Facebook Marketplace is an awesome platform to sell just about anything but can take the patience of a saint. Managing too many or too few messages, buyer no-shows, low-ball offers are just some of my experiences when selling items in preparation for my recent move. (See Make Money on Your Move blog post.) So, let’s get to some key strategies for getting to a successful and efficient sale. Timing is everything!
Time Between Buyer Interest and Pickup
The key factor in driving a sale is to compress the time from when a shopper shows interest in an item and pick up. Pushing to convert interest to pick up will flush out serious buyers and usually limit a series of back and forth messages. If possible, push for pick up the same or next day the buyer shows interest to produce the most sales. Consideration should be given to when shoppers can practically collect an item.
Key Pick Up Days
Consideration should be given to when shoppers can practically collect an item. Saturday and Sunday (especially Sunday) are key pick up days for Facebook Marketplace buyers. Coordinate pick ups to a small time window each day to minimize the amount of discruption to your weekend. You are looking for a sale, so some flexibility may be needed — but, give priority to buyers who can pick up item first.
When to Post an Item
If most buyers can practically collect items on Saturday and Sunday, optimally items should be posted Thursday night through Saturday. Remember, we are trying to compress the time between when a shopper shows interest and pickup so a post just before the weekend will be at the top of the feed and the buyer can practically pick the item up over the weekend.
Stay tuned for other Facebook Marketplace Tips!