Quick Answer
Yes, you can use Facebook Marketplace with a business account. Facebook Marketplace allows both personal and business accounts to buy and sell items. However, business accounts have some limitations on Facebook Marketplace compared to personal accounts.
Can Businesses Sell on Facebook Marketplace?
Facebook Marketplace allows anyone over 18 with a Facebook account to buy and sell items. This includes both personal accounts and Facebook business pages. So if you have a business account on Facebook, you can use Marketplace to list items for sale.
However, Facebook does place some restrictions on business accounts using Marketplace compared to personal accounts:
- Business accounts can’t buy items on Marketplace, only sell.
- Listings are limited to 20 active listings at a time.
- Business accounts can’t list vehicles, real estate, or job posts.
So business accounts have more limited functionality than personal profiles. But Facebook does allow businesses to use Marketplace to sell items directly to local customers.
Why Use Facebook Marketplace for Business?
Here are some of the potential benefits for businesses using Facebook Marketplace:
- Reach a huge audience – Facebook has over 2 billion monthly active users. Marketplace gives exposure to this massive built-in audience.
- List for free – Facebook does not charge any listing fees or commissions on items sold through Marketplace.
- Sell locally – Marketplace emphasizes local sale listings, so it’s great for targeting local customers.
- Leverage existing audience – Businesses can promote Marketplace listings to their existing Facebook followers.
- Easy setup – Listings can be created right from a Facebook business page, so no external sites are needed.
For businesses with inventory to sell, Marketplace provides an easy additional sales channel with built-in exposure and no listing costs.
How to Use Facebook Marketplace for Business
Here are the steps for a business account to get started selling on Facebook Marketplace:
- Open the Marketplace page from your business’s Facebook page. Click “Sell Something” to create a new listing.
- Select the category for your item, like vehicles, fashion, electronics, etc. Input details like price, description, photos.
- With each listing, you can choose to boost the post to get more exposure. Boosting is optional but can increase views.
- Once an item is sold, contact the buyer via Facebook Messenger to arrange payment and delivery.
- Mark the item as sold once the transaction is complete. This removes the listing.
- Create new listings as needed. Business accounts are limited to 20 active Marketplace listings.
Be sure to respond promptly to buyer inquiries and provide quality customer service. This helps build your business reputation on the Marketplace.
Tips for Business Success on Marketplace
To maximize your business’s Marketplace presence, keep these tips in mind:
- Use high-quality photos – Photos are critical to catching buyer attention and making sales.
- Craft detailed listings – Include key details like item conditions, specs, size, etc.
- Price competitively – Browse similar listings to price your items attractively.
- Highlight business details – Share your business name, website, contact info to build awareness.
- Reply promptly – Respond to buyer messages within 24 hours to provide good service.
- Track performance – Monitor your listings to see which have the most engagement.
- Share listings – Cross-promote Marketplace listings on your other social channels.
Optimizing your listings and interacting professionally with customers helps establish your business on Marketplace.
Pros and Cons of Facebook Marketplace for Businesses
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| Free listings | 20 item listing limit |
| Large built-in audience | No vehicle, real estate, or job posts |
| Sell locally | Must manage correspondence with buyers |
| Existing Facebook presence | No buyer protection programs |
| Simple setup | Less features than dedicated ecommerce sites |
Pros
The main benefits of Marketplace for businesses are the large audience, free listings, and simple account setup. Marketplace provides built-in visibility with Facebook’s billions of users. And business accounts can start listing items quickly and easily from their Facebook page, with no selling fees.
Cons
Downsides include the 20 item limit per account. Businesses also can’t make vehicle, real estate, or job listings. And there are fewer seller features compared to full ecommerce sites. Businesses have to handle all correspondence and transactions with buyers directly as well.
Facebook Marketplace vs eBay
Facebook Marketplace and eBay are two popular online selling platforms, but they have some key differences:
| Facebook Marketplace | eBay |
|---|---|
| Free listings | Listing and selling fees |
| More localized sales | Broad national/international reach |
| In-platform correspondence | eBay messaging system |
| Limited 20 listings | Unlimited listings |
| Less seller tools | Robust seller tools and analytics |
| Facebook user base | Broad ecommerce user base |
Key Differences
The main differences are that Facebook Marketplace is free to use with more limited functionality, while eBay provides sophisticated seller tools but charges listing and transaction fees. eBay also has a broader reach, while Marketplace is focused on hyperlocal buyers.
Marketplace may work well for small businesses selling locally through their Facebook presence. But eBay offers more advanced features for larger sellers.
Conclusion
Facebook Marketplace does allow businesses to sell items directly to their local community from their business page. While Marketplace has some restrictions for business accounts, it can provide a free, easy sales channel leveraging Facebook’s large audience. Professional sellers may ultimately want to scale up to a dedicated ecommerce site or eBay. But Marketplace gives businesses a way to tap into local Facebook users at no cost.
With quality listings, attentive seller correspondence, and smart pricing, businesses can successfully connect with buyers on Marketplace. While functionality is limited compared to other sites, Marketplace provides another place for businesses to reach potential customers in their area.