Chances are, if you know me personally, I have probably mentioned Poshmark in at least one of our conversations. I can’t help it, I’m addicted.  It’s a great way to clean out your closet and make some money at the same time – that is, if you do it right.  Poshmark isn’t for everyone, but if it’s your cup of tea, you have to know a few things about  selling on it.

If you’re not a member and are interested, download the app by using my code, HWUQL. You get a $5 credit when you sign up! My username is jenn_sd.

Disclaimer: I am not a super user. There are definitely women on there who are making incredible sales and are absolute experts at it. My post is really for the part time user, who looks to it as a hobby and not a side hustle.

I started Poshmark in July 2013, because I was bored and wondered if I could do more than just eBay. I had been on eBay on and off for about 4 years, and had small success with selling my closet cleanouts.  It’s such an easy process – list, wait, ship. Poshmark on the other hand, is completely different. It is a socially driven app. You have to keep this mind if you want to continue your sales.  I’ve done alright with Poshmark in the past 4 years, casually selling whenever I did my closet cleanouts.

Lately, I’ve gotten more serious with it, and have since seen a growth in sales since January.  I have 131 available listings. I’ve sold 219 listings thus far, and have over 125k followers. I have an average rating of 5 stars from my buyers. With that said, here are my 5 tips on how to sell successfully on Poshmark:

Curate your closet carefully. That also means pick reasonable prices – the same prices you’d want to pay if you were a buyer. (edit: make sure to account for discounts, offers, price drops and Poshmark’s commission. So, your pricing needs to start off higher than your reasonable sell price). For example, would you really buy a pre-owned Forever21 dress for $25?  Not in this life. You would however, pay top dollar for a hard to find, “unicorn” type item. It all just depends.

Pick brands and style trends that sell well. If you’re not sure – check out a brand name and look at the sold listings. It should give you an idea.  Don’t always go by brand though.  Remember, high end designers also make some pretty ugly stuff.  Just because it has a designer label doesn’t mean it will sell.

Lastly, if it looks too used, it probably is. Don’t try to sell a pair of holey Balenciaga shoes just because of the label.  If it’s not wearable, has a smell, has a tear, WHATEVER, don’t sell it. Be ethical!

Choose a great cover shot. The cover shot is the hook. You don’t have to do a flat lay to do a great cover shot.  You don’t need a bunch of graphics either.  You just need a clear shot of what it is that you’re selling.  I use natural lighting, and depending on the item, I pick a setting that doesn’t distract from your item.  Sometimes, I position it in way that doesn’t look like you just put on the floor.  Check the shot after you take it – if it doesn’t immediately entice you to take a second look, it’s not good enough.

Here are a few examples of some cover shots:

The contrast and positioning of the shoes are key here.  I also didn’t place anything around the item, so the shoes are the only thing in focus. (TBH, I’m getting tired of the Ikea rug. Everyone has it now).

 

Flat lays are great, but they don’t always work.  They aren’t easy to do, and I have an extremely hard time doing them.  Some people are amazing them, like @fancypantsmcgee.  For me, I struggle.  For example, my photo on the right is a bit troublesome. It’s very easy to go from a perfect flat lay to an overly done smorgasbord of stuff.  At some point, you’d have to wonder – what is this person actually selling? If it looks less editorial, and more like “stuff on the floor on the day you can’t figure out what to wear”, you have a problem.  It takes a lot of practice to get a good flat lay – so just keep rearranging and checking the photos. Add or more importantly, take away as you see fit.

Detailed titles, photos and descriptions are A MUST. Think about it, if you’re buying a preloved item, don’t you want to know if it’s slightly loved or WELL loved? Take and post photos of marks, scratches and provide descriptions of them. Anything you can do will help prevent a “item not as described” type of return. Also, post measurements. Don’t wait until someone asks, otherwise, they may change their mind by the time you provide them!

Also, since the majority of sales come from searches, the more detailed the title the better.  Your item won’t appear in searches if you just list “cute bag”. It may get more attention if you list “Kate Spade Adelia Burgundy Crossbody Bag”.

SHARE SHARE SHARE…oh, and SHARE! Poshmark is a social app. It thrives on the engagement of its members. It goes without saying, that you do need a good amount followers on the app to get traffic going. However, what good are the followers if they don’t see your listings? Sharing your closet during various times of the day ensures that different users get exposure to it.  Sharing your closet during party times, especially the evening parties, is most effective since that’s when the most users are on the app.

Share other user’s items, especially new closets and brands that you like/sell. Stay away from those share groups. The goal is to get your items shared by various closets are different times. If you share the same closets around the same time, your exposure is limited. Thus, sharing new closets, and or established closets that are new to you, is essential.  Share a handful of items from each of these closets to stand out from other users who may only be sharing a single item. This will help ensure a shareback!

Can you tell that the whole thing is about sharing??? FYI – sharing is important, but don’t let it be a time suck! We’ll go over efficient sharing in another post.

ENGAGE in friendly and professional conversations with your potential buyers and fellow poshers. Welcome new closets who follow brands you sell. Be courteous and kind to those asking questions and who are interested in your items. Compliment closets whose style you truly admire and share their items.  Remember, Poshmark is meant to be social!

Oh, and try not to post negative listing or comments. We all hate low ballers, but a listing that screams “NO LOWBALLERS ALLOWED” puts out negative vibes. Don’t get offended over people’s offers, and then post a snide comment in the remarks. Everyone sees that. Who wants to deal with a rude and snarky seller?

Lastly, engaging does NOT mean asking every person “interested??” or saying “thanks for the like! I do bundles!”  That’s the same as a used car salesman following you around the lot. If that person wants it, they’ll buy it or make an offer.

These are just 5 startup tips to get people on their way. There are so many blogs and Poshmark Groups out there that have amazing recommendations. I follow them regularly! On the next Poshmark post, I’ll discuss my experience with Lyn Cromar’s (@lynemma) and the Poshmark Analytics’ Groups 30mm method. Until next time, Happy Poshing!