For those who sell online, digital marketing has become an essential tool to boost sales, and Facebook is a powerful platform to reach target audiences and increase e-commerce results.
In addition to permitting media purchases via Facebook ads, the Meta group’s social network offers its own sales platform, Facebook Marketplace, where you may make free product ads.
Do you want to know how to get more clients with Facebook Marketplace?
What is Facebook Marketplace?
Facebook Marketplace is an option for free product advertising, allowing the creation of a public classified so that other users on the platform can find and purchase the advertised products. However, if you’re looking to expand your reach, there are several Alternatives to Facebook Marketplace worth considering.
As with other types of marketplaces, such as Mercado Livre and OLX, users can advertise new or used products, sharing photos, descriptions, and prices of the items.
Published ads are displayed to other users of the social network and can be found by categories and even filtered by price range, making it easier for those looking for a product to buy to find something.
When interested in a product, the user can send a message to the seller (who created the ad) and check the availability of the product, arranging the purchase.
How to advertise on Facebook Marketplace?
As we have seen, this is a great tool to increase your results through sales on Facebook. To create ads on the marketplace, you must first have a personal social network account.
After logging in to your account, you may build your ad using either your browser or the Facebook mobile app, as shown in the steps below.
Creating an ad on the marketplace via the browser
- Log into your personal Facebook account, and in the side menu, select “Marketplace.”
- You will see the ads nearby, and in the sidebar, click on the “+ Create new classified” button.
- Choose the type of classified from the available options (for e-commerce, the ideal option is “ item for sale ”);
- In your ad, add up to 10 photos and fill in the title, price, product category and conditions, specifying whether it is a new or used product;
- Add an eye-catching description for the ad and select availability as a single item or in stock;
- Choose the location of your ad by defining the city. Despite this location limitation, you can add to the description of your classifieds the regions to which you ship the merchandise and increase your chances of selling;
- Once everything is filled out, click “Next,” check the information, and click “Publish.”. That’s it!
Creating an ad on the marketplace through the app
- Open the Facebook app on your mobile device;
- Tap the Marketplace icon in the top menu and select “Sell.”
- Choose the type of classification from the available options. For e-commerce, the ideal option is “ sell a product ”;
- Add up to 10 photos of the product and other necessary information, such as title, condition, category and listing price;
- Write a description, detailing your product in more detail;
- Set your location—this way, people near you can find your item more easily. Be sure to check the “ Offer shipping ” option to reach even more customers from other locations;
- After filling out everything, select “next” in the top corner of the screen. You can also publish in sales groups that you are part of, in addition to the Marketplace; just select them, and that’s it, your ad is live!
How do I respond to Facebook Marketplace messages?
After publishing your ad, people interested in purchasing your products will interact with your ad through messages. To proceed with the sale, you must respond to them.
Replying to messages via the browser
To respond to messages sent by users interested in your ads, go to the marketplace page and select the “Inbox” option from the side menu.
This will display all the messages you have received and, in bold, highlight messages you have not yet viewed.
Understanding what Highlight means on Facebook can help you easily identify unread messages and prioritize your responses efficiently.
Replying to messages via cell phone
If you are using the Facebook mobile app, you will need to access the marketplace page and select the profile icon in the top menu. There you will find the inbox option to view messages.
You can also find them through the Messenger app, Facebook’s instant messenger. In it, your ad messages will be grouped under “Marketplace.”
What can’t you advertise on Facebook Marketplace?
Like other sales channels, Facebook Marketplace has political and business rules, in addition to meeting Facebook Community Standards, and therefore, items advertised on the platform must comply with these guidelines.
Therefore, when using Facebook Marketplace in your sales strategy, you must pay attention to the platform’s rules, respecting what can and cannot be advertised, to avoid the risk of being banned for failing to comply with the rules.
Ads for firearms, non-medical drugs, live animals, weight loss products, bodily fluids, and more are prohibited. You can check out the full list of prohibitions and restrictions on Facebook’s help center.
It is important to remember that the platform may remove ads and classifieds at any time if it believes the content does not comply with the network’s guidelines.
