How to use Etsy, Shopify, Instagram, and Poshmark to make sales this holiday season

Whether you're just starting your business or ready to expand operations, listing your products online is an essential part of reaching customers where they're spending their time.

The founders of Wunderkeks started selling their cookies at farmer's markets, then found success on Shopify as more people shopped online during the pandemic.

"Everything was moving to e-commerce," one of the founders, Hans Schrei, said. In 2021, the brand hit nearly $5 million in annual revenue, documents reviewed by Insider showed.

Best suited for: If your business needs reach, Amazon is the place. A survey by the retail publication Pymnts suggested Amazon hosted about 56% of all US e-commerce sales in 2021.

Cost: The individual plan costs $1 per unit sold. The professional plan, with more seller tools, costs $40 a month, and most sales are subject to a 15% commission. Amazon offers additional services like advertising and fulfillment for a fee.

Best suited for: Etsy is a low-cost platform if you're just starting your business and aren't ready to commit to a higher-volume sales channel. It's also good for customized products, digital downloads, and handmade items that shoppers are likely to search for.

Cost: Etsy charges $0.20 per product listing.

Best suited for: Use Shopify if you have a unique product you want to sell directly to your customers and don't want to build a website from scratch.

Cost: A basic plan, which includes website hosting, marketing tools, and app integrations, is $29 a month. The next tier with additional features is $79 a month, and the advanced plan is $299 per month; you can get a 50% discount on either plan for the first year if you pay annually. High-volume businesses can subscribe to Shopify Plus for $2,000 a month.

There are no transaction fees if you use Shopify's payment processor, but if you use a third-party provider like Affirm or Afterpay there's a 2%, 1%, or 0.5% fee based on your plan.

The IT company Accenture said it expects sales through social media to double in the US and nearly triple globally by 2025.

Tori and Chris Gerbig, who founded a online women's clothing store called Pink Lily, have used multiple social-media platforms to sell their products. They said that Pinterest had been an incredible source of growth and that the brand's account got more than 10 million monthly views. In 2020, the company made $65 million in revenue, documentation verified by Insider showed.

Best suited for: While Instagram isn't recommended as a primary sales channel — retailers told Business of Fashion last year that clicks don't usually convert to sales — it's a powerful form of brand awareness for direct-to-consumer brands that prioritize creative and engaging visuals. It's also a prime spot to reach young shoppers, since it's popular among millennials and Gen Zers.

Cost: It's free to set up a business account, which gives you access to engagement metrics and customer insights. According to the marketing company Hubspot, ads and boosted posts can cost as little as $0.70 per click or exceed $5 per click, depending on time, placement, and category.

Best suited for: Facebook Marketplace caters well to resale items such as used furniture or thrifted goods. Some brands also use the platform to access certain communities and bolster their customer base.

Cost: It's free to list items. Prices to promote listings and increase exposure vary based on time and location, among other factors.

Best suited for: If you sell aspirational products or handmade goods, Pinterest is a great place to catch customers' attention with high-quality photos, how-to guides, and other content. Business owners can become verified merchants to sell directly on the platform.

Cost: Pinterest is free to use. Business accounts can buy ads, which work similarly to Facebook and Instagram ads: You set a daily budget based on how many people you want to see the ad.

Some entrepreneurs are starting their own businesses with what they already have in their homes, selling unwanted clothing and household items. A report from ThredUp suggested the US secondhand market was worth $35 billion in 2021 and is expected to reach $76 billion by 2025.

Shannon Jean, a former tech-business owner, sells designer handbags on Poshmark and eBay. He told Insider he sold about $500,000 in 2020, and he estimated that 70% of those sales came from Poshmark.

Best suited for: Younger people tend to look for trendy fashion on Depop. You'll also see more streetwear and designer brand clothing on the platform.

Cost: It's free to list. There's a 10% transaction fee on all sales.

Best suited for: Collectible and rare items do well on eBay, where you'll find the serious buyers. Plus, if you sell through auctions, you could get more money than if you list through other platforms more focused on markdowns.

Cost: It's free to list up to 250 items a month, then it's $0.35 per item after that. Transaction fees depend on the item, but typically eBay takes a 13% commission on sales.

Best suited for: Sellers list a variety of items on Mercari, such as household items, electronics, video games, apparel, and kitchen appliances. It's like an online version of a garage sale, so shoppers are looking for deals.

Cost: It's free to list. There's a 10% fee on all sales.

Best suited for: If you're reselling brand-name clothing, accessories, and home goods, Poshmark is the place to be. The popular marketplace app also functions as a resale community and rewards sellers who engage with customers, participate in virtual shopping events, and promote others' listings. In September, the resale platform launched a new feature called Posh Shows, which allows selected resellers to host livestream shows and auction off items from their closets.

Cost: It's free to list. Poshmark takes a 20% commission on sales of $15 or more. For sales under $15, Poshmark charges a flat rate of $2.95.

Small businesses and resellers can use livestreamed shows to connect with customers on a more personal level. Coresight Research has suggested that live shopping in the US is set to become a $25 billion market by 2023.

Shortly after opening her brick-and-mortar shop, Mimi Striplin hosted her first live-shopping event on Facebook and Instagram; she said sales increased by nearly 50%. Last year, her jewelry and fashion store, The Tiny Tassel, made more than $970,000 in total sales, which Insider verified with documentation.

Best suited for: Retailers and small businesses with large Facebook followings can use the Live Shopping feature to generate direct sales.

Cost: Facebook Live is free to use.

Best suited for: Retailers and small businesses with large Instagram followings can use the Live feature to generate direct sales.

Cost: Instagram Live is free to use.

Best suited for: Ntwrk focuses on drops — when a product or collection is released for a limited time — and on exclusive products like sneakers, art, designer clothing, and collectibles.

Cost: There's no monthly fee. Ntwrk takes a 20% commission on every sale.

Best suited for: Popshop Live caters to independent retailers and e-commerce businesses.

Cost: There's no monthly fee. Popshop Live takes a 9% commission on every sale.

Best suited for: Whatnot is like a millennial eBay that caters to resellers and collectors. The app recently opened to vintage apparel and streetwear but mainly sells Funko Pops, Pokémon cards, and other collectibles.

Cost: There's no monthly fee. Whatnot takes an 8% commission on every sale.

Read more about these platforms in our guide to the top live-shopping apps for businesses »