In the past year, Facebook has made a number of changes to its platform. In addition to continuing to expand its focus on video content and live streams, the company has been testing new features on select users.
These tests have included the ability to send text messages from within the app, monetize Instagram posts with branded ads, and buy and sell used goods directly through the site.
That last feature is in keeping with trends we’ve seen developing across social media platforms over the past few years. Particularly on mobile devices, users are viewing websites less often and apps more often. This has led many technology companies like Facebook and Twitter to redesign their sites for mobile usage.
But it’s also led them to test out apps that are optimized for this kind of use case. With this in mind, let’s take a closer look at how you can use Facebook Marketplace as a seller or buyer of secondhand merchandise.
Should You Use Facebook Marketplace to Buy and Sell?
The ability to buy and sell used goods is one of the most popular features of Facebook Marketplace. And as you might expect, it’s especially popular among college students. If you’re a part of this group, you may have found that Craigslist and other online marketplaces are less than ideal.
That’s because many of the online marketplaces that are best suited to local trading are not designed for campus use. In fact, they’re designed for in-person exchanges rather than online transactions. While Facebook Marketplace is ideal for local trading, it is not structured in the same way as Craigslist or other online marketplaces.
Rather than featuring discrete posts with specific items, Facebook Marketplace is organized around categories like “Toys & Games” and “Appliances.”
This makes it easy to find items that are relevant to you as a buyer. But it also makes it easy to find items that are relevant to you as a seller.
Another feature of the Facebook Marketplace that makes it ideal for local trading is the fact that all transactions happen within the app. This means you can arrange the sale and delivery of an item without ever having to leave Facebook.
How to Find Items to Sell on Facebook Marketplace
If you’re looking to buy items on Facebook Marketplace, you’ll start in the search bar. Once you’ve tapped on the search bar, you can enter keywords related to the item you’re looking for. You can also tap on the “Items for sale near me” drop-down menu to refine your search by location.
Once you’ve found items that you’d like to purchase, you can initiate a conversation with the seller by tapping the “Message” button. Once you’ve initiated a conversation with a seller, you can ask them specific questions related to the item that they’re selling, and negotiate terms of the sale if you’re interested.
How to List an Item for Sale on Facebook Marketplace
If you’ve found yourself searching Facebook Marketplace and wishing you could sell an item, there are a few ways you can go about it. First, you will have to create a post in the “Items for sale” category. Once you’ve done this, you’ll be able to enter details about the item you’re selling.
Also read: The Facebook Dating Guide: How to Get Started and Make the Most of it
You’ll also have the opportunity to enter the price of the item and select a picture for the post. Once you’ve added the item to your post, Facebook Marketplace will prompt you to list your contact information and start the transaction.
Once the post goes live, you can expect to receive inquiries from interested parties. You can choose to respond to these inquiries privately within the Facebook app. Here are the steps you need to follow to easily list items for sale on facebook marketplace:
- First off, you will need to login your facebook account
- Next, you will need to locate and tap menu in the top right of Facebook.
- Afterward, tap Marketplace.
- Now, you will need to locate and tap Sell at the top.
- Once you are done with the above step, add a title and price, and select a category.
- Tap Add photos to include photos from your phone or take a new photo.
- Lastly, locate and tap Publish to publish your Marketplace listing.
How to Buy From People Selling on Facebook Marketplace
If you’re looking to buy an item from Facebook Marketplace, you can start your search by tapping on the “Items for sale” icon in the bottom right-hand corner of the app. Once you’ve tapped on this icon, you’ll be able to enter keywords related to the item you’re looking for.
You can also tap on the “filter” drop-down menu to refine your search by location. Once you’ve found an item that interests you, you can initiate a conversation with the seller by tapping on the “Message” button.
Once you’ve initiated a conversation with a seller, you can ask them specific questions related to the item that they’re selling and negotiate terms of the sale if you’re interested.
Interestingly, you can click on the facebook marketplace icon and once taken to the marketplace platform, all you need to do is to use the category option to look for the item you want to buy. Once you see the one you like, message the seller and wait for their reply.
Facebook Marketplace: Seller Tips
- Create a brand for your listings: When you’re listing an item for sale on Facebook Marketplace, think about how you can position it for maximum exposure. This will help you to create a brand for your listings so that potential customers can find your items more easily.
- Be descriptive: When you’re creating a listing for an item on Facebook Marketplace, be as descriptive as possible. This will make your listing stand out from others and help to ensure that interested parties can find your item.
- Use appropriate pricing: When pricing your items, remember that your customers are coming from a wide variety of backgrounds. This means that you may have to adjust your prices depending on the population around you.
- Stay organized: When you’re selling multiple items on Facebook Marketplace, it can be easy to get disorganized. To avoid this, make sure that you are creating a folder for your sales in Facebook Marketplace and naming it appropriately. This way, you’ll make it easier to stay on top of your sales.
- Watch out for scams: Like any online marketplace, Facebook Marketplace is susceptible to scams. For this reason, it’s important to be careful when engaging with other sellers.
- Follow Facebook Marketplace rules: When you’re selling items on Facebook Marketplace, it’s important to remember that you’re responsible for following the site’s rules and regulations.
Facebook Marketplace: Buyer Tips
- Be patient: When you’re buying items from Facebook Marketplace, it can be easy to get impatient. But remember that many sellers are using the site as a side hustle, so it may take them a while to get your items to you.
- Watch out for scams: When you’re buying items from Facebook Marketplace, it’s important to watch out for scams. For this reason, it’s a good idea to meet in a public place when you’re picking up items from sellers.
- Follow Facebook Marketplace rules: When you’re buying items from Facebook Marketplace, it’s important to remember that you’re responsible for following the site’s rules and regulations.
Is the Facebook Marketplace for you?
If you’re a college student who is looking to make some money and doesn’t have a lot of free time to do so, Facebook Marketplace is a great option. With this method, you can make money while commuting to and from school, while studying, or while relaxing.
Why Facebook Tested a Marketplace Before Launching Permanently?
In the past, Facebook users were able to sell items directly through their pages. But this feature was removed in early 2015, along with the ability to post links to external websites.
While these changes were made to prevent the spread of misinformation and the promotion of products and services that violate the company’s terms of service, they had the added side effect of narrowing the scope of the Facebook app.
This narrowing is part of what has led to Facebook re-evaluating its app as a user experience. And in the process of re-examining its product, the company has been testing a number of new features.
These include the ability to send text messages from inside the app, monetize Instagram posts with branded ads, and buy and sell used goods directly through the site.
As a Facebook spokesperson said in a statement: “Since we published our first white paper in 2011, we’ve been exploring new ways to help people buy and sell locally on Facebook. We’ve recently started to test a buy and sell marketplace where people can transact with each other on Facebook.
We believe this is a way people may want to start buying and selling items with their friends and communities, and it’s another way we can help connect people to businesses.”
