Four Ways Facebook Can Help Jump-Start Your Online Business

Using the platform can knock off many early charges when it comes to getting your products out there

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By Peter Tseros

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Facebook Marketplace has been around for some time now but its mass users seem to be people trying to make some quick cash by selling an item they no longer need instead of savvy business owners.

Here are the reasons that make Facebook Market a good place to start an online business.

It's Free

The financial risk will always be something that anyone starting a business will have to face, however, there are ways to minimize the risk. One way to do so is by using a platform that's free to sell your products on, which will avoid unnecessary expenses in the early days. Using Facebook can knock off many early charges when it comes to getting your products out there. And the best part is, Facebook Market will still give you an early client base that eBay can, at a cost, and will boost your business sales in the early days. This is especially important when it comes to e-commerce stores which have to battle against already existing online or shop-front stores that hog all the traffic with either pumping more into marketing or SEO (Search Engine Optimization).

It's Easy to Use and Manage

Usability is important, as a platform that takes a long time to master can put you back significantly in the early days. So as long as you have a basic understanding of Facebook and Facebook Messenger, you should be able to navigate this platform with ease. You can list a product as easily as making status and mark it as sold just as quickly.

Furthermore, you can always re-list the product later, as your previous sold items stay saved under your profile. Then after listing your product on Facebook Market, users will communicate with you via Facebook Messenger, which makes it quite easy to relay information to your potential customer or hit them up in the future as well.

You Already Have a Large Audience

It can be incredibly difficult in the early days to attract customers to a brand that they have never heard of, or a brand that doesn't have a physical store. As a result, many small business owners have turned to eBay or Gum Tree to obtain early sales. However, that can be very expensive, as listing an item costs money and usually has a time limit for how long it will be listed for. Although, Facebook Market doesn't have a listing time-limit or a listing charge but still has roughly 2.2 billion users a month.

This also means that yes, you can even use this and Facebook page as your main store hub without a website, as setting up your own e-commerce store and then building your sites ranking to attract new customers to your products, can take a long time and can cost you a fortune. And the best part is, your customers are already waiting for you. Basically, anyone that uses Facebook Market near your location will have access to your products and services.

You Can Share Straight to Social Channels

By already having your content on Facebook, it means that Facebook makes it easy to share your products on your Facebook-related social channels. In seconds you can share your listing to your own personal profile, Facebook Messenger, Facebook pages and Facebook groups, which will only increase the number of people browsing your products. Furthermore, you can send new listings to people who have bought similar items from you in the past, as their previous messages with you remain accessible. Also, there's nothing stopping you from sharing your Facebook Market listing on other social platforms such as Twitter or Instagram.

Peter Tseros

Personal banker, BankVic

 

Peter is a personal banker at BankVic, a former business founder and experienced journalist. He has worked for a number of leading publications in Australia, India and the US since completing his Masters in Media and Communications. 

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