How to sell on Facebook in 2022

February 6, 2022
Contents

Selling on Facebook is one of the most profitable ways of selling your products since Facebook introduced business pages in 2007. And with over 2.89 billion monthly active users, this should hardly come as a surprise. However, learning how to sell on Facebook can be challenging, especially if you’re a beginner.

Despite that, do not let this stop you from using Facebook as a business platform. Aside from the massive audience, an average user spends at least 40 minutes on Facebook every day, and 90 million small businesses already use Facebook to sell their products.

If you also want to sell something and get your business off the ground, then using Facebook seems like a great option. However, selling on Facebook can be confusing because there are so many ways to do it, and it is ultra-competitive. 

Not to worry, because we will break down all the methods for selling on Facebook in this post. To make it easier, we have divided this post into sections.

There are three main ways in which you can start selling on Facebook.

  1. Facebook Marketplace
  2. Facebook shops
  3. Facebook groups

We’ll explain everything you need to know about Facebook Marketplace to start things off.

What is Facebook Marketplace?

Facebook marketplace is a Facebook feature that allows users to buy and sell items locally. Its safer, user-friendly interface makes it stand out from websites like Craigslist. 

Now, the Marketplace expands its offerings by allowing eligible sellers to offer nationwide shipping in specific categories. This will bring an even more helpful and enjoyable experience to Facebook users.

Facebook Marketplace

It is good news for sellers because now they get to sell their products to a much larger audience with over 800 million average monthly users.

Even though Marketplace has immense scope, people still think of it as a place to sell their used items, but it is also great for retail arbitrage. Sellers can buy popular in-demand products in bulk at retailers and resell them online at a higher price with the help of the Marketplace’s shipping capabilities.

If you’re new to the Marketplace, take some time to explore the different types of products available. It’s like Craigslist or eBay, but you can buy and sell anything you can think of—starting from earrings to even cars.

Who should sell on Marketplace?

Anyone who wants to sell online should sell on Facebook Marketplace. No matter if you’re: 

  • Anyone who wants to sell used items
  • eCommerce business owner
  • Amazon seller
  • Handmade artist
  • Woodworker
  • Small business owners
  • Local businesses, etc.

If you’ve got something to sell, Facebook Marketplace is for you. Furthermore, Business strategies don’t differ too much between Facebook and other eCommerce platforms like Amazon and eBay.

Moreover, Facebook Marketplace costs you nothing to list items for sale locally, making it the best option for beginners. And when a customer orders for shipping, the seller is only charged 5% of the sale price. 

This low cost makes it easy for experienced sellers and beginners to list items for sale on Facebook.

How to sell on Facebook using Facebook Marketplace?


How to sell on Facebook Marketplace via Mobile

  • Log in to your Facebook account. (If you do not have one, create a Facebook account.)
  • On the right side of your home page, you will see the menu bar with three lines.
  • Tap on it, and you will see various options like messages, groups, and Marketplace.
  • Marketplace will have a house-like icon.
  • Click on Marketplace.
  • The link will direct you to Facebook Marketplace.
  • As shown in the image, you will see various picks to buy locally.

  • On the top of the screen, there will be various options. Tap on Sell.
  • The New listing page will show up.
  • You have to fill in the product details on this page.
  • The first detail to fill in the product category are - Vehicles, Housing, Home & Garden, Electronics, Classifieds, Hobbies, Clothing & Accessories, Family, Entertainment.
  • After choosing a relevant category, enter "What are you selling?"
  • Next, quote the price of the product.
  • Select a "Location
  • Add "Description." You can add the size, color, uses of the product you are selling.
  • Use Tags.
  • Then list the item as a - single item or in stock(more than one item)
  • You can also offer delivery to the local buyers if you want; if not, switch off the option.
  • Choose whether you want to "Turn on commenting on listing" or whether you want customers to text you directly. Turning on commenting is better because you can have all your prospective buyers in one place.
  • Add photos of the product. Marketplace lets you add ten pictures per listing.
  • Then click on "Publish."

Yay! With your first listing, You are ready to start selling on Facebook.

How to Make a Facebook Marketplace listing on Desktop?

Making a product listing on a desktop is different from doing it on the app. Here are the steps you need to follow:

  • Open Facebook.
  • Log in to your Facebook account.
  • On the lefthand side of the screen, you will see many options. Click on Marketplace
  • Then, on the left side of the screen below the Your account, you will see the Create new listing button. Click on it.
Create new listing
  • Now, you will have an option you did not have on the phone. You can choose a listing type.
Choose listing type
  • Choose the item for sale option, and go ahead.
  • You will see the Create page.

This part is significant because presenting your product will play a massive role in how fast the product gets sold.

The best way of showcasing your product is by maximizing SEO. For your product to show up more prominently, include keywords and relevant information in your title and description. The more detailed your listing is, the better chance a customer will see it.

Fill in the information as asked -

  • Title - Make sure it has the keyword and is short yet detailed.
  • Price - Add the amount you think compensates you best. Listing on Facebook is free.
  • Shipping- Choose whether it will be a local pickup or shipped.
  • Description- In the product description, you will have to add all the required details of the product so the buyers have an idea about it. Mention the condition, size, color, length, breadth, and other features if required.
Facebook Shops Example

Facebook will then show you how much you will make on the product and you have to click next. You will get to choose where you will be listing the product and in which groups. List the product publicly and add it to other groups if you want. Then click "Publish"

Congratulations on publishing your first product! You can now start getting messages from interested buyers. Once the listing is live, you will start getting notifications. Be sure to download the Facebook Messenger app on your phone, so you can reply to messages as soon as they come in. 

Some customers will be impolite or rude, but you have to keep calm. Ignore fraudsters or block them. Only entertain interested buyers who do not haggle much and are ready to pay the price.

But what to sell on Facebook? If you are an independent seller trying to sell off old goods, you have an idea of your products. But if you want to start an online store, you need to do some research.

What to sell on Facebook Marketplace?

The variety of products you can sell on Facebook Marketplace is practically endless. To begin selling, look around your home and see what you might have cluttering up your space that someone else might want. Try to sell it.

NOTE: Make sure to note the seller's descriptions and photos. What did you find most helpful, and what areas could be improved?  Try to take notes from other sellers.

If reselling the used items isn't on your list, and you instead want to open a business on Facebook, you need to brainstorm before deciding what to sell. Doing market research is extremely important. You need to know which items are selling like hotcakes and what aren't. Here are a few says to learn what kind of products you can sell?

Product Research

A crucial step for any e-commerce business is to do the proper product research. You can make sure what you’re selling will be profitable by doing this.

Product research depends on data, considering how many units of a product sell over time and at what price and how many other sellers are competing with you. You can use a few techniques to know which products are selling on various eCommerce platforms.

Know the sell-through rate on eBay

On eBay, you can easily know which products are selling fast. There is something called the sell-through rate. The sell-through rate is the percentage of sold listings to all active listings for a specific product. You can calculate this rate by looking at any item’s sold and completed listings on eBay. How can you do that?

  • Visit the website Ebay
  • And search for an item you want to sell, for example "Vintage cards"
  • Then you scroll down and on the left side of the screen under Show Only, you will see the options of Sold and Completed. Select these options and you will see a number pop up at top.
Sell through rate is the sold listings by the active listings


If you find a sell-through rate that is 50% or more then you can successfully sell the item. If you are still wondering what to sell, you can check out Ebay's trending deals section to draw some inspiration.

Use Amazon Seller account with other tools

Other than that if you want to know which specific products to sell you can use Amazon.

For example, you are a business owner who wants to sell books, you can know about the bestselling options from Amazon Bestsellers section. If you have an Amazon seller account, you can use other tools like Jungle scout or Keyword scout.

While selling anything on Facebook you need to keep three things in mind.

  • Whether the product is profitable?
  • Is the product in demand?
  • What are the competitors selling?


Facebook Marketplace is a great feature for any business. But it is also a feature that is rough around the edges. For sellers who want to step up their game, here are some tips to sell on Marketplace like a pro -

Boost your listings: Marketplace gives you an option to boost your listing. Boosting helps the listings to appear at the top of Marketplace search results. This allows you to customize your target audience by age, location, gender, language, and so on. It also means that your listing will appear in people's news feeds, which can be great for generating new customers.

You can boost your listing while creating it, from the start itself. Or you can boost it later. To boost the listing later. You can go to "Your listings", and click on the listing you want. The select "Boost listing"

Then , select a budget and reach that suits your resources. Create an audience or use the one you have. Finish filling up the details and click on Promote Now

Select an audience or create a customized audience



Pay attention to the visuals of your listing: Remember to take some time to make sure your photos are clear and well lit. If you don’t include good photos in your listing, people will ask for them. Marketplace allows you to add 10 photos. Add photos of the product from all angles. Use good light and camera while shooting it.

Offer free delivery if you can: A lot of your customers don't want to go out of their way to pick up items. Offer free delivery within a range that's convenient for you, even if it's a heavy package. It will boost your conversions.

Do not keep waiting for the product to sell: Has your product not sold yet? You can renew your listing for free. As more sellers list new products, yours will be pushed back down the list. To do this, go to Marketplace> Your Account > Your Listings. Find your product and click on the 3-dot icon in the listing> dropdown menu> renew the listing.

FB marketplace is a great place to start selling on Facebook. But thanks to Facebook, we now have other options. Facebook is rolling out its new feature Facebook store.

What is a Facebook store/shop?

Facebook has introduced a new feature that offers your customers a more seamless experience. The chance to check out without leaving Facebook if they wish. Facebook shop is a new feature that provides an easy storefront for a Facebook business page shop.

Recently on May 2020, Facebook introduced its new feature. This feature would allow businesses to provide a more shippable experience to users. Facebook said that Shops is a mobile-friendly way for brands to create an online store on Facebook and Instagram easily. 

Now, businesses are able to choose which of their items they want to sell, merchandise with product collections, and tell their story with custom-made fonts and colors. Additionally, customers can contact brands using WhatsApp, Messenger, or Instagram.

Mark Zuckerberg announced the launch of the new feature

https://www.facebook.com/4/videos/10111929914173161/

It is a great way for business owners to reach new audiences.

Facebook page shop and Facebook shop are two different things. You need to have a Facebook page shop to create a Facebook shop. But what's the difference between these very similar terms?

What is the difference between a Facebook page shop and a Facebook shop?

These two features are different just because one came after the other.

Facebook Page shop is a feature that has been around longer than Facebook shop. It allows sellers to display their products on a Facebook business page. But when customers click on the products, it directs them to the eCommerce website.

Facebook Page shop

On the other hand, the Facebook shop was rolled out in May 2020. A new feature lets sellers add a storefront to the existing Facebook page shops. It is a fantastic way of turning your Facebook business page into an online store.

Facebook Shops

Facebook shops are an updated version of Facebook business pages. That's it! You can always upgrade to shop.

Requirements for opening a Facebook shop

To set up a Facebook shop, you need to

  • Have a Facebook page shop
  • You need to receive an email from Facebook saying the Facebook shop feature is available for your store.

But if you do not already have a Facebook page shop, you need to set it up first. What are the requirements of having a Facebook page shop?

  • You need to have a Facebook business page. Create one ASAP.
  • You need to be the admin of your Facebook business page.
  • To be eligible for a Facebook business page, you should be selling something physical. Facebook doesn't accept sales of services, just physical products.
  • You need to agree with the Merchant terms of Facebook.


To create a Facebook shop, you need to have a Facebook business page shop. Fear not, Here is how you can create a Facebook page shop -

Create a Facebook Page shop

To create a Facebook page shop, you need to have a business page.

  • Go to your Business page, and on the left side of the menu, select Shop
Find the 'Shop' tab on your Facebook Business Page
  • You will see a pop up asking you to agree to the Merchant terms of Facebook. Check the I agree box and click on Continue.
  • The next step is about entering your payment details. Earlier, Shops were only available in the US. But now, Facebook users can create Facebook shops in the UK, Canada, and India.


NOTE Payment and tax details: For this step, you will need to add Your business address, the states you trade in, Your tax registration number, The type of product you’ll be selling, The type of business you run (e.g., Sole Proprietorship), The name, Social Security number or unique identification number, and date of birth of your business representative, Your shipping and returns policy.

After adding all the necessary details to the Shop in the Business page, you will be free to add products.

Facebook Shops - add product
  • Click on the Add product button.
Facebook Shops: add product information
  • In the Add product section, you can add
  • Photos/ Videos
  • Name of the product
  • Price
  • Product description
  • Checkout URL
  • Visibility
  • Product condition.

NOTE - To create unique, high-quality, fun product videos, you can use Offeo Online video maker. It makes creating product videos an easy process. It has stunning templates, stock images and video, royalty-free music, dynamic effects and so much more. You can start creating your product video using a blank canvas or use one of the customizable templates. Make engaging videos in just a few minutes.

Want to learn how to create your first product video with Offeo? Check out this video:

After filling out all the details, click on Add product. Your product will be visible on the Facebook business page like this.

Facebook Shops: add more products

You can click on Add Products to add more products to your store. This is how you create a Facebook page shop. Did you notice that you have to enter the checkout URL? That means buyers can't check out from Facebook itself; they will have to be directed to your website.

If you do not want your business manager account to look sloppy, you can create a collection using your added products.

  • Scroll down on your Facebook business page below the newly added products, you can see the Add collection button.
Add product collection on Facebook Shops
  • Click on the Add collection button, then click on + Add collection
  • In the Create Collection pop up, you can Add the Collection name
  • In the Product list section below, click on Add products.
Adding products to a Facebook Shops collection
  • Click on Add and tada you are done organizing your Facebook page shop.


How you organize your business account and products depends on you. You don't even have to worry about a few products if you have a few products.

Just opening a shop isn't going to bring you success; you need to know how to manage it as well.

Manage orders in Facebook page shop

  • Go to Publishing tools on the right of the top menu on the Facebook page.
Manage orders in Facebook Shops
  • Next, select Pending Orders from the menu 
Managing pending orders
  • In the pending orders section, you will manage all the orders that come in.
Pending orders dashboard Facebook Shops

You can add the date of order, Buyer's name, Price, product, and order status. This helps you keep track of all the orders you have received inside the platform itself. You do not need an external tool.

Now that you know how to open a Facebook business page shop easily, let’s get into the next step- Facebook shop.

How to create a Facebook shop?

To create a Facebook shop, you need to have a Facebook page first. After that, you can enable Shops easily. Here is how you can do it-

  • Create an account on Facebook commerce manager.
  • Create a collection on the shop
  • Customize your online storefront
  • Publish your shop


Set up Facebook Commerce manager

Facebook Commerce Manager
  • You will then get two options - Get started for Facebook, or just get started. Select Get started for Facebook on the left side of the screen.
Setting up Facebook Commerce Manager
  • The next page will show you all the requirements you need to set up Facebook commerce - A bank account and routing number, tax and payment information, shop preferences, and policies. Make sure you have all this information ready. Click on Next.
  • You will see this as the following screen.
Facebook Shops: commerce account info
  • In the business information section, click Set Up; you will have to enter all the details. Facebook then walks you through naming your store, linking to an existing page (or creating a new one), and checking you have a Business Manager account.

  • The next section, Product and Settings, will ask you to add your products. It is similar to the process we followed with Facebook page shops earlier.
  • The payouts section adds the bank account and financial details to receive payouts. This feature isn't available in Facebook page shops because customers are directed to the e-commerce website. On Facebook shops, sellers receive the payment through the same platform.


This is the basic setup process you have to follow for Facebook commerce. Once you are all done, you can go to the next step.

Create Collection on Facebook Commerce

To make the most of Facebook commerce, put your products into collections. Log in to your Commerce Manager and click Create Collection to create a collection.  After you create a collection, you can add:

  • A collection name: Make the collection name short and descriptive. Make it fun by adding some emojis. You can only add up to 20 characters in the name.
  • A collection description: The collection description has a limit of 200 words. Be creative. Use language and phrases that the Facebook audience can understand.
  • Cover media: You need to add a cover image to the collection. So you need a picture with a 4:3 ratio and 1080 x 810-pixel size.

If you want to create more collections, you can click on create a collection and start making more. Collections make your online store on Facebook look organized.

Build your Facebook store

Customize your Facebook Shop to fit your brand, not just Facebook’s.  When you’re ready to set up your store, head to the Commerce Manager. Click on Shops, pick the Shop you want to edit, and click Edit.

Customize store layout

You’ll notice two different features within your chosen shop. The first is the Layout tab, which allows you to decide how to display collections on the homepage. The second is the Style tab, where you can adjust colors, button size, and text to align with your branding.

These options give you the room to get creative and add some personality to your brand.

Shop Preview and Publish

The shop preview will show you how your store will look once it is published. Click Publish to finalize the process if you’re happy with how your new shop will look. Facebook will review and approve your collections within 24 hours. You can either tell them to publish as they’re approved or all at once. It's up to you.

Sell on Facebook Groups

Last but not least is Facebook groups. You can also sell on Facebook through groups. This was one of the first ways used by sellers on Facebook. Facebook Groups can be a treasure trove of potential customers for you. 

The “Buy and Sell on Facebook” groups have thousands of members, and there are tons of smaller niche groups with a huge following that you can join to promote and sell your products.

To join a group, just create a request. The administrator will usually approve your request to join the group. Once you’re in, Facebook will suggest similar groups for you to join.

  • Post them directly on the group page to sell items in a local group. Most selling groups have a form where you can include all the details you’ve already put together- product, price, quantity available, etc. Make sure the product description is clear and catchy. The product images should be well lit and vibrant as well. Prospective buyers will want to see the product from every angle, so add enough photos.

How to promote your shop on Facebook?

The Facebook shop is similar to any other eCommerce platform. But it is only profitable when you make sales. If nobody buys from you, then your business is in serious trouble. That's why promoting your shop is a huge deal. Facebook marketing gives you ample opportunities to share your products with potential buyers.

Run Facebook ads

Even though Facebook offers many organic opportunities for selling online, it also has some paid options that work very well. Once you have tried and tested all the organic ways to promote your business, its time to try out Facebook ads -

  • Sponsored posts: We all know advertising is a vital part of a promotion, but many brands don't know that an even better promotional tool is the use of Facebook posts. By promoting your products and specials via boosted posts, you can reach a large audience for a small fee. Unlike organic posts, sponsored posts require a budget and only give you so many posts to post. Sponsored posts help you reach a new lookalike audience. These posts look similar to regular Facebook posts, but they can be highly effective.
Facebook Ads
  • Facebook ads : Facebook ads are one of the most traditional ways to advertise. It lets you show several images of your products, with calls to action to click on them. Targeted Facebook ads are a great way to connect with your niche or prospective customer. Moreover, a tool makes advertising easy for you - Facebook Ads Manager is a hugely helpful tool for businesses that want to create and handle ad campaigns on their phone. It’s simple to use, has real-time reporting, and is an excellent choice for business owners who love posting ads on Facebook.
  • Other ways to advertise on Facebook are running Facebook ad campaigns with featured products or distributing offers and hosting contests to engage your current audience and attract new viewers to your page and Facebook Shop products.

Leverage User-Generated Content

UGC or user-generated content is the new way to customers' hearts. It tells that you care what they think of your product. Many brands are now into the technique of reposting user-generated content. User-generated content is a fantastic way to sell products on social networks. Why?

  • You get the Facebook audience of the content participants for free.
  • Your brand can post photos and videos that capture your product in use, which sometimes store photos lack.
  • Rarely do people simply post photos — they normally like to share their photos and videos on Facebook and other popular networks.
  • You strengthen the customer relationships by reposting UGC.
User Generated Content Examples on Facebook

Eye-catching product listings

Multiple steps are involved, like branding your store and marketing your brand. Search engines pull in your product descriptions when people search for specific products; however, they also pull in accurate, detailed reports. So, to increase product sales, you need to write great product listings. Here are the things you should avoid when writing product listings -

  • Bad product images: Without a fancy camera or professional photography skills, you’ll have a hard time selling your products.
  • Lousy product descriptions: The more minor detail in your reports, the less likely you are to sell a product.
  • Entering incorrect product size and weight information in the description.
  • Adding wrong SKU numbers or product codes to track products in your online store.

Rather you need to use

  • Clear, well-lit, and varied angled photos
  • Detailed product description
  • Accurate product size, weight information, SKU numbers, and product codes.


Expand to Instagram and other platforms

Branded posts on Facebook work well to reach customers. It can be easy to forget that most people won’t buy until they’ve seen your products online a few times. So, it’s a good idea to be everywhere: on their phones, laptops, and social media pages. Expanding to other social media platforms will give you an edge over your competitors.

Instagram shopping

A new era in e-commerce means more than just selling on the web — you also need to be selling on social media. Posting product listings on your website, blog, and even Pinterest and Instagram is a great way to promote your business and engage with consumers. 

But don't forget that one of the best ways to sell products is on Facebook, which offers more promotion options and better traffic. Facebook shop allows you to create a storefront on the Facebook page and helps you open an Instagram store.

Conclusion

We hope you found this post useful! Starting to sell on Facebook is easy, but you need to choose which option is best for you. There are three ways to do this: 1) Make a Facebook Page Shop 2) Open a Facebook Marketplace 3) Sell on Facebook groups. Choose the option that suits your needs and get started today!

More Guides:

How to sell on Meesho (Meesho Seller)| How to sell on Amazon | How to sell eBay | How to start coffee business| How to sell on Lazada | How to sell on Shopee | Food Business Ideas | How to start Jewelry Business | Etsy Alternatives

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