How to sell on Facebook?

Online sales are growing all the time. One of the continuing e-commerce trends is omnichannel, or multi-channel selling. One way to grow your business is to sell on Facebook. The portal makes it possible in several ways, and in this article, we would like to focus on discussing them in detail.

Selling on Facebook – table of contents:

1. Why sell on Facebook?
2. Own store on Facebook
3. Facebook Marketplace
4. Facebook groups
5. Live broadcasts
6. What is not allowed to sell on Facebook?

Why sell on Facebook?

According to data, Facebook has 2.18 billion users. Brands that have decided to create their profile can more easily reach potential customers. Presence on this social channel also facilitates communication between the seller and the buyer and facilitates audience engagement. Activities on Facebook do not have to lead to a quick transaction – they can are also handy in enhancing customer confidence in the brand and contribute to customer loyalty in the long run.

Own store on Facebook

A business that has a Facebook profile can set up a free store that customers can use on Facebook as well as on Instagram. Sellers can customize the look of the store and decide which products will be featured in the catalog. A bonus is the ability to answer customer questions via Messenger, WhatsApp and Instagram directly. Facebook also allows collaboration with e-commerce platforms, including Shopify, WooCommerce and BigCommerce.

New merchants can create their store using Create your Shop feature. Those with a Facebook business account can open a store using the “Sell your products” tab.

In both cases, it is necessary to establish the following:

• Choose a checkout method – the merchant can decide whether customers will be redirected to another website to make a purchase or whether payment processing will be done using Messenger, Instagram Direct or WhatsApp,
• Provide your business details – you need to fill in the name of your business and its email address,
• Add your inventory – the first step is to create a catalog that will contain the store’s assortment.

Facebook enables you to tag products from your page. This means that the products that are added to the store on the Facebook page or are in the catalog can be tagged on photos and videos. This way, the viewer can click on the tag and start shopping right away. To tag a product when creating a post, you need to:

1. Press “Create post” on the company page
2. Upload a post containing a photo/video
3. Click the shopping bag icon which is located next to “Add to your post”
4. Click “Upload photos or video“
5. Select the product you want to tag and fill in its name
6. Click “Done Tagging and Save“

Facebook Marketplace

Facebook Marketplace is often written off as an online flea market. You can use it to buy or sell something. The idea of Facebook Marketplace is to combine ads from sales groups and Marketplace. The main advantage of it is that it is free. Facebook does not charge any fees or commissions on sales. Buyers can purchase without having to install a separate app – the whole thing runs within Facebook and Messenger.

Additionally, buyers can check a seller’s credibility by visiting their profile or suggesting a five-star rating system. For sellers, this is a good solution to be visible in a given geographical area.

How do I create a listing on the Marketplace?

1. On the home page, select “Marketplace” on the left-hand side,
2. The next step is to press “Create new listing” and then choose between: “Item for Sale“, “Vehicle for Sale“, “Home for Sale or Rent“,
3. The next step is to add a photo and information about the item (title, price, category, condition, description), then press “Next“,
4. The last step is to publish the ad using the “Publish” button.

Facebook groups

Another solution for selling on Facebook is to list it on Buy and Sell groups. They differ from normal groups as they have the sell-and-buy function enabled, which can only be activated by the administrator of the group. To put up an offer, you need to:

1. Go to the “Groups” tab on the home page, then select the group where the sell-and -buy function is enabled
2. Then, click on the “Sell Something” button
3. At this stage, you should fill in the product details and click the “Next” button the next step is to choose the audience – you can also publish the offer on other groups or
4. Create an ad in the Marketplace
5. Finally, click the “Publish” button

Live broadcasts

Facebook Live features live broadcast, both on the page and in groups or events on Facebook. Broadcasting on the page enables you to access more tools than on groups or events. Selling through broadcasts allows you to interact directly with viewers and reach potential customers in real-time.

Facebook has prepared instructions for launching a live broadcast using a computer and mobile device. It is available at this link.

What is not allowed to sell on Facebook?

All items that are put up for sale on Facebook must adhere to commerce policies and Facebook Community Standards. Examples of prohibited materials include:

• adult products,
• alcohol,
• human body parts and bodily fluids,
• digital content,
• advertisements must not unduly discriminate against anyone,
• documents, currencies, virtual currencies, financial instruments,
• online gambling services (games, betting, bingo, poker, lotteries, casino, etc.),
• hazardous materials and substances,
• human trafficking, sexual services, escort services,
• dietary supplements,
• animal trade and products.

The sale and purchase of tickets, vouchers and gift cards is also restricted.

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