How to sell on Facebook for small businesses in South Africa

If you’re keen to expand your online business to social media, then you should be looking at how to sell on Facebook. Even if you don’t have an eCommerce store yet, you can start selling through Facebook as long as you have the right products to sell.

Social media marketing continues to grow, and too many South African businesses haven’t hopped on board, making them miss out on the opportunity to grow and make money with Facebook.

That’s why this extensive guide covers everything you need to know about Facebook selling, from where to start, what to sell and some of the best practices. The fourth industrial revolution is upon us, thus making social media marketing a must for any small South African business.

So, what are you waiting for? It’s time to sharpen your social media strategy tools and start selling through one of the biggest networking platforms today.

Index 

• Why should you sell on Facebook?
• Basic requirements to start selling on Facebook
• How to set up a Facebook Business Page to start selling
• How to sell products on Facebook – the different ways to sell
• How much does it cost to sell on Facebook?
• Advertising on Facebook to sell more
• How to sell on Facebook in South Africa
• Best practices for how to sell on Facebook Page
• Frequently asked questions: Selling on Facebook
• How to sell on Facebook: Final say

Why should you sell on Facebook?

Of all the ways to make money on social media, Facebook might just be your best bet. Why? It has over three billion monthly users. So you’ll have access to one of the largest audiences on earth, but Facebook is ever-evolving and constantly finding innovative ways to benefit businesses better.

Selling through Facebook is your means to reach broader audiences and sell more products. It’s also incredibly straightforward to set up, which we’ll go through in a bit, and just as easy to manage.

Let’s dive into more benefits and some drawbacks to selling through Facebook so you know what to expect.

Benefits

• Enhanced customer engagement. With so many monthly users, the best way to increase your targeted audiences’ engagement with your products is to start a Facebook Business Page. This gives your audience easy access to your business page and shop. What’s more, you’re also in a better position to constantly interact with your customers, promote your products, and discuss changes to your business, amongst other things.
• Create your target audience. Thanks to Facebook’s advanced targeting tools, you can handpick your audience to ensure your products and page reach the right people. Having a target audience can make or break your business since those not interested in what you sell won’t take the bait.
• You can boost traffic to your website. If you already have an eCommerce website up and running, you can advertise it on your Facebook Page. You can also post a product from your website without all the details and include a link to your shop in the description. This will prompt customers to purchase through your website after seeing your post on Facebook.
• Increase brand awareness and recognition through Facebook. People spend much time on social media platforms, so constantly sharing visual content on Facebook can drive awareness and recognition. Posting high-quality videos, images, and gifs will get people interested and talking about your business rather than a lengthy written post about what you sell. Think about other online selling platforms like Amazon or Takealot, shoppers only click on products they can clearly see.

Drawbacks

• Takes up a lot of your time. If you’re going to sell on Facebook, you have to go all in to make it a success. However, not all business owners may have the time to consistently post content, edit images, list products every other day, engage with customers in the comments sections, or reply to queries in Facebook Messenger. This often means you’ll have to invest in a social media manager who can cover these everyday duties for you.
• You may have to invest in training. This will depend on the size of your business and how many customers you want to gain, but it may be necessary to invest in social media marketing training down the line. You can do some courses, pay for employee training, or hire someone with experience.
• Be prepared for negative feedback. Facebook has a two-way communication setup, which means unsatisfied customers can voice their opinions on your business page whenever they want to. These public complaints can be tough to deal with, and your audience will always zoom in on your response. That said, do not simply delete negative comments instead, reply to these as politely as possible with a solution if you want to appear trustworthy.

Basic requirements to start selling through Facebook

Before you jump on Facebook to start selling, first ensure that you meet some of these basic requirements.

What do you need to start selling through Facebook?

• An active Facebook account and business page.
• Capital to invest in Facebook’s advertising tools, such as Ads Manager.
• A business plan and a target audience.
• An eCommerce store like Netcash Shop if you want to sell from your own website.

Facebook ad policies and commerce/community guidelines

Be sure to check out Facebook’s ad policies and commerce guidelines before you start selling through the platform. To give you a brief overview:

• Don’t promote and sell any adult content, illegal, discriminatory, or misleading products and services.
• Ads for your products should not violate Facebook’s Community standards.
• Don’t sell anything that could harm someone’s life or promote social issues and political views.

What items can’t be sold on Facebook?

• Animals and animal products
• Gambling services, cash prizes, and digital currencies
• Subscriptions
• Medical and healthcare products
• Alcohol, drugs, weapons, and tobacco products

Anything else I should know about?

If you don’t comply with Facebook’s ad policies and commerce rules, your business page might face penalties such as ad disapproval, account suspension, or a permanent ban.

You need to be the admin of your business page. Then, all you have to do is read through and agree to the Merchant Terms before posting.

How to set up a Facebook Business Page to start selling

As you know by now, a Facebook Business Page is one of the requirements to start selling through the platform. Follow this step-by-step guide on how to set one up for your business.

• Go to the Pages section, and click Create New Page.
• Add your page name and category. Name your page after your business and tell people about your business in the About
• After adding your Page bio, click
• Add additional information such as location, details, and hours. Click Next.
• Add a profile photo and cover photo. Ensure that these images are the best representation of your business. You can use your business logo as your profile picture or a portrait of yourself if you are the face of your brand/business. Click Next.
• Invite friends to help create awareness for your new business page. Click Next.
• Add a call-to-action on your business page. At the top of your page, you can choose the action you want people to take. For example, you can prompt visitors to visit your website or call your store. And you’re ready to start selling.

How to sell products on Facebook – the different ways to sell

There are more ways to promote on Facebook. So, let’s get into all the different methods you can use to start making money on Facebook in South Africa.

Facebook Shop vs. Marketplace

While South Africans can no longer create a Facebook Shop (more on this later), it’s still worth knowing which selling method is best for making money on Facebook. Let’s compare the two:

Tip: We have an extensive guide on “How to sell on Facebook Marketplace ” if you’re interested to know more about this method.

Organic vs. advertising

Organic marketing is when a business grows its audience through cost-effective methods like social media posts, email marketing campaigns, and blogs. This type of marketing is definitely a right fit for Facebook selling as it allows you to build an authentic and loyal following.

However, sometimes organic marketing may not be enough for your desired results, especially if you want to see a return on investment as soon as possible. This is where you can opt for paid marketing. This brings you more customers through paid advertising, which allows you to specifically target audiences instead of waiting for them to find you organically.

Next Read: Create an ads campaign on Facebook.

Ultimately, using both can benefit your small business greatly. Here’s a quick comparison:

Organic Marketing

Continuously brings in traffic for relevant content

More cost-efficient

Takes time

Content-driven

Requires effort to create content for various platforms

Helps build relationships with customers

Paid Marketing

Results are temporary

Requires a bigger budget to see good results

Give instant results

Relies on advertising, brand awareness, and audience

Fast and easy to set up

Can’t engage with customers

Selling with Buy and Sell Groups

Buy and Sell Groups are another way to promote and sell your products on the platform. But before you consider this option, here are some things to be aware of:

• The groups do not belong to you, so you must comply with the rules of each group.
• It’s time-consuming because you have to manage each listing in different buy-and-sell groups separately.
• Each group adheres to various niches and locations.
• You’ll post your products directly on the group page and make a note to include as much information as possible.
• You’ll have to deal with many queries and comments from group members interested in your products.

Selling with other Meta platforms

If Facebook is not your go-to platform for online selling, you can then opt to advertise your products on Instagram or WhatsApp Business.

How much does it cost to sell on Facebook?

Facebook doesn’t charge any fee for product listings on Marketplace. However, if you sell on Marketplace as a merchant, the platform will deduct a 5% fee on all transactions, with a minimum charge of $0.40 (R7.60).

If you want to join buying and selling groups, you’ll likely pay an average price of $0.01 (R0.19) per member for smaller groups of just a few thousand members. For example, a 10k member group could cost you $100 (R1905.28) to join.

Advertising on Facebook to sell more

You already have an online store. The answer is to start advertising on Facebook to drive more customers to your eCommerce site to boost sales. Here’s how:

• Set up a Facebook Business Page – By now, you already know how to set up a Facebook Business Page, but ensure the information on there is accurate and reflects your business well. Pay attention to your logo, descriptions, contact, and company name.
• Define your advertising goals – What are your objectives for advertising on Facebook? Do you want to list items on Facebook Marketplace or direct users to your eCommerce site? Perhaps you want to create brand awareness, boost sales, or generate leads. Whatever your main objective, ensure that it’s clear and obtainable.
• Identify your target audience – Who will you be selling to? Determining your target audience based on their demographic, age, interests, behaviours, and location will help you reach the right people to engage with your ads.
• Choose the suitable ad format for your business – Facebook offers various ad formats, and you can choose the best one that resonates with your audience.
• Set your ad budget – Choose a budget based on your goals and financial resources. Facebook provides flexibility with daily or lifetime budgets.
• Create compelling ad content – Create visually pleasing content with persuasive wording that resonates with your audience.
• Set up ad campaigns – Use Facebook Ads Manager to create ad campaigns based on your objectives, budget, target audience, and schedule.
• Monitor and optimise your ads – Track your ad’s performance with metrics like conversions, click-through-rates, engagement, and reach.
• Test and iterate – Use A/B testing to identify the most effective elements and optimise your ads for better performance.
• Measure results and adjust your ad parameters – Use Facebook’s analytics tools to gain insight and measure your ad performance, ROI, and audience behaviour. This will help you make data-based and informed decisions for future campaigns.

How to sell on Facebook in South Africa

Here’s a little disclaimer before we go any further. You might have noticed zero mention of Facebook Shop. Well, this is for a reason: South African businesses can no longer use Facebook or Instagram Shop catalogues and product tagging for their store. Learn more about these changes from our Checkout with Facebook & Instagram article.

About 30.7 million South Africans use Facebook (which is more than half the country). With that massive number, more small businesses should be taking advantage of the organic traffic on the platform.

That said, some regions are limited by local law as to what and how things are advertised online, which can impact what and how you sell. There are also a few basic rules suggested by Facebook after launching Marketplace in S.A.

Let’s have a closer look at how you can sell on Facebook in South Africa.

1. You may not sell things like tobacco products, ammunition, weapons, explosives, animals, illegal, prescription, or recreational drugs in South Africa.
2. Sellers may offer buyers the option to accept cash on delivery or person-to-person payments.
3. Consider using person-to-person payments, such as these recommended online payment services for small businesses , when a sale involves significant amounts of money.
4. Don’t send buyers payment links. Facebook highly recommends logging directly to the payment website instead of using payment links.
5. Practice caution when meeting someone in person to conclude a sale. Arrange the meeting in a public space, make your family or friends aware of it, and take someone with you if you’re meeting at a buyer’s home.

Best practices for how to sell on Facebook Page

Make the most out of selling through Facebook with the following practices and tips.

Try to earn Seller Badges to boost your sales

Facebook awards merchants with Seller Badges since it helps them identify businesses with good selling histories. These badges also look good next to your business’s name and show potential customers that you’re reliable, trustworthy, and responsive. Here are some seller badges you can earn:

• The Active Local Seller Badge: On a Marketplace profile, this means that a seller is an engaged participant within their local community. You must have an average rating of 4 stars and reply to messages on your listings within three hours or less on at least 80% of your message threads. Also, you must have made five or more active local listings within the last 30 days.
• Very Responsive Badge: This is earned when a seller responds quickly and consistently on their listing messages in under an hour on average and at least 80% of your message threads.
• Highly Rated Badge: You can earn this badge when you’ve been rated positively and consistently by other people on Marketplace. To get one, you must have received 4 ratings that are equal to or greater than 4/5 stars in the last 30 days. And your average star rating should be greater than 4 stars.
• Super Seller Badge: This is when a seller posts listings at a high frequency. To earn one, you must have posted at least 10 listings within one Facebook buy-and-sell group in the last 30 days.
• Top Shipper Badge: You’ll earn this after 60 days of fulfilling at least 10 transactions a month in the previous two consecutive months. You must have a minimum 4.5-star rating average for shipped orders with 20 or more ratings.

Consider the most selling items through Facebook

Here are some of the highest-selling categories on the platform:

• Home Furnishing
• Footwear
• Fashion items and accessories
• Daily grooming
• Electronic accessories

More Tips and Tricks

• Check Facebook Insight to see how many clicks each post gets and evaluate its effectiveness yourself.
• Post aesthetically pleasing photos of your products and add clear, concise descriptions of their features. Look at our eCommerce photography article for more tips on this.
• Ensure you never run out of stock and keep your inventory up-to-date, as this will affect your reliability score on the platform.
• Ensure that your content, listings, and descriptions reflect your business and meet Facebook’s standards at all times.
• Offer your buyers special offers, especially around important holidays.
• Feature new products or bestsellers first.
• Showcase your items in the form of collections and bundle-related products.
• Update your collections/catalogue to coincide with upcoming launches, new promotions, hot trends, and seasons.
• If you sell clothing or home furnishings, ensure that customers can see the exact sizes and dimensions. You can even showcase these products in real-life settings.

How to sell on Facebook: Final say

After that deep dive, we hope that you are now more knowledgeable when it comes to selling through Facebook. We’ve covered everything from how to start selling, the various ways to sell, how much it costs to sell, and more.

The only thing left to do is for you to start setting up your Facebook account. After all, with so many benefits and opportunities to grow – why wouldn’t you take a leap at Facebook and watch your small business flourish?

Next Read: Find out how you can start selling on Pinterest.

Frequently asked questions: Selling through Facebook

If we haven’t answered all of your questions yet, hopefully, these FAQs will.

Can I sell on Instagram without a Facebook account?

Yes. It is possible to create a shop on Instagram without a Facebook Business Page. However, we suggest linking your Instagram and Facebook accounts as the platforms combined have an insane amount of users, plus Facebook has better marketing tools.

Next Read: How to check-out with Facebook and Instagram.

Is it better to sell on Facebook or Instagram?

While both apps are excellent for online selling and work even better together, you’ll have to consider your target audience if you want to choose just one. Facebook is the best option for an adult demographic, whereas Instagram appeals more to millennials and Gen Z.