Earlier on this month I posted about my goals for the year. I desperately want to declutter the house and work through selling the mass of ‘stuff’ I seem to have accumulated somehow. I have a spare bedroom full of stuff, Erin’s travel cot has been taken over by things to sell and I have random boxes all over as well.
I tend to stay away from eBay if I can because the fees and listing time really bloody annoys me. I live on Facebook and I make use of the local ‘Facebay’ type selling sites. I have sold probably hundreds of items now and I won’t be stopping any time soon.
So, here are some tips to make the most of your local selling sites and how to make them work for you:
Join, join, join
I must be a member of about 25-30 different selling sites. I live in a small town in North Norfolk so there are selling sites for the surrounding towns as well which I use as well as for my own town. One in particular is more popular than others. Being a member of more groups gives you a better chance of selling
For sale vs. discussion
These sites have the option to list something as a ‘for sale’ item or in a discussion. I spent ages using the discussion feature as it was easier but I found that my posts got lost or they end up not searchable for some reason. Just after Christmas I started using the ‘for sale’ function instead. I have seen a massive increase in my sales, including how quickly things sell. I also find using this makes it easier to keep track of your posts and what has sold/ what hasn’t.
Marketplace
Facebook now has a marketplace. Another benefit of using the ‘for sale’ feature is being able to post to the marketplace at the same time, as well as other groups you’re a member of. However, there are glitches with this. I have found posts only go to numerous groups if you only use 1 picture. I have had to resubmit posts to groups if I use multiple pictures so I try not to anymore. This really saves time as you can post to loads of places at once.
Pictures
This may seem like a really obvious one but take the best pictures you can. Some of mine are crap if I’m honest. I’m trying to sell clothes at the minutes and there’s no way I’m ironing them to make them look better. However, making sure the photo accurately shows the colours of a product or the size is really important.
Description
This is just as important as the pictures. I try to add as much information as possible to my listings. If something is a certain size, like bookcases, putting the dimensions really helps and stops you getting 20 messages overnight asking how wide something is.
Add a little bit of personal touch
Incorporating a personal touch when selling items locally online can significantly enhance the customer experience. A simple yet effective strategy is to express gratitude towards purchasers. This can be as straightforward as sending personalized thank you messages, acknowledging their choice to buy from you. Taking it a step further, creating custom greeting cards for buyers adds an exclusive and memorable element to the transaction. Such gestures not only foster a positive connection with your customers but also help in building a loyal customer base and enhancing your reputation as a thoughtful and appreciative seller.
Updates
This is something I try to keep on top of as much as possible. If something is ‘SSTC (sold subject to collection)’ then put that on the post. I hate getting loads of messages or comments asking if something is still available. Make it easy for people to see what you still have available and what is pending sales. In the same way, deleting any posts for items already sold is important so people don’t get confused!
I’d really love to know if you use these kinds of sites to sell unwanted items. I have been doing really well lately but it is sometimes slow going.