Last Updated on November 21, 2020 by Stiletto Socialite
Today you’re going to see how to become a Poshmark host even if you are a newbie like I was when I became a Poshmark host.
The best part?
It did not take a lot of work, all you really have to do is follow my step by step approach which I will lay out for you that I used. Additionally, I will give you some helpful tips on how to successfully host your first Poshmark party!
How to become a Poshmark host
In the simplest terms you sign up to be a host and Poshmark will review your closet to see if you meet the criteria. The blah blah blah of the hosting criteria is on the Poshmark website after I knew I met the Posh criteria I applied around February-March and on May 14 I was invited to host my first party of August, all of this occurred within the same year (2018).
How do you find out if you are going to be a Poshmark host?
Typically you will get an email and Poshmark will ask you and provide a date for the party and ask whether you can you attend.
As you can see the date, time, of the party may be known but the exact theme will be announced later.
The closer you get to the party you will receive instructions. The first time I received the instructions via a PDF. After the first party, about a year later (2019) I was invited by Poshmark to host a second party. However, if you are interested in hosting again, I do not recommend waiting for Poshmark to send you a message. I would recommend what Poshmark suggests which is to reapply. In July 2019 I hosted my second party and below are the contents of the email I received. The second time, the instructions were sent via a link to a YouTube video and these are the specific tips that were given in that email.
Poshmark Hosting Tips: Important Things to Remember
How to host: http://bit.ly/2KSZswl
Please share a minimum of 50 and no more than 100 listings per host to the party, and only 5-10 listings from your own closet. Listing shared beyond this limit will just be shared to the regular feed rather than the host pick showroom.
Please do not share counterfeit goods and note that we only allow NWT makeup items
Please do not share from closets that participate in offline transactions/communication
Use the Posh Stylist feature to discover new closets and get great Host Picks! We strongly recommend you choose at least a quarter of your Host Picks from new closets. Share the love!
Please do not share listings that are not available for purchase–host picks showrooms should be a highly curated place for shoppers to discover great listings for sale.
The easiest way to pick your host picks
As a Poshmark host, you are tasked with selecting 50-100 items from other Poshers closets. The easiest way to “select items” is to like the items you are going to pick so they are cataloged together and so when its time to share to the party you can just go straight to your likes and share them. So you may be thinking “but what about the offer to likes messages I will get?”
Ignore the offers, most people especially if they asked you to review their closet for a host pick, know that you only liked the item for the Poshmark party. It is your decision if you “unlike” the item as soon as you share it. For me, I unlike all the items after I finish sharing to the party because I don’t want my notifications to blow up with “offer to likers.” Not that it matters because by the time you are hosting your notifications will go bananas crazy anyway but just in case they are any left over offer to likers notifications that trinkle in after the party.
As a host, once you have selected your host picks, all you have to do is share your picks during the party. Poshmark will automatically put your host pick in the appropriate area during the time period of the party. So basically you share like you normally would and Poshmark takes care of all the rest, the item you share during the party time will be automatically deemed a host pick for the party. After the 100th item, you will max out on your host picks and your items will go into the regular feed. Think of it like a credit card you max your limit and the other purchases get declined, so after you have maxed your host picks the remaining ones will die a slow death of normalcy by going into the regular feed that is inundated with items, which is why host picks are so popular because it’s the user’s chance to stand out in the crowded room of party items. So use your Host pick power wisely and don’t waste in on mediocrity give the people something that the fashion gods will shed a tear of joy for!
Things to watch out for when selecting host picks
The closets you select from having to be Posh compliant which means no offline transactions as in the posher can’t use Poshmark as a way for customers to see their item then go and conduct a transaction via PayPal. Naw sis, Poshmark doesn’t like that and you can’t blame them that’s their business model —I know I know that 20% fee is steep but you are levering their name and all the customers they bring to the table and also you are taking advantage of their years of hard work and aggressive marketing and ya da ya ya ya da. Basically, Poshmark expects you to promote only good closets. The ones users can look up to and if you don’t you best believe the trolls will call you out and you don’t want to lose host privileges over selecting a bad closet, it’s a losing game all the way.
Yo sis…pretty please put up an announcement, that way noone is guessing how to get at you for a host pick. If you don’t clarify then dont get mad when you get 10,000 direct shares to your closet! Trust, your notifications will blow up once its announced that you are a host by the Poshmark (PM) Editor, having a strategic plan will provide a uniformed way to keep up with the volume and also let people know how to send their items for review for a host pick. Doing this can save headaches for you as well as your fellow Poshmarker. Every Poshmark host is different from how they want to review host picks and so you can provide clarity by specifically state the method that you prefer they use to submit items from their closet. Most hosts will let you know what will make you stand out and will typically offer a quid pro quo option of which they will give you look. For example, “If you want to be considered please make sure to follow me on my insta handle @stylistaxr2000 (disclaimer: fake account I just made up…if its real by the time you read this I am praying its not some jacked up account promoting God knows what!!). If it is, please don’t come for me with commenting, again it was NOT an account when this article was written.
Below are the top two things most hosts are hoping to receive.
#1: A FOLLOW ON SOCIAL MEDIA OR POSHMARK
- A follow on social media (usually Instagram)
#2: POSHMARK SHARES
- Shares in hopes it will increase their sales (spoiler alert: I’ve not noticed an increase in sales as a result of being a Poshmark host)
After the Poshmark user takes the time to do your bidding Queen you need to return the favor and at least consider their closet. In order to this properly you need to make sure to let them know how to get their attention. Here are the most common methods:
- Leave a comment
- Tag your item
- Directly share the item to their close
What happens if someone asks you for a host pick and their closet is busted?
You ever go to a store and get the wrong vibe and walk immediately out of the store, that is what it is like when you enter to try to look at some closets for a host pick. People will send you messages to pick items as a Poshmark host and you want to give them a try but they look like a flea market and not the cool posh kind but more like a yard sale has gone way wrong. You would think that after all the Poshmark gurus out there on Youtube and all the info all there on Posh there wouldn’t be any bad closets. Yet they do exist. My closet is not without flaws, but it is clean enough and orderly enough to consistently get host picks. You are not necessarily looking for the sleekest closets ever, shops with good cover photos and good lightening.
We have all seen those closets with wrinkly crumpled up clothing that just looks dingy and you just want to have an intervention with the person. Poshmarks wants you to reach out to those people in an ambassadorship type way to help guide them down the path of enlightenment. If someone asks for my help, I will gladly help them but I don’t believe in “handicapping” people at some level you have to do the research and your due diligence to figure out how to post good photos, all the information is out there just READ or watch videos. Otherwise, if your closet is not in order and not compliant I have to skip it, remember, hosting is not paid work, I am volunteering my time, I have a stressful corporate job and a very busy life and Poshmark has to be managed within my already busy schedule.
If you are not into pre-selecting items and you are a trial by fire, fly by the seat of your pants, or straight up procrastinator you can always select items from the feed, however, you will have to rush to make sure the closet you are choosing from is posh compliant. For this reason, party hosts like to select a least a minimum of items ahead of time, so that you can have time to review to ensure their compliance. Some hosts will pick all of their items ahead of time, others may do a mix of selecting from the feed and pre-selecting host picks. So go grab yourself some wine and chillax and get your host pick on.
If you want to sign up for Poshmark then here is my shameless plug which allows me and you to get a $10 credit. Just 100 sign ups then GUCCI here I come!!!
Use my code STILETTOSOCIAL to save $10: https://posh.mk/jRHnZYho40
