Facebook is testing a new feature that draws content from across its offerings into a single tab called Local. For many years, people have created Facebook Groups to bring together people from their local area, as the social media site acknowledged when it wrote in its announcement, “We know people use Facebook to connect with their local communities, so we’re investing in ways to make that even easier.”
Of particular interest to online sellers is the fact that the new Local tab includes Marketplace listings in addition to content from Groups and Events. “Whether it’s nearby activities, local groups offering free stuff or recommendations about neighborhood hot spots, you’ll find it all in the new Local tab,” the company wrote. “Local is currently testing in Austin, New York City, Los Angeles, Washington D.C., Chicago, Charlotte, Dallas, Houston, San Francisco and Phoenix.”
Facebook also announced Messenger Communities, calling it a new way for small- to medium-sized communities to connect over shared interests.
It made the announcements at its October 4th Facebook IRL event in Austin, Texas, along with announcing other new features, including an AI feature to help the nearly 1.8 billion people who use Facebook Groups every month find answers to questions. (Facebook also said it has 25 million monthly active public groups, a figure that continues to grow.) You can read details on FB.com.
