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How to grow your business using Facebook Marketplace
Facebook’s marketplace is used by more than 800 million people in overall countries. It’s a place where people can buy and sell a lot of different items. While most people have been using Facebook for personal use, Facebook launched a Facebook marketplace for business. If you want to boost your sales online as a business, it might be a great way to generate more sales.
There are a few effective ways to use the Facebook marketplace for businesses to upscale your business credibility, visibility, and capital. If you’re a Shopify merchant and you are yet to start using the Facebook marketplace for your business, there is no better time to start than now.
This guide will provide in-depth knowledge on what Facebook Marketplace is, why it is an important tool and the best way to leverage it as a Shopify merchant.
What is Facebook Marketplace?
Before Facebook Marketplace, the only platforms for commerce-related activities were Facebook buy-and-sell groups. These were basically Facebook groups that allowed users to list items for sale. Users could also search for products to buy and the product would be marked as sold after it had been purchased.
Facebook Marketplace was designed to be an improvement on that and to be more functional. It offers an entire shop-like feature where users can easily buy and sell their products to other users.
However, Facebook Marketplace does not facilitate payments. Instead, Facebook has been able to connect with eCommerce giants like Shopify to facilitate payments between buyers and sellers on the Facebook Marketplace.
Both individuals and businesses can use Facebook Marketplace to sell new or pre-owned products to a local audience. Users can browse through the entire marketplace, select categories, or go straight to their preferred stores.
With Facebook Marketplace, you can display the various products you have for sale and advertise them using the free listing feature it offers.
How to set up your store on the Facebook marketplace
As an eCommerce merchant, you need to have a Facebook account to set up your store on Facebook marketplace. If you have an existing one, you can use that. The next thing to do is list your product for prospective buyers and other users to view in the marketplace, their newsfeed, and any other areas on Fb you want.
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Login to your Facebook page
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On the left pane click on Marketplace
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Click on selling or create a new listing from the menu on your left.
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Select the type of product you want to list. Three different options will be displayed on your screen, an item for sale, a vehicle for sale, and a home for rent.
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The next thing to do is to provide details of the product you want to list. This includes what you sell, the price, your location, product description, and up to 10 product images.
Once you are done, click on the post to get your product listing published in the marketplace. You have now published your product listings on the Facebook marketplace.
Tips for Selling successfully on Facebook Marketplace
Here are a few tips to help you with selling successfully on the Facebook marketplace.
1. Increase brand awareness and visibility
One of the quickest ways to increase your bottom line and get more revenue is by increasing your brand awareness and discoverability. Facebook marketplace streamlines your sales and conversion funnel, ensuring that you are reaching customers that have shown interest in your product or similar products.
If you set up ads, you can even streamline the funnel further and reach more potential customers. Placing your products in the right categories increases the chances that your target audience will discover them.
Additionally, your product will appear in more people’s feeds if you have a sizeable following on your business profile. So, it makes sense to put in the effort to get more followers on your business page. If you can do these, you will increase your product discoverability and brand awareness on Facebook marketplace.
2. Build trust with the audience
One important factor that raises a good relationship between an eCommerce merchant and customers is trust. Considering that your customers may never meet you in person, your business and brand must inspire some level of trust and confidence.
Facebook marketplace offers some distinct features that help you inspire trust in your target audience. The first of these features is Facebook Messenger.
Messenger allows you to connect with your customers on a personal level. Keeping good communication that reflects your brand tone and voice, you can inspire trust in your customers. There is a very good opportunity for you to build customer loyalty by offering perks and benefits that are exclusive to marketplace. This promotes a sense of value which helps you bond with your customers.
3. Track the product that sells best on Facebook
It is important that you track the products that are selling well in the marketplace. By tracking these products, you can make the most out of your Facebook ads. You can use the information you get to improve your ads and know which products to promote. This increases your chance of getting better conversions and goals.
You can check the categories section to determine the products that are doing well in the marketplace. You can also visit the other business pages to see popular products.
4. Personalize your buyer’s experience
Facebook’s algorithm displays ads to users who have shown interest in your product or similar products. You can use this to your advantage by targeting both potential customers and your existing customers.
Your existing customers are more likely to buy from you again because they have previously shown interest in your product. Don’t ignore them while focusing to reach new audiences. You can also target and create a lookalike audience with your marketplace ads.
Another way to personalize your buyer’s experience is through chatbots. Use chatbots to connect with users that have shown interest in any of your products.
5. Test out new products
By leveraging the Facebook marketplace’s ability to streamline your sales funnel, you can always test your product and ideas by checking if they match the interests of your target audience.
Facebook marketplace is also a good way to promote new products. If you want, you can inform your customers in the product description that you are experimenting with the product.
Conclusion
Facebook marketplace is a great platform for eCommerce merchants looking to sell their products to a wider audience. It is a free platform i.e., easy to set up and use. With the marketplace, you can easily increase your bottom line and achieve your business goals.
