Facebook launched a new app for business sellers - those who sell on Facebook Marketplace (FBMP) as a side hustle, a small business, or who are generating "real income," it announced. It's counting on AI to make the new app called Seller useful and appealing to sellers.
"Every month, there are 430 million items and 44 million vehicles listed on Facebook Marketplace globally," Tom Alison (head of Facebook) said in
a post on Friday. "And we're exploring the ability for small businesses to list on Marketplace," he said.
Alison said Facebook believes that by leveraging AI, the Seller app will remove friction and empower people: "If you're listing on Marketplace, AI will help you write the description, suggest a price, and tag it in about 30 seconds."
A longtime marketplace seller who was invited to test the app said they believed about 2500 of the biggest marketplace sellers in the US had beta tested it. After testing it themself, the seller said it seemed like Facebook was building a "real" marketplace that was very AI-driven.
Sellers can continue to sell directly on FBMP (Facebook Marketplace), but the company said in its
July 24th announcement, "if you're looking for a dedicated space to manage and grow your business, Seller is for you."
"Seller app syncs with Facebook Marketplace, sellers' existing listings, messages, and selling history carry over, and anything you create in the app automatically appears on Marketplace, where buyers already shop."
Facebook described Seller app features as follows:
- Seller home: A dedicated home that surfaces what needs your attention - items to ship, buyers to respond to, listings to reprice - alongside a snapshot of your sales performance.
- Listing creation: Upload photos and Meta AI will fill in the details like title, description, price suggestion, and category, so you can publish fast. And the bulk listing feature allows you to create multiple listings at once.
- Listing management: View, edit, relist, and manage your full inventory from a single place.
- Unified seller inbox: Find all your buyer messages organized in one place, threaded by item, so you can see every conversation tied to a specific listing.
- Performance insights: See what’s working with performance data like views, clicks, message threads, and sold listings to price competitively and make smarter decisions about your inventory.
It remains free to sell locally on FBMP. Sellers who choose to ship items to buyers pay a 10% fee. But like nearly every other platform these days, Facebook sees advertising as a key to growing revenue. "Facebook Marketplace is a place to discover and purchase items, but listing an item for sale isn't the same as creating a paid ad to appear when people shop on Marketplace,"
Facebook explains in its help section. "You can help your business reach more people where they're shopping when you create an ad for Marketplace." (Ads in Marketplace also appear in people's Facebook feeds.)
Tech publication Engadget said the new Seller app would have an impact on how users viewed FBMP: "The new app kind of mars the community billboard vibe of Facebook Marketplace by opening it up to pro sellers, mirroring the declines of eBay and Etsy, but will no doubt generate extra revenue for Meta."
Facebook said last week that 1 out of 3 young adults on Facebook in the US uses Facebook Marketplace daily, and said every month on Facebook Marketplace globally, there are:
- 430 million listings posted
- Over 75 million home decor items listed
- 60 million fashion items listed
- 45 million electronics listed
- 44 million vehicles listed
Facebook Attracts Volume Sellers with New App
by: Rexford