You asked Google ” How to sell on Facebook” and you found yourself here right?
By now you’re wondering.
- What’s a Facebook shop, Facebook Marketplace are they different shopping and selling options? What should I go for?
- What about Facebook selling and buying groups isn’t it the same as the Facebook market place?
- Facebook Ads manager, boost and promote post button do they do the same thing creating Facebook Ads? But where do I create my campaign?
- What! there is a new tool the Facebook Commerce. Can I use it to sell on Facebook or Instagram or both?
- A Facebook business page isn’t my account a page? Why do I need one?
- But what the hell is the Facebook business manager? Given that there is already an Ad manager, commerce manager, don’t you think there are many managers on my end?
If you are trying to understand the rocket science on how to sell on Facebook and you feel like your brain is starting to boil you are not alone.
But, selling on Facebook is peasy easy. This Facebook commerce guide will take you through how to sell on Facebook, Marketing on Facebook, and also address the frequently asked questions plus much more.
Ready? Let’s jump right to it
How to Sell on Facebook
Selling on Facebook comes with several options. You can either sell through the Facebook marketplace, Facebook shop, or Facebook buying and selling groups. Furthermore, from Facebook, you can also direct shoppers to buy from your ecommerce platform.
Facebook marketplace
The Facebook marketplace is a place where people discover, buy, and sell items. Here you can find what you are looking for within a certain location, see its price, and more.
The actual buying and selling happen outside Facebook where you connect with the prospect, negotiate for prices, and fulfill the orders.
In short, the Facebook marketplace is another Craigslist for Facebook users. where you can list products and also see other people’s products.
The Facebook marketplace has no payment processes, shopping cart, no tax calculation, or anything to support selling but it’s a nice place to display products to the millions of Facebook Fans.
Facebook marketplace categories
People and brands can list in any of the following categories.
- Classified
- Clothes & Accessories
- Deals
- Electronics
- Entertainment
- Family
- Hobbies
- Home and garden
- Housing
- Vehicles
What to consider when selling on Facebook Marketplace
- Shipping of orders should be within 3 days and received within 7 days.
- Expect a lot of communication/ messaging from the buyer
- Not all e-commerce platform syn with the Facebook marketplace
The good thing about the Facebook marketplace is that it gives you an extended reach to the millions of Facebook users. It also provides a personalized customer experience as it only surfaces products relevant to the customers helping your business find the right audience.
Although the Facebook marketplace is far from being an e-commerce platform it’s a nice place to showcase your products and connect with the right customers.
Facebook shop
The Facebook shop is closer to an e-commerce shop where you can sell through Facebook and Instagram. You can easily add a checkout and shipping system to allow customers to directly buy and get their products shipped.
However, buying through the Facebook shop is available in the US.only. You will also have to pay USD 0.40 selling fee (including sale price+ delivery fee+ taxes) for each product you sell. Plus a 5% transaction fee.
How to set up a Facebook shop
The first thing that you need to do is to open a Facebook page. The Facebook shop can only function from a Facebook page, not your personal Facebook account.
As the admin of the Facebook page, choose a page name, choose the category that describes your type of business, write a short description, add images, contact info, and other details. You can add a logo and cover image that will represent your brand.
Adding the shop section on your Facebook page
Setting up a Facebook page is pretty easy and straight forward. But for the Facebook shop section is rather tricky to find follow the following steps.
- Open the page you have created
- Click the more button below the cover photo and head over to the templates and tabs section
- You will find the shop section that you can rearrange for convenient navigation
Next, you are supposed to set up your shop. Select check out method from any of the following options.
- Redirect shoppers to your e-commerce store
- Allow customers to checkout directly on Facebook or Instagram (This feature is available for US-based business only)
- Chat with people to arrange for payment and shipping
Adding products to your Facebook shop
Adding products to your catalog manager is easy. You have the option of adding products in bulk or adding them manually one by one.
You need to specify the product titles, upload eye-catching product photos, craft unique product descriptions, link to your website if you have one, set the prices, select whether the products should be visible to the public or private, or even show if the product is on sale.
After adding the products don’t expect the products to be displayed immediately. Just be calm as it takes 2 to 4 days for Facebook moderators to review and approve your shop.
In fact, since May 2020 business owners can now showcase their products on Facebook and Instagram using the commerce manager. This tool will allow you to do any of the following from a single place.
- Add products and group them by categories
- Redirect shoppers to your e-commerce site
- Allow shoppers to buy directly from Facebook or Instagram
- Customize your shop to match your brand
Facebook also has a handy tool “a test shop” that allows you to a test shop before you launch it. Here you can play around with the Facebook interface, try out the customer buying experience, test inventories, place test orders, tweak your shopfront to your liking, pre-fill tax, banking, and credit card info.
Facebook buying and selling groups
Facebook buying and selling groups is another way to sell products online. You don’t own the groups but use them to showcase your products.
You need to be active in these groups as well as abide by their rules and regulations.
You will have to manage products manually, connect, and chat with shoppers to arrange for payment and shipping.
The simple truth is, It’s easier to work with existing buying and selling groups than to start yours from scratch.
Select a group that has the buying and selling features then create a listing of your items.
Integrating Facebook with e-commerce platforms
If you are looking to reach out to an audience beyond Facebook then you need an e-commerce platform.
In general, the ecommerce platform makes the buying and selling process easier this is by automating the buying, ordering, and shipping process. Saving you tons of time.
The point is the ecommerce platform will
- Automate your tax and shipping cost calculations (They integrate with carriers like FedEx, DHL, USP, and more)
- Offer secure checkout with zero transaction fee ( They allow 40+ payment options including checks and pay on delivery options)
- Sync inventory by showcasing the same product, same price, and descriptions.
Most importantly ecommerce platforms such as BigCommerce, Shopify, Ecwid, X-cart sync well with Facebook. Allowing Facebook shoppers to buy from your site.
The icing on the cake is that when you redirect shoppers to your ecommerce platform you can capture their email that you can use to reach them again.
Sadly, you will have to pay monthly to maintain your ecommerce platform.
Selling on Facebook rules
Like everything else, Facebook has commerce rules that regulate the buying and selling of items. Unfortunately, you can’t sell any of the following.
- Adult product & services
- Alcohol
- Animals
- Digital products- ebooks, music
- Event ticketing
- Gift cards
- Healthcare items (thermometers, fast aid kits)
- Illegal, prescriptions & recreational drugs
- Unsafe supplements
- Weapons, explosive, and ammunition
Still, Facebook doesn’t allow the selling of physical products from lost and found posts, selling of news, or jokes.
Services such as housekeeping, dog grooming, and others are only allowed with the coordination of Facebook partners.
Tips to succeed in Facebook selling
What’s the magic formula that will make your e-commerce shop stand out. You need.
Great product images
Pictures speak a thousand words and that’s the only way to attract shoppers. To capture great photos all you have to do is.
- Use a clean background with no clutter
- Take product photos at different angles to show how the product looks like
- Take photos showing the product in use
- Make sure the lighting is good and the product are visible
- Use a professional camera if need be
Craft detailed product descriptions
Add the details on product sizing, measurement, weights, and other necessary details. You can also include them in the shipping details this is optional but useful.
Add Product number
Adding Stock keeping unit (SKU) will help you track your product online.
Add shop information
You need a page or several pages that will display shop information such as contact information, email, and phone number.
You’d have to communicate with your customers when they should expect a response. is it immediate? or during the customer service hour?
Include privacy policies such as order fulfillment procedure, return policies, and shipping rates.
Lastly, add information about the shop. Craft an engaging personal story on what motivated you to start the shop. Add your mission, vision, and core values. Keep in mind that people look to connect and have honest relationships with humans.
How to market your shop on Facebook
Anyone can create a Facebook shop it’s easy. But what separates a deadweight shop from a kickass shop is marketing. So how best can you market on Facebook?
Generating engaging content
Content is King and the majority of sales on Facebook are made through posts.
The content should include photos, videos as well as engaging and persuasive content.
Looking to create the best content? Try these tips
- Showcase your products in use customer testimonials
- Show the backstage process of how the products are made, packaging and shipping
- Share about the corporate culture, about the team, offsite events, charity program, exhibitions, and shows
- Post educational posts, industry news, fun stats that apply to your industry, quotes, and surveys
- Respond to comments to keep them engaged
Run Facebook giveaway on your fan page
Running contests and giveaways is a great way to connect with shoppers on Facebook. Tag your friends to the contest and also share them with other Facebook fan pages.
But make sure you comply with Facebook community standards on what is appropriate to post. You can also share your post on news feed if they are newsworthy, funny, vital, or proactive.
Take advantage of user-generated content (UGC)
User-generated content is free content that can be generated by Facebook users. Ask your customers to share their unboxing experience. And also photos of them using your products
The best part of UGC is that
- Your brand gets free content from the Facebook audience
- You get content that demonstrates how to use your products
- People not only post photos of the products but also add captions describing their shopping experience
Run Facebook ads
If you’ve got the budget you can run Facebook ads to promote your shop and products.
The Facebook Ads Manager is a dedicated platform that helps run Ads on Facebook. It also comes with handy tools that provide specific marketing insights.
Facebook pixel: It enables you to track all visits on your site which then allows you to analyze and understand how to optimize your e-commerce shop towards specific results. Facebook pixel allows you to monitor your advert results and help you understand its (ROI).
Facebook retargeting: Surprisingly 85% of shoppers don’t buy the very first time they visit your shop. With retargeting you can be able to reach them and remind them to buy. Retargeting helps to bring those people back to your site and convince them to complete the purchase. Retargeting allows you to create ads with coupons or discounts with better deals that will entice shoppers to buy.
Upselling and cross-selling: Here is where you display similar items that shoppers can buy together. You can. also, display what recent shoppers bought together or even similar items that customers recently browsed from your website.
Ads are great but for me they can’t beat the organic audience that’s engaging, converting, and most importantly free. My take is to use them to get insights that will help you improve your shop.
Selling on Facebook Q&A
Does Facebook charge for the marketplace?
The Facebook marketplace does not charge listing your products.
Do I need a business license to sell on Facebook?
Yes if you are using a Facebook shop to sell. You also need a valid bank account linked to the name of your shop and a tax identification number. For Facebook Marketplace and Buying and selling groups, you don’t need a license.
How do I sell directly on Facebook?
Through the Facebook shop where you set up a checkout system, tax calculation, and shipping options.
How much does it cost to sell on Facebook?
Selling through the Facebook shop incurs.
- A transaction fee of 5% per transaction
- Selling fee of USD 0.40 ( including sale price+ delivery fee+ taxes)
NB: Due to the global pandemic COVID-19 Facebook is weaving all selling fee till June 2021
Other costs include advertisement costs that vary from campaign to campaign, Depending on the duration, target group, and location.
Best selling items on the Facebook marketplace?
The best selling items on Facebook are
- Fashion accessories: sunglasses, boots, backpacks, scarves
- Electronic appliances: laptop skin, phone lenses, cassettes
- Home furnishes appliances: blankets, kitchen furniture, rugs
- Home care and hygiene products: peel-off masks, yoga mats
Buttomline
At first selling on Facebook looks complicated but it’s super easy you can sell on.
- Facebook marketplace
- Facebook shop
- Facebook buying and selling groups
- Ecommerce platform
Marketing is what separates the wheat from the chuff. If you create engaging content, tap on user-generated content, conduct contest, and run Facebook Ads. You will succeed.
Facebook is new to ecommerce and expects more to come.
The best part is you can never go wrong with Facebook. There are 1.73 billion daily active Facebook users.
Waiting to see your products.
Do you sell on Facebook? Please share your experience in the comment section.
