We all have different ways we pass our time with our electronic devices. My daughter is a doom-scroller: she'll go to Google news and just scroll through the headlines until we kick her off. My wife watches pimple popping videos. She's weird. My type of doom-scrolling is on Facebook Marketplace. Even if I'm not looking for something to buy, I'll scroll through the listings and click on the random stuff that looks cool.

What Is Facebook Marketplace?

If you've never been on Facebook Marketplace, first of all congrats on being better than the rest of us, it is kind of like an online yard sale. People are posting all sorts of stuff, junk, services, and surprises. I say surprises because sometimes the listing is vague and the picture is horrible so you really don't know what you are looking at. For the most part though, FB Marketplace is a great place to find and sell stuff. But, I do have to wonder what some people are thinking when they post grainy and blurred pictures or don't leave a description or good title for the item they are selling.

You do want to sell it, right? That's why you posted it. So, here are some helpful words of advice to make your Facebook Marketplace (could also be use for Craigslist) listing better.

Helpful Tips For Selling On Facebook Marketplace

Post good pictures. The first thing we are going to notice on your listing is the picture. If it's blurry, grainy, or not a good picture in general we are more likely to skip the click.

Set a reasonable price. You may feel an attachment to an item you need to sell and therefore have a higher than reality expectation for the value of the item. Sentimental value doesn't mean actual monetary value. Also, make sure the price posts correctly. Often a post comes up as free or a phone number instead of the intended selling price.

Don't be vague. We aren't scrolling through Marketplace looking to unravel a mystery. There's no reason to be vague about your item foe sale. If it is in bad shape, broke, or not worth anything. Don't waste your time, or ours, by being cryptic and thinking that will lure us in. It doesn't.

Clean the item. Please! Selling a car - clean the interior, or at least pick up the trash off the seats. Selling a baby stroller - maybe wipe off the spider webs and dust. You want to sell the item, so make it look as best as it can in the pictures and when someone comes to look at it.

Check your Facebook messages. You may not know that people are likely to send you a direct message if they are really interested in buying. You'll probably get alerts for the messages, but sometimes Facebook will not notify you of incoming messages from strangers.

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I've sold and bought a lot of things on Facebook Marketplace. It does take a little time and planning, so use the info above. It would be a bummer to put in the work to create a listing and have it fail because of something you could have done better.

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I personally hate doing yard sales so I post my unwanted things on Facebook Marketplace. I’ve done yard sales without following these suggestions and failed, which is why I hate them. They are much more exciting when you are making money and the sale is successful.

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