Step 1: Do Your Research
Before you list your items, poke around other Marketplace and see what people near you are selling and what prices they’re asking for. Look at your competition and determine the demand, then do what you can to differentiate yourself and your product.
Step 2: Price It Right
Pay careful attention to the prices of items similar to yours and charge competitively. You need to find the right balance. If you price items too low, you can get too many people messaging you, which means you could have priced your item higher and would still have an interest. On the other hand, if your price is too high, you won’t get as much interest.
Step 3: Don’t Get Attached
It’s common for people to ask for discounts, so don’t be offended when someone wants to negotiate. Remember that your goal is to part with the item. Focusing on making any profit, rather than getting the biggest profit possible, can increase your sales.
This way, you can focus on flipping your items quickly rather than worrying about making a large profit on something you didn’t spend significant money on in the first place.
Step 4: Make Your Work Look Good in Photos
Obviously, you put time, effort, and maybe a little bit of money into your craft, but if that’s not highlighted in your listing photos, it doesn’t matter.
Good photography is very important. Your goal is to make sure your picture stands out from all the rest. You want people to stop on your photo as they’re scrolling through Marketplace. This is the best way to draw your customer in.
Staging your item by placing it in front of a brick wall, a background full of greenery, or another scenic spot. These touches not only make your item stand out, but they also show potential buyers that you are professional, that you take care of your items, and that you mean business.
Photo quality also matters. Taking photos during the golden hour (the hour right before sunset) greatly improves the look of the item. You can also use a regular camera. Avoid over-editing and filtering your item—you want potential buyers to see the product clearly, so there are no surprises down the road.
Step 5: Spread the Word
Share your ads link to Instagram, Facebook, and other social platforms. Promoting your side hustle in places other means more eyes are on your listings, and you may draw in more buyers.
Also, establish a distinctive brand and style for your products and listing images. If buyers recognize your style and know you offer quality products, they’ll be more willing to become repeat customers and easily find your listings.
Step 6: Be Willing to Negotiate
This one loops back to tip #3: Don’t get too attached to your products. People will want to negotiate, and showing you’re flexible (within reason) on price means you and the buyer will have a more pleasant transaction. That’s helpful, especially if you want returning buyers.
We recommend pricing up slightly, knowing that you will negotiate. Every customer asks for some kind of discount off the listed price.
