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Jumping into the new year (it is not that new anymore), many of us thought that 2022 would be different and the world will be Covid-free soon. But that wasn’t the case, and many people are still trying to hustle to make some extra money. Some people have set the resolutions of paying off their credit card bills, mortgage, debts, phone bills, or simply wanting to earn a few extra dollars to help with their checking account. While some have businesses that aren’t doing as well as they used to do, they are on the hunt for ways to make their sales go back up.
But what is the easiest way to earn that extra money? There are so many platforms, so many money-making hacks, and tricks, but what if you don’t have time? So, what to do when you don’t have the extra time to apply for a second job, but you desperately need more money?
Well... That is precisely where the Facebook Marketplace comes in. Suppose you are searching for a relatively simple way to make some relatively easy money while you do your other tasks, such as decluttering your closet. In that case, Facebook Marketplace is a platform for you to try.
Facebook Marketplace is Facebook’s very own eCommerce business site. You can call it a giant flea market (the app itself is composed of 59% of global social media users, so it is a flea market teeming with people) for anything that can be sold and an online sales channel used by established eCommerce businesses. Thanks to the world for being on Facebook all the time (there are 2.8 billion monthly active users of the app), Facebook Marketplace is edging out Craigslist gradually as the go-to place for local trade.
One of the bestselling points of Facebook Marketplace is its seamless integration into the Facebook ecosystem. Buyers can quickly contact sellers through Messenger, or they can join Facebook Groups. This not only reduces a lot of friction but also eliminates any sort of uncertainty.
Facebook’s algorithm knows more about you than you know about yourself, which is a huge asset from a selling perspective. Facebook brings buyers to you, so you do not have to search for them, making it the most accessible selling platform to get your selling started. With the ability to sell items and services locally, Facebook Marketplace lets its users make money from their couch.
In the past few years, with the rise in the trend of thrifting, thanks to Youtubers, Facebook Marketplace has garnered many audiences and has become quite popular. According to Cnet’s stats, Facebook Marketplace is used by 800 million people every month in over 70 countries.
People use the Facebook marketplace to buy and sell products and services such as used furniture, clothes, and vehicles. Anyone can list a product, go to stores, check in on different groups, directly contact potential audiences. You can easily access it through your desktop or the Facebook application on your phone.
Owing to Facebook’s super-engaging userbase, many big businesses and companies have turned to its Marketplace to expand their sales. Several eCommerce platforms, such as Quipt, Zentail, BigCommerce, Shopify, Channel Advisor, CommerceHub, and ShipStation, have also partnered with Facebook Marketplace. You can list your products for free, but you may have to pay a small price if you want to collaborate work with these partners.
With so many excellent partners, think about the perks Facebook Marketplace can bring to your business!
According to eMarketer, 85% of United States businesses have used Facebook as a platform for marketing since 2016.
Here are some real-life examples of people who grew their business via Facebook Marketplace. Let's study what they do, why they transferred to Facebook Marketplace, how did they make the integration, and what benefit did the integration provide them:
Sweetums Signatures is a family-owned business since 2007 that delivers custom, affordable vinyl decals and stickers for houseware. The owner Danette Martin was approached by BigCommerce to list her products on Facebook Marketplace. And she did!
After listing her products on Facebook Marketplace with the help of BigCommerce, Sweetums Signatures garnered a lot of popularity and saw a lot of success. The family business saw a 33% year-over-year increase in its sales.
Many businesses have benefited immensely from selling on Facebook Marketplace. One of them is a Southern California retailer called Hats Unlimited. Hats Unlimited has seven stores, and it has sold a wide array of hats ever since it set up its first shop in 1994.
After searching for a new channel to increase the brand’s exposure, the owner of Hats Unlimited, Libero Gruppioni, decided to start selling the hats on Facebook Marketplace. As a result, the brand experienced a growth of 20% to 30% in its sales directly from Facebook Marketplace.
Established in 2013, SpearmindLOVE is a leading independent online retailer that sells the best quality children and baby soft goods. They do not have a physical storefront for their customers, but they are known for their quality in the online community.
The brand initially began its journey as a niche brand of “Made in the USA” blankets, and then it upgraded itself to a brand that sells the most comprehensive range of baby and children’s soft goods. After shifting to Facebook Marketplace, SpearmingLOVE saw a jaw-dropping rise in its sales. It currently has 991% yearly revenue growth, according to Big Commerce.
These are just a few businesses that have increased their sales with the help of the Facebook marketplace. You'd be surprised to know that you can find 90 million business pages on Facebook as of 2018, and 160 million businesses use Facebook every month as of 2020.
15% of social media users use Facebook to find or shop for products, so your listings must be correct. Listings are organized into different categories, such as hobbies, clothing & accessories, vehicles, rentals, and deals. Every listing can contain a maximum of 10 pictures along with a description. People looking to buy products can look at a specific category, search for a particular product of their interest, or directly message a seller on Facebook messenger to know more about the product or ask questions.
To create your listing in Marketplace, you need to click on the “+Sell something” under Marketplace.
Select the type of product according to the item you want to sell.
Fill out the relevant details required of your product or service on the next page. Try to be as transparent as you can and provide specific information to avoid any confusion.
Click Next.
Then click Post to complete the process of listing your product.
Products available for sale by people on Facebook Marketplace automatically show up on Facebook as a part of your online Store. This is directly available to people through the “Shop” section of your Facebook Business page.
As with any market, people buy from sellers who have a good reputation and amazing reviews. So, Facebook users will prefer buying from your shop if you have a higher seller ranking. Seller ranking on the Facebook Marketplace is based on a five-star rating system. It shows what you do well on your seller profile.
Plus, you do not need to worry about false reviews because people can only add feedback or reviews to your seller account after purchasing a product from you. So, you can develop a favorable ranking over time.
Here are some tried and tested ways to increase your score and get “Badges” from Facebook:
Respond to anyone who messages you quickly. Replying to messages from potential buyers inquiring about products within an hour can earn you a “Very Responsive” badge on your profile. Moreover, the typical time you take to respond is listed on your profile.
If you have agreed to meet a buyer, then you must meet them there and on time. Punctuality and reliability are two extremely important traits that buyers look for.
Believe us or not, potential buyers can consider Item Description and Fair Pricing as a seller’s strengths. So, we advise you to take some extra time to develop these categories in your product listing. Trust us; it will surely pay off.
The way you interact with people in the marketplace directly affects your image as a seller. Your buyers are your clients (with the potential of becoming long-lasting customers), so pleasing them should be your top priority.
Try these ways, and you will see your ranking improve in no time.
Eden Ashely, the mastermind behind Mint Notion, created the Mint Notion blog to empower women to build and live the kind of life they want to live by developing better money habits. She operated her blog to know that it is never about how much money you earn; it is always about how much money you keep.
She offers her expertise in different sectors of money-making and money-saving. She helps people who are just getting accustomed to creating a budget and then spending it or looking for ways to boost their income by doing various side hustles.
She extends her knowledge to people looking for insightful information on creating a budget, making more money, and saving more money.
Ashley made a whopping $700 in one week by just selling stuff on Facebook Marketplace. She uploaded a blog post on her blog, Mint Notion explaining how she did it.
She talks in her blog about how a challenge that she gave to her boyfriend about making $500 in one month by selling things they didn’t need on Facebook Marketplace led to her earning more than $500 in just one week. She talks about her inspiration behind the decision to declutter and reorganize her tiny apartment to help maximize her living space.
The clutter in her den persuaded her to get rid of it to stop feeling overwhelmed every time she looked at it. Tired of the mess, Ashley decided to turn her clutter into cold hard cash.
To kickstart their selling journey, her boyfriend, Sam, sold his golf clubs for $225 on Facebook Marketplace, and after decluttering more stuff, she made $700 selling things in one week. And in one month, the pair made $918 by selling their stuff on Facebook Marketplace!
Here's everything the couple sold in a month, along with the prices:
In addition, by selling her stuff on Facebook Marketplace, Eden Ashley has earned over $2 000. She has even sold her dining table and chairs on the platform and given them a new home.
The example of Eden Ashley is very inspiring. She was able to earn good money from her side hustle, but she could fulfill her dream of having a minimalist lifestyle as she is a recovering shopaholic.
Conclusion
Selling products and services on the Facebook Marketplace isn’t perfect to replace your yearly income. However, that doesn’t mean that it cannot earn you a good amount of money. The Facebook marketplace can help you earn some good side hustle money, especially if you invest your efforts and time into doing it.
And if you start to doubt the effectiveness of using Facebook Marketplace, remember that 78% of US citizens like to use Facebook when looking for new products. Every 1 out of 4 business owners sells his/her products through Facebook. Plus, selling items that you never use gives them a second home and helps you pay for a date night!
