How to Use Facebook Ads to Grow Your eBay Business

Facebook is the most visited site online - and almost everyone has heard of it. Because of the huge amount of people that Facebook reaches, it can be a great place to advertise. However, the advertising system that Facebook uses is picky and has both pros and cons (like any system).

One thing that’s very important to keep in mind with Facebook ads is that they won’t create a huge amount of sales, which is typically the point of advertising. But, Facebook ads do allow you to access specific markets easily. Facebook’s system for creating ads lets you choose only to show your ad to people with certain interests. Plus, you can choose specific age groups, employment status, place of residence, and even whether they’re married or not. This is a big plus because it helps keep you from wasting money and time on people who won’t be interested in your product.

It’s important to highlight the most important information on the display of your Facebook ad - not many people actually click on Facebook ads. But they can still be valuable tools because they allow you to connect with your target demographic and create a brand for yourself. The more often people see your product, the more likely they are to make a purchase. Facebook ads can be part of the process that gets people to that point.

Testing a variety of ads on Facebook can be a great way to get feedback on what types of ads are the best for your business. Facebook has made it very easy to track the success of your ads. And because the ads are very reasonably priced, you won’t be out a lot of money.

Setting up an affiliate link is also a good way to track the success of your Facebook ads. This will allow you to see what purchases occurred as a result of your ads.

If you want to test the waters a little, Entrepreneur Magazine has a special going on. Use the coupon code TFWJ-6TRW-VCHX-P6VX and you’ll receive $50 in free Facebook ads.

Helpful Facebook Advertising Resources:

• Facebook Ads
• Suggested Best Practices For Advertising On Facebook
• Common (Facebook) Ad Mistakes
• Ad Format FAQ
• Facebook Advertising Guidelines

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eBay Newsletter Feature - It's Free!

Don't worry, you don't have to write a newsletter right away. But it is a good idea to start building the list so you can send out newsletters to a captive audience when you are ready. Your newsletter can be about anything you want including special sales (using Markdown Manager), new products, or any cross marketing such as announcing a Facebook fan page or your Twitter profile. Here is how to add the newsletter promotion box:


This is just another free marketing tool that eBay provides. You might as well use it!

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How to Sell on Etsy – Part Two

Lisa, one of my coaching clients and an Etsy seller, continues her series on how to sell on Etsy.

Smart marketing on Etsy will significantly increase your chances for a sale. This article is designed to help you understand your marketing options and how to use them to your advantage. A Showcase is just one of the marketing services Etsy provides. There is a long list of general Showcase categories to choose from, for example jewelry. Each general category is broken out into a more specific category, for example earrings.

Customers are able to access the showcases through the Etsy home page. Because there are so many items and categories on Etsy, many customers choose to find items through the Showcases. The cost for a Showcase on Etsy is $7 for 24-hours. There are even more visible Showcases on Etsy that cost $15 for 24-hours, but I recommend you try the less expensive Showcases to start with.

There are a limited number of Showcase spots available for each day, so you will be seen by buyers, but it’s important to choose one of your most eye-catching items to use in your Showcase and excellent photos of your item are key to Showcase success. This will help ensure that buyers will be interested enough to click through on your item. Once they have clicked through, they are in your store. If the item they have clicked on doesn’t interest them, there is a good chance they will browse through your store increasing your chance of a sale.

Business cards are an inexpensive and relatively effective marketing tool. Be sure to send your business card or several business cards with every sale. Ask local businesses if they would allow you to put your business cards by the register. Some businesses even provide a bulletin board for local business owners to display their cards. While business cards shouldn’t be your only marketing tool, they are a great way to get your name out.

Today’s social media outlets are an incredible FREE way to market your Etsy business. Etsy even provides a tool that allows you to easily post every item you list to your Facebook page.

Tweet about your Etsy business on Twitter and add a link to your store. Since Twitter limits Tweets to 140 characters, you will want to take advantage of the FREE software available to shorten your url. This will leave you more room for your marketing copy. Tinyurl.com is one of many of these FREE software tools.

You can visit Lisa's Etsy store here.

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How to Sell on Etsy – Part One

Thanks to Lisa for submitting this guest post. If you have considered selling anything homemade, give Etsy a try in addition to selling on eBay.

Etsy is a terrific venue if you sell handcrafted items or craft supplies because Etsy is limited to just those categories. You have the advantage of a very targeted audience!

The down-side – the competition is quite fierce. Exceptional photos, unique, high quality items and creative marketing are your keys to success.

Below you will find the “basics” for getting started on Etsy.

An Esty shop is free. Shop set-up is fairly straightforward and Etsy makes it even easier by walking you through the process.

Once you have set up your shop, you can begin listing items. There are no auctions on Etsy.

The cost to list an item is 20 cents. If you have multiple of the same item, the cost is 20 cents per item, not per listing. Your listing is active for 4 months.

When an item sells, Etsy’s take is 3.5% of the selling price.

Sellers can accept Paypal, checks, money orders and any other forms of payment the seller has access to.

Feedback on Etsy is similar to eBay with the only exception being that sellers can leave negative feedback for buyers.

You can market your listings several ways on Etsy. Some are free and others come at a cost. There is no seller email marketing available on Etsy which makes social networking (Facebook, Twitter, etc.) extremely important marketing tools for Etsy sellers.

Billing on Etsy is monthly. Paying your bill is an easy manual process through Paypal. Etsy does not provide automatic withdrawal for bill payment.

Part One of How to Sell on Etsy should answer most of your basic questions and help you get started (etsy.com). Stay tuned for more details on marketing your Etsy shop and exciting tips and tricks for selling success in Part Two of How to Sell on Etsy.


Click here to visit Lisa's Etsy shop.

If you would like to submit a guest post, follow these guidelines and send it to me at ebaycoach@yahoo.com.

Limit your post to 300 words.
Topic must address selling online, eBay, or other helpful eCommerce tip.
Include a link to your website, blog, eBay store, Etsy store, etc.

Happy Selling!

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