Earlier this morning, Facebook announced the general availability of used vehicle dealer listings on Facebook Marketplace (only available in the U.S. at the moment).

Will your dealership jump on board?

What Marketplace Could Mean for Your Dealership

Adding your used vehicle inventory to Marketplace may bring you some nice benefits:

• More shopper connections - Marketplace is a place on Facebook to buy and sell items within your community, and millions of people already use it each day to look at private auto listings. Why not promote your inventory where so many eyes are already? 
• More connections can lead to more sales - It goes without saying, but the more potential buyers you talk to, the more opportunities you line up. You can help qualify these buyers by answering a few quick questions and encouraging them to come in and test drive.

There are some things to keep in mind for a good experience, though:

• Fast responses = happy customers - People using Marketplace may expect pretty quick response times. Facebook even “broadcasts” how quickly those responses happen (like “typically responds in minutes”).
• Facebook Messenger is the key - The only way to interact with Marketplace shoppers is through Facebook Messenger. You’ll probably want your sales team to handle those conversations, not your social media team, though, so you’ll need a communication plan.

How to Set Up the Most Effective Communication Process

In order to meet those last two challenges—quick responses and the reliance of Facebook Messenger—you just need a little messaging integration. Here’s how it can work:

• Integrate your current messaging platform with Messenger - If the messaging platform you use to chat or text on your website has a Facebook Messenger integration, hook it up! You should then be able to respond to any of these shopper inquiries the way you normally chat or text with consumers. (Contact At Once!, a LivePerson Company, has worked with selected dealers and Facebook to provide messaging support for dealerships who want to add inventory to Facebook Marketplace. See how Contact At Once!’s integration works here.)
• Share the messages among your team - Make sure everyone who is set up to respond to incoming messages (like your sales or BDC team) knows about the Marketplace addition. This will help avoid surprises while ensuring the most knowledgeable answers. 
• Think ahead & prepare backup - The goal is to increase the sales inquiries you get. Would your existing team be able to handle more customer conversations from Facebook—without having a negative effect on the speediness of responses? Look into the messaging support your provider offers—for instance, can they answer when your team is too busy (or after-hours)?

When You’re Ready...

Once you’ve got your plan for responding to these Facebook Marketplace shoppers (and have set up your Facebook Messenger integration), it’s simple to join. Even better: There’s no charge from Facebook!

1. Set up a Facebook page if your dealership doesn’t already have one. 
2. Fill out this short Facebook form to let them know you want to add inventory to Marketplace (only available in the U.S. at the moment).  
3. If you're working with an eligible inventory provider, they'll then contact you about next steps. (The list of providers is on the form.)

What do you think of this new way to expose your inventory and start sales conversations?