Now that you learned everything there is to know about starting as a seller on Depop and how to optimise your photos and listings on the app, you’re ready for our next lesson: how to create cute packaging for your items and nail down your shipping process. In order to give you the best tips you can find online, we asked Depop top sellers Sooki Sooki Vintage and Mini’s World to share their own method and hacks with us. Here’s what you’ll need to do to elevate your Depop business:

Speaking to Screen Shot, Sooki Sooki Vintage revealed that although she previously offered free shipping to potential buyers, she quickly realised that doing so meant she often didn’t manage to make enough of a profit. That’s when she changed her way of doing things.

Her shipping price is now added on top of the price she picks for her items, with a flat rate of £2.90 whether someone buys a massive coat or a tiny top. “If you have a flat rate for shipping, buyers will come back again and again knowing that if they buy a big item, it won’t be expensive for them to receive it,” explains the Depop seller. “But free shipping is also really good because Depop users love free stuff! I know I do!”

And when it comes to having a flat shipping rate, Mini’s World agrees with Sooki Sooki Vintage but she also offers free shipping to Depop users who follow her Instagram account, @minis_w0rld. “That was the biggest thing when I was starting out on Depop. I knew that Instagram would be an amazing tool to help my brand. I wanted to make it as personable and authentic as possible but if you are going to offer free shipping, make sure that your pricing is reflective of your shipping cost.”

Second class, signed for parcels seems to be the way to go. “That’s the best way to get your parcel tracked without having to pay for next-day delivery. If anything goes wrong with your shipping, Depop will ask you for a proof of postage and a tracking number, but it doesn’t need to be next-day delivery, you simply need a tracking number, which is why signed for is so important,” explains Mini’s World.

On your Depop profile as well as on your items’ descriptions, make sure your shipping method is written clearly. If buyers request a first class shipping, let them know that it might cost them more.

“Branding is important!” shares Sooki Sooki Vintage. “Why do you think every religion has symbols? Branding is important in anything that you do! In my packages, I add my own personalised postcard with my brand on it and stickers, which are really important too. It embeds the name of your business into someone’s head—when they’ll see the colour yellow they’ll think of me!” Sooki Sooki Vintage makes sure that her wrapping paper, as well as her packaging, are both yellow.

“It makes a big difference when Depop sellers put time and care int their packaging,” shares Mini’s World. “Buying something on Depop is already such a personalised experience—you probably already know who they are and what they look like. Adding a handwritten note, a gift card, or even links where buyers can connect with them even more shows that you’ve taken the time to really think about the buyer and their shopping experience.”

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If you’ve read our previous Level Up on How to sell on Depop: from starting an account to optimising your listings tutorial, then you already know how the app works, which is a pretty good start. But you’re not yet a master seller, and who better to take advice from than two Depop top sellers? For this Level Up, we collaborated with Sooki Sooki Vintage and Mini’s World and asked them to share their best tips on how to optimise your photos and listings on the app. Hear their advice in the following Level Up class:

Keep in mind that although expensive equipment is not necessary in order to take good pictures of your items, you’ll need to make sure that your phone has a good enough camera. Don’t worry about spending money on lighting equipment, simply use natural light during the day if you can.

The same can be said about your set-up: utilise what’s around you, whether that is a simple bedsheet or shooting in an outdoor space. Get a friend involved if they’re up for it, which will make the whole experience even more fun. Create unique pictures that truly express your vision.

 

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Une publication partagée par MINI 🌸| Online Vintage Store (@minis_w0rld)

 

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Une publication partagée par Sooki Sooki Vintage (@sookisookivintage)

Once you’re done taking pictures, select a few of your favourites and see which ones work best together as well as with your item’s description. Start by adding a clear photo followed by a picture of the back of the item, then a zoomed-in picture and finally, a full-length photo of the outfit. Now, on to the description of your item!

In order to avoid spending too much time on each description, Mini’s World recommends using a set template: “You can now copy a listing on Depop, which means that you can start with a description of your item, then I usually add the size of the item in capital letters, so it’s really clear to people which section they’re on and what information they’re getting. Then I add the condition of the item, which is very important. Just communicate with potential buyers and let them know if it has any imperfections or faults. Underneath goes the information about the postage—I make it very clear how I ship. I then add some keywords, tag Depop in every post and use specific hashtags.”

Simply use Mini’s World’s template above for your own listings and make sure you always go through the same steps the top seller goes through. Write them down, save your usual keywords and hashtags, and create your own identity as a seller both through your photos and listings.

To really make her descriptions stand out from the crowd, Sooki Sooki Vintage explains that she likes to use “really obscure and weird names.” This not only allows her to express her creativity through her descriptions, but it also helps her highlight the potential of a specific item. Let’s say you have a red jacket that you’d like to sell on Depop. If you simply describe it as a red jacket, potential buyers won’t feel inspired by your caption and probably won’t think twice about your item. But if you get creative and describe it as a ‘red velvet cake vintage jacket’ for example, buyers will feel drawn in if not more enticed to buy it.

Spam tagging is probably one of the most annoying things one Depop seller can do on the app, which consists of using the wrong tags for items that don’t match the description included in a specific tag. For example, adding the hashtag #blacktrousers at the end of your item’s description when you’re actually selling a white top would be spam tagging. This would result in your white top appearing as a search result for someone looking for black trousers—not cool.

As Mini’s World told Screen Shot, adding spam tags will not help you on Depop. On the contrary, you might end up getting flagged for doing it in the first place, which could result in your profile being shadowbanned on the app.

Something else that our top seller Sooki Sooki Vintage says is not well received on the app is drop shipping, which is when a Depop seller buys their stock from big (and usually very cheap) wholesale sites only available in other countries and sells them back through their account for a higher price. Because the users who drop ship usually sell items before they even have received them, they also take a very long time to send them to their buyers. “They’ll say ‘give me a window of 2 to 4 weeks to send you your item’ when really they’re waiting for the items to come to this country so that they can send them out to you. Who wants to wait four weeks for an item when you can look fabulous in three to five working days, you know?”

To conclude, don’t forget that expensive equipment is not a priority when taking pictures of your items—just make sure you don’t compromise on natural daylight. Create your own universe through your shop using both your photos and descriptions. Don’t be shy, ask your friends to get involved! And finally, make your life easier, use a template for your descriptions.

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