Facebook decided to take on Etsy and Ebay in 2016 with the launch of its Marketplace, a feature directly integrated into the social network that every user can use to buy and sell goods. In this article, we'll look first at how Facebook's Marketplace works, and then at how it's developing.
Before there was a full-fledged Marketplace, Facebook users used Facebook groups to buy, sell, trade and barter. Today, you can still create a "garage sale" type group for your community, for example, so that people in your neighborhood can post items they want to sell and look for other people's items to buy. It's a great way to get the second-hand trade going.
With the Marketplace application, Facebook wanted to use this existing dynamic around sales groups to streamline this, and thus offer a kind of global marketplace for the sale of second-hand items. At the time of writing, it hasn't exactly been a success.
How the Facebook marketplace works (H2)
How to browse items for sale (H3)
To begin with, you need to visit the marketplace before you can browse items. To do this, simply press the Marketplace icon at the bottom of the Facebook application. It's the icon that looks like a little store.
The marketplace opens with photos of items that people near you have put up for sale. To find something specific, you can enter a keyword in the search bar by pressing the search icon at the top of your screen.
You can also filter your results by location, category or price. Thanks to the categories, you can go to discover items under Clothing and Accessories, Electronics and Family, etc. There's also a location tool to adjust your region.
How to buy items (H3)
When you find something you'd like to buy, be sure to tap on the image to see more of the seller's details, such as a product description, the seller's name and profile photo, and general location. You can also save the item for later retrieval.
Once you've decided that you'd like to - or that you'd like more information - you can either send a message to the seller from the Facebook Marketplace to make an offer, or choose the "Make an offer" option on the listing. Facebook does not facilitate payment or delivery of items. The idea is that you can settle all these matters directly with the seller.
How do you sell items? (H3)
To publish an item for sale on Marketplace, take a photo of your item (or add it from your film), then enter a product name, description and price, then confirm your location and select a category. Your product will then be listed for the information you have selected.
You can then publish it so that anyone searching in your area can find your item and send you a message if they want to buy it. Don't forget that Facebook doesn't facilitate payment or delivery of items - it's just information, not a trusted third party.
How can you keep track of your actions on the Marketplace? (H3)
To keep track of all your current and past transactions, visit the Marketplace profile section by pressing the icon at the top right of the screen, next to the search icon. From here, you can view your recent activity, all registered items, products you've put up for sale and all your messages with people.
Figures and areas for improvement for Facebook marketplace (H2)
Since its launch in 2016, Facebook Marketplace had focused primarily on local neighbor-to-neighbor sales. But over the past two years, the platform has invested in long-distance shipping tools. Facebook has partnered with the U.S. Postal Service and gradually increased the number of categories that can be shipped. These include clothing and footwear, for which Facebook Marketplace sellers began offering delivery in mid-2020.
Fast-growing sector and catch-up phenomenon (H3)
Although a growth area for Facebook, Marketplace is still a fledgling business. Since Facebook doesn't break down Marketplace revenue figures, it's hard to say exactly how well Marketplace is doing in relation to the parent company's business.
According to Facebook, commerce is increasingly a top priority. Over the years, Facebook has added digital sales tools to meet seller demand. For example, when car sales started to take off a few years ago, Marketplace enabled the addition of verified vehicle identification numbers (VINs ) in the USA.
Safety measures during Covid-19 (H3)
Over the past 10 months, Facebook has launched several Covid-19-specific features to enable sellers and buyers to interact securely. These include contactless home drop-off and pick-up, as well as an increase in shipping options on Marketplace.
Video social selling (H3)
And with live video becoming increasingly popular online, social commerce is another area of opportunity for sellers. Facebook's Marketplace integrated Live Shopping in 2020. For the time being, this phenomenon mainly concerns the USA, but perhaps these innovations will soon land in Europe.
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