Facebook is on with crazy updates/innovations to sweep you off your feet, and most importantly, steal you away whatever social platform or internet marketing platform you may have been accustomed to.
Just some weeks ago did Facebook update its Messenger to include the "Chat assist" and "Poll" features, this time around, Facebook has done it again with its update of the Messenger to include Shopify features, officially transiting to a "Social-eCommerce" platform.
Although the giant social media platform has been up with this idea since 2007, intending to turn its Messenger to a Marketplace, but after many try and error in 2007, 2009 and 2014, Facebook has finally surmounted with the help of Shopify and has officially turned its popular chat service (Messenger) to an online Marketplace, letting its one billion users purchase goods without having to leave the app - Shopify, a feature on the Facebook Messenger, that lets you browse and buy from stores using its platform while remaining strictly in the Messenger.
The new feature, tagged "Marketplace", stands as a viable threat to big online marketing players (Craigslist, OLX, Jiji, and eBay included).
How does this work?
Login in the Messenger, by the bottom (middle) of the Facebook app, you will see the Marketplace icon - rendering it super easy to buy or sell stuff on Facebook.
For those who want to sell, all you need do is take a photo of the item you want to add or pick from your camera roll, enter a product name, description and price, then confirm the location which you are and select a category. That's it! You are done. Just post!
For those who want to buy, it is almost a piece of cake too. All you need do is click on the Marketplace icon, which immediately opens a gallery of items that are for sale in your area. You can also search for the things you need in particular, through the option for category search or to filter your results by price and location. Now when you see/find something that interests you there, simply message the person selling to say you are interested. You can also save the item for later and then come back to negotiate.
Just like all online marketing platforms, trading the product will have to be physical and at an agreed venue.
Marketplace is truly an amazing initiative for reasons that you know whom you want to buy from/sell to - Thanks to the book face of Facebook, where all/most of your personal info can't be hidden. Your family, relations, friends, background, all these are explicit contents for public view. Also, you wouldn't have to leave the app to purchase or sell online - all you have to do is click the Marketplace icon and you are live in the market. Marketplace assures you of trust, relationships and comfort.
As you know, there can be no advantage without a disadvantage. Marketplace lacks a very crucial feature where you can rate the product of others. This is verily important as it helps against scamming and bad behavior.
Marketplace can be summarized to encompass the two features: Browse for what you want to Buy, and Advertise your stuff for Sale.
Currently, Marketplace is available in just four countries (US, UK, Australia, and New Zealand), strictly for Android and iOS devices. However, Facebook plans to expand its territory across the globe and incorporate a web version.
Source: Techcrunch
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