Welcome back to another Momentum Monday Marketing blog! In this blog we are going to talk How to Create Facebook Marketplace Ads to list and sell products and services online using Facebook. Show
Momentum Digital is a marketing agency that supports small businesses.We can show you how to set this up or you can hire us to do it for you!
Hire Momentum Digital by Scheduling a Call or Demo! What is Facebook Marketplace & Facebook Marketplace Ads?Facebook Marketplace is a platform on Facebook for people to discover, buy and sell items. People can find what they’re looking for by filtering their results by location, category, and price. By listing on FB Marketplace, you can reach buyers where they already are. You can find buy and sell products AND services on the marketplace. This can be anything you would see for sale on sites like Craigslist, eBay, OfferUp and more. Buy or sell new and used items easily on Facebook Marketplace, locally or from businesses. Find great deals on new items shipped from stores to your door. When you Create Facebook Marketplace Ads you can then check on your reporting and analytics. Follow these steps. As social commerce gains popularity for online shoppers, it will be an advantage for retailers to learn how to sell on Facebook on top of having an online store. To sell products on Facebook, you first need a dedicated Facebook page for your business (not your personal page). Next, either connect your ecommerce platform to Facebook or manually build a Facebook Shop. Finally, you’ll want to market your products through ads, contests, and boosted posts to maximize sales. Selling on Facebook can be done through Facebook Shops and Facebook Marketplace.
View these Facebook resources mentioned in our video: Facebook Commerce Policies Use these other articles to help you create a successful shop: How to Take Quality Product Photos at Home How To Sell on Facebook ShopsStart selling products through a Facebook Shop in six steps: Step 1: Set Up Accounts & Check ComplianceBefore you begin setting up your Facebook Shop, make sure that:
Note: If you already have a shop on Facebook or Instagram, it will automatically convert to the new Shops experience. You can also set up Instagram Shopping in a similar way but on a different platform. Step 2: Create a Facebook Business PageTo set up a Facebook Shop, you’ll need to create a free Facebook Page for your business. You can’t create a Facebook Shop from a personal Facebook account because it’s available only on Pages. Creating a Facebook page is easy; click on the dotted Menu icon at the top of your Facebook account and select Page. Having a separate Business Page is required for creating a Facebook Shop. Having a Page offers many marketing advantages over personal accounts, including:
Step 3: Set Up Your Commerce ManagerWhether you have an existing online store on a different platform or plan to use Facebook Shop exclusively, you need to set up your Commerce Manager. This is where you will initially set up your Facebook Shop or connect your ecommerce platform. You can choose to create your Facebook Shop exclusively in the Shop feature or connect your existing online store. (Source: Facebook) Follow the steps below:
When customers click the button on an item’s detail page, it will trigger a direct message with your business, where you and the customer can arrange payment.
Step 4: Evaluate Your Options for Selling On FacebookNow that you’ve created your shop, you need to evaluate your options for selling on Facebook. You can choose between two methods: selling via the fully integrated Facebook Shop, or by connecting your existing online store to Facebook and syncing your products. Using Facebook Shop ExclusivelyYou can enter products for sale directly to your Facebook Shop for free. Facebook has clear instructions that walk you through every step. If you sell just a few items or only want to sell through a Facebook Shop, this might be all you need. One downside is that you have to manually manage orders, and this can be time-consuming if you move a lot of products. Another con is that you can only sell your products on Facebook, so you’ll have no other sales outlets. The ecommerce platform option gives you many more selling opportunities—plus a suite of time-saving order management tools. Syncing an Online Store/Ecommerce PlatformTop ecommerce platforms like Shopify and BigCommerce let you list and sell products in a Facebook Shop (plus many other places if you wish). What these platforms offer over the Facebook-only option is a full suite of product listings as well as automated order and shipping management tools designed to save you time. Time-saving benefits aside, the biggest plus is that you can sell just about anywhere using an ecommerce platform—such as with your own website, Amazon, eBay, Pinterest, and blog posts. Even if you don’t want to start your own website or sell on places like eBay or Amazon at first, the option is there if (and when) the time comes. If selling online is a priority, you need to extend your reach beyond the Facebook audience, and ecommerce platforms let you do just that. They also make every ecommerce task as quick and automated as possible, from product entry to shipping updates. Plus, if you ship—or hope to ship—more than 10 orders per day, you should consider this time-saving option. The biggest downside is cost. In most cases, you’ll need a monthly paid account with an ecommerce provider such as Shopify or BigCommerce. However, there are free options with providers like Ecwid. Not sure which ecommerce software is right for you? Read about our 5 Best Ecommerce Software picks. To sync an online store/ecommerce platform, add a new commerce account for your business and select ‘Sync a partner platform’, as shown below. Step 5: Add Products to Your CatalogOnce you’ve set up your Commerce Manager account and connected your Facebook Page, you can start adding products to your catalog.
There are multiple ways to add products to your catalog. The method you choose depends on several factors—your inventory size, inventory type, and how frequently it changes. Catalog Setup MethodsVia Manual Upload Via CSV Import Via Meta Pixel (Formerly ‘Facebook Pixel’) Via Syncing with Ecommerce Platform Inventory Size Small, doesn’t change often Medium to large, changes often Medium to large, changes often Small to large inventories, changes often and have multiple selling locations Inventory Type Products, flights, destinations (hotels), vehicles All inventory types Products only Products only Effort to Set Up Low Medium High Medium to high, depending on ecommerce platform Recommended If Your inventory is small and doesn't change often You want to set up scheduled uploads hourly, daily, or weekly Your inventory is large or changes often or you already have a pixel installed on your ecommerce website You have multiple selling locations and inventory sync is crucial Best For Small business with few products Direct to consumer (DTC) retail selling Businesses that run dynamic ads on Facebook Businesses that already have an existing online store Expand the sections below for more detailed information on catalog setup methods: Add Items to Your Catalog Manually
Make sure to enter as much information as possible in the product fields to set up your store items. For more information, read Facebook’s step-by-step guide on adding products to a catalog manually. Add Items via Product Data FeedA data feed enables bulk uploading of items using a spreadsheet file. You can upload a file once or set up a schedule to update your catalog automatically on a regular basis. If you need a template, follow Facebook’s guide on how to download a data feed template.
This guide covers uploading items in bulk for the first time. If you need to update your data feed, read Facebook’s guide to updating an existing feed file. Add Items via Meta PixelMeta pixel (formely Facebook Pixel) is an analytics tool that enables you to measure the effectiveness of your advertising by understanding the actions people take on your website. When installed, you can run ads and make sure it is shown to the right people depending on your campaign. You can target new customers or people who have visited a specific page or taken a desired action on your website. To connect an existing pixel to your catalog to add items from your website:
Your connected pixel will then appear in Data Sources. It may take up to 24 hours to be ready. For more information, read Facebook’s step-by-step guide on adding products with a Pixel. Import Items by Syncing An Ecommerce PlatformIf you already sell online, you’ll be glad to know that Facebook has partner platforms that can sync with your Facebook Shop. If you host your products on a partner platform like Shopify, BigCommerce, or WooCommerce, you can import them to a Facebook catalog and continue managing your products on your partner platform. Your updates will sync to Facebook on a regular basis. With these partner platforms, you can easily integrate your Facebook shop to sync items. Facebook has different steps for each provider. Follow the steps on your partner’s website to connect your account with Facebook. You’ll be directed to complete the setup based on the platform you use. If you have an existing store that’s not on an ecommerce platform listed above, contact your platform’s support team to ask if they have a Facebook integration, or check its Help Center. If you’re looking to launch a Facebook Shop with a standalone website from the get-go, you’ll want to consider the following full-featured ecommerce store platform plans. You can see a more detailed comparison in our article on the best ecommerce platforms. After all of the above is complete and your Shop section appears, you probably won’t see your products immediately. Facebook reviews all new Shops to make sure images and content meet Facebook Shop guidelines. Essentially, the guidelines state that you need images and accurate descriptions for each product. It can take 24 to 48 hours for your Shop to be approved and populate the Shop section. Once approved, as you add new products, they should appear within 20 minutes or so. If not, you can re-synchronize your listings from your store dashboard to send new items to Facebook. Step 6: Market Your Products for Facebook Shop SuccessNow your Facebook Shop products are primed and ready for promotion to your Facebook followers and countless potential customers. With your products already housed on Facebook, you can easily and quickly select certain products or groups of products to promote via Facebook posts and ads. Then, you can market your products organically and through paid advertising. Create Great Product ListingsStarting an online store can take some time, but it’s relatively easy to do. You’ll need to not only brand your store, but you’ll also have to market it. Most search engines pull in your product descriptions when a user searches for a particular product. This means you’ll also need to create accurate, detailed descriptions. To create your product listings, you’ll need to assemble four key components:
Run Ads, Promos & CampaignsThere are many ways—both free and paid—that you can market your Facebook Shop products to followers and larger audiences, including:
Consider Facebook’s paid advertising opportunities to give your business maximum exposure for a relatively small investment. How To Sell on Facebook MarketplaceAfter you have a Facebook Shop, boost your store visibility by adding Marketplace as a sales channel. According to Facebook data, more than one in three US Facebook users buy and sell on Marketplace each month. Facebook Marketplace used to be a peer-to-peer shopping marketplace, but has expanded to include merchant selling. Marketplace’s main draw is that you can increase your store’s reach in your local community. You can also get buyers on Facebook where they’re already browsing products, and use Facebook’s real-time messaging to answer inquiries and give useful information such as price and product description. Lastly, you can target more people with mobile-friendly listings. Easily add Marketplace as a sales channel by following the steps outlined below. Note that some steps may vary depending on the ecommerce platform you are using. We recommend that you check your partner platform or connector for instructions as well. Step 1: Enable Checkout on Facebook for Your ShopBefore you begin, set up a checkout on Facebook for your shop. If you have a Shopify store, set up a checkout on Facebook on Shopify first so that customers can complete purchases directly from Marketplace. Note: Store inventory and order management will still be managed through Shopify but payouts will be processed and sent from Facebook. Step 2: Add Marketplace as a Sales Channel for Your Facebook Shop
After these simple steps, you’re all set! Listings get approved and usually start to show up in Marketplace within 24 hours. As with Facebook Shop products, all listings must comply with Facebook’s Commerce Policies and Community Standards. Step 3: Advertise Your Store or Products on MarketplaceOnce you add Marketplace as a sales channel, consider advertising to reach more people—even if you don’t plan to post directly on Marketplace. Simply listing an item for sale isn’t as effective as creating a paid ad to appear when people shop on Marketplace. Marketplace ads are seen when people use the Facebook app on their phones to shop on Marketplace. To create an ad for Marketplace:
You can also boost your Marketplace listings. Bottom LineSelling products directly to your Facebook audience is easy using the Shop feature included with every free Facebook business page. Online store platforms that integrate seamlessly with Facebook offer the easiest Facebook Shop solution, especially if you’re new to ecommerce. From there, Facebook provides many free and paid marketing opportunities to promote your Shop. With a solid ecommerce platform and a good marketing plan, you’ll start to see your Facebook audience grow and, more importantly, start making sales. Using an ecommerce platform is recommended for businesses selling products on a Facebook Shop and is all but necessary for businesses selling on multiple channels, such as Facebook, Amazon, Google, and through their own websites. Shopify and BigCommerce are Facebook partner platforms that are included in our top picks for the best ecommerce platforms. You can find out which tool is a better fit for your business in our BigCommerce vs Shopify review. Is it free to post items on Facebook Marketplace?Facebook will not charge you a listing fee for selling items on Facebook Marketplace. However, there are selling fees involved. The selling fee is 5% per shipment or a flat fee of $. 40 for shipments of $8 or less.
How much does it cost to post on Facebook Marketplace?We call this a selling fee. The selling fee is 5% per shipment, or a flat fee of $0.40 for shipments of $8.00 or less. You keep the rest of your earnings.
Is it easy to post on Facebook Marketplace?All you need to start selling on Facebook Marketplace is an active Facebook account. It's really that simple! If you would like to offer shipping on your listings, you need to take the extra step of entering your payment and shipping information.
Why can't I sell stuff on Facebook Marketplace?If you used Marketplace in a way that goes against our Commerce Policies or Community Standards, your access to Marketplace may have been removed. Go to facebook.com/marketplace. Tap Request review. We'll review your appeal and respond to you as soon as possible.
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