First Hour on 12sell

The difference between users who succeed quickly on 12sell and users who don't is almost always whether they finish a complete first session: signed up, profile set up, first deal posted, first message sent. This guide is the playbook to do all of that in about an hour.

This guide assumes you're a real business owner or trader sourcing or selling actual products. Adjust the timing and effort for your situation.

Minute 0–5: Sign up

1. Open web.12sell.app, the iOS app, or the Android app.
2. Tap Sign Up.
3. Pick your country (auto-detected, fix if needed) and enter your phone number.
4. Receive the 6-digit OTP on WhatsApp (or SMS if WhatsApp fails).
5. Enter the code → it auto-verifies.
6. Pick a Business Title — short, unique, max 18 characters. Use your trading name, not your legal entity name. "AlphaPhones" not "Alpha Phones Trading LLC".
7. Add email and a password (≥ 6 characters).
8. If you have a referral code from someone, enter it now — both of you get a token bonus.
9. Tap Create Account.

Full reference: Sign Up.

You'll be signed in and see the start of profile setup.

Minute 5–15: Profile Setup

This is the most important step on day 1. Your answers control how good your feed is and how easily other businesses find you.

1. What do you want to do? Pick Sell, Buy, or Both. (Picking Both is fine — it just sets the default for your first deal.)
2. Categories — pick the broad areas you trade in. Be specific. A phone retailer picks Mobile Phones, not five random categories.
3. Subcategories — drill down. Smartphones, Feature Phones, etc.
4. Brands — pick the brands you actually buy or sell. Three accurate brands beat ten irrelevant ones.
5. First Deal — the wizard prompts you to post a real deal. Don't skip this. Use the structure below.
6. Profile photo — upload a clean square logo or a real photo of yourself. Required to finish setup. Profiles with default avatars get a fraction of the messages.

Full reference: Profile Setup.

Minute 15–25: Write your first deal properly

This is the one deal that matters most because it's what converts your first day. Use this template:

Title (the most important field)

Format: Brand Model + Spec + Quantity + Condition + Region

Examples that work:

• "500× iPhone 15 Pro 256GB · Brand New · UAE in stock"
• "WTB 200× Galaxy S24 — Singapore — pay USD"
• "Lot of 50 MacBook Air M2 — Used Like-New — Hong Kong"

Examples that don't work:

• "Phones for sale"
• "Need stock"
• "Best deal ever"

Description structure

Use bullet points or short lines:

Model: [exact model number]
Quantity: [number] units
Condition: Brand New / Used – Like New / Refurbished / etc.
Target price: $X each (or "Best offer", or "Send me your offer")
Stock location: [city, country]
Payment: [TT / LC / Escrow / Cash on inspection]
Lead time: [days from confirmed order]
Contact: [your preferred reply channel]

Full reference: Writing deals that convert.

Deal settings

• Type: Want to Sell or Want to Buy (pre-filled from your Step 1 answer).
• Categories / brands: pre-filled from Profile Setup. Tweak if this specific deal needs different ones.
• Region: pick where your stock physically is, not "Planet Earth".
• Condition: required for WTS physical goods.
• Duration: 1 week is the safest first choice — long enough to attract attention, short enough to test signals.
• Boost: optional. New accounts get 99 starter tokens, enough for a 1-day boost. Worth it for your first deal — see Boost.

Tap Post. The deal goes through automatic review (usually instant) and lands in matching feeds.

Minute 25–35: Post one Showcase

A Showcase is a permanent product gallery. Posting one in your first hour signals that you're a real, ongoing business — not a tire-kicker.

1. Tap + → Showcase.
2. Upload 2–3 photos of your strongest product (clean background, well-lit, the actual product). Up to 5 allowed; 3 is enough on day 1.
3. Title — same format as a deal: brand + model + key differentiator.
4. Description — the spec sheet, MOQs, what makes you the right supplier.
5. Pick categories/brands.
6. Use AI Rewrite if your description feels rough — it polishes B2B language without inventing facts.
7. Tap Post.

Full reference: Writing showcases that win business.

Minute 35–45: Browse the feed and send messages

Now you take action on others' content.

1. Open the Deals tab. The feed is personalized to your categories from Profile Setup, so most of what you see should be relevant.
2. Find 3 deals that match what you sell or want to buy.
3. For each, tap Message and send a real, specific opener:
   • "Hi, saw your WTB for AirPods Pro. I have 500 units in Dubai, brand new sealed. Send me your target price?"
   • Not: "Hi" or "Interested"

The first message you send on 12sell sets the tone. Tight, specific messages get fast replies. Vague ones get ignored.

If the deal poster is verified, prioritize them — verified counterparts close faster.

Full reference: Messaging.

Minute 45–55: Set up notifications and follow

1. Open Settings → Notifications.
2. Confirm Push Notifications is on.
3. Deal Notifications: switch from default Following to All for your first week — you want to see everything in your category space while you're still learning the platform.
4. Showcase Notifications: leave on Following (less time-sensitive).
5. Go back to feeds and follow 5–10 active businesses in your category — businesses with verified badges and recent posts. Their content shows up in your Following filter and their Tales appear at the top of your feed.

Full reference: Notifications.

Minute 55–60: Set yourself up for credibility

Two final touches that pay back over the next weeks:

1. Connect your social pages — Settings → Connections. Add your Instagram, LinkedIn, WhatsApp Business, Telegram. Buyers check these before messaging.
2. Plan your verification — read Getting verified. You'll want to verify in week 1 or 2 for the badge that significantly increases reply rates. Cost: 3,000 tokens, one Business Pack ($99.99) or earned through referrals.

What to expect over the next 24 hours

If you've done the above:

• First message replies: usually within hours if your title and description are clear.
• First incoming message to your deal: depends on category, but commonly 4–24 hours.
• First follower: same.

If you haven't gotten activity in 48 hours, the most likely cause is the deal title and description. Read Writing deals that convert and rewrite. Edit the existing deal — you don't need to repost.

What to do in week 1

• Post 2–3 more deals as you have stock or sourcing needs.
• Post 3–5 more showcases to fill out your profile.
• Reply fast to incoming messages — first-response time is the strongest predictor of closing.
• Run a 1-week boost on your strongest deal once you've seen which one attracts replies.
• Apply for Verification once you've collected your trade license + ID.
• Invite 2–3 trade contacts using your referral code. Once they're active you earn 150 tokens each.

Common first-hour mistakes

Next steps

• Writing deals that convert — the deeper guide on titles and descriptions.
• Writing showcases that win business — same for permanent catalogs.
• Trading safely — what to watch for as you start transacting.
• Getting verified — your week 1–2 priority.