Ah, Facebook Marketplace. It is a vast, exciting world that can either leave you celebrating a huge success or nursing a feeling of total frustration. But if you play your cards right, you can find yourself navigating the ups and downs of Facebook Marketplace like a pro. Keep reading to learn how you can be a selling success.
Follow the rules
This may seem obvious, but Facebook does have certain guidelines in place that sellers must adhere to. These guidelines aren’t very strict, but breaking a rule can land you in Facebook Marketplace jail, possibly for good, so it’s critical to understand the expectations of the Marketplace. Following the rules will also show potential buyers that are a legitimate seller who will follow through with a sale agreement.
Read the room
You may find that your local Marketplace page has a different demographic than the page meant for your entire county. Or maybe you will see that people on one Marketplace page expect you to respond immediately to any questions, while members of another page are content to wait a day or two. While you don’t have to change your selling practices to conform to your expectations, you should be aware of what may make or break a sale.
Beware of trolls
Facebook does its best to keep spammers, scammers, and those people whose only goal seems to be total anarchy out of the Marketplace. But you will still probably run into a spammer or scammer who tries to pay you in gift cards or asks you to send the item you’re selling before you receive payment for it. Be smart and check out potential buyers for their validity before committing to a sale or giving out any information. If the situation doesn’t feel right, walk away—it’s much better to be safe than sorry in these circumstances.
Know your worth
If there is one thing that buyers on the Marketplace are skilled in, it’s the ability to haggle about a price. Before you post anything for sale, decide how much you want for your item, and make a decision about how much (if any) you are willing to lower the price. As long as you’re offering a fair deal, you don’t need to feel pressured to agree to a lower price, especially if it’s unreasonable.
Update the status of your items
There is nothing worse than finding the perfect item on Facebook Marketplace and offering to buy it, only to find out the item was sold months ago. If you sell an item, change the price, or the condition changes, update your original post to avoid any confusion. This will help cement your status as a reliable seller, and also increase the odds that a buyer will continue to purchase from you. Be honest about each item—if the condition is fair, say so. Your buyer will find out the truth either way.
Respond, reply, react…
It’s frustrating for a potential buyer to reach out to you on your post or through a private message and not receive an acknowledgement of any kind. You don’t have to spend all at staring at your phone to make sure you respond immediately to every message, but do your buyers the courtesy of acknowledging their communication and reply to them in some capacity. Even if it is just “liking” their comment on your post until you can write a longer reply later, taking that small step will help your buyers know you’re serious.
Follow through and communicate
If you agree to sell an item to a buyer, it’s really important that you follow through with the sale. Aside from developing a reputation for being an unreliable seller, if you don’t follow through with sales, you will never, you know, sell anything. Make a plan to exchange the item for the money requested, and then stick to that plan with as few changes as possible. Sometimes you can’t avoid certain circumstances, like a traffic jam due to an accident on the interstate, so in those cases it’s also important to update your buyer about when you can meet and why it didn’t work out the first time.
Meet in public
Selling locally on Facebook Marketplace has its perks, because you know the area well and can cater your sales to the demographic nearby. But when you meet up with someone to complete a sale, always choose to meet in a public place with a lot of people around. Police station parking lots are a great choice, and you can also consider meeting outside of a busy store or at a public park that you know will be crowded. This is safety 101, and we urge to place your safety first for all of your transactions. Be sure to mention to a friend or family member where you plan to go and when you should return so they can check in with you as needed.
Facebook Marketplace is easy to use, as long as you put in the effort required. Make your posts clear and concise, communicate often and honestly, and remember that safety is just as important as making the sale. Your unused items are someone’s treasure, so start posting today and enjoy the extra cash.
