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You\\u2019ve got your social media profiles, you\\u2019ve got your eCommerce website, you\\u2019ve even set up all your payment systems. Now if only you could sell your stuff directly on the two biggest social networks.

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This is Clickstarter, the Australian Digital Marketing podcast. I\\u2019m Dante St James.

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Some people like to sell on eBay. Others prefer Amazon. And then there\\u2019s always Etsy. But if you\\u2019re not too keen to be giving away a chunk of your takings to a marketplace, you\\u2019re probably selling your products oh your own eCommerce website.

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But you can have your own shop on Facebook and Instagram as well.

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Facebook and Instagram Shops are run through Facebook\\u2019s Commerce Manager. It\\u2019s a way of linking your own online store with Facebook\\u2019s platform. And while there are super simpl integrations between the bigger shopping platforms like Shopify, Big Commerce and WooCommerce on WordPress, it\\u2019s also possible to connect almost any shopping site you already have to it.

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Before you do go ahead and create your Facebook and Instagram Shops, there are a few rules you should know about.

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First, this feature is only made for stores selling physical items. Think, essential oils, clothing, homewares, gifts, electronics and stuff you can hold in your hand. Actually, even better, think of it as things you need to send to people by mail or courier. If you\\u2019re selling virtual items like downloads, consultation time, gift vouchers, subscriptions, etc, you may not be approved when your Shop goes in for review.

Second, there some things you simply can\\u2019t sell. CBD oils, drugs, some kinds of supplements and the obvious things like live animals, firearms, fireworks, etc. While you may be be legally allowed to sell those things on your website or from your shop in the town or state you\\u2019re in, you won\\u2019t be allowed to sell them on Facebook or Instagram.

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Third, there are some categories of products that may be automatically rejected, but which could also then be appealed against so that you may be able to sell them. Common things that get rejected at the first pass are products like pet foods that have photos of animals on them, health and dietary supplements that make very big claims about their effects, and some food items that are fresh and perishable. While there\\u2019s nothing necessarily wrong with the products, sometimes the seller makes some pretty wild and unprovable claims about them, so you may need to adjust your titles and descriptions a little, not just in Facebook, but on your website as well.

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It makes sense to be able to sell your stuff where people are spending most of their online times. With a little planning, thought and good read of Facebook\\u2019s Community Standards, Advertising Policies and Commerce Policies, you\\u2019ll be on the way in no time.

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To learn more about digital marketing the Australian way, jump in to the Learn section at clickstarter.com.au and start on the road to helping your Australian small business to get known, get found and stay known.