Facebook will start testing ads in its local sales tool, Marketplace, according to reports from Recode and Marketing Land.
The native ads — sponsored content that looks similar to posts from ordinary users — will advertise items from a select group of retailers. They’ll only be displayed for users who scroll down in Marketplace, rather than displaying ads right when the page is opened.
Facebook launched Marketplace in October, taking aim at Craigslist, which has dominated online classified listings for more than a decade.
Facebook isn’t the only tech company that thinks the online classifieds space is ready for disruption. Bellevue, Wash.-based OfferUp has mounted a successful stand against Craigslist with its user-friendly, mobile-first marketplace for buying and selling within communities.
OfferUp, unlike Craigslist and soon Facebook, doesn’t sell advertisements on the platform.
