Oodle launched five years ago as a standalone website for classified ads, selling everything from pets to cars to homes. In a world dominated by Craigslist, that's an uphill slog.
Meanwhile, Facebook launched its own classified section, called Marketplace, in May 2007. But almost two years later, Facebook reached out to Oodle founder Craig Donato for help running the site.
"To do listings right takes a ton of infrastructure, so [Oodle] now powers Facebook Marketplace," Donato says. "We get rid of the anonymity. The people on these listings have an identity and a connection to possible buyers."
Individual users can buy and sell for free on Facebook Marketplace, but businesses -- for example, a car dealership -- can also post, for a fee. Donato declined to say how much those posts cost.
Oodle still maintains its own site, and when a user posts an ad, it appears on hundreds of media and publishing sites. Donato says Oodle is the fastest-growing classified ads network, and the company is "very close" to turning a profit.
"There's a very social aspect to classified ads, so we've done quite well," Donato says. "Facebook helps lend a degree of trust."
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