So you’ve mastered your first reseller platform. Your sales on Poshmark or eBay are stable and you’re making good income. Now is the time to level up and learn a second platform and cross-post your items.
What is cross-posting?
Cross-posting is simply listing your products on more than one marketplace. Example: you have a Ralph Lauren sweater for sale. You would list the sweater on Poshmark and eBay.
Why should you cross post when you’re making money on just one platform? Here’s 5 reasons why:
More chances to make a sale
Listing your items on multiple marketplaces provides more opportunities for potential customers to see your item. More eyes on your items equals more chances to make the sale. Over 60% of sellers that list on multiple marketplaces typically see an increase in sales.
Different marketplaces also appeal to different customers. Many eBay shoppers never shop on Poshmark and vice-versa. Don’t miss out on these potential customers. Cross-post your items on both platforms to grab a bigger share of the customer base.
Increase product popularity
Every marketplace has a different “culture”. Things that may sell moderately on one platform may be wildly popular on another. Test your products on multiple platforms to see which marketplace is the best fit for your products.
Example: Your men’s clothing may sell slowly but steadily on Poshmark and eBay, but on Grailed you may have more success at quicker sales and more volume.
Increase profit per product
One thing to consider with the different marketplace “cultures” is also the pricing strategy. Some products may sell for more on one platform vs. another.
Research pricing and test. Example: on Poshmark brands like Rag & Bone sell for a much higher price than on eBay. Sometimes as much as 25% more. Testing your pricing strategy for your items through cross-posting can help increase your profits.
Pro tip: you should not price your items the same price on every platform. Price your item for the going rate for each marketplace’s culture.
Keep in mind the different seller fees for each platform and the return policy. If it doesn’t make financial sense to post an item on a particular platform, don’t list it. You don’t need to list every item on every platform.
Example: you have pair of Nike sneakers for sale. The going rate on Poshmark is $129 with no returns. On eBay the going rate is $79 with free shipping, plus returns are allowed. Depending on how much you paid for the sneakers, you may decide that posting this item on eBay would not be profitable. Just list on Poshmark and move on to the next item!
Reduce your risk
When you’re a reseller on the marketplaces you are often at the mercy of third parties. eBay, Poshmark, Mercari, etc. all have their own rules. Resellers can be banned or suspended for many reasons. The internet is full of stories of resellers that had their businesses disrupted or shutdown because of mistakes, competitor shenanigans, bad buyers or arbitrary suspensions.
If you only sell on one marketplace, a ban or suspension stops your income stream cold. Cross-posting on multiple platforms allows you to continue making money while you resolve any issues with another marketplace.
Selling on multiple marketplaces also helps if there are unexpected traffic downturns or outages on a particular marketplace. If you post on a single marketplace, and there’s a glitch or other issue, your sales could drop almost to nothing, severely cutting your income. Having your items cross-posted multiple places helps to insulate your business from such disruptions.
Example: Poshmark last year made changes to its search algorithm, which negatively affected the sales of many seasoned sellers. Cross-posting on other marketplaces would allow affected sellers to weather this loss in eyes on their items via Poshmark through traffic elsewhere.
Increased free marketing
Most marketplaces run search marketing campaigns. Customers searching for an item will get Google and Bing results from eBay, Amazon, Poshmark, etc. Having your items cross-posted on multiple marketplaces gives you more chances to appear in search results.
Some marketplaces also run display ads for popular items. Making sure your items on listed on those platforms gives you more selling opportunities.
Selling on multiple marketplaces increases the visibility of your items to more customers. More eyes equals more sales.
Cross-posting is an essential next step in growing your reselling business for long-term sustainability and profitability.