We’ve all had those weekends where checking our bank account is the least appealing idea. Luckily for you, we’re all about saving and making money. We’ve collated a guide, complete with a tutorial and tips on how to sell on Facebook Marketplace and generate an income off of it! Read on to create that extra revenue to keep you going at university.
How to sell on Facebook Marketplace
If you haven’t used it before, Facebook Marketplace is a destination on Facebook where people can discover, buy and sell items. Users are able to browse listings, search for items for sale in their area and find products that are available for delivery. Listing your own item on Marketplace is very simple and straightforward. You can access the feature through the app or desktop.
Desktop
Log in to your account through the website. On the left of the screen, there will be a panel with multiple features. Select ‘Marketplace’. Then select ‘Create New Listing’ ( this will again be in the left panel, along with several other options). In the middle of the screen, you will have the option to choose your listing type. Categorise your product accordingly and select the appropriate listing type. You will now be able to enter the details of your listing, including uploading photos, titling the item, categorising it further, and adding tags and a location. These can be entered in the panel on the left, and the middle of the screen will display a preview of your listing, so you can accordingly adjust any details. Once done, click next, choose your appropriate delivery option then publish it, and your listing is live! If you’re unsure about a listing you can always save a draft.
App
On the app, you can find Marketplace on the bottom toolbar. Click onto it, then click ‘Sell’ – which you can find near the top of the screen. Select ‘Create New Listing’ and choose the type of product being sold. You can now fill in the details and upload photos. Once done, the option to publish the listing is in the top right corner of the screen.
What can you sell on Facebook Marketplace?
Marketplace will ask for you to categorise your product into one of the three following: Items, Vehicles or Properties (for sale or rent). However, they have some rules as to what cannot be sold. These include animals, services (non-physical products) or fraudulent items (images must match the item). Money Saving Experts identifies the following items as the most profitable on Marketplace:
- Popular goods such as electronics and furniture
- Small items where postage would usually outstrip its value
- Collection only goods: especially as local communities on Facebook are large, and therefore these goods are more likely to reach their desired audiences
- Children’s items
Our Top Tips for making money on Facebook Marketplace
- Check the competition on Marketplace, as well as other platforms like eBay and Gumtree, and price accordingly to attract more customers
- Keep your notifications on to ensure you don’t miss messages, and reply timely
- Providing a thorough item description, and good quality photos will attract more potential buyers
- Always use tags so that search results are more likely to yield and promote your listing
- If you are a shop, try and keep a consistent theme with your listings to stand out eg using the same/ similar background or filter
- You can boost your item for free, and hide listings from friends – which can be useful for keeping your social and work circles separate on the app (of course this is not for everyone!)
- Don’t limit yourself to the Marketplace function of the app! Facebook also has plenty of groups, whether united by a hobby or region, that can be used to list and promote your items. Join relevant groups (and keep joining) to gain a wider and more targeted pool of potential buyers.
We hope this article helped you with how to sell on Facebook Marketplace. If you’re looking for further ways to make or save money, check out this article. Leave a comment below with any other tips that may be useful!
