Some of the most active groups on Facebook are local buying and selling communities. The platform has proven to be a great place for people to earn extra money by unloading their unwanted stuff. Facebook recently made the process easier with an app New feature.
Victoria Huizinga is an experienced Facebook seller. Written by Victoria Snail motion conversion Where her mission is to help moms find the time and money they need to pursue their passions while maintaining balance in their lives. She stopped by today to share her tips.
How to start selling on Facebook groups
I first decided to try selling in Facebook groups when I saw a friend make $300 a month selling items from her home that she no longer wanted.
I wanted to see if it really was as easy as he said it was and check it out for readers of my blog, where I often share posts about reselling items.
What is the process like listing items on the site? What are the requirements?
The process of selling items is really simple.
One: Follow the requirements of your Facebook buy and sell group. Requirements vary from group to group, but are usually listed at the top of the group page.
Two: Take a good photo. This means good lighting and not too much going on in the background of the photo. Make sure it’s a close-up shot. If the item is large and your group allows multiple photos per posting, photograph the item from different angles.
Three: Upload to your local Facebook group. Please check your group for requirements. For example, some want to upload it as an album and some want to upload it directly to the group
Four: List details about your item, how old, any signs of wear, measurements, you can ask yourself if you want to buy the item yourself. Also price list. Don’t list your item too high, it will kill your listing. Items should be listed just above the yard sale price. If you don’t know what to do ask a few of your yard sale shopping friends.
What is a normal sales transaction like? When and how are payments collected?
A typical sales transaction begins with a comment left by an interested buyer. From there things move to Facebook’s message area where price as well as time and place for pick up are discussed.
Payment is personal and cash only.
I see a lot of exchanges happening in person. Do you have any safety recommendations?
Meet buyers in public places in broad daylight where there will always be people around you. For example, I met a few people in my local Walmart parking lot in the afternoon.
For larger items I had my husband load the back of his truck for me and made sure that either I or the buyer brought someone to the drop off location to help transfer the item from our car to theirs. I skipped pick up from home.
What tips do you have for people getting started with Facebook buy/sell groups?
Ask for recommendations for good teams from your friends. I would also say don’t sell anything minutes after you join. Scroll through the group and see if the comments are positive, what’s selling and for how much. If you don’t like the vibe of the group, don’t sell there. I got kicked out of a group after seeing people swearing in comments as well as people complaining about selling stolen items. However, I kept looking and found one with a much more positive atmosphere and that’s where I sold my stuff. There are usually several groups in an area, so if you don’t like the first one, you look for another one
Another tip I would add is to think about the time and effort you put into selling an item before you sell anything. Selling an item for $5 is probably not worth your time. You have to consider not only the time it took to list it, but the time it took to negotiate a sale, the time it took to drive to the drop off site, the time it took to drive home from the drop off site, etc. As a rule I don’t post An item for sale unless it is valued at $25 or more.
Tell us about your favorite programs or resources for getting started? What are the tools of the trade to have?
You don’t really need any programs or resources to get started, all you need is a way to get photos of your items on Facebook and of course a Facebook account.
How can people find Facebook buy/sell groups in their community?
The fastest way to find good Facebook buy/sell groups in your community is to ask your Facebook friends. If you don’t get an answer the first time you ask, ask again at another time of the day. Facebook feed moves quickly and your friends who can help may not have seen your question.
Other places to sell stuff online
Facebook isn’t the only game in town. Check out these other places to sell stuff online — I’m a big fan of Poshmark!
Do you have any experience selling in Facebook groups? Share your tips in the comments.
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