Would you put merchandise on the sales floor without price tags? Then pretend not to hear when potential buyers ask how much something is?
So why would you spend an hour taking photos of things you want to sell, posting them one by one on your business page on Facebook, and then
annoy the bejeesus
out of those followers who actually are intrigued by this enough to type a comment on your photo, by not answering? Think they’ll say, Oh poor thing, she’s so busy. I’ll just go to her about page and find the phone number and call her.? Or perhaps you’re trying to motivate her to change out of her bunny slippers, brush her teeth, bundle up the kids, find the car keys, and make the trip to your shop just to see if the price will fit in her budget? Ain’t gonna happen.
Be aware. Marketing online doesn’t work that way. If a potential customer (or consignor, or donor, or seller) doesn’t have the answer at the click of a mouse, she’s off. Gone somewhere else on the Internet.
And your chance to please her, to be memorable, is lost.
So, just my opinion, but if you want to sell something to someone on her e-devise: Include prices.
And some sparkling prose wouldn’t hurt either. And maybe even your phone number.
Auntie Kate The Resale Expert 
We have done FB both ways, I don’t find that customers rush to buy from FB. Prices are just a way to get a comment. WE answer quickly. I will try prices again since you are the guru of resale. Just hope it doesn’t mean fewer people in the shop and more comments than sales. That was our experience last year when we added prices. Here goes the marketing experiment. Good artical Kate.
Just drawing comments is a MAJOR coup, Ruth, and you can do it by adding the price? Simple way to get your FB Edgerank up, seems to me! Each comment gives you and your shop staff an opportunity to interact with potential customers, which is good, right?
And I CANNOT for the life of me see how posting prices on 1, 2, a dozen items on your FB business page would hurt your in-store traffic, so no worries there, I opine.
I agree to put a price out there on FB 🙂 – kind of gives the people an idea if it is worth it or not – and if it is in their price range, then you can bet that they will be on it so no one else gets it 🙂
Another good point; thanks, Vuittongirl. We pride ourselves on good prices, and just KNOWING the price is a powerful motivator. Plus:” But it today.It WON’T be here tomorrow” works even more powerfully on the web than in-store!
THanks for this! I’ve frequently wondered if I should include prices in my FB photo postings. I’m convinced now.
I’ve been using Facebook to post quick & simple pics to entice people, but I know you’re right – the correct and best way is to put more effort into the post and make it a true “ad” for the store. I’m going to try and set up a template for myself so I can fill in the blanks and ad a pic. That way it will be both – quick and complete.
I agree, I often look for the price of an item I’m interested in. If I don’t see it-I move on. After all, why should I bother to find out the price of something if the seller doesnt bother to take the time.
I don’t include prices or sizes on Facebook photos, but I do respond immediately if someone asks about a specific item. (I have notifications sent to my phone.) I want our Facebook photos to be a representation of our whole inventory of high quality, stylish merchandise and I worry that someone will only see the wrong size or a price that seems too high and not even think about stopping by to see what else we have in her size or other price ranges. Am I totally wrong with my approach?
Of course, ResaleTherapy, if that results in lots of folks discovering your shop thru FB, you’re not wrong… you’re using these photos as an incentive to come in. But that, in my opinion, is not how FB works: MANY more people who already know your shop & its price range see the photo than “strangers.”
FB is a way of keeping your shop’s name and selection and personality in front of CURRENT customers. Using ‘representative” photos is a terrific technique for online people who are discovering your shop for the first time. So “representative” examples of your merchandise are great on your web site. But I stand behind what I say above: no price tag on photos to your FB followers means very few folk will take the time to ask…she’s off to something else online and your shop is forgotten in the blink of an eye.
OK…makes sense! Thanks for making more work for me! 😉
Hey, I promise to ALWAYS make more (useful) work for my resale friends. Because it means more SUCCESS!