Selling Items on Facebook Marketplace: Your Next Big Side Hustle

Got some extra goods lying around? That old suitcase is gathering dust, and the recently replaced TV is just sitting around, wasting space. These are all items that have some value; imagine if you could sell them somewhere with minimum effort, like Facebook Marketplace.

When Facebook Marketplace started in 2016, nobody knew if it would really take off. However, around 52 million people now use it on a weekly basis to make a purchase or get rid of their things for a few extra bucks. With that many eyeballs, you can bet this is a lucrative market waiting to be tapped into.

Let's explore how you can start selling items on Facebook Marketplace to make it become your next big side hustle.

What Is Facebook Marketplace?

Facebook Marketplace is a part of the Facebook social media app; it's a space where users can log on to buy and sell whatever they like. All transactions are completed outside the platform, so payments are either made in cash when the buyer meets the seller or, in certain situations, a buyer may pay a seller via transfer through a bank or another system like PayPal.

You could say Facebook Marketplace is sort of like a Gumtree, eBay, or Amazon kind of concept, but it has its own unique edge as it's part of a social media platform.

How to Get Started Selling on Facebook Marketplace

Selling on Facebook Marketplace is super easy; you can get started in a matter of minutes. But first, you've got to do these things:

Facebook account registration: Set up an account on Facebook with a real profile picture so people can trust you.

Prepare your catalog: Round up the items you want to sell, take some pictures, and decide how much you want to price them for.

Upload your listings: Make your product listings for your items with the pictures you've taken, and don't forget to add some catchy descriptions.

Wait for offers to come in: The listings are live; now, just sit back and watch the bids roll in.

Strategies for Maximizing Sales on Facebook Marketplace

Study the Market

Before you throw any old listing up, go through Facebook Marketplace to get an idea of how much people are selling similar products for. The last thing you want to do is price yourself out, or else you won't receive any offers.

Be sure to review other ads, find out what they're missing, and figure out how to do it better to get potential customers into your inbox.

Don’t Get Too Focused On High Profits

It's understandable to want to make as much money as possible from your sale, but try not to focus too much on high profits. Oftentimes, the goods people sell have been sitting there for years without any attention; once you get rid of them and make some money, that's the main thing.

A few folks might buy the products online from a cheaper country to sell in their hometown for a higher fee. As long as you cover your costs and earn a return, don't get too hung up on it. Remember, if you turn someone down, they can always just go online and do the same thing you've done; it's better to take advantage of interest while it's there.

Use Professional Photographs

The photograph will be the first thing someone sees when they come across your advertisement, so make an effort with it. You don't have to go out and buy a new camera or anything; just use what you've got on your phone, but make the pictures look nice and appealing in a way that showcases the product's best features.

Select Relevant Key Terms

In your Facebook Marketplace advertisements, you need to include the possible relevant key terms that people would search for if they were going to buy your product. This applies to your titles and descriptions, as you want them to appear in front of potential buyers actively searching for your items.

Offer Delivery Through a Reputable Payment System

While originally, Facebook Marketplace was used to sell products in face-to-face meetings arranged privately by the two parties; more sellers have started offering delivery to save time and reach a wider market. The downside is that Facebook hasn't installed an integrated payment system for people to use, so buyers have to take the risk by sending the money privately in the hope of receiving their items. Luckily, platforms like PayPal have a good setup that can track down any shady activity by hackers and help you out if you've been scammed.

Monitor Your Ads and Make Changes if Needed

You won't always get it right with your listings on Facebook Marketplace, and that's okay. Thankfully, even if your ads are live, you can make changes whenever you want without deleting them.

It's recommended to leave your listings live for around a week to see what type of interaction you get with them. If you see no results within that period, you might need a second look to check what's going wrong. Usually, lowering the price or being more descriptive helps.

Sometimes, you might be unable to sell something because of seasonal issues. For example, say winter has just come along, and you're living somewhere like Chicago; not many people will be looking for a beach ball, will they? Timing is everything when selling on Marketplace, so just be mindful.

Start Earning Some Extra Cash by Selling on Facebook Marketplace

Facebook Marketplace has been an incredible tool for the average person to sell some stuff and make a clean profit without having to jump through many hoops. It’s even a significant source of income for some individuals who have successfully promoted their company’s products.

You can start selling your stuff on Facebook Marketplace within a few clicks today. Just download the app, gather up some stuff you think is worth a few bucks, design the listings, and you're good to go.