Mythbusting Common "Tips" for Selling Items Daily on Poshmark (We're Still Doing This in 2022?)
I get it, the algorithm is mysterious. But the number of people spouting misinformation about how Poshmark works is crazy to me.
Parties, community shares, following--do these things matter?
The platform is friendly in some ways to new Poshers (if you are one, welcome!)--it's easy to list and hopefully make your first sales compared to sites like eBay. But Poshmark's social aspects make it confusing for folks who are starting to think about leveling up and selling more.
Let's look at lists of Poshmark selling tips I've compiled from around the web from 2021 and 2022 and consider what's good advice, and what's dubious.
1. Use Keywords in Your Titles
Verdict: great advice!
Do you ever make a sale to someone who has no items in their closet themselves? That's likely a person who found your item on Google. Congratulations: you did a good job of applying relevant search terms.
SEO, or search engine optimization, is a field of expertise you can really geek out on, but generally, putting yourself in a buyer's shoes will get you 80% there for Poshmark descriptions. The name of the game is to describe your item thoroughly, and in terms your buyer is likely to use while looking for it. Think of the last time you searched for a clothing item to buy yourself. Did you search "pink dress" or "Barbiecore Valentino Dupe Size 6"? Were you typing in "Lululemon Shorts" or "Track That 5" Inseam Shorts Black 8"? That's SEO!
Generally, your titles should include the following info ([]=if applicable, ()=highly suggested)
[NWT] (Brand) [Fabric/Fiber][Style Name] (Fit/Style Descriptors like length, rise, shape, etc) (Special function/application) (Color) (Size)
For example:
Athleta Speedlight Long Sleeve Active Tee in Lime Green Size Large
or
Eileen Fisher 100% Linen Sleeveless Scoop Neck Coastal Maxi Dress in Cream Size Small.
2. Realistic Pricing
Verdict: Yes, this is important, and it can be difficult for Poshers who are new to reselling to understand.
The price you paid for an item new=/=its market value in the resale world.
Some brands and pieces hold their value better than others. A quick search for "bolo brands" will help you get a sense of what you can expect to resell for a decent amount. But that's just a starting point. It's good to know that more substantial items like coats and jeans, or rugged stuff like outdoor gear or athletic equipment, tend to command decent percentages of their original cost even in a used state, depending on brand and style. And specific items a brand is known for--think Diane Von Furstenburg wrap dresses, Lululemon full length leggings, or North Face jackets--can especially make bank.
Fiber content can also boost your price point: 100% linen, wool, cashmere, or silk are in-deman attributes. And style points--"lagenlook," "Coastal grandma," "Barbiecore," "High waisted," can up the sell prices for even lower-end brand items like Zara. Especially if they're "blogger favorites" (another great keyword).
But one factor that doesn't matter much: original retail price.
Brands like Elie Tahari and Worth sell for mid-tier luxury prices ($150-$400), but go for very little on the resale market.
Brands like Athleta and Lululemon, however, are generally in the $40-$150 range for most items, but can have a decent return of up to 100% for recent or in-demand styles.
So how to price your items in a way that won't turn buyers off, but will earn you the best profit margins? Learn to comp by checking the sold prices for similar items from other sellers.
And one last tip--leave some room for sending offers. While you want your prices to be competitive on their own, sending a great offer (I like to do at least 20%) is often a deal closer on Poshmark, so make sure you have a comfortable margin to make one with.
3. Cute Mailers
Verdict: nope, skip it. Ditto for freebies.
A lot of new sellers think investing in fancy packing materials or giveaways is the way to go for repeat sales. But frankly, repeat sales aren't often a reliable source of business on Poshmark, because of the lack of consistency in what you're likely to be selling. It's great to get 5 star reviews, but the best way to achieve this, in my experience, is to describe and photograph the item accurately, pack it neatly, and ship it quickly.
I also think poly anything with shipping is unnecessary and wasteful, but that's a personal opinion!
What I do spring for: pretty tissue paper to wrap my items in, and "Thank You" stickers to seal the wrap with (this saves on tape!). Then I use free UPS boxes or envelopes and call it a day. You can grab these right in the Post Office or order completely for free online as USPS.com. I recommend the Tyvek envelopes and medium size boxes, but you can also grab a sample pack to try out different sizes. Just make sure they're Priority.
4. Fast Shipping
Verdict: Yes-ish.
Not only does Poshmark surface your average shipping time for potential buyers, I'm convinced that the platform prioritizes "fast" shippers items in buyers' search results. If you think about it, Poshmark wants buyers to have great experiences, so it makes sense that they'd push items from fast and reliable sellers up a bit further on the list of items for sale.
But though it's a great habit to get into, and one likely to help boost your ratings, it's not as linear a factor in driving sales as strategies like sharing frequently, taking great pictures, or smart pricing are.
5. Clear, Well-Lit Photos of Items
Verdict: so key!
At the simplest level, taking clear photos and including closeups helps your buyers buy with confidence. But bright photos, photos with a clean background, nicely presented clothing (free of wrinkles and hanging nicely vs. on the floor) signal that you're responsible, clean, organized, and professional as a seller. Great pictures do a lot of work in convincing interested shoppers that you're one they want to buy from, and that what they see in the pictures is exactly what they'll get. Make sure your photos are saying good things about you!
Some quick tips:
-Use a plain background, preferably white. A nail on the wall or a hook on the back of a door may be the only set up you need.
-Use lots of light: natural is great, but "daylight" lightbulbs are key if you're using artificial light (yellow/"warm" light can distort color in pictures)
-Grab photos of the full front and back, all tags, closeups of details, and any flaws. Don't try to hide imperfections--a surprised buyer is an unhappy buyer.
-Always use the full 16 photo allowance on Poshmark if possible.
-Bonus: steam your clothes and make sure they're straight on the hanger for the best impression.
6. Show Photos of You or a Model Wearing the Item
Verdict: stock photos yes, home modeling no.
I saw a reselling YouTuber Hannah Alonzo (check her out, she has a great collection of "Poshmark Experiments") once report on a survey she conducted with other Poshmarkers on whether they liked seeing items modeled on sellers or not. She was surprised that users found it "gross." I completely agree!
While it's great to showcase how an item looks on, stock photos are the way to go on this, in my opinion. The styling, lighting, and background are likely to be too distracting if done at home and not by a team of professionals. (Here's how to find stock photos for items you're selling on Poshmark, by the way).
I also just don't like being reminded that a stranger was wearing the item I'm buying... and sweating in it. Just, yuck.
7. Utilize Poshmark Parties
Verdict: hard pass.
Parties on Poshmark are a mess, and no major sellers I've ever heard of endorse posting in them. Next!
[Quick additional resource for anyone specifically curious about hosting parties and whether they make a dent in traffic/sales/etc. (TL;DR: no). Though please note that YouTuber Hannah Alonzo also looks at community shares and follows, which I consider straight checks notes garbage.]
8. Offer Discounts for Bundling
Verdict: yes!
While I avoid bundling random items for my likers (ick!), offer a closet-wide bundle discount is an easy, non-pushy way to encourage likers to make the most of their shipping fees and save a bit on everything. Then if they make a bundle, you can knock an extra buck off and throw in a shipping discount to seal the deal.
Did you know you can also send bundle deals to folks that have liked multiple items in your closet but haven't bagged them up? Learn about using the My Shoppers tool in this video.
9. Respond to Questions
Verdict: absolutely.
Folks asking questions are generally motivated to buy. Don't leave them hanging if possible! Though if the questions are awkward or spammy, feel free to hit the "flag comment" option--this removes the comment from the listing (where it's otherwise out for all to see, with a timestamp--so remember to respond quickly and professionally, if you're going to!).
10. Follow Others and Share Their Items
Verdict: hard pass.
If you're looking for an incredibly effective way to waste your time and annoy others, follow and share others' closets! Better yet, purchase a relentless, 24/7 bot to do so. I absolutely LOVE the endless notifications that people are following and sharing my stuff--notifications that bury alerts about actual likes and comments I'd want to take action on. I definitely make time to look at and shop from their closets as an act of gratitude.
(Hopefully the sarcasm is coming through loud and clear: don't spend time doing this. There are no discernable benefits I've been able to find and I'm not the only one who thinks this way).
Now, my own list of tips that I haven't seen just yet:
Share Your Own Closet
This is quite literally the best way to make it to the top of users' search results, if you're using good descriptions in your title. Poshmark sorts users' results this way by default, so if you haven't shared your closet recently, your item will show up below everyone else's who have shared. But don't waste time doing this by hand--we have an extension that can do it quickly and easily for free. Cap things at 2-3 sessions a day though. Any more is definitely just procrastination and diminishing returns. Instead, spend your time...
List Small Batches of New Items Frequently vs. Doing a Weekly Listing Dump
List it and they will come! List new items frequently and be amazed at the sudden closet traffic, even to your existing items. This is the single best way to increase overall activity for you on Poshmark. Just try to spread it out: Poshmark rewards consistent activity, not brief periods of lots of movement then nothing.
If it's easier for you to list in one sitting, try making drafts and then publishing them throughout the week.
Relisting Items
Keeping super old items "fresh" is also great for closet health. But avoid the "copy listing" function on Poshmark if the item was listed less than 60 days ago. Only a brand new listing from scratch will get you the "new listing" benefits of redoing the post by hand.
[Psst. ProLite users of the extension get this benefit (as much "from scratch" relisting as you want for $9 a month. Download the extension for a free 14 day trial and relist to your heart's content).]
Maintain a Bigger Closet
Simply put, the more items you have for sale (if you're sourcing great items), the more you'll sell. Want to sell daily? Calculate your "sell through" rate and increase your closet accordingly. MogiBeth has a great post on this: search "sell through rate" to jump to the right section.
Did I miss anything? Do you staunchly disagree about parties? Fight me! Just kidding, leave a comment!
Love and Magic,
Cathy @ ClosetWitch
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Cathy Vandewater
Cathy Vandewater
Cathy Vandewater