How To Sell On Depop – Best Seller Shops Share Tips
Depop is a social-shopping app that allows you to sell used fashion items. The platform charges a 10% commission for selling on it, but they make it easy to start your own shop.
It competes against other social selling apps such as Poshmark, Instagram, and even Instagram.
Depop, however, is not like eBay. It focuses on younger users and encourages them to get into the entrepreneurial world.
These are the easiest platforms to start with, especially since there isn’t much involved in setting up your Depop profile. You don’t need to customize or design a shop.
You can actually get started in less than five minutes.
Depop, like all options, may not be the right fit for you based on your product and goals.
Here are a few reasons why you might want Depop (and this guide).
- Get started now for nothing
- You desire the convenience of selling from your smartphone.
- There are items in your closet you would like to sell.
- Before you invest in your fashion business, it is important to make a few sales.
- A platform that has built-in visitors is what you want.
- In the beginning, you will likely have low volumes of sales.
Here are a few reasons why you might not want Depop as your first choice.
- You would like to create your own store using your custom domain & design.
- Your branding should be in control
- Your product is not in compliance with Depop’s guidelines.
- Cross-sell and upsell are your goals.
If Depop doesn’t seem right for you, then I recommend my guide to the top ecommerce platforms.
Let’s get started.
Set up your Depop Profile
To sell on Depop, first download the app and then set up an account. It’s easy to set up and it is designed for those who are interested in selling more than buying.
Depop will ask you to download the app, create a log in (or log into with Google or Facebook), and then you can select five styles that you want to shop. This allows you to match you up with sellers who have similar looks.
Depop will recommend shops that match your chosen styles to you for you to follow. Following shops will make their items visible in your main feed. This is a great way for sellers to be seen by new users.
Set up your shop
After you have created your account, it is time to create your shop. Click the camera button at the bottom of the screen and then click “Get Started”
Depop will ask you to choose a profile photo that best represents the style of products you plan on selling at your shop. Your profile picture should be high-quality and show the products you intend to sell to your followers.
Next, create a shop introduction that tells buyers what you are selling. Depop restricts you to 128 characters. Be concise and precise about what your shop offers.
Depop then asks you for a link to your social media account. Depop suggests Instagram as a place to show off your fashion style and prove that you are legitimate.
Next, connect your PayPal account to complete your billing address. You have the option to run your store as an entity. This changes your billing address information so that it is business-specific.
You are now ready to sell a product!
Add Your First Product
After you’ve created your profile, you can upload your first product. The process is very simple and quick.
Before you can list your product, there are a few things you need.
It must first be an accessory or fashion.
Also, you’ll need…
- High-quality photos or video of the product (Depop recommends eye catching photos and videos, and has tips).
- A product description should include all details, i.e. A product description that gives details (e.g., brand, condition, and style).
- You can find your product using five hashtags (i.e. The brand to which your product is belonging
Also, fill out the address (so your item will appear for shoppers near you), product category, delivery and price.
Your shop will be officially open once you upload your first product.
You can add more items to your closet by simply navigating to the Camera icon at your bottom.
Selling on Depop
Once you have taken care of all the logistics, and started adding items to your wardrobe, it is time to actually sell your items.
The mere fact of opening a shop does not guarantee sales. Depop boasts over 15 million active users as of 2019, and this doesn’t include your competitors on other platforms.
Yet, you can also create an instant market in a matter of seconds. It is your job to determine who you are selling to, and where to market to them. The answers to these questions will guide your marketing campaign.
Depopulation
Depop’s greatest benefit is their own community of Depop shoppers. You have an audience of over 15 million users.
It’s like selling a stall at the farmer’s market. People are coming to the destination. Once they arrive, you just need to grab their attention.
Depop Search
Depop search results are the best way to get visitors. Depop’s search engine differs from other search engines such as Google and Bing. Their search engine uses their own algorithm and data.
Depop suggests a few best practices for making sure you appear in their search.
- Use the right hashtags, brand names, or descriptions
- High-quality photos are recommended
- You should include your local address in the product description so that it is visible to people near you
Depop also offers an Explore page where their editorial team selects the featured content. Learn more about the selection process.
On Social Channels
Depop also has the added benefit that Depop shops and listings work well on social media platforms.
Depop and Instagram are a match made in advertising heaven.
Instagram is becoming more pay-to-play. It doesn’t allow you to embed direct links in your posts. You can promote your listing by adding a button or linking to your closet in the bio. Depop is very similar to Instagram in terms of how it structures its photos and description.
Depop’s built-in “Share on Instagram” capabilities make it easy to share your listings to Instagram directly without any hassle.
Depop, Pinterest, and Instagram are like a match made for marketing. Pinterest should work with every description and photo you post.
You can either share individual listings or create an entire board devoted to your closet.
Pinterest is also an excellent place to market research and spend on promoted pins.
Here’s Depop’s guide to marketing like a pro and another great resource for Pinterest marketing.
If you’re a business, Facebook is becoming increasingly “pay-to-play”. You won’t see much traffic if your page is only viewed by organic sales. If you share your listings on just your personal page, your friends won’t be able to promote them.
Facebook has amazing paid options for business pages. With very little budget, you can target extremely specific audiences and test your ads.
Twitter / Other
There are many niche social networks that you can use to market your products. It is important to reach your target audience. This is how you decide who you want to sell to. Keep in mind Depop’s targeted audience. This group loves social media platforms such as Instagram.
It could be Wanelo or Polyvore, or Instagram. It could be Twitter, Reddit. It all depends on the product and audience.
Other Channels
Once you have mastered Depop and social networking, you will need to think about your domain and your long-term brand.
Once you have started to build your brand through organic search, paid media, and PR, you need to ensure that you are building your own brand and not Depop.
External links will need to point to your domain. Advertisements should point to your domain with your analytics and tags in place. Your PR mention should send people to your site with your experience.
You don’t need to start the right way.
You can find my complete marketing strategy for ecommerce here, if you’d like to save it for future reference.
Organic Search / Search Engine Optimization
Google/Bing will index your Depop listings. It’s possible to get traffic from Google/Bing, but it’s highly unlikely.
Due to the competition, you are unlikely to rank in Google search for product terms that have volume (e.g. “Used Louis Vuitton Bag”) because of your lack of ranking. Such a search may lead you to the Depop search page but not directly to your listing (there is so much competition for Depop).
Niche terms you might rank for are usually Depop-specific, and have a low search volume (i.e. Vintage Depop tees
It doesn’t matter what, it’s an important channel to plan for. Optimizing your Google listings will make them more accessible on other channels and prepare you for when/if you start your own brand presence.
PPC / Paid Media
Paying for paid media to your Depop shop is not a good idea. You can’t add analytics or conversion tags to the listing so it won’t be sustainable long-term.
Multi-touch sales make up the majority of ecommerce sales. People leave, then come back to buy later. You should avoid spending too much on awareness or direct response ads.
You can however use Depop data (like which products sell the most and to whom) to inform your future PPC campaigns for your website.
Expanding Your Brand Beyond Depop
Depop is a great place for you to sell your fashion items. What about when you want your own brand to grow? How do you grow a boutique?
Depop may allow you to go beyond the shop limits, create a custom design, or avoid transaction fees.
Here’s how to open your own ecommerce store.
Owning your domain
Your brand’s foundation online is a custom domain. For future use, you can buy one from Namecheap and GoDaddy. You can also set up a redirect so your custom domain can be sent directly to your Poshmark account if you aren’t ready to build a website.
You can’t use a custom domain on the Depop platform. You can only redirect your Depop URL.
Build an ecommerce store
Many Depop sellers create their own ecommerce shop on their custom domain. They will keep their Depop closet, but they will use it as an additional marketing channel to market to Depop members.
There are many solutions, and this guide does not cover them all. These are the resources I have compiled –
- Best Ecommerce Platform For You
- Creating an ecommerce store using WordPress & WooCommerce
- The Pros and Cons of Shopify to create an online store
- The Pros and Cons of Using BigCommerce to Create an Online Store
Expanding other marketing channels
After you have built your ecommerce shop with your domain name, there are many options for growing your store. These are some resources I have compiled.
- Inbound Marketing Plan
- Website Data To Track Or Lose Forever
- Pinterest used for Marketing Research
- Ecommerce Guide for Free Shipping
Next steps
This is a lot of information. But, like any large project you want to succeed at, you need to take it one step at a time.
- Begin by creating your Depop profile.
- Upload your first product.
- Get initial sales & feedback.
- Start planning, improving, and growing with an eye to your ultimate goals.
