It never hurts to have some extra cash on hand, but side hustles that require little time, effort, and money can be hard to come by. One of our favorite side hustles, as of late, is selling stuff on Facebook Marketplace. Selling on Facebook Marketplace is an easy, relatively low-stress way to make some extra cash and to clear out some clutter in your home. Um, where can we sign up?
Right on Facebook, as it turns out! There is no cost to get started selling on Facebook Marketplace, nor do you need any experience or any sort of separate seller’s account. Selling on Facebook Marketplace is as easy as clicking on the “Marketplace” logo and listing your first item. Though the process really is that easy to get started, there are some special ~tips and tricks~ we have to help you get the most money for your time and effort. Before you know it, you’ll be rolling in all-cash offers and “Is this available?” requests…if you play your cards right.
Sounds like fun? Here are seven tips to start selling on Facebook Marketplace.
Start with What You Have
As they say: “One person’s trash is another person’s treasure.” When you get started selling on Facebook Marketplace, rest assured that you do not have to spend a lot of money to do so. In fact, you don’t even need to spend any!
How?
Spend some time Marie Kondo-ing your house. When you’re done, compile all of the items you wish to get rid of together. These are going to be the items that allow you to get started selling on Facebook Marketplace!
Take Good Pictures
Let’s talk about pictures, shall we? Pictures are an extremely important part of Facebook Marketplace, as they are the first piece of information your buyer sees about your item on the platform.
Make sure you’re taking pictures against a clean, clear background. Don’t have clutter, or other deterring features, in the background of the picture! If the item is too big to move against a clean or clear background, try taking the picture from a different angle or cropping it to just the item so the background isn’t visible.
Make sure the lighting is crisp and bright enough so that the prospective buyer can see the accurate colors, shapes, and sizes of the items you are posting. Natural sunlight is the best type of light, so try to take your pictures by a window or an open door to take advantage of this.
Oh, and this is super important: Take pictures of any scratches, dents, or other damages on the pieces of furniture. The last thing you want to have happen is to have a prospective buyer arrive and be surprised by some damage. They may think you were hiding the damage from them, or, they may decide they no longer want the item at all. Either way, this is a situation that is best avoided.
Leave Wiggle Room for Haggling
When you’re pricing the item, you always want to leave a little wiggle room for haggling. Buyers on Facebook Marketplace are notoriously known for offering less than an item is listed for. They’re after a good deal. Therefore, you’ll want to take this into account and price your item higher than the amount you actually wish to take home from the sale.
For example, if you want to take home no less than $15 for an item, we recommend listing it at $20 or $25 to leave wiggle room for haggling. If you happen to sell the product at a higher price point, that’s sweet, too!
Be Responsive
When you list an item, there is a chance that you will receive messages from multiple prospective buyers. Be as responsive as possible, as there is a chance that they are also messaging other sellers in pursuit of a particular item. Be helpful in answering questions from prospective buyers, and try to be quick and honest with your responses. Doing these things will help you garner a sale, quicker. Ka-ching!
Provide Easy, Safe Pick-Up Situations
Safety is paramount. Many fire and police stations have their lobbies open during business hours for the purpose of allowing people to safely conduct online sales. If your local fire or police station does not offer this program, meet in a nearby, well-lit public place. Make sure to work with the buyer to find a date and time that works well for both of you. If you are willing, you could always offer to drive the item to them, or you could offer to meet them halfway. Hey, safety first!
Offer Multiple Payment Options
While the preferred payment method is usually cash, there are some buyers who don’t always have cash on hand. Therefore, it’s a good idea to offer multiple payment options if you want to increase the chances of having a quick and easy sale. Some options we like are Venmo, Square, and PayPal. Just be sure to check the terms and conditions of each app, and stay vigilant if any payment situations seem fishy to you!
Set up a “Reinvestment Budget”
After you’ve exhausted all of your in-home options, you may want to consider setting up a “reinvestment budget.” What is that? Well, a reinvestment budget is a way that you can reinvest the proceeds of your Facebook Marketplace sales into fueling more sales. These proceeds will be used to help you buy additional items from places such as estate sales and thrift stores with the intent of flipping those items for a profit on Facebook Marketplace. Get that money, honey!
After you start getting some traction on Facebook Marketplace, you may find that you become addicted to the sound of an incoming Facebook message or the sound of a digital cash offer coming in. We’re here to tell you that, because this is an addiction that makes money, that it’s one worth keeping. It’s definitely an addiction that we’re going to keep going as long as possible.
