Buy and sell products on social media

Being an active user on Facebook since I turned 18, many years ago, I have seen Facebook evolve. Initially, it was a simple social platform that helped me connect with my friends and family both far and near. It has now superseded my expectations. It provides us entertainment through games, informs us about events in the neighbourhood, etc. Facebook has something for everyone.

Facebook has launched several initiatives to support businesses and entrepreneurs. Each organisation, agency can have its own business page. Through their business page, they can advertise their products, promote their brand to a worldwide audience, and post job listings, etc. To know how to get started with a Facebook business page, check out our blog post “6 steps to create a Facebook Business Page”. In this blog, I would like to tell you about one of the best services offered by Facebook to support businesses. It is Facebook Marketplace.

What is Facebook Marketplace ?

Facebook Marketplace as its name suggests is an online market. It is a convenient destination to discover, sell, and buy items in and around your neighbourhood. To visit Facebook Marketplace, tap on the shop icon on the menu at the bottom of the Facebook app on phone. On the desktop click on the Marketplace icon as shown in the picture below.

Starting a business is never a cakewalk. Facebook provides an opportunity for everyone to grow and become an entrepreneur. Facebook Marketplace is an excellent platform to connect local businesses with customers. It started in 2016 and since then it has become a much-used platform for many business deals, budding entrepreneurs, and as a business enabler for startups. Prior to this user-created Facebook groups were used as a means to buy and sell products. Facebook marketplace has become the most popular platform for selling and buying within the neighbourhood. It is being used by over 800 million people in 70 different countries every month.

Facebook Marketplace Overview

• A Facebook user (Seller) lists an item which he/she wants to sell with an appropriate description, photographs and the price of the item.
• Any Facebook user (Buyer) will be able to see this product while he/she browses relative products. The buyer can use several filters such as selecting the locality (distance range), price etc…
• The buyer can directly contact the seller through a personal message to enquire about the product.

How to sell an item on Marketplace?

1. Log in to Facebook.
2. Click on the Facebook Marketplace icon.
3. Click ‘Sell Something’. You can choose between Items for Sale and Properties for Sale and Rent.

4. Fill in the product name, price, location. Choose an appropriate category of the product and upload atleast 1 photo of the product. Click on Next and click on Publish.

When you create your first listing, Facebook automatically creates a marketplace profile for you.  All the items you list for sale, will automatically show up in the shop tab of your business page.

What is not permitted to be sold on Facebook Marketplace?

According to the latest policies by Facebook, it does not allow sales of animals and healthcare products like thermometer, masks, sanitizer, first-aid kits. Illegal items such as drugs, tobacco products, alcohol, weapons, explosives are prohibited to be sold. Anything which is not real such as lost and found posts, jokes are also not allowed. 

Grow your reputation as a seller

Once you sell a couple of products through Marketplace, you can think about building your reputation by obtaining badges. Facebook Marketplace offers 2 badges. They are

• Very Responsive Badge: This means you respond quickly and consistently to marketplace inquiries. To win the badge you must reply to most of the messages you received with one hour for a period of 30 days.
• Community Recommended Badge: This means you are rated positively by your customers. To win this badge, you should receive 3 ratings, and 75% of those ratings must be positive.

How to buy an item on Marketplace?

1. Log in to Facebook.
2. Click on the Facebook Marketplace icon.
3. Browse through the products on sale. You can use the search bar, to look for specific items.
4. Click on the item you wish to buy.
5. Send a message to the seller by clicking on the Send button.

Is Facebook Marketplace a trusted platform to buy?

Yes. It is an open platform where you can see the products that the seller is displaying and you can contact him directly. We advise you to ask to view the product before purchase.

Advantages of Facebook Market Place

• Easy of interaction between seller and buyer
• Mutual Co-operation between Seller & Buyer can minimize the delivery challenges.
• SME’s (Small and Medium-scale Enterprises) have a great opportunity to directly sell their products
• A Marketplace listing is free.

If you are a small-medium scale business selling products, here is a free platform for you. Just create a business page and start selling your products to a bigger audience. If you are a consumer, check out Facebook marketplace for great deals in your neighbourhood.