For small business owners, the quest never ends when it comes to boosting sales and attracting new customers. Thankfully enough, the different innovations of today made it possible to reach consumers without having to spend a fortune on marketing and advertising efforts. Now, there are several platforms that you could use to sell products and services, among which is the Facebook Marketplace.

It’s a great idea to do business on a platform that already has potential customers. FB marketplace allows you to do just that, and more. Social networking sites aren’t only useful in increasing brand awareness—you’re also able to post your products and services on the same networks where you can create engaging posts and advertise your business.

Facebook Marketplace: The Market To Be

With almost three billion active users, Facebook remains the largest social media network today. It has made a huge impact on how people communicate and interact with each other. Since its launch in 2004, it has never stopped innovating and coming up with more ways to serve its users better.

Among its popular features is the FB Marketplace that was introduced in 2016. It allows Facebook users to buy and sell products and services from each other. Setting up a listing costs nothing which is helpful for entrepreneurs who want to start a small business or private individuals who just want to sell items they no longer use. Listings could range anywhere from used vehicles, branded items, houses and lots, and many more. Think of any product or service and try searching it on FB Marketplace—you’ll most likely end up with several listings.

Selling On Facebook Marketplace

Just like any other marketplaces and eCommerce platforms, FB Marketplace has the ability to attract the right customers as long as you do it right. One rule of thumb when strategizing any marketing effort for your business is to go in armed and prepared. You can either hire someone who’s already an expert in social media marketing or do it yourself.  If you prefer to entrust your campaigns to established professionals, there are marketing agencies that you can hire to further develop your social media marketing campaigns.

But if you plan on taking on this challenge on your own, it’s best to do your research and find out how FB Marketplace works. In addition to that, you can take a look at some tips below that you may use to attract more customers through Facebook Marketplace:

Think of it this way: using Facebook Marketplace is just like how you would use your own social media account. Do you notice how crisp and beautiful photos usually get the highest number of likes? That’s because users are more drawn to clear, high-quality images that will stop them from scrolling through their newsfeed. The same goes for FB Marketplace. You want photos and posts that would catch the attention of users and you can do this by making sure that your images are clear and high-quality enough.

Upload photos that show the best angles of your product using proper lighting. It could be the cute packaging your product comes in or your creative flat lay design—think of something that you can use to get more attention.

Optimizing your listing can be done in several ways. To start, make sure to use an accurate title for your item. Include keywords in both the title and the description of the product. For the description, write a longer specification of the listing. Include the brand or business name, the complete product details, where the business is located, and other essential information. If you can add the product’s selling points, then even better.

Additionally, you can make use of hashtags so users can easily find your listing whenever they’re looking for the same products or services that you’re offering. Make sure the description, hashtag, and keywords that you include are all related to the item and that they match the images that you’ve uploaded.

Whether or not your listing has turned into an FB ad, your main point of contact with interested customers will be through Facebook Messenger. This messaging platform works wonders as it can also serve as your brand’s customer service tool. You can set up automated messages that can be triggered when a customer asks about your listing.

Customers that express interest will be automatically redirected to the Messenger app, where the conversation will be labeled with your listing’s title and/or description. The interaction is real-time and it’s better to always have someone active on your end so that messages and inquiries will always be replied to immediately. If you’re consistent with being active in attending to messages, Facebook will give you the ‘very responsive’ badge that can improve your reputation as a seller or a brand, and may also help to earn the trust of more customers.

If your budget allows, you can also opt to boost your listing on Facebook Marketplace. Doing so will turn it into an FB ad, which will expand your reach to an even larger audience. If you’re not that savvy or familiar yet with digital marketing tools and how to use them, boosting your listing can be quite helpful.

Facebook will show the ad to users who they think will be interested in your product based on their user profiles and recent online activities. You can easily set a fixed budget just so the spending won’t go overboard before you know it. You’ll also be in control of your ad’s timeline and the platform’s analytics will help you monitor and evaluate the performance of your FB ads.

Final Words

Facebook Marketplace is one of the best platforms to use to attract more customers online, which will eventually boost your sales. It has a massive audience that you can target exponentially. Not only that, the budget it requires to get you started on selling and advertising is zero to minimal. Moreover, the platform is easily accessible by billions of users through their phones, tablets, and computers. Indeed, FB Marketplace is the place to be if you want to sell anything faster.

But as with any other marketing tool, remember that the key to success is knowing how to utilize it efficiently to make the most of your effort and budget. Use images that are of high quality. Optimizing your listing is also highly recommended, and you can opt to boost your listing to turn it into an FB ad with more visibility. Lastly, don’t forget to leverage FB Messenger to communicate better with your customers.

About the Author

Celeste Sanders is a full-time digital marketing professional. In her free time, she writes blog posts that can help business owners in tackling digital marketing. She is also an outdoor enthusiast who likes to go hiking, trailing, and diving.