Sell an item

Your checklist: 5 steps to more buyers

Each step you finish gives you a better chance of more buyers. Start at 1 and tick them off as you go - the first four are free, paid ads come last.

1. Bring your own buyers and followers here. NearbyPost charges no platform fee and takes no commission. So on your NearbyPost shop you can sell cheaper and your buyers pay less - nothing is added on top. They contact you directly and you close the deal between you. Explainer ↓ Mark as done
   • Share your shop link in your WhatsApp groups and status, and on your Facebook and Instagram - everywhere your buyers already know you.
   • Price a little lower here than on sites that charge you fees. Your buyer saves, and you still keep more.
   • Ask them to tap Follow on your profile, so they see your new items first.
   • Reply to every WhatsApp quickly. Buyers go to whoever answers first.

   Buyers on NearbyPost are asked to pay on delivery (COD) or when they meet you - not before. Offer COD or a meet-up in every reply, and price with the commission you are not paying: that is what makes buyers choose you.

   List your first item and a ready-made message with your shop link appears here.

2. Ask buyers for a testimonial. People buying from a person, not a big company, want to know you are real. After a good deal, ask the buyer for a few words - every testimonial makes the next buyer more confident. Explainer ↓ Mark as done
   • Send your link on WhatsApp right after a good experience, while it is fresh in their mind.
   • Ask your regulars first - they are glad to help.
   • Never write one yourself. Real names and real words are what make people believe it.

   Why testimonials are worth it

   • Trust: new customers check what others say before they contact you. Every testimonial builds your profile, so strangers trust you sooner.
   • A reminder that you exist: each message puts you back in a past customer’s mind - next time they or a friend need you, they know where to find you.
   • You look organised: a page with real testimonials shows you run a proper, systematic business.
   • It is free and it adds up: every testimonial stays on your page and keeps working for you.

   Sample - this is what your customers will receive. Your own link and invitation appear here once your page is published.

   Your invitation, ready to send

   English Bahasa Melayu 中文 தமிழ் Bahasa Indonesia ไทย Tiếng Việt မြန်မာ नेपाली বাংলা 日本語 한국어

   Hi! 👋 Thank you again for choosing Your Business Name. We are now more organised: we have our own page on NearbyPost with everything about us in one place, so it is easy to find us whenever you or your friends need us again. Could you spare one minute to write a few words about your experience? Your words help other families nearby trust us. Just tap here: https://nearbypost.com/testimonial/buysell/your-business Thank you so much! 🙏

   Send by WhatsApp Copy message

   Or copy just the link
3. Be the local voice of your area. Post what’s happening around you: a new shop, a road closure, a festival. It’s free, and every post carries your name. Explainer ↓ Mark as done
   • Your name on local news. Readers tap it and reach your profile, one tap from your page.
   • People can follow you, so your next post finds them again.
   • Neighbours trust a name they already know more than an advert.

   Want to know more? Read "Your area is your content"

   • A shop opening or closing nearby
   • Roadworks, jams and closures
   • Floods, storms and power cuts
   • A pasar malam, festival or community event
   • Something lost or found in the neighbourhood

   Post what you saw yourself, add a photo if you can, and keep it news, not an advert. Your page is already one tap away on your profile.

   Post what’s happening nearby → Want to know more? Read "Your area is your content" →
4. Free buyers from Google. Comes from steps 1 to 3. When people keep finding your page and seeing your name around, Google learns your page is worth showing. It takes weeks, not days. Explainer ↓ Mark as done
   • Share your page link everywhere you already are: your Facebook page, Instagram bio, WhatsApp status and Google Business Profile.
   • Write your name and area the same way everywhere.
   • Keep your page up to date: prices, photos and hours.
5. Last, grow faster with paid ads (optional). Facebook & Instagram reach buyers near you; Google Search reaches people already looking for what you sell. Send every ad to your NearbyPost shop, not to a site that charges you fees. You run the ad yourself and pay Facebook or Google directly. Explainer ↓ Mark as done

   You don’t need to know Facebook or Google. Copy a prompt below into an AI assistant like ChatGPT and it walks you through every screen, from creating the account to pressing Publish.

   🤖New to AI assist? Don't worry, we guide you from zero

   If you can send a WhatsApp message, you can use AI. Really.

   What is AI?

   AI is a free helper you chat with - just like chatting on WhatsApp. You type in normal words, in any language, and it answers in a few seconds, like a patient teacher who never gets tired of your questions. The best-known ones are ChatGPT and Gemini (from Google).

   What is a "prompt"?

   A prompt is simply the message you send to the AI. You do not need to write it - we already wrote yours, with your business name, your link and your budget filled in. You only send it.

   How to use it, step by step

   1. Tap the Open ChatGPT button. ChatGPT opens in a new page, usually with your message already typed in. If it asks you to log in, you can tap Stay logged out, or sign in with your Google account so your chat is kept.
   2. If the message box is empty: come back here, tap Copy, then in ChatGPT press and hold the message box (it says Ask anything) and tap Paste.
   3. Tap the round send arrow ↑.
   4. Read the answer and do only the first step it gives you. Then type done and send - it gives you the next step. One small step at a time.
   5. Stuck? Ask in your own words: "I cannot find the button", "What does this mean?". You can even send a screenshot of your screen with the + button.

   This is what it looks like

   ChatGPT

   I run a small business... (your message) ... Teach me one step at a time.

   Sure! Step 1: open the Facebook app and tap Menu. Tell me "done" when you see it.

   done

   Great! Step 2: tap "Ads Manager"...

   Ask anything↑

   Good to know

   • It is free. Asking ChatGPT questions costs nothing.
   • Never type your bank password, card number or IC number into the AI.
   • AI can make small mistakes. If your screen looks different from what it says, just tell it - it will correct itself.
   • Write in the language you are comfortable with - Malay, Chinese, English or any other.

   Take your time. There is no silly question - the AI never gets impatient.

   Facebook & Instagram

   Objective

   Traffic (people visit your page)

   Location

   10-20 km around you

   Age

   18-65

   Interests

   Pick interests that match what you sell (for example: Home & garden, Baby products, Electronics, Fashion)

   Placements

   Advantage+ (Facebook and Instagram)

   Budget

   RM20 a day for 7 days, then keep what works

   Send people to

   Your NearbyPost shop link

   Your AI prompt, ready to copy

   I sell items from my shop "my shop" in Malaysia on NearbyPost, where buyers pay no platform fees and contact me directly. I want to run my first Facebook & Instagram ad myself in Meta Ads Manager, sending people to my shop: (my NearbyPost page link). Walk me through it one screen at a time. If I do not have a Facebook account or a Facebook Page yet, help me create them first. Suggest the audience, a small daily budget and three short ad texts that say "buy direct, no platform fees".

   CopyOpen in ChatGPT ↗

   Google Search

   Campaign

   Search (not Performance Max)

   Keywords

   what you sell + Malaysia, buy what you sell + near me

   Location

   10-20 km around you

   Budget

   RM20 a day for 7 days, then keep what works

   Send people to

   Your NearbyPost shop link

   Your AI prompt, ready to copy

   I sell items from my shop "my shop" in Malaysia on NearbyPost, where buyers pay no platform fees and contact me directly. I want to run my first Google Search ad myself in Google Ads, sending people to my shop: (my NearbyPost page link). Walk me through it one screen at a time. If I do not have a Google account yet, help me create one first. Suggest keywords, a small daily budget and three short ad texts that say "buy direct, no platform fees".

   CopyOpen in ChatGPT ↗

   Make your ad image with AI

   Upload a real photo, then use this prompt to turn it into a clean, square ad image.

   I will upload a real photo of an item I sell in my shop "my shop". Turn it into a square 1080 x 1080 Facebook ad image. Keep the item exactly as it is in my photo, add a short headline "Buy direct - no platform fees" and space for my WhatsApp number. Clean and bright.

   CopyOpen in ChatGPT ↗

   Use only real photos of your own business. An AI-made picture of something you do not offer misleads people, and Facebook can reject the ad.