If you have been sewing for some time and have more things sewn than what you will use and can do with some extra cash, maybe you have thought of selling them to interested people. Have you considered selling your products to a larger audience than your friends and relatives? Selling on Facebook is a good way to start.
There are two avenues of selling on Facebook – through the marketplace feature on Facebook and creating a Facebook shop
In this article I will cover:
Selling through Facebook shop
Even if you are not on Facebook, the largest social media platform on earth, you have definitely heard of a Facebook page; but a facebook shop? Maybe not.
A Facebook shop is an add-on to the Facebook page through which small businesses can display and sell their products successfully to audiences all over the world.
(Facebook shop is not available in all countries – you will have to check the availability in your region– checkout the list of all countries which can use facebook shops and marketplaces. This specific page will tell you whether the facility is available for your shop.)
A Facebook store is a convenient public shopfront you can start very easily – and instantly engage with the millions of people already on Facebook. A ready made audience is ready to buy from you already – you just have to show them your products. After all, what could be better for your business than a platform with 1.9 billion active users daily?
After you create a Facebook shop, a “Shop” tab is set up as part of your business Facebook page and this can be directly accessed from the Facebook page. People can find your Facebook Shop on your Facebook Page or through websites, web stories as well as advertisements.
Creating a Facebook shop
You can enable the shop through your business page. Before you start, you will need the following: an active personal fb account (opened for a minimum of one year) and a Facebook business page. You also need a valid bank account and tax ID.
The personal account is very important as it is connceted to the business account, banking etc. The person opening the page and shop should be a resident of the place where the selling will take place. (If you are in Australia, you cannot open a facebook store selling in America)
Setting up a business page
You need a business page to sell on Facebook as a business. To access the drop-down menu to create the page, open your Facebook timeline and click the dots on the top right.
Click on the page option on the drop down menu, to start a new business page for your Facebook selling profile.
Now you will reach a page where you can set up a business page with all the details about your business.
The new facebook page can invite and add new followers, add links to your product’s website if you have that. You can ask friends to like the page and promote it, lets you advertise and promote your products on the timeline. Additionally, you can use advertisements to market the page and generate leads and sales. While promoting, you can invite your followers to learn more about your company, services, and products.
Facebook Merchant Terms and Policies
As a part of your Facebook shop setup, read the Commercial Terms and Merchant Terms and Policies of acebook thoroughly.
They contain crucial details about what you can sell on your Facebook page, how issues will be resolved, return and refund policies, and other information.
Add appropriate shop details and descriptions.
You can modify the appearance of your shop to suit your brand identity – adding an appropriate cover photo and selecting colors that highlight your brand are the starting points.
Add a shop description as the final step before you begin to upload your products. Try to be creative in the way you describe your products so that you can attract the Facebook audience who are already jaded from all the selling already there.
In one line, you must be able to state clearly what you are selling and how it will benefit users. Next, write a short description of what your Facebook page shop sells. You will be prepared to start adding products to your shop after completing these four steps.
Amazon selling through facebook
There are 2 options for you – if you sell on amazon (or you can to sell others products on amazon) you can connect your amazon page to the facebook shop. You will have to set it up on your amazon page and connect the products on your facebook shop to the amazon page. This way a person who clicks on your product will be taken to the amazon shopping page and they can complete the sale there. (Amazon has to approve this social network page before you set it up)
Or add your own products.
How to add products to your shop
You can either create product collections using Commerce Manager and add products one by one or import pre-existing product collections from your company’s e-commerce website.
Some businesses may already own an existing marketplace like a shopify store with all the products listed – you can import those directly into your Facebook shop. Or else, you can add your products one by one, review them, and publish them in your store.
Facebook’s comprehensive recommendations and guidelines for photos are available on the page for product listings. These are a few of them:
● There must be one image per product.
● The image must be a true representation of the product, not a graphic rendering, illustration, or icon.
● The image should have a minimum resolution of 1,024 by 1,024 pixels.
● It is advised that the product image be taken against a white background or show the product being used in real-world scenarios.
● The image cannot include text (calls to action or promotional codes), offensive material, commercial or promotional content, watermarks, or information that needs to be seen right away.
● You must also adhere to the standards and suggestions for your product description.
The following is a list of them:
You should utilize short sentences and bullet points to describe the product. The description should only be about the product and be simple to understand. HTML, phone numbers, email addresses, lengthy titles, a lot of punctuation, all capital letters, all lowercase letters, spoilers for books or movies, and external links are not permitted in the description.
Create Product Collections
Select Collections in the FB Shop Manager, then add the categories you want to this collection. Make as many additional collections as necessary.
The collections are made to make it simpler for your customers to find what they want. You can use names for your collections like “wall decor” or “lighting decor” if, for instance, you own a store selling home décor.
You can add hashtags to the collections or specific products, so that customers can easily find them.
Add Business and Payment Processing Details
You have the choice to drive clients to your company’s e-commerce site to complete a transaction from your shop or checkout at the facebook shop itself or through direct contact.
Checkout on Facebook store is only available in US.
For other countries, Facebook only provides two options: directing the customer to your website so they can finish the payment process or launching a chat window to provide more information and close the sale.
Your tagged products will now take customers to an outside website of your choice if you choose the “Check Out on Another Website” option when setting up your shop.
Shops let you, as the seller, use any shipping provider you’d like, so long as it gives tracking and delivery confirmation if you let buyers check out directly from the Facebook app. You should provide details of connectivity with a reputable shipping company such as UPS or fedex. You should also ensure that product will depart the business location within 3 days of sale.
Customizable information may be changed in Commerce Manager’s Shipping Profile, including the handling time for shipments, shipping cost, speed, and destination.
Read more info about starting the store on the meta page itself.
Have you decided on setting up a shop on Facebook? Read more about the advantages and disadvantages in setting up a Facebook shop.
Pros of opening facebook shop
1. Easy and Free to set up
All eligible businesses in eligible countries can use Facebook Shop to sell their products, and the setup process is quick, easy, and free.
If you are the owner of a Facebook business account, Your shop layout is ready to be published once it has been completely customized. No setting up domain, website, storefront etc
2. Broader exposure
Every day, active Facebook users number in the billions. They scroll through their timelines looking for new things everyday. Nearly 6 million advertisers are simultaneously vying for their attention with the correct goods and imagery.
Reaching a wider audience is possible through Facebook as it is an international platform, especially if you have been able to personalize your product lineup and shop design and create a brand identity of your own.
The buttons for “like,” “share,” and “comment” can spread the news of your products far and wide. Sharing of products by satisfied customers will raise their visibility. As a result, your audience grows, and your items get more exposure.
3. Interaction with customers
Through Facebook Shops, your customers can get in touch with you to ask questions about particular products or to request tracking details via Facebook Messenger. This gives your clients the confidence they need to order from your company through the shop. You should be able to convince them that you are 100% commited to customers’ satisfaction.
Cons of a Facebook shop
1. Requirements of Facebook Shops
Not every country has the facility available.
And, your company must fulfill a few requirements to use Facebook Shops to give your consumers a tailored purchasing experience. Your Facebook business profile must have at least 2,000 likes, and your items must be tangible. Digital products, subscriptions, or services cannot be purchased using Facebook Shops, as described here.
Facebook is notorious for its restrictions. If you want to maintain your shop you have to maintain the trustworthiness of the Page linked to your shop. Otherwise you can get violation notices. It can even restrict your page from operating if they find that there is some minor violation from their policies. So you have to be on your toes.
2. Selling fee
There is a small fee associated with using Commerce Manager to sell goods through the Facebook app.
3. Additional features cannot be added
After all you do not own the market place, like your own ecommerce website. Although Facebook Shops gives you the ability to style your general layout and tweak your product selection, adding extra features like referral programs or promotional coupons is not an option.
Your Shop is hosted globally by Facebook under a license that forbids you from really altering or changing the functionality provided by the app.
4. Customers without a Facebook account are excluded
According to Statista’s research from June of last year, there are 2.6 billion Facebook users worldwide. Even though it may seem like a huge figure, just 33% of the world’s population is represented by these connected people. If you want to sell to a younger generation facebook may not be the right place as younger generation are mostly found on instagram and tiktok.
5. Negative feedback
Any time you promote your items on a social media network, you can attract n number of new clients but then any one can also pass negative feedback. Being on facebook results in many comments and reviews, but some of those may not be favorable. By using Facebook Shops, your company runs the danger of receiving negative feedback which may deter other prospective customers.
Negative reviews might hinder your advertising efforts and leave you with the difficult chore of damage repair.
Customers and small business owners may easily buy and sell items online thanks to Facebook Shops. But they may also ask questions about specific items and leave complaints which will remain on the page vividly for all to see.
Sell on Facebook Market place
This is a personal selling place – ie pages cannot sell through market place. You can list your products on the appropriate market place and reach a very wide audience. No need of any advertisements or promotions; just list your product on the market place and sell.
To start selling on market place go to this page.
List the items you want to sell.
Decide on what suits (facebook shop or marketplace) you the best and get your sewn products in front of a wider audience that you can never access on your own.
Related posts: List of Sewing business to start ; Creating a boutique business; Starting a tailoring shop.
