Episode 5: Selling on Facebook Marketplace: Listing Tips that Get Views

Getting your redesigned furniture seen — and sold — on Facebook Marketplace is all about one thing: exposure. In this episode, I share practical tips to help your listings get in front of more people so you can sell quickly and at top price.

We’ll talk about:

• Why Marketplace is a numbers game (and how to play it)
• How to take photos that stop buyers from scrolling
• The secret to writing descriptions that grab attention
• Pricing strategies that attract serious buyers
• How to work with the algorithm, not against it

👉 Want the full step-by-step guide with everything I do from start to finish? Download my free Facebook Marketplace Marketing Checklist at ValFrania.com/marketingchecklist.

If you’re ready to sell smarter and get your furniture in front of the right buyers, this episode is for you.

Hello, welcome back to Flipping Furniture for Profit. I'm Val Frania. I'm really glad you're here. This has turned out to be a fun venture doing this podcast. I hope it's been beneficial to you. And thanks for all the kind words that I got, from those of you that have listened to some of the episodes that, you know, it's always good to get encouragement, isn't it? Now we're gonna talk about selling on Facebook marketplace today. Oh, it's one of the, the worst things for some people is having to deal with marketing. I don't mind it too much, but when things slow down or, or get difficult or something doesn't sell, then it does get frustrating, doesn't it? So we're gonna talk about that today, and let's get real. You can paint the most gorgeous dresser in the world. I've got a really cute pink waterfall dresser that I, I just thought would fit perfectly in a little girl's room, but it sit for a while. So why do they sit? Well, let's talk about some of those things.

You could paint a gorgeous dresser or, or some other thing that's just a beauty, and you put your heart and soul into it, and then it sits. If no one sees it, it's not gonna sell. I mean, let's get real. Nothing is more frustrating than putting your heart and soul into piece, listing it, and then crickets. It's one of the biggest complaints these days. That's why today we're gonna dive into how to create a listing Facebook Marketplace listing that'll actually get some views. Views equal eyeballs, eyeballs, equal sales. It's really just a numbers game. Yes, you do have a, have to have a decent piece to sell, but you know what I, like I said, in past episodes, I've seen the ugliest pieces sell. So it's not always the piece, it's just a numbers game. The more people see your piece, the more likely you're to get a buyer going, to get a buyer who's willing to pay your price.

And I'm after top dollar, I don't know about you, but I'd just asoon paint one piece and make a hundred to $200, or rather than a couple pieces where I'm just trying to squeeze profit out of 'em. So, if you've ever wondered why your piece isn't selling or why it's taking forever, stick around. I got some tips for you. I'm gonna share some of my favorite things to do that can help you get more exposure, sell faster, and sell at the price that you deserve. After all, we are furniture artists. Honestly, we are no different than the artists that when you walk into a gallery, actually, I think we're better in many respects. You walk into a gallery and you see these big painted, portraits and such, you know, those just hang on a wall. But our pieces are practical. They're actually usable.

I don't think it's unfair to compare what we do with what the traditional artist does on a canvas. It's just the furniture is our canvas. And I honestly think we're doing a great service for the world. We're taking an old piece of furniture that's gonna end up either in someone's basement, collecting dust, or it's gonna go in the trash pile, or it's you know, they just end up getting sold for pennies. 'cause people don't see the value to me, preserving a piece, especially like something that Aunt Emmy used to own or something that my mother treasured, something I saw growing up. Or, you know, somebody's grandma used to prove bread on top of a table. You know, to me, history, I love history. And to me, to preserve history, I think is a great service to the world. Okay, I'm gonna get off my soapbox, but I'll tell you to, to keep something out of the trash.

I think it's a big deal. So, okay, so before we jump into the tips, let's emphasize that this is not a magic formula. I can't guarantee that if you do X, y, or Z, that you'll sell for top dollar tomorrow or today. I mean, it does happen, and I have sold some things within minutes, but it's all about getting it in front of the right person. So this is what I can guarantee. If you follow these strategies, you'll increase the odds. It's all about stacking the deck in your favor. The more views you get, the more messages you'll receive, the more serious buyers you'll attract. So think of it this way, your job is to create the best possible listing and then get it in front of as many people as you can. That's the game, and I'm gonna show you how to play it.

Does that sound good? Okay. Tip number one, photos are everything. In my past I was a portrait photographer, and if you have the eye, which I do, I have the eye, I can put somebody outside in, you know, you use a shady part outside 'cause the lighting is better. And you know, you position 'em a certain way that they look better. Well, it's the same thing as taking a photo of a piece of furniture. And even if you don't have the eye, you can develop it. You can learn the strategies of taking good photos. And, you know, sometime in the future I'll really drill down on how to take a good photo.

It really does make a difference because people want to be able to picture in their own home. So if you present it to them in that way that you know, chances of them buying are greater. Purchasing things like furniture is an emotional decision, and you wanna stoke those emotions. You wanna say in your picture, you want your picture to say, "Ah, this would look beautiful in your home, take me home." That kind of thing. Well, you can do that with a good photo. So to start with, the most important part of your listing, your photos, I can't stress this enough. Photos sell furniture, period. Marketplace is a scrolling app. Our buyers are scrollers. I think the whole world are scrollers these days. People are thumbing through dozens of listings and you have about two to three seconds to catch their eye. I know it's kind of ridiculous.

Isn it? It used to be seven seconds. Now it's two to three seconds. A blurry dark photo taken in a messy garage is gonna get ignored even if your piece is stunning in person, because they're going to equate that as a garage sale find. And you definitely don't wanna be considered a garage sale seller. So this is what I do. I always shoot in natural light if possible, but I do have the three, the grouping of three lights, that you can move around and get rid of shadows and that kind of thing. But morning or late afternoon is best if you're gonna use natural light. And then you stage your piece, you know, like put a lamp or a plant or some books on top that really helps the buyers imagine it in their own home. I really like using books. I usually stack three together and then take multiple angles, you know, front, side, detail shots, open the drawers.

If they're in, you know, good shape. If you wanna see even the stamp of the company that made it, take a picture of that. Take pictures of the doors, open and shut, that kind of thing. You get the idea. And then finally, pick your four, four to eight best photos. Don't overwhelm people with 20. But then also just one plain picture isn't enough either. So hit a happy medium there. Good photos will stop those buyers from scrolling and actually click on your listing. Take a look. So that's half the battle. Okay, number two, write your listing like you're talking to a friend. So let's talk about your description. Too often I see listings say painted dresser, 200 bucks. And that's it. No wonder people just scroll right past. Instead, write a warm conversational tone listing like you're chatting with a friend.

So example, "This elegant vintage dresser, freshly redesigned in a soft white is ready to bring charm and storage to your bedroom with six roomy drawers and beautiful carved details. It's both functional and stylish." See the difference? It paints a picture for the person. It causes their imagination to place that piece into their space. Okay, a few extra tips. Use paragraphs. Not one big block of text. Don't get too technical with paint brands or your process. The buyer really doesn't care, honestly, they don't care. And then highlight what matters. You know, like style, storage, condition, how it will benefit them. Your words could invite, not just inform. Now a little caveat here, a couple days ago I was listening to one of my coaches talk about sales, and he talked about how we have to make so many decisions that it causes fatigue in our brain.

It's called decision, I think it's called decision fatigue. I'll talk more about that in the future. But the simpler you can make it for these people to say, "Yes" to your listing, to click that button and talk to you and say, "I want your piece," the less decisions they have to make. And the more their imagination can take over, the better the sale is. So remember that you're dealing with real people and with real issues and real decision fatigue these days. So much, we're getting hit with so much information, that we're on overload. So let's make it easy for them.

Okay? Pricing - price with confidence. Now, that's another thing I'll get into in the future. We'll talk about pricing. It's a pretty hot topic. So here's my rule, always price on the higher side. Don't undercut yourself. You can always come down if you need to, but you really can't go up once it's listed. So remember, you're not selling wood and paint. You're selling a one-of-a-kind redesign piece that adds beauty and function to someone's home. That's real value. You are a furniture artist. So instead of asking, what's the least I can take for this? Ask, what is this piece truly worth in the market? Then list a little higher than that. Everybody likes a deal and it doesn't hurt to, you know, knock off 10% if they offer a little bit. 'Cause everybody likes a deal. I like a deal. I like going garage sales.

I like to make offers. I make offers. I don't low-ball, but I like to make offers to people. And usually they take it. People accept that. It's kind of part of playing the game. Okay, tip four, play the algorithms game. Let's talk about marketplace itself. Facebook's algorithm decides who sees your listing. And the more active you are, the more visibility you get. Here's a few ways to work with it, not against it. Share your listing to your business page and even your personal profile if you're comfortable doing that. Now, I don't suggest you sell on your page as in creating new listing or a new post telling people about your piece. I mean, a lot of people do that, but I don't suggest that. My preference is just to share either the listing or to share the post on my business page and

I have a page specifically for my pieces called The Red Shed. So I'll share from there onto my personal page. If your piece hasn't sold in a week or two, delete the complete listing and then re-list it. Maybe even with new wording, that, that refresh that you're doing, boost it to the back up to the top, 'cause it, they do get buried. Now, if you're gonna lower or raise your price, always delete and re-list. Don't just edit. And then here's a fun trick. Sell smaller items too. Home decor, kitchenware, whatever you have on your listing, on your account. Facebook loves power sellers and it'll give you more visibility if you're consistently active, and if you sell things. So that's the numbers game that really kicks in. The more you list, the more active you are, the more eyes Facebook puts on your stuff.

Now, these are just a few, you know, just a handful of strategies I use every single time I sell a piece on marketplace. But trust me, there's, there's more that goes into it. You know, the importance of the prep, what you need to say to your buyers, how to handle pickups safely, how to answer questions, how to answer low-ball, I mean, all that stuff. There's a whole lot more to it. I put together a free guide that'll walk you through the whole process step-by-step. It's all the things that I do personally. It's, I call it the Facebook Marketplace Marketing Checklist. It's the exact system I personally use every time I list. It'll save you time. You can check things off as you do it if you like. It'll help you look more professional and more importantly, help get you more views.

And really, that's the name of the game. Get it in front of many people as possible so you can grab it for free at ValFrania.com/marketingchecklist. So that's it for today. Glad we could meet up again. I've enjoyed a lot of your comments and thank you for the encouragement. Furniture flippers, I think are one of the kindest people in the world, and I just really enjoy engaging. So please do drop me a line. You can find me on Facebook or you can just go to my personal page and drop me a line. Message me. Just remember marketplace success - it's not about luck, it's about strategy, exposure. You know, how well you present your piece, all of that. So play the numbers game, your chances of selling quicker, and at top price, go way up. Don't forget to grab your free checklist, ValFrania.com/marketingchecklist.

Thanks for spending time with me today. I know you're real busy. I know I'm a super busy person, but it's totally worth it to connect up with others that have strategies that work. So if this episode's helpful, subscribe so you don't miss one of my episodes and maybe even share it with a furniture flipping friend, would you? So until next time, keep painting, keep flipping, keep selling smart. Have a great week and God bless you. Remember, God is there with you. He wants you to be successful. And you know what? You can glorify Him through the way you treat other people, through the way that you put together a beautiful piece that's done well, that's high quality. That's how you can honor God in your life by doing things well and being a representative of what it is to be a believer that loves God, that wants to help other people and be a blessing. So have a great week.