Facebook Marketplace: How to List Items

Photo by Alexander Shatov on Unsplash

Facebook is a social media outlet that allows people to connect with their friends, family, and colleagues, but there is a feature that can actually make you money — the Facebook Marketplace!

Facebook Marketplace gives people the ability to buy and sell personal items, much like websites such as Craigslist or eBay. The Marketplace features items listed closest to you or within the mile radius you choose. You have the option to locally pick up the item or have it shipped.

This blog post will walk you through the steps of listing an item on the Facebook Marketplace.

1. In order to list an item on the Facebook Marketplace, you obviously need to have a Facebook account.
2. From the News Feed, you will need to find the icon that looks like a store, or marketplace building and click on it. This is located at the top of the page along with the Home, Watch, Groups, and Gaming tabs.
3. From here, you will be brought to the Marketplace. This features items that are for sale in your area. Find the “Add New Listing” button on the left side of the page and click it.
4. You will have the option to select what you are selling. These options are “Item for Sale”, “Vehicle for Sale”, “Home for Sale or Rent”, and “Job Opening”. Click the desired option.
5. If you click “Item for Sale” (which is the option I will walk you through), you will have the option to add up to 10 photos, a title, price, category, condition, and a description.
6. Add a photo of your item from your computer. This photo should be clear and give the customer a full view of what they are potentially buying from you.
7. An effective title should tell the buyer the brand (if applicable), and quite simply, what the item is. So, if you are selling an iPhone 8, you would make your title “Apple iPhone 8”.
8. The price of your item is up to you. It is best to search the item on the Marketplace first to find comparable prices so you have a reference price. If you are giving something away for free, simply set the price to $0.
9. There is a large list of categories to choose from. Select the category accordingly to your item. For example, if you are selling a guitar, you would select the category “Musical Instruments”.
10. Under “Condition”, you will tell the buyer if the item is New, Used - Like New, Used - Good, or Used - Fair.
11. Lastly, the Description will tell the buyer exactly what they are potentially going to purchase. This is where you make it clear if the item has any defects, scratches, dents, or if it is perfectly mint.
12. You have the option to add Tags if you wish for your item to show up on certain searches.
13. Click “Next”. This will allow you to review your post before publishing it.
14. The last thing to do is click “Publish” and your item will now be available for the public to see it.

How long it takes for your item to draw interest depends on a number of things, including time of year, condition of your item, and even location. If someone is interested in your item, you will receive a message. From there, you can discuss whether they want to pick it up, meet somewhere, or receive it in the mail.