Step by step
- Message people you knowSend a personal message to friends and family with a photo, price and how to order, and ask for honest feedback.
- Make a forwardable messageCreate one short message with photo, description, price and your shop link that people can forward as it is.
- Post in local groupsRead the rules of society and community groups, then post once with clear details and reply privately to interested people.
- Run a launch offerOffer a small, time-bound deal such as a free sample or free society delivery for the first week.
- Ask for referralsAsk happy buyers to share your link with friends and thank them with a small reward.
- Collect reviewsAfter delivery, ask how they liked it and request permission to share their feedback.
- Get found by strangersList your shop on a local marketplace and keep posting on Status and Instagram.
Start with friends and family
Tell people you know that you have started. Send a personal message, not just a forward. Share what you sell, the price and how to order.
Ask them to buy at full price if they can, and to give honest feedback. Paying customers give more useful feedback than people who get things free.
Also ask them to tell one or two people who might need your product. Many first customers come from a friend of a friend.
Make it easy for them to share. Send one message they can forward as it is, with a photo, a one-line description, the price and your shop link or number.
Use local communities
Your best early customers usually live near you. Think about where local people already gather.
- Apartment and society WhatsApp groups, following their selling rules.
- Neighbourhood Facebook groups and local community pages.
- School parent groups, temple or community events and weekend markets.
- Offices, gyms and coaching centres near you, with permission.
Apartment groups: do it the right way
Many apartment groups allow selling only on fixed days or in a separate group for sellers. Read the rules or ask the admin before posting.
Post one clear message with a good photo, price, delivery details and your shop link. Do not repeat the same post every day. Reply privately to people who show interest.
Offering free delivery within your society for the first few orders can help people try you without any hassle.
Run a simple launch offer
A launch offer gives people a reason to try you now. Keep it simple and time-bound, for example a small discount for the first week, a free sample with every order, or a trial pack at a lower price.
Do not give such big discounts that you lose money. The aim is to get people to try your product, not to win on price forever.
Tell people clearly when the offer ends. A clear end date gives a reason to order now rather than later, and lets you return to normal prices without upsetting anyone.
Make referrals easy
Once someone buys and likes your product, ask them to share your shop link with friends. You can thank them with a small discount on their next order for every friend who buys.
Make sharing easy: one good photo, a short message and your link. People share more when they do not have to type much.
Do not forget to thank people who refer you, even with just a message. People like to feel their help was noticed.
Collect reviews early
After the order arrives, send a short thank-you and ask how they liked it. If they are happy, ask whether you can share their feedback. Screenshots of real messages, with names and numbers hidden, build trust with new buyers.
Put these reviews in your Instagram highlights, WhatsApp Status and shop. New buyers trust other buyers more than they trust the seller.
Get found by people you do not know yet
Friends and groups are a start, but you also need strangers to find you. Listing your shop on ShopShare Market shows you to nearby buyers, nearest first, and your shop can also appear in Google searches for your city and category.
Keep posting on Status and Instagram so people remember you when they need what you sell.