Utilizing Facebook marketplace categories to sell your products

As social media gained prominence in the marketing system, Facebook emerged as a strong leader. Not only does the platform have huge visibility, navigating and using its features is a breeze too. In this scenario, brands use Facebook marketplace categories to offer their brand to their target customers. 

Moving around the marketplace is convenient; the number of people using it for purchases has increased exponentially. The customers can search for their needs and pick up the seller whose offering remains the best deal. 

This allows those sellers to make a foray who have a limited budget yet want a good exposure to the brand. Let us read on about the Facebook marketplace, its categories, and how to utilize it to boost brand sales.

Popular Facebook marketplace categories

In order to give ample exposure to the marketplace, Facebook included lots of categories of products. Some popular ones are mentioned below:

• Clothing and accessories
• Housing
• Family
• Electronics
• Home and garden
• Classifieds
• Vehicles
• Entertainment
• Deals
• Hobbies

The buyers can choose which categories they would like to receive notifications from. Facebook keeps track of these and sends you updates on any new products listed in the same. However, the sellers have to obey the industry standards. 

You cannot post any offensive product or content on the marketplace as they would promptly remove it. Apart from that, any posts that incite violence are also not acceptable. The seller cannot put counterfeit products for sale as that will lead to the closure of the account. There are some Facebook marketplace categories that you cannot sell at all.

• Alcohol
• Animals
• Adult products
• Body parts
• Sexual services
• Prescription drugs
• Stolen goods
• Already recalled goods
• Event tickets and gift cards
• Tobacco products
• Weapons, pistols, etc.
• Property deeds or virtual currency
• Hazardous chemicals
• Medical devices and items having nicotine
• Digital subscriptions

Why should you sell your products on the Facebook marketplace?

For any new business, selling on the Facebook com marketplace is the first step to give their product exposure. Read on a few reasons why these sellers choose this platform to branch out.

• Safer than other platforms

Neither the seller nor the buyer will want to be duped online. Being on the Facebook marketplace means you first need to have a FB account to start selling. This naturally lends a sense of credibility to the dealings between both parties. 

You also get the option to check out whether the seller is trustworthy. Look at their FB profile and see how long they have been active. See their previous marketplace activity and whether they have received any negative reviews. If the seller is flouting Facebook marketplace categories guidelines, it is a red flag to stay away from them.

• Listing products is free

There are no fees that a seller should pay in order to utilize FB marketplace services. For small e-commerce businesses, this is a positive start. They get the sales spurt they require without spending any penny on the effort.

• Facility to send messages to each other

Customers nowadays expect a quick response to their queries, and with the FB marketplace, that is possible. Once you note down a product, you can initiate a conversation on FB messenger. Once you seal the deal, make your payment, and the product will reach you as per the shipping considerations.

• Post the listing to Facebook groups

On Facebook, you will find sufficient buy and sell groups where customers look for their ideal product. You can link your post to these buy and sell groups. Now your intended customer has a better chance of getting in touch with you. If you are using a mobile, you can link to 10 groups. On the desktop, you can add a listing to 10 groups and go back and add to 10 more groups, and so on.

Strategy for selling products on FB marketplace

• Choosing the right product to sell

Just knowing about the top Facebook marketplace categories will not be enough. You should also be aware of the strategies that can get you instant returns. Follow the below guidelines to get the leverage in making the first sale.

• Showcase your product to the target audience

In order to sell your products, you must know how to present them to their target audience. You will have to deal with the following questions to succeed.

1. How should you address the target audience?
2. How will you promote the product category?
3. Which are the products that sell best on Facebook?
4. Which tactics can you use to appeal to these customers?

Once you get answers to all these questions, it becomes simple for you to proceed ahead.

• Shortlist a product that meets customer needs

As a seller, you must grasp the psychology of your customer. You need to figure out where the customer has a need and offer a product that satisfies the same. For example, you will find clothing is one of the most popular Facebook marketplace categories. However, there is severe competition, and to succeed, you must show the catalog with new fabrics, innovative styles, and materials that grab attention.

• Have a USP

USP or the unique selling proposition makes your product attractive to the customer. Your brand should have a lasting impact on the customer and force him to buy. You could use Facebook analytics to find what kinds of products are preferred and focus on presenting them.

• Follow a niche

Especially when selling on the FB marketplace, it is useful fixing a niche where your entire focus would lie. A niche market will be a small segment of the vast market and has its own demand. Let us retake the category of Clothing. It is silly to dabble into all kinds of clothing as you will not succeed. Pick up a niche segment like winter wear and try and focus on selling products in that niche. You can define your niche based on:

1. Price
2. Demographic
3. Interest
4. Geographic region

• Stay on a trend

With a considerable population fixated on online shopping, keeping up with the latest trends becomes all the more critical. By doing that, you will know in advance which products have a better chance of getting traction. Plus, you also realize what your customers prefer, and therefore modifying your products becomes relatively simple.

Process of selling products on FB marketplace

Moving on, we will tell you the process of selling products on the FB marketplace. The method of setting up an account takes barely a minute, and you are ready to start selling.

1. Go to Facebook marketplace 

Log into the Facebook platform and go to Marketplace. In case you are using a smartphone to do so, open the app and tap on the “shop” icon. If you want, you can sell your product through your personal FB account.

2. Create the listing

If you see on the left side of the screen, there will be a blue “sell something” button. A new screen will show where you will see many Facebook marketplace categories to choose from. Again mobile users should tap the “sell” button and select the type of listing from among the following. 

• Item for sale
• Property for rent or sale
• Vehicle for sale
• Job opening

3. Fill in the listing details

Now you have to create a listing that specifies all the details of the products. Most listings should have:

• At least one or more photographs
• Create a listing title with all the necessary keywords
• Add the expected price
• Choose a category from the ones mentioned
• Specify the condition of the product, new/old.
• Include relevant product tags
• Insert location details
• Specify the Number of available items
• Shipping details and cost

Once you have accomplished all tasks, you can click on publish. If your listing matches all the requirements, it will be live within minutes.

4. Closing sale

Once a buyer contacts you can discuss all the details through the messenger. In case everything matches perfectly, close the deal and ask the buyer to make payment through your preferred mode. Always tell your customer the complete cost specifics, including shipping, taxes, and any other hidden costs. This will reduce any chances of future disputes arising.

How you can improve on the listing created

Every day people create hundreds of product listings on the Facebook marketplace. Obviously, you must offer something unique for the customers to notice yours. Here are some ways in which you can improve your product listing.

• Research to find what time your customers are most active and create the listing around that time.
• Generate content to grab the attention of your customer base.
• Always choose the correct marketplace category to match your product.
• Images used should match the product. Do not use wrong photos as they could accuse you of fraud.
• Keep your product description clear and concise. Just write enough that the customer can understand what you are trying to offer.
• Try and add a small backstage video to show how you create the product. This will add a level of authenticity to the product listing.
• Add relevant product tags to the listing. This shows the listing when your customer base searches with the required keyword.

Increasing your Facebook marketplace sales

Once all that is over, you will have to see you are getting enough Facebook marketplace sales. Use these tips and tricks to achieve the impossible.

Do the research

It is easy to get influenced and start selling products that many people are already dealing with. However, doing your share of research ensures that you know where you can score ahead. Go to the marketplace and see which products get sold the most.

If any page has a store, you can see its most sold products mentioned on the top. This will simplify the process to see the supply and demand patterns and choose how you can act differently.

Facebook ads

Now that you know which products are popular, try and create Facebook ads for your products. Since you are done with your research and understand what your customer likes, this effort will get the response you are looking for. Using the ads, you can also refocus on those customers who have bought products from you in the past.

Add keywords in your listing

It is easy to think that SEO is only for website ranking. You can use the same practices on your FB marketplace listings. To ensure that your products are ranking high and customers are finding them add the required keywords to each listing.

For best results, use the main keywords in the title and semantic keywords in its description. For example, if you are selling a popular smartphone, your listing should include its features. When the customer searches for a similar product, your listing will figure on the top.

Work on the photos

The choice of your photos tends to make all the difference. Customers form their opinions based on the images they see. So, if you have blurry pics that make it hard to see the product, it is time you did something about them. 

You can click photos of your products yourself. All you have to do is to ensure natural lighting around the setup. Keep a clean white or black background to make it easy for customers to see the product features. Also, if your item is used, you should show any defects or signs of use. The customer should know what he is getting into.

Try to get a strong seller record

Facebook gives badges to sellers on the basis of their interaction quality. Work hard to get both the badges mentioned below as that really helps in boosting sales.

• Very responsive badge- Given to sellers who are quick to respond to buyers’ requests.
• Community recommended badge- They offer this to sellers who have a high rating on the FB marketplace.

Choose correct Facebook marketplace categories 

Remember that people don’t like spam. If you create Facebook marketplace category that is different from your product, most likely, your listing will be flagged out. Apart from that, you have to choose the right category so that only those people who check your listing are actually looking to buy the product.

So, if you have a DSLR camera to sell and you list it in the appliances section, the ideal customer will not check the listing. In most cases, it is going to be a waste of time, and chances of any sales coming will reduce.

Conclusion

Selling on the FB marketplace is a convenient and straightforward way to make your foray into selling. Especially if you are just starting, the platform gives your brand the exposure it requires. Follow the above tactics to ensure that you achieve success in this effort in the beginning.

Many people use the FB marketplace to shop, and it is high time you take advantage of the same. It might take time to gain a foothold. However, once you understand the nuances, it won’t be time when the sales start trickling in.