Likes on Poshmark are really, truly helpful when they come from potential buyers. But they can be endlessly aggravating when you know they come from non-buyers for ulterior motives… I call these “dead-end likes”. In an ideal world (and I do believe Poshmark is headed in this direction), there would be an option that means “I like this and I might consider buying it” and a separate option for “I want to mark this for some other future use than buying it”.
So, as it stands on Poshmark right now, how can you interpret a real like from a dead-end like? It turns out there are some very useful clues available to you to find out whether a given liker is a potential buyer.
So, suppose I list an item. At some point later (hours, days, weeks… whenever), I notice someone has liked it in my News feed. Here is my method to decide if they are interested or not:
- I will first look in my News feed near the like to see if that person also shared the item they liked. If they did share it, they are most likely not a buyer, and I ignore the like.
- If they have not also shared it, I will then go check out their closet. If they do not have an active seller’s closet, they are most likely a potential buyer.
- If they have an active, well-stocked closet, I go on to check out their “about” page. If they have not given many or any love notes, they are less likely to be a potential buyer (though some people just don’t give love notes, so this isn’t foolproof).
- If they have an active closet but have also given more than a few love notes, they might yet be a potential buyer of my item. I check out the items they have given love notes for, and see if the size of those items is similar to the size of the item they liked (size 9 shoe, size 6 jacket, etc). If so, they are more likely to be a buyer.
Once I have a reason to think the liker could be a buyer, I will then consider making an “offer to likers” or creating a bundle of just that item and making an offer just to them (aka a “direct share”).
- With items I know will be more popular and sell for a good price eventually anyway (based on past sales and gut feels), I like to wait until they accumulate a bunch of likes (hoping someone buys it at list price) before I make an attractive “offer to likers” (20% off or greater, maybe even free shipping) to create a sense of competition among likers, which often results in a quick sale or several counteroffers which I can play off each other for the best sale price. Alternatively, sometimes I wait for a CCO (“closet clear out”) event and I drop the item’s price by just 10% and Posh kicks in a shipping discount out of their pocket… all likers are notified, creates a similar sense of urgency, and often results in a quick sale.
- For items that I feel won’t be as popular, I tend to make “offers to likers” or “direct shares” much sooner. Offers are lower urgency, and easy to ignore for the ambivalent buyer. I like to make direct shares because I am the one making the first move, and it can be an ice breaker for someone who isn’t keen to haggle but who is truly interested in getting my item, but not at my listed price. I like to leave a nice little comment on the bundle to make the direct share less aggressive. My goal isn’t to force someone to buy stuff they don’t want, but to create an appealing opportunity for them to get something they actually want already. Sometimes they decline, sometimes they ignore, but sometimes they counteroffer! Or, better yet, they simply BUY it! You really do not have anything to lose… a truly interested buyer will not take offense to being offered a bargain. If someone doesn’t like that, they were never going to buy anyway.
This is obviously not a perfect method, but it can help make more sales. Especially considering that the people you are most likely to underestimate as buyers… seasoned sellers… will know how to make an offer if they are really interested anyway. Now go forth, and take advantage of all those likes!!
poshmarketeer 