SojiMart

My name is Timothy Tye. I want to warmly welcome you to a marketing platform I created called SojiMart. SojiMart is a place on Facebook for people in Malaysia to shop and to create a business for themselves. I created it on 21 May 2020 in response to the Covid-19 lockdown, after seeing many people becoming jobless and many businesses brought to the brink of ruin. I am using my marketing knowledge as well as my position as one of the country's major social media influencers, to help people and businesses in need.

SojiMart YouTube Channel

Important Pages in SojiMart

Shopping on SojiMart

SojiMart offers you a place where you can shop in comfort. All the ads in SojiMart are written in a standard format to inform you immediately of what is being sold, where, and at what price, along with delivery details, payment details and how to order. To start shopping, click the link below.

Start Shopping!

Table of Content

Sell things on SojiMart

All individuals and businesses of any size are allowed to sell on SojiMart. All products allowed by Facebook, according to Facebook's Commerce Policies, are accepted for sale on SojiMart. SojiMart is totally free. You don't have to pay any rental or commission to use it (its name is derived from "so jimat", which means "so much savings").

It is very easy to sell things on SojiMart - all you need is a Facebook account. Simply go to SojiMart and join, and you can start selling immediately. But before you rush to submit your first post, take a moment to understand the required posting format, as only posts that follow the follow are accepted for publishing on the platform.

A seller on SojiMart is called a SojiMart Vendor. A SojiMart vendor can be a product seller as well as a service provider.

SojiMart's Posting Requirement

SojiMart has a strict posting requirement to give shoppers the best shopping experience. To get your post approved, make sure you observe the following:

1. Post must be written in English. SojiMart is an English-language platform, so all posts must be in English only. We also have a platform for you to post in Malay called KujiMart and a platform for you to post in Mandarin called HaojiMart. Join these platforms and post there, if you wish to market to those language groups.

2. No live videos and auctions. Do not submit live videos or stage auctions on video. SojiMart does not support this type of marketing.

3. No shared posts. You may share the post you created in SojiMart to other Facebook locations that accept shared posts, but you may not share posts from other locations to SojiMart.

4. No duplicate posts. Customers expect all posts to appear only once, with no repetition.

5. No shortening of place names. SojiMart rejects any post that has shortening of Malaysian place names. Do not write KL, WM, Sg, Bkt, Jln, Tg, etc. in your ad for SojiMart. Write them in full: Kuala Lumpur, West Malaysia, Sungai, Bukit, Jalan, Tanjung, etc.

6. When posting to SojiMart, you are messaging the entire Malaysia, so it is necessary to mention in which city you are selling. Instead of saying "on the island", you should write "on Penang Island" or "in Langkawi", and instead of "on the mainland", write "on Penang Mainland" or "in Seberang Perai".

7. No emojis. SojiMart rejects posts with emojis and emoticons as they make search difficult. Please submit typewritten text without emojis.

8. Text must be in typewritten format. Do not submit your text in an image or graphic format, as they are not searchable. If your information is in such a format, you still need to provide the same description in typewritten form.

9. Do not have more than 5 photos to an ad. You may display only up to 5 photos before the rest gets hidden from view, so do not put more than 5 photos in a single ad. Repeat your sales text on the caption of every photo.

10. The first line, where the product is mentioned, should be in ALL CAPITALS. This should be concise to fit only one line. All capital should not be used elsewhere.

11. Brand name must not be on the first line of text. You may describe your brand in your body text.

SojiMart's Ad Format

There are three types of ads that you can submit to SojiMart:

Type A: Ads for a Single Product
These are ads for only one item, or one type of item, for example: chocolate cheesecake, second-hand bicycle, your house.

Type B: Ads for a range of Similar Products
These are ads for a range of similar products: a range of cheesecakes, various meal options, a range of apartment units within a single project.

Type C: Ads for a collection of Disparate Products
These are ads for items that are related, but not of the same kind: different types of tableware, various bedroom furnishing, à la carte dishes.

SojiMart's Branding Strategy

1. Do not keep submitting new post if you already have a post for it on the platform. Continue to build LIKES, SHARES, VIEWS, REVIEWS and ENGAGEMENT on that post.

2. Edit the post to update it and to change its content without starting a new post. This will help you retain all the Likes and Shares you have collected.

3. If you receive a review of your product, thank the reviewer by placing a comment on your post.

4. Use hashtags to show all your different posts to buyers.

5. Use branded links to make it easy for buyers to remember your links.

SojiMart's Ad Templates

To help make it easy for you to create your ad, and adhere to SojiMart's ad format, we have prepared the following templates that you can copy and use by just replace the text.

Framework

The first three lines of text in your ad must follow the sequence shown below.



Type A: Single Product

Example 1A



Example 1B



Example 2



Type A: Single Product: No Delivery
If you are unable to provide delivery, and expect the buyer to self pick the purchase from your shop or home, use this template.

Example 3A



Example 3B



Type B: Similar Products
If you are selling a range of similar products, where each item has its own price, use this template.

Example 5



Example 6: Ad for Product with Ad-Ons



Type B: Similar Products
If you are selling sets of products with combination items, use this template.

Example 7





Type C: Disparate Products
If you are selling various items which buyers are expected to pick and choose to create a combination purchase, use the template below. Note that price range refers to main items and not add-on items. In the example below, the main items are the various dish while the add-on item is rice.

Example 9



Type C: Disparate Products
If you are selling related items but not of the same kind, use this template:

Example 10



If you are selling no more then 3 related items, you may list them without providing any price range:

Example 11

Posting Real Estate For Sale/Rent

A separate division for real estate has been created for real estate within SojiMart. Called SojiProp (short for SojiMart Properties), it segregates real estate into two main sections: properties for sale and properties for rent.

Within each section is a list of categories. Select the right category and add your property listing as a comment within the post. If the category you need is not available, inform me by WhatsApp 012 429 9844 and introduce yourself and what you need. (e.g. Hi Timothy, I am Lynda Lin, a real estate agent. Please create for me the category "Condos for sale in Batu Uban.")

Posting Tour Packages on SojiMart

A separate division called SojiTours have been created for tour packages. This is to benefit licensed tour agencies who may promote their packages here free of charge. To add your package into SojiTours, WhatsApp me at 012 429 9844 for guidance and assistance. All packages need to following the following template:



Example: Tour Package

Posting Homestay on SojiMart

To post homestays on SojiMart, follow the following template:



Example: Homestay Ad

Posting Job Vacancies on SojiMart

The Facebook Commerce Policies prohibits the posting of "job opportunities" (get-rich-quick schemes, MLM opportunities), but it does not prohibit the posting of "job vacancies".
If you wish to post a job vacancy on SojiMart, this is how you would write your ad:

Uploading Photos and Videos for your ad

You are allowed to include up to 5 different photos or videos to accompany your ad. (You are allowed marketing videos but not live videos). If you have more than 1 photo attached to your ad, please add the same marketing text to each of the photo. This will ensure that your ad message is visible when buyers view any of the photos separately.

Submitting Your Ad to SojiMart

After you have completed your advertisement, click post to submit your ad. Your ad will go to a team of volunteer moderators who will review your ad, to ensure that it complies with our posting requirement. If the moderator is satisfied with the ad, it will be published on SojiMart.

Managing your ads on SojiMart

You are allowed an unlimited number of ads appearing at any one time, but, each ad must be for a different product. Do not submit another ad for the same product, unless you are selling to a different location (for example, one ad for Penang, another ad for Kuala Lumpur).

In order to replace an existing ad with another, you are encouraged to edit the existing ad. You may change the text and photos without resubmitting to the moderators. You are encouraged to grow your reputation by continuously accumulating Likes and Shares to you ad. Actively share that ad to other Facebook locations that accept shared posts to create the number of shares to that ad, and to ensure that it reaches more potential buyers.

Virtual Store

Virtual Store, also called Virtual Outlet, is a post on SojiMart where the vendor introduces himself and his range of products. The virtual store is like the physical store in a shopping mall, except that, it exists on the SojiMart platform on Facebook.

The format of the Virtual Store is different from the Sales Ad. Online Line 1, instead of mentioning the product, you mention your brand followed by the words VIRTUAL STORE or VIRTUAL OUTLET.

On line 2, you mention where the products are available.

In the body portion, describe the business followed by links to your various posts. Each post should represent a different product line.

Example

Branded Links

You may request branded links for your Virtual Store as well as for each of your product line. Branded links are optional. You do not need branded links, but they will enhance your overall brand experience. Also, they are not free. It will cost you RM20 to set up a branded link, and a renewal fee of RM10 every year.

Branded link provides you an easy-to-remember link to provide to your customer. Instead of typing https://www.facebook.com/groups/sojimart/posts/817352011833392/, you type www.sojimart.com/your-brand and that takes your customer straight to your virtual store.

Put your branded link on your business card, so that customers can go directly to your virtual outlet rather than having to search for them on SojiMart. Replace the Facebook permalinks with branded links, to make it easier for customers to remember your different products, like this:

How to Hashtag Your Posts

Use hashtags to connect your various product lines. This is described in the video below:

Searching for or Seeking Recommendations of Things

If you wish to submit an "In Search Of" ("ISO") post, or a post seeking recommendation, it is a compulsory requirement on SojiMart that you mention which city you need that recommendation.

Example:
WRONG: Can you recommend a plumber?
RIGHT: Can you recommend a plumber in Penang?

WRONG: What's good to eat in Balik Pulau?
RIGHT: What's good to eat in Balik Pulau, Penang?

WRONG: Please recommend a tuition teacher for Form 5 mathematics.
RIGHT: Please recommend a tuition teacher for Form 5 mathematics in Taiping.