Dropshipping on Facebook Marketplace: All You Need to Know

According to Statista, as of 2021, Facebook had more than 2.91 billion active users worldwide per month, making it one of the most used social platforms globally.

Facebook’s high user traffic makes it a global catchment area for customers and a prime spot for online businesses. So if you strategically open an online storefront in a lucrative niche on the Facebook Marketplace, you are guaranteed to make good money.

Please stick with us to find out more on how to dropship on Facebook Marketplace. And don’t worry, you don’t have to be a veteran dropshipper, this guide suites all newbie and expert dropshippers.

First things first:

What is Dropshipping?

Dropshipping is a remote business model that allows a seller to run an online retail business or store without merchandise (you don’t manage inventory).

In dropshipping, the seller sets up the online shop, lists the products, and receives the orders. Order fulfillment is the responsibility of the supplier. The supplier oversees the manufacture (creation), packaging, and shipping of the orders to the final customers.

Starting a dropshipping business is easy. You only need a little initial investment; an internet connection, a platform/marketplace, and a suitable wholesaler or supplier/shipper. That’s it.

In dropshipping, you make a profit from the difference in retail price that a customer pays to your store and the wholesale price you pay to your supplier.

Parties in dropshipping.

Instead of the two regular parties in any transaction, the dropshipping business model entails three parties. And these are;

• The seller/dropshipper (You)
• The customer
• The supplier (wholesaler or manufacturer): This person or entity fulfills the orders and ships them to your customer.

Dropshipping steps.

• A person places an order at your online store (buys the products at the retail price and makes the payment at your online store)
• You (the seller/ retailer) process the order and forward it to your supplier. (You pay him the wholesale price).
• The wholesaler/supplier fulfills the order, shipping it directly to your customer.
• The customer receives the order.

What is Facebook Marketplace?

Although Facebook has been around for a good while, dropshippers only recently started using it as another eCommerce platform for their dropshipping businesses in 2016.

This was after the Facebook Marketplace was launched in 2016 as a place where people (Facebook users) buy and sell items within their localities. But over time, Facebook Marketplace has evolved to become a global marketplace where people around the globe connect, discover products, start businesses and earn an income.

So, if you want to expand your dropshipping business, the Facebook Marketplace is a viable or lucrative solution for you.

Who can drop ship on Facebook Marketplace?

People living in the USA and Canada can dropship on the Facebook Marketplace.

When it comes to the shipping option (the ability to ship products nationwide in the US), this is reserved for US citizens or residents. Any other seller who resides outside the USA will not see the shipping option when listing items on Facebook Marketplace.

Also, you cannot sell items using a new Facebook account until you are several months into your Facebook membership. So, suppose you are a dropshipper on other marketplaces and want to expand your market to Facebook. In this case, it will take you a while after getting a new Facebook account to use the Facebook Marketplace.

Why Facebook Marketplace?

There are so many advantages of selling or drop shipping on the Facebook Marketplace, and these are some of them;

It increases customer engagement.

When it comes to buying things online, clients always want to know more about the products before making a purchase, so getting their answers and queries answered through instant messaging helps them easily decide on making a purchase, thereby expediting the whole sales process.

Facebook Messenger fosters direct and instant communication or feedback between you and your Facebook Marketplace clients. This increases customer engagement and conversion. Regular interaction with clients cultivates a business relationship between the seller and clients, encouraging repeat buyers, leading to continuous business success.

More customers and more sales.

Leveraging the Facebook Marketplace for your dropshipping business is a way of making more money hassle-free. It has millions of users, an attribute that makes it great for advertising or showcasing your products to millions of viewers and selling them.

It also makes your shop more discoverable. Clients can find your shop or your business’s Facebook page, Instagram profile, or on ads and stories.

You do not need a website for dropshipping in bulk on Facebook.

Facebook has made business easier by providing sellers the necessary tools to do business on the platform (order management and onsite checkout payment processing tools).

Dropshipping originally necessitated you to have a website that acted as your storefront. A platform where you listed and showcased your products and where customers placed orders. A website with shipping, privacy, return policies, and terms of use.

But with the Facebook Marketplace, all you need is an active Facebook account to start your dropshipping business.

It has a flexible payment process.

Facebook Marketplace recommends that sellers use PayPal or Messenger to receive payments at the time of sale. At the same time, it allows the seller to choose a suitable payment method.

As a seller, you can discuss with your client what payment method works best for both of you through Messenger. The customer can also send money through Facebook Messenger if they link it to their debit card or PayPal account.

How to Dropship on Facebook Marketplace

The dropshipping process on Facebook is quite easy. It has mainly three steps which include;

• Have or get a Facebook account
• Find the right products to sell
• List the items on the Facebook Marketplace
• Order fulfillment

Find the right products to sell.

To run a lucrative business on the Facebook Marketplace, you have to sell the right products. The right products depend on your niche market. So find a dropshipping niche that is guaranteed to sell and select the right product offering.

How do you find the right products to sell?

Look up the bestselling items on other online marketplaces like Amazon, eBay, or Walmart. If you have a specific niche in mind, then search through Amazon’s categories until you find the products that apply to your niche.

Say, if you are interested in selling kitchen appliances, go to ‘home,’ then select ‘furniture and appliances.’ Pick a category, say ‘kitchen and dining,’ then pick a subcategory within this category and choose an item. Then sort by Bestsellers and select one with great reviews and sales.

If the items are a hit on these platforms, they are guaranteed to become bestsellers on Facebook Marketplace. You can also find the best dropshipping items here.

Note: Remember that all the buyers on these trending marketplaces have social media accounts. So, Facebook is an excellent way of seizing all the possible clientele in one location.

Can you sell any product on Facebook Marketplace?

No, you can’t sell or drop ship any product on Facebook Marketplace. Facebook prohibits product types like animals’ body fluids, alcohol (beer, rum, and vodka), medical products (pain relief tablets, antibiotic ointments, and band-aids), materials with hateful and violent messages, recalled products, adult sex products, and so on.

For more details on what products not to dropship, read Facebook’s commerce policy. It has a detailed list of banned product categories.

You also cannot sell anything that cannot be drop-shipped or resold anywhere. Obeying these Facebook policies will ensure your continuity in Facebook Marketplace.

List the Products on Facebook Marketplace.

After selecting or choosing the products to sell, list them on Facebook Marketplace.

Follow the steps below to do so;

• Log into your Facebook account
• On your home page, click Marketplace
• Select “create new listing.”
• Choose “item for sale.”
• Select “add photos.”
• Get quality images that best represent your products. Upload these product images to your online store.
• Add a proper and suitable product title. The product title or name should provide a summarized description of the item. It should have the right keyword that is SEO optimized.
• Add the product price. The best price is always 10-20% markup of the listed product’s original (supply) price. While it earns you a profit, it should also be affordable to customers.
• Select the right product category. Ensure that you choose the right category so that customers easily find your product.
• Set the condition of the product. Dropshipping involves new items. So, set the condition to ‘new.’
• This section is what sells or convinces customers to purchase a product. So, add information that aptly describes your product, give details that customers need to know, and why they should buy that particular product. Sell the value (use) of the product.
• Product tags. Add relevant keywords that customers may use to search for the product.
• Delivery method. Set this to ‘shipping only.’
• Shipping option. Select the “use your own shipping label.’
• Shipping cost. Set it to ‘free.’
• Then publish your listings.

Order Fulfillment.

Where do you find the products to dropship on Facebook Marketplace?

So after the customers place the orders, how do you fulfill their orders?

Through reliable suppliers.

You can get a reliable supplier using eCommerce websites that are used by dropshippers. One of the best eCommerce dropshipping sites is Wholesale2B.

Order fulfillment using Wholesale2B

Wholesale2B is a leading dropshipping website specializing in getting suitable suppliers to dropshippers around the globe. Wholesale2B provides integrations with popular marketplaces and most eCommerce platforms like Facebook, eBay, and Amazon.

It allows sellers to add products to their online stores on different marketplaces quickly and automatically sync orders to the suppliers for efficient order fulfillment.

It doesn’t matter whether you have more than one niche; Wholesale2B’s product choice is limitless. All you have to do is integrate your Facebook account with your Wholesale2B account.

So as a dropshipper on the Facebook Marketplace, getting a Wholesale2B plan automates your product listing and order fulfillment. Your only role is to have a store on the Facebook Marketplace and subscribe to the Wholesale2B Facebook Marketplace plan. Once you integrate your W2B account to your Facebook account, all you have to do is earn money.

How to integrate Wholesale2B and your Facebook Marketplace.

Wholesale2B has almost all categories of all products to dropship. So, once you subscribe to its Facebook Marketplace plans, Wholesale2B provides you with automated feed URLs with thousands of dropship-ready products to choose from that can be automatically imported into your Facebook Marketplace account so that you start selling right away.

To dropship on Facebook Marketplace with Wholesale2B, follow this procedure;

Select products

Draft a list of your selected dropship-ready items from more than 100 suppliers. It doesn’t matter whether you have more than one niche. Wholesale2B has varied product options.

Get Feed URL

Choose a domain of your choice for feed generation to process and get a unique and automated product feed URL within a business day.

Start selling

Add the feed URL (given to you by Wholesale2B) to your Facebook account. When you do this, the products become live in Facebook Marketplace. Wholesale2B automatically updates the inventory status from their end.

Order with Wholesale2B

Use the Wholesale2B dashboard to place your customers’ orders. They will fulfill your customers’ orders on your behalf. After shipping the products, they send the order tracking codes to you.

Requirement for Wholesale2B to process your orders

You should have subscribed to the Wholesale2B Facebook plan to process orders. After integrating the feed URL to your Facebook account, you can process orders by purchasing the products from your Wholesale2B dashboard.

You need to pay in advance for your item to be shipped. And once shipped, a tracking code will be sent to you by our system.

Why Wholesale2B?

Wholesle2B’s Facebook integration automatically takes care of your stock status updates. Therefore you don’t need to worry about your inventory levels.

Why do you need a static feed URL/ website from Wholesale2B?

Facebook requires you to have a website with all the store-related policies listed to import a feed. For this reason, Wholesale2B provides you with a one-page website that has all the required content. (Wholesale2B generates the feed URL and provides a static website for feed purposes)

This website has a contact form that customers use to place their orders with you.

Do you need to buy a domain for this one-page website?

With Whalesale2B, you don’t need to buy a domain if you don’t already have one. W2B does it for you at no extra cost.

Tips for a Successful Dropshipping Business on Facebook Marketplace

Facebook has guidelines and policies that it follows to protect the interests of the consumers that purchase products using the Facebook Marketplace. To run a successful dropshipping business on Facebook, follow these tips.

Open up a separate Facebook account for your business

Use a separate business account and create a business profile.

Having a different business account helps you build your business brand, credibility, and reputation. It also helps you easily implement an effective social media strategy as everything is business-centered.

Use pictures of the actual products

Facebook bans dropshipping accounts that sell defective products. When listing your products on the Marketplace, ensure that you post photos of the actual product that you are selling.

To do this, ask your supplier for some samples so that you take clear pictures of the actual items you sell. This will create customer satisfaction as what they saw (what you displayed) is what they got.

Sell quality products on time.

Sell products that match your description. These products should also be of great quality and delivered on time. If customers aren’t satisfied with your products, they may lodge complaints or bad reviews against you, which can get your account banned.

Automate your account wisely.

Sometimes, time gets away from you, and the only way to stay consistent in posting or replying to messages is by using automated software or scripts.

When using this, use caution and wisdom. Schedule automation based on human habits—great automation shows Facebook that the posts are by a human being, not a robot. You can also subscribe to a company that handles dropshipping automation tasks.

Follow Facebook Marketplace’s dispatch time.

Facebook’s policies require sellers or suppliers to dispatch or ship out the items within 2-3 days of order placement. It doesn’t allow more days than that. So, as a dropshipper on Facebook, you should only list products that suppliers can source and ship quickly.

Also, use suppliers who have a proven track record of delivering quality items on time. On this note, it is much better to choose suppliers closest to your target market.

Post quality posts or content.

Post content that is positive and relevant. Avoid spammy content. Be creative, post things or ads from a unique perspective, don’t copy and paste ideas.

Also, keep away from posts affiliated with politics, discrimination, religion, sexual content, tobacco, and other sensitive themes. Doing this can get you a Facebook pan.

Exercise care when tagging and adding people

The best approach is to add and tag people you know and know you as well. Sending too many friend requests to random people and tagging them may send a red flag to Facebook.

Conclusion

The Facebook Marketplace has a lot of clout and traffic that can take your dropshipping business to higher levels of success. To get started, get a dropship Facebook plan, integrate it with your active Facebook account, and start selling.