ebay and etsy business everything you need to create and...

How To Build The Facebook Business Page

of Your DreamsEverything you need to create and optimize your

Facebook Business Page for Your eBay and Etsy Business

Kathy TerrillI Love To Be Selling

Revised 9/2017

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

To all the sellers in the Facebook groups eBay stores nothing but eBay stores, eBay selling basics nothing but selling basics, Online selling

nothing but online selling and Etsy shops nothing but Etsy shops. Thank you for always striving for selling excellence!

Table of ContentsIntroduction

Business Page vs Personal Page

The importance of a Facebook Business page.

How to start a Facebook Business page.

Selecting the BEST category for your business

Writing an optimized business description.

What is a vanity url address and how to chose it.

How to choose and add your profile picture and logo.

What is a preferred audience and how to add it.

How to select and add your Facebook cover.

What is and how to choose a Call To Action Button.

Business and social media apps.

© 2017 I Love To Be Selling All Rights Reserved3

Your first post.

Getting followers and likes.

How to attract customers.

Popular posts on Facebook.

Ways to add an eBay item to your page.

Tips on posting

Facebook live video

Use of Facebook ads

Facebook messages

Use of Facebook Insights

Special Bonus

About The Author

#

What’s So Important About Facebook?


According to Facebook numbers from 7/2017, Facebook has more than 2 billion people that are active MONTHLY users!

With a Facebook fan business page your online business has access to those Facebook users!

2 Billion Active MonthlyUsers

What’s the Difference Between Personal & Business?A Facebook Business page is NOT your personal page.

When you first create an account with Facebook, it is a PERSONAL PAGE. It is intended for you to interact with your friends. It is NOT intended to be used as a business page.


Facebook Page PoliciesFacebook is very clear in it rules on personal pages. When you conduct business on Facebook you are to do it on your Business page.As stated under Facebook's guidelines Registration and account Security for personal pages #4;

You will not use your personal timeline primarily for your own commercial gain, and will use a Facebook Page for such purposes.https://www.facebook.com/legal/terms

Not for Business Content


https://www.facebook.com/legal/terms

In addition on your personal profile on your personal page you can link the Facebook Business pages that you manage.

When you add a Page to your profile, you'll also be listed as a team member on that Page.

7© 2017 I Love To Be Selling All Rights Reserved

List Your Business on Your Personal Facebook PageYou don't want to jeopardize your Facebook account by misusing your personal page. Some sellers wrongfully think they have a business page as they are using their personal profile or personal page as a business page. Facebook explicitly states users are to conduct business on a business page.

You can occasionally casually mention your business on your personal page. There is an entry for work as part of your personal profile. Under work/education on your personal page you can enter the name of your eBay or Etsy business. Your PRODUCT posts are best put on your BUSINESS page which Facebook gives you for FREE.

You can list your eBay/Etsy business here with a link to your store and/or Facebook business page.

Your Personal Facebook Page


Interact With Your CustomersLet’s set up an awesome Facebook Business page for your eBay or Etsy online business! If you already have a page set up, I have lots of tips for you to maximize your page. This guide is loaded with ways for you to get traffic and engagement with your customers. Using the tools clearly laid out in this guide you can build the Facebook Business page of your dreams! Many, if not most sellers I see using Facebook Business pages have NOT optimized their page with everything that is available! Properly set up your Facebook Business page can be an amazing tool to gain and interact with customers for your online business.


There Is No Hurry!It's worth it to you to take the time to do your business page correctly.

A Facebook Business page gives you FREE access to the billions of Facebook users. These social media users include lots of potential customers for YOU. Your business page on Facebook helps to brand you as an online seller and business. If you are an eBay seller, you do NOT need to have an eBay store to get and use a Facebook business page.

Don't be overwhelmed with the task of setting up a great page. You can set up your Facebook Business fan page in several chunks of time. Do 10-15 minutes daily until it's all filled in. It's well the worth the time to fully optimize your fan page. Your Facebook business page helps your business and its products get found by Facebook search and the Internet search browsers of Google, Yahoo, and Bing.


Where Do I Start? To begin you'll need to have a personal profile or page on Facebook. All you need to get a personal page on Facebook is an email account. Click here if you do not have a personal Facebook account.

Once you have a personal account you can add business page(s) to your account for free.You can click create page which is at the bottom of the left column of your Facebook landing page (News feed)


https://www.facebook.com/?stype=lo&jlou=AfdrnpTNQ567-831VAfNDXg1XBFCGGqM48aH3loICK7DpVmh6O8WYybZz_tUSjs2vb-fgSCuU7NROi_pamXKImQA&smuh=23550&lh=Ac8Zgk6KRh9Uewb5

ORFrom Your Personal Profile, Click arrow and then click on “Create Page”

OR You can use this link.

https://www.facebook.com/pages/create?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2Fpages%2Fcreate&campaign_id=163681540489385&placement=%2Fbusiness%2Flearn%2Fset-up-facebook-page&creative=cta_button








How Do I Categorize My Business?Facebook offers you 6 choices to choose from to identify your business on your Business Fan page.

1 Local business. Choose this this if you have a brick and mortar or antique mall/location, as this choice will prompt you for a physical address. For most sellers if you're selling from your home, you'll not want to give your home address for publication on Facebook so you won’t choose this category.

2 Company, Organization or Institution. This is the category choice I think best for most eBay and Etsy sellers. Once you click this selection you'll see a drop down menu. Look and find the best match for your online business. For automotive parts sellers there is an automobiles and parts choice, variety sellers will discover there is retail and consumer merchandise selection.

Other choices that might be appropriate for an eBay or Etsy seller include: Health/Beauty, Small Business, or simply Company.


5 Entertainment. This is for TV shows, films, entertainment releases of all kinds and podcasts.

3 Brand or Product. This selection is generally not good for eBay and Etsy sellers. This is best if you are a known brand like Nike, Under Armour etc.

4 Artist, Band, or Public figure. If YOU are your brand i.e. Katie Couric, The Rolling Stones etc. then this is for you. This is not a great selection for most eBay and Etsy sellers.

6 Cause or Community. If you sell on eBay or Etsy with the majority or all of your profits going to a cause this may be an appropriate choice for you.


Most often the best choice for eBay and Etsy sellers is Companies and Organizations! When you chose COMPANY & ORGANIZATION as the category you use on Facebook to set up your business page, in the about section you get to fill in the about section, story, your company's mission and PRODUCTS. The other choices to categorize your page (local business, brand product etc.) do not include a products section!


The Products section of your Facebook Business page is a KEY piece of real estate for you as a seller. You can use the Products area to list the types and or brands of items that you sell online. You are able to change this area as your inventory changes!

The Products section of your Facebook Business page is a SEO Search Engine Optimization area for Facebook and internet search engines. Facebook will include this information as potential data for search queries by Facebook users. As an online seller you WANT to use this products area to help Facebook and the search engines to direct shoppers your way!

Pro Tip


Edits Are Always PossibleThe category selection you make for your business fan page can be easily edited. Do your best, but know it can always be changed. If/ when you want to change what you've selected click the "Info" tab and then click the edit function. Once you've selected the category for your page you'll be asked add a cover photo and a logo or avatar.


Adding a Profile PictureFacebook will next ask you for your profile picture. There are two schools of thought on this. School A says shoppers like to shop with people, so you should use a picture of yourself for your profile picture. The second school of thoughts says, no you should use your company logo. I see successful pages that make both choices. Select what you feel best reflects you and your business. If you decide to change this area later and make a different choice, you can easily edit and make the change. Whatever you choose be aware that your profile picture shows as circular in your news feed and page Timeline.


What Size is The Logo?If you use your store or shop logo/avatar, Facebook recommends 180 x 180 pixels. Whatever choice you make, you will want to be the same logo/avatar selection across all platforms. This uniform look will be seen representing you wherever you are on social media, Twitter, Pinterest, Instagram etc. If you decide to use your face as the avatar for your business, it's wise to use the same picture on all platforms.

180 px

180 px


Why Use the Same Logo on All Sites?You want shoppers to see your logo and or face everywhere that your business is. You want the same picture or logo and design on eBay, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, EVERYWHERE you are. This is called branding.

Branding helps shoppers recognize and follow you. This is a GOOD thing. Think of all the brand logos that you instantly recognize, Coke, Macy's, Under Armour, Nike, ABC TV etc. Yes they are large global brands. They also use the same logo wherever you see them. Like a big brand, you want your "look" to be consistent across platforms.


Pro TipYou can add a link to your store or a product to your Facebook cover. Many if not most sellers neglect to do this! Once the photo is uploaded and posted, click on it and you'll see a screen where you can add a description. If you put a www address here it is a clickable link. This is the perfect place to include your store or shop’s web address. You can also post a link to a specific product. Don't let this space go unused!

Now your Page is LIVE!

© 2017 I Love To Be Selling All Rights Reserved

22

Now your Page is LIVE!© 2017 I Love To Be Selling All Rights Reserved© 2017 I Love To Be Selling All Rights Reserved

24

Always SAVE CHANGES

Call To Action Shop Now ButtonNow add your CALL TO ACTION BUTTON. Facebook gives you choices of: Book Services, Get In Touch, Learn More, Make A Purchase Or Donation and Download App or Game. As an online seller usually the best choice is Make A Purchase. Facebook will prompt you then to enter Shop Now, or See Offers. For most sellers you want SHOP NOW. Facebook will then ask you to enter a www. address. Copy and paste the address to your eBay store, Etsy shop or your own website. You can only put one address here. If you have several online shops pick the one most profitable for you to direct your customers to.

If you do not have an eBay store and sell on eBay, you can copy and paste the address to your user id on eBay. You could also use a link to your eBay collections or Pinterest account if you have them. Without an eBay store you want to pick an address that will ultimately lead shoppers to your items.

Call To Action © 2017 I Love To Be Selling All Rights Reserved

25

Facebook CoverTime to upload your Facebook Cover! The Facebook cover is the larger photo at the top of your Facebook business page. Your Facebook cover is a vital part of the feel and branding of your page. If you already have a header for your eBay or Etsy business, this likely can be resized to fit the Facebook Cover. Continuity is important for your brand. Consider the tone and visual message you want to bring to your potential customers. Are you an antique shop, a beauty supplies store, a discount store, upscale clothing boutique or a luxury jewelry shop? Whatever you sell, take some time and think of the colors that best suit what you offer to shoppers. Looking at choices made by big brand retailers in your niche can be helpful. Take time and study the big brands Facebook Business pages. Canva has Facebook cover dimensions as 828 X 315 px.

You can hire a designer to help you capture your business visually or you can do this yourself on a site like Canva. This can be done on Fiverr https://www.fiverr.com/, or using the design services of Kathy Keefe.


http://canva.com

http://kathykeefe.com


For your Short Description similar to your eBay store description or your Etsy shop description you want to be welcoming, friendly, and professional. You have 255 characters. This is your short description for your page. This is what will be shown to people when they first land on your page when searching on Facebook.

You can change this area to make it seasonal, similar to what you can do in your eBay store and Etsy shop description.

Short Description

From exciting events to the latest trends, amazing contests to everyday values, XXXX has been making magic for over 150 years!


Facebook offers you a short description for your business and a longer detailed description or “story”. You want to completely fill in both areas using strong keywords and phrases. If you are a variety seller, you don't want to say, "Hi I'm an eBay seller and I sell a large variety of items. Stop by often." A description like this gives your visitor and search engines no idea of who you are and what you sell.


Tips For Your Description And StoryThink about who you are and what you want to convey to shoppers.Is this you?"I'm a busy Mom, who loves to help other busy Moms shop and save money! I stock items such as XXX." Also "Hi, I'm a retired school teacher who enjoys sharing vintage finds from estate sales and consignment shops that I browse for you. I offer marvelous collectible glass" etc. Get the idea? Let your customers know who you are in a social, professional, and friendly way.

Consider what you are selling. What keywords, brands and styles should be mentioned to help search engines and your ideal customer find you.

Once your page is set up, come back to the About section of your page and fill in your page's story (long description) and mission. These are areas that many sellers neglect. Fill these in fully using keywords, brands, and phrases associated with you and your online business. Look at keywords big brands similar to you are using. Incorporate these important words on your page, so that shoppers and search engines can find you.


35

Click About to edit the Short Description


Pro TipIn your description of your online business find 1 or 2 sentences that will be your tagline. These sentences will be used across all platforms and like your logo will help brand your business.

If you are a variety seller from Louisiana, consider "Southern Hospitality in a collection you'll love to shop". Let's say you are a baby clothes seller, then perhaps

"A Mom who loves to help other Moms find value & fashion for your kids!"

Similar to writing your business description, you want to consider who you are and what you sell. Then think of 1-2 sentences that capture your brand. This tagline helps customers in this day and age of skimming know immediately who and what you are.


Your User Name & URL for Your Business PageTime to choose your Facebook user name and vanity url. This is how your page’s web address will show on Facebook. A vanity URL is fantastic because this is the link you can give to people to follow you. Google indexes this name when you set it up so it's worth it to spend a little time picking the right name.

First select your user name. Facebook will ask for alphanumeric characters which mean it wants upper and lower case letters and or numbers with no special characters. This means no +*& etc.

Facebook will let you know if your user name is available by giving the name you enter a green check. If you don’t get a green check, add a let or word til you get a green check.My Online Store was not available, but justmyonlinestore was.


More On Your Vanity URL You can only change your vanity url once, so choose wisely. If you are unsure of what name to choose, skip this step and come back later. It can be wise to ask for input from fellow sellers in a business Facebook group or one on one with an online business consultant.

Once you get a green check for your user name, Facebook will automatically generate a vanity URL address for your page, based on your user name.

You can use this URL address to give to shoppers so they can easily find your Facebook page.

Using the sample site as an example the custom URL would be:

https://www.facebook.com/justmyonlinestore/


Preferred Audience

Your next step is choosing your prefered audience. Click “Settings”, look to the left and you’ll see “Prefered Page Audiences”. Facebook will take your choices into consideration in its algorithm in displaying your posts to Facebook users. Think about who your shopper is. This area can be edited and updated as you learn about your customers in your Facebook Business Page Insights.


Easy Edit - Click InfoClick the Info section of your Facebook Fan Business page and then click PAGE INFO. Double check to make sure it is fully filled in. You do not need to do this all at once.

Setting up a Facebook Business Page fully and correctly takes time. It is time well spent as it is a rich SEO (Search Engine Optimization) area for you and your business. Your Facebook Business page is a great place to interact with and attract customers.


Pro TipPro Tip: When I first set my business page up I did it in several 10-15 minute chunks of time. There is no need to rush. It is better to set up your page a bit at a time than not at all. Small bits of time spent fully optimizing this FREE real estate from Facebook is time well spent for a seller!

Facebook Page

Facebook Page

Facebook Page

Facebook Page

Facebook Page

Facebook Page


Useful AppsThe next step is crucial. Many sellers skimp on this step. It's time to load apps to your page. There are free apps that you will want to load to your Facebook Business page that link your eBay store, Etsy shop, Pinterest Account, Twitter, YouTube and Instagram to your page. These apps are FREE! esoftie http://apps.esoftie.com/ offers free versions with paid upgrades for apps for eBay, Etsy, and Bonanza listings to be linked to your Facebook Business Page.

I called esoftie, You do NOT need an eBay store to use their app for your eBay listings. esoftie offers several helpful how to videos and has free user support on their website.


http://apps.esoftie.com/

http://apps.esoftie.com/products/ebay-facebook-app/

Woobox offer free apps for Instagram https://woobox.com/instagram,Twitter https://woobox.com/twitter, Pinterest https://woobox.com/pinterest, and YouTube https://woobox.com/youtube. Your apps are loaded, onto your first post!


https://woobox.com/instagram

https://woobox.com/twitter

https://woobox.com/pinterest

https://woobox.com/youtube

Your First PostSometimes while setting up your page, Facebook will ask you to post before your page entirely set up. DON’T DO IT. You want all your business page information and graphics in place before your first post.Let your first post be a welcoming one. Welcome to my page, I'm so glad you're here. I just started my Facebook Business page, thanks for stopping by. You can use a picture of an item you sell that is bright and cheerful, or create a graphic for free on Canva. https://www.canva.com/. Canva has free design tutorials where you can learn and grow in your graphics ability!

When on Canva, click Facebook post and Canva will size your graphic correctly for you. Then download your graphic. Save it to your computer. Type your greeting on Facebook and click add photo and upload your graphic.

Both graphics are currently FREE on Canva


45

https://www.canva.com/

Pro TipTake Pictures for Your Facebook Business Page! There are stock photos and graphic images you can buy to use on your business page. Use your smartphone when you’re out and about to snap pictures of flowers, nature, seasonal happenings, and retail signs that will make great posts on your business page. Be careful not to take pictures that include people’s faces or you’ll need a model release.

https://asmp.org/tutorials/frequently-asked-questions-about-releases.html#.V0R3yPkrKUk

I have dozens of pictures of public places ready to go in my phone from my daily walks!


https://asmp.org/tutorials/frequently-asked-questions-about-releases.html#.V0R3yPkrKUk

Time to Get Social!Your Facebook Business page is filled in, your apps are loaded, your welcome post is up, and you are ready to welcome people to like your page!

Click invite friends and invite your Facebook friends to like your page. If you are on Twitter, Pinterest and/or Instagram let your followers know they can know find you now on your Facebook Business Page and post a link for them to click!

Let’s Get Social...Follow us on Facebook http://facebook.com/yourcompanystore


Pro TipeBay and Etsy sellers on your packing slips you can let your customers know your social media presence and invite your customers to follow you!

Etsy sellers you can do this with a personalized message on the packing slip you print through Etsy, and the shipping message Etsy sends the buyer https://www.etsy.com/help/article/24519324203.

eBay sellers you can let your buyers know you have a Facebook business page by editing the email eBay sends on your behalf in Manage Communications with buyers in Selling Manager or Selling Manager Pro. You do not need an eBay store to edit the emails that eBay sends on your behalf. When you print your next batch of business cards put the Facebook blue F logo on your cards with the name of your Business Page and include the card with all your packages.


https://www.etsy.com/help/article/24519324203

CONGRATULATIONS! Your page is up and running and you are welcoming friends! Every Friday on my Facebook Business Page I Love To Be Selling I host FAN-TASTIC Friday. I invite my seller and entrepreneur friends to visit. In the FAN-TASTIC Friday thread on Friday after 9am ET you can post a link to your Facebook Business page to get likes and comments from other people. When you post the understanding is that you will also like and comment on the other people's pages that post. It's friendly and fun and great way to get some page likes for your Facebook Business page.https://www.facebook.com/ilovetobeselling/


https://www.facebook.com/ilovetobeselling/

https://www.facebook.com/ilovetobeselling/

How Do I Attract Shoppers?Kathy, how do I attract shoppers to my Facebook Business page? Shoppers come to your page because you post content that is interesting to THEM. Think to yourself, who will like my products? What age group do I appeal to? What interests might my potential customers have? Are they interested in sports, gardening, family, travel, clothes, the arts, and or pets? Non product content is social content. Good social content brings customers to you, and it brings them back again and again to your page. Sellers that solely post products (buy my stuff, buy my stuff) are called spammers. We ALL want to sell. There is an art to selling using social media. Remember that social media is SOCIAL. It's not SELLING media, it's SOCIAL media. Find big brands that are similar to your product line. Are you a Macy's, Starbucks, Toys R Us, or a K Mart? Also follow brands that appeal to your customers. Watch big brands like Coke, Apple, Starbucks, TV shows, Entertainers, Sports Figures, and Sports Teams and Special Events. Study their walls. What do they post?


Invite Your FriendsInvite your friends to follow your Facebook Business Page! While you build your fan following of shoppers, be sure and invite your family and friends to like your page!

On the right hand side of your business page you will see "Know friends who might like your page?".

Click this and it will populate with your Facebook friends. Click and invite the friends you think would enjoy your content.


Post As Your Business

When you post, once you have a Facebook Business page, there is a drop down tab next to you name. Make sure when you're posting as your business. Click the posting personal tab so that your post is by your business name not your personal name.Also Click Settings - Post Attribution and you can set the Post Attribution as post as your page name. This will set the default.


Five Popular Types of Facebook PostsI've noted 5 areas that many customers LOVE. The 5 areas are good morning posts, humor, cute animals, food and recipes and Inspiration. People love to hear good morning, happy Monday, have a great Tuesday etc. When starting your Facebook Business page you can use other people's Facebook posts by clicking the share button on their post and bringing it to your Facebook Business Page. Please remember to like the post before you share. This is the best practice anytime you share a post, personal or business. Before you post the share you can add a sentence or 2 with your remarks on the post you’re sharing. After you've written your thoughts for your followers click post.


Eventually you want to learn Canva. Canva is an easy use website where you can create your own social media content. https://www.canva.com/Canva has a free or a paid account. Canva offers many free graphics to it’s users.There are some images available for a nominal free of a dollar or a little more.When creating content on Canva import your logo or branding so that you can brand your artwork.You can create your own content with Canva, outsource it and hire someone from Fiver https://www.fiverr.com/ or use a professional like Kathy Keefe.


https://www.canva.com/

https://www.fiverr.com/

https://www.fiverr.com/

http://kathykeefe.com/

https://fiverr.com


Finding Images to Use for PostsOne way to make good morning, humor, cute pets, food and recipe and inspiration posts is to use free stock photos. These are a few of the free photo sites:

http://pixabay.com http://publicdomainarchive.com/ http://unsplash.com http://picography.co/ https://www.pexels.com/ http://www.freeimages.com/ https://picjumbo.com http://www.gratisography.com/


http://pixabay.com

http://publicdomainarchive.com/

http://unsplash.com

http://picography.co/

https://www.pexels.com/

http://www.freeimages.com/

https://picjumbo.com

http://www.gratisography.com/

Good Morning Greetings!For morning greetings occasionally you can mix in a post using a picture of a product you sell. Upload the picture of the distinctive mug, sweet doll, a pretty dish or bowl and greet your followers!

You can say something along the lines of, "This doll has the right idea to start the morning, with a smile on her face!" Let's say you’re selling a plate that has a sunflower design. You can say, "Here's to a wonderful day for you full of smiles!" You can go to bitly https://bitly.com/, copy and paste the link to your eBay or Etsy item and put it under your greeting .


https://bitly.com/

Humorous PostsHumorous posts are terrific. It's nice to smile. Make sure your humor is appropriate to your followers and not offensive. Share from others' pages or create your own graphics and share to your page.


Cute Animal PostsEveryone loves cute animals! It's nice to share a funny video that you find in your Facebook feed or on YouTube of humorous and adorable animals. Consider what is tasteful and appropriate to bring a smile to your follower's faces. Don't forget you can use pictures of your own pets at play!


Food & Recipe PostsPeople on Facebook love to see food and recipe posts! A sure fire way to get likes and shares for Facebook Business page content is to post pictures of food. Facebook users also love recipes! Think about what foods would appeal to your followers. Do you sell to busy Moms? How about after school snacks? What time of year is it? Would your followers like BBQ chicken recipes, Christmas cookies or red velvet cupcakes?When you’re baking or cooking, why not take a picture and share it with your followers? I made vegetable soup and posted a picture of it while it was simmering. Guess what post was an instant hit with my fans?!Food and recipe posts can be completely social. You can also use a food or recipe posts to soft sell a product. Why not share a recipe that’s perfect in a pot you sell. Include a bitly link to your product. You could also share your product in a separate post referring to your recipe post.


Inspire!Take a moment and inspire your followers! Many people love uplifting and inspirational posts. You can share encouraging content that you find to your Facebook Business page. You can also include wonderful nature pictures that you snap with your smart phone and or camera. Include a famous quote or an inspiring phrase in the description portion of your photo post. Canva is perfect for creating inspirational posts for your page. Consider uploading and discreetly position your logo on the post you make on Canva. This is branding for you and your business. It also discourages others from downloading your post and putting their branding on it.


Pro TipWhen doing good morning, cute animals, food and recipe, and or inspirational content don't forget, if appropriate, you can scatter your products pictures in. Use your product's pictures and say something fun or inspirational with the picture. Include the www. address to your product in the post description without mentioning price. DON'T DIRECTLY SELL in the post just use your product picture as the visual. Say something funny or humorous and then include www address at the bottom of the description and leave it at that. It's very soft sell and big brands do it all the time. It’s also wise to include your company logo discreetly on your posts.


Follow The 80/20 RuleA good rule of thumb for posts to your business page is to follow the 80/20 suggestion for social media posts. The 80/20 guideline is that 80% of your content should be social and 20% product. Time to post a product!


Social Post

Social Post

Product Post


Social Post

Product Promotion Post

Add eBay Items to Your PageIf you are on eBay and click the Facebook F and then click for eBay to take you to your Facebook Business page, the picture Facebook grabs from eBay will not be the optimized size for a Facebook post. What works best is go to your Facebook Business page and write a soft sell sentence or 2 about your product. Speak to how this product benefits and is of interest to the potential shopper. For instance, "Are you looking for that perfect size 8 party dress? Here it is from DKNY"! Then upload the picture of your product that you already have saved in a file. Then go to bitly, https://bitly.com/ and copy and paste the url address from your eBay listing. Bitly is a link shortener that you can use for free. Bitly will create a shortened link for you which looks better on Facebook than the long eBay address. Copy and paste the Bitly address. Once everything is in place click post. When you post this way with the bitly link, and uploading the product picture from your computer (or cloud service) to Facebook rather than using the Facebook F on eBay, the picture will be an optimized size. With the bitly solution, Facebook users can clearly see your product!


https://bitly.com/

With Facebook ButtonOn eBay

With Bitly Link & Uploading Pictures


If the bitly work around for Facebook seems overwhelming to you, use the F on your eBay listing and click it to go to your Facebook Business page. Better to have a post with a somewhat strangely sized picture than no post at all.

However, the little extra work of using bitly and uploading your picture directly to Facebook brings wonderful visual results! Visual is VERY important in social media to get clicks!

Congratulations, you posted a product for your followers on Facebook to see, like, and comment on!


Pro TipCheck your posts for like & comments! If someone comments on a post, reply politely and/or like their comment. It's good to engage with your followers! The Facebook feed algorithm notes and reacts to posts receiving engagement.

Your first 18 characters are the most important part of your Facebook post and serve as a sort of meta tag helping your post to be picked up by Facebook and Internet search. This means for product posts make sure your key information of size, brand, and type is in the beginning of your post not the end. It doesn't mean information given after the first 18 characters is not picked up rather that the first 18 are the most important. Do your best to post 2-3 times a day. As your followers grow you can increase your posts to up to 6 times a day and more.


Pro TipTo maximize your time consider using Social Media posting apps like HootSuite https://hootsuite.com/ and Buffer https://buffer.com/. Both have free versions.


https://hootsuite.com/

https://hootsuite.com/

https://buffer.com/

What Should I Post?

In addition to product posts, humor, inspiration, good morning, food and recipes and cute pets you'll want to include social content that relates to your products. When on Facebook look to the right. You will see what's trending on Facebook. Can you relate any of your products to trending news or topics? If a sports rivalry is trending do you have sports related products you can post about? If there is celebrity news, can you tie any of your products to that? For instance let's say it's a celebrity event trending. You can post and say if you were going to the Grammy's you could wear XXX or carry XX and feature your product. Be fun and inventive!


What’s Trending?A brilliant example of this kind of strategy was done by Oreo cookies on Twitter during the famous blackout that occurred during Super Bowl XlVII in 2013. There was a power outage during the game. During the outage Oreo tweeted, "Power Outage no problem. You Can Still dunk in the dark". Oreo tweeted this with a picture of a dimly lit Oreo! What's trending on Facebook will show on your computer to the right of your main Facebook feed.


What’s Trending?To stay abreast of news that can help you with your posts follow big brands, celebrities, TV shows and news channels on Facebook. Their posts will show in your Facebook feed and give you ideas. You can set alerts on Google for free, choosing keywords of interest to you. Google will then send you emails with news stories related to the words you’ve selected.https://support.google.com/alerts/answer/4815696?hl=en .


https://support.google.com/alerts/answer/4815696?hl=en

Pro TipThink through your posts. Do your best to daily greet your followers.Daily have two posts of social content related to your products and one product post. With this schedule you're pretty close to the 80/20 social media rule. Add in perhaps once week inspiration, humor, and cute animals. As you grow in your skills of finding and posting great content you can increase your posts, keeping your eye on what engages your followers the most. For one seller humor will resonate best with their followers, for another seller it will be inspiration. Every business is different. Enjoy discovering what works for your community of followers.


Add Your MilestonesA wonderful social post that most sellers under utilize is Facebook Milestones.Is there a milestone in your business that you'd like to share with your followers?Did you just get 1,000 feedback or your first customer in Spain?Hop over to Canva and create a wonderful graphic.Post a milestone on your Facebook Business page and upload the graphic to celebrate with your followers!If creating a graphic is overwhelming to you, post your milestone without it. Posts with colorful graphics get more engagement, but don't NOT post because you're still learning graphics!Milestone posts cannot be boosted with a paid ad.

75

The Rise of Facebook VideoVideo is booming. Facebook users can do live video on their Facebook Business page by clicking the live icon. You can speak to followers with a tip you have for them, show them items that just arrived or announce a sale.

Facebook is vigorously supporting its live video capabilities now. What this means is while you are broadcasting live from your Facebook Business page Facebook is pushing the video out to your followers, their friends and the Facebook community. If you find the normal reach on 1 of your posts is 10 people, you'll discover a live video get a much larger reach thanks to Facebook's live video algorithms. Video uploaded directly to Facebook, not a link to a YouTube but a direct upload, also does well on Facebook.

Take advantage of this and use live and uploaded videos. After you broadcast, look carefully at your smartphone you'll be offered the opportunity to save your broadcast to your phone. Do it. Once saved to your phone you can upload the video to YouTube or wherever you'd also like to use it.


Facebook Live!


https://www.facebook.com/ilovetobeselling/videos/2022808654610300/?autoplay_reason=all_page_organic_allowed&video_container_type=4&video_creator_product_type=0&app_id=6628568379

Add a Link To Your Facebook Video Post When your Facebook live video is on your page as a recorded video after you end your broadcast, you can edit your video's posted information.

Just like editing a post or a picture click edit on the posted video title to add pertinent information. Consider posting a link to your eBay store and or Etsy Shop. You can also chose to use a link to an eBay collection, an Etsy treasury, an individual eBay or Etsy listing or your eBay/Etsy store category. Include a link in the video's description that is relevant.

Tags that are keywords can also be selected in edit mode for your video. Take advantage of this to help Facebook optimize your video, which can assist you to get more viewers.


ShareVideoYou can also use ShareVideo which is a paid app by Joe Lee of PromotePictures. With ShareVideo you can post videos of listings, eBay store categories, eBay, and Etsy Store landing pages, Etsy treasuries, eBay collections and more. It's simple, easy, and a great way to create engaging content for your Facebook Business page ( and other social media platforms) at a low cost.


https://sharepicvideo.com?aid=1002

http://stores.ebay.com/Shars-Boutique

https://www.etsy.com/shop/CranberryManor

Facebook AdsConsider Facebook Ads! If you are running a sale, or are finding followers really liking a post consider boosting the post for a day or two at $5 a day. You can boost social posts as well as product posts. You Facebook Business Page Helps You Run Your Online Business!

You will also see Boost This Post on a popular post. This is one way to Increase followers.


MessagesWith your Facebook Business page you have a message area. Followers and customers can message through your Facebook Business page. It's similar to the Facebook messaging capability you have with your personal profile. I have gotten messages here from online customers. Keep an eye on this area and answer questions promptly.


InsightsMake it a habit to once a week to go to your INSIGHTS tab at the top of your Facebook Business page. Insights is a free page of business analytics for you! In your Insights Facebook will show you which posts get the most engagement from your followers. This is VERY helpful information. Facebook let’s you know what your people like! You can then choose to give them more of it. You'll also see the least popular posts. Here you can discover if your call to action button is being clicked. Information on Page Likes, popularity of videos that you post, demographics on the people who view your page, and your reach are all here for you. Your reach is the number of people interacting with and seeing your posts. This is great information for sellers. From Facebook insights you learn who is your customer base and what they like!


RecapIn closing, your Facebook Business page can be an enormous asset to your online business.

● Set up the page completely. You can fully optimize your Facebook Business page in small chunks of time until the task is completed.

● Make sure to complete the about and product section. These areas are yummy food for Facebook search engines and the outside search engines of Google, Yahoo, and Bing.

● Install all the apps that apply to your page. ● Be sure and promote your Facebook Business page to your other social media accounts. ● Let your customers know you're on Facebook with a business card or insert included with their

purchase. ● Do your best to follow the 80/20 guideline in posting interesting content for your followers. Engaging

content keeps your fans eagerly coming back to your Facebook Business page! ● When you run a sale, or list a great new product consider a Facebook live video broadcast!● Consider boosting engaging posts to get more reach for $5 a day.


Bonus Offer

Facebook has millions of daily visitors and users. With a Facebook business page set up properly with lively content, you have your products readily accessible to many, many, many potential shoppers!

It’s important to write and create great content to get likes, clicks and followers. Get the feedback and encouragement you need to ignite your social media on Facebook and everywhere you post.

As a member of the elite Social Media Insiders group you’ll get targeted expert help. You’ll be equipped with an exclusive website loaded with doable strategies. Your access to the members only Facebook group gives you extra sales juice for your social media posts. Click here, and get your access to this winning group.


Kathy Terrill is a New York-based professional actress who has more than 25 years of experience in brick-and-mortar retail and over 6 years as an on-air product presenter for QVC, the shopping channel.

Kathy started her eBay selling in small way. Kathy sold items from her Manhattan NYC apartment while caring for sick family members. Kathy’s eBay business has grown and she is now a Top Rated Silver Powerseller.

About the Author

You'll find Kathy regularly on Facebook as the founder for the seller group eBay Stores Nothing but eBay Stores which has over 3800 global members, eBay Selling Basics Nothing But Selling Basics, and Online Selling Nothing but Online Selling.

eBay selected Kathy from over 600,000 sellers to win their Small Business Advocate Award for 2017. She is an in demand speaker and private sales coach. She loves to share her expertise at eBay and ecommerce events all across the US.

There are hit classes and great tips to increase sales for online sellers available on her ecommerce blog I Love To Be Selling.

https://www.facebook.com/groups/ebaystores/

https://www.facebook.com/groups/eBaySellingBasics/

https://www.facebook.com/groups/onlinesalesnothingbutsales/

https://www.facebook.com/groups/onlinesalesnothingbutsales/

http://www.ilovetobeselling.com

Kathy loves to help sellers of all levels increase sales with practical tips she gleans from her extensive retail experience.

"The author is not an employee of eBay Inc. or any of its affiliated companies. Views expressed in this book are the author's own, and do not reflect the views of eBay Inc., its employees, affiliates, or indeed anyone else."

ebay and etsy business everything you need to create and...

Documents