Report: Facebook Making a Push To Revive Classified Ads

[engine]

Look out Craigslist!

One idea it tried in its early days is classifieds ads. Now Facebook is reviving that experiment, with the project on a "fast track," according to The Daily.

The ads would charge people a small fee for prominent placement in friends' news feeds. That's similar to a controversial service Facebook recently introduced where individuals can pay to boost the visibility of their posts.

Report: Facebook Making a Push To Revive Classified Ads [businessinsider.com]

[vincevincevince]

This is a good idea, if it's really for classifieds, and it's really for friends. If it's just for general posts, and its actually aimed at companies rather than individuals, then I can't see it gaining any more traction than sponsored posts.

[lexipixel]

So, if you have a used car for sale, or a room to rent, now you have to pay Facebook to tell your "friends" about it?

How will Facebook control this? Will they stop someone from mentioning "I'm selling my old car" --- 'cause then people will just start with "IM S E LL ING MY KAR" and all the other tricks to get around any word based filters.

Or, will your "friend" the real estate agent, insurance salesperson, car salesperson be peppering your news feed with every crappy come-on they can buy from Facebook -- until you "unfriend" them?

Sorry FB --- it ain't gonna work...

[wheel]

Hmmmm. maybe.

Where I am, we already have an ebay-owned free classified site that owns 100% of the market. My buddy just bought the house across the street from me on the site. Had another friend sell his house on it. It's the first place I turn to for pretty much anything, and it's where I unload when I go on a cleaning binge.

Can facebook unseat them? Maybe - but they will have to unseat them. Because the name of the ebay site is synonymous with 'sell your stuff free' here.

And I can do all that buying and selling without a facebook account.

[Panthro]

grasping at straws?

[ponyboy96]

Not going to work. Having used the classified ads in the past, I can tell you those didn't covert either. It might make money for a few months as companies try it out, but when the conversion doesn't happen, it will drop like a rock. Yes, I think they are grasping at straws.

On another note, I've had a lot of friends post recently saying that they are leaving facebook and closing their accounts. Anyone else start to notice that trend?

[webindia123]

Classified Ads...again zero innovation from FB stable