I’m sure you can remember the huge buzz that went around when Ebay first launched and people could easily sell almost anything that wanted. It gave people the power to release a few quick funds by selling objects that they had lying around, find an obscure item that they’d always wanted, or set up an online business and start trading properly from the comfort of their home. It is likely that Ebay will remain a highly used site for many years to come, but the prominence of online trading has now been taken to a new level by sites such as Twitter and Facebook that boast a more social capacity.

Facebook was among the first social networking sites that had the foresight to realise the potential of allowing their members to advertise items on their site. They termed their new section ‘Facebook Marketplace’ and it soon became very popular, with many people even setting up their own shops to trade their goods. There are of course some well established sites such as Craig’s List and Gumtree that provided successful online trading abilities, but the enhanced social element of the newer sites has meant they have come under strong pressure from the competition. They allow buyers and sellers to interact with each other in many more ways, including being able to trade photos easily, see friend’s recommendations or even ask online experts before they buy. For example, before you make that commitment to buy one of those second hand bikes you can request more pics, query your friends about it, or ask those people who are hanging out in the cycling community section if you are making the right choice, and if not, what is the right one?

Another advancement has come about through sites such as Twitter, has been the ability for people to request the things they are looking for, rather than wait for someone else to advertise them. For example an extreme sports enthusiast might post on their twitter profile that they are looking for 7’6” surfboards, and because of the potential size and power of the networks here, they will likely find multiple people very quickly who have suitable surfboards for sale