, the Facebook marketplace is a user-friendly and cost-free platform with a plethora of helpful features for businesses that are interested in selling their products to interested leads.
