Should You Advertise With Craigslist?

Nearly any business that wants to sell more services or products will find Craigslist a useful tool for advertising. It makes no difference if these are currently being sold online or in a physical location. Adding Craigslist to an advertising budget adds another source of potential profits.

One of the major appeals of Craigslist, compared to other advertising, is the low risk associated with posting. This is because it is free to post on Craigslist (real estate and job listings are the exceptions).

When you post ads you have to follow the proper guidelines. Because listing on Craigslist is free, the business owner doesn't have to worry about the return on their investment. Any sales can be considered pure profit.

Finding Your Customers on Craigslist

One other fact why posting ads on Craigslist is such a good idea is the existence of numerous potential customers. According to its own reports Craigslist pages have around four billion views on a monthly basis. The estimates are ten million monthly visitors. It's obvious that ads shown on Craigslist are going to get some notice from potential buyers.

With such a big amount of people visiting Craigslist every month the possibilities for advertising are virtually unlimited. Of course, this doesn't guarantee that the visitors will automatically consider what you have to offer. The rules of effective marketing still apply on Craigslist. Your ads have to create curiosity, convey the right information and be in the right place for your prospective customers to see it.

Connect With Your Target on Craigslist

As mentioned, their are millions of visitors to Craigslist every month. But you have to use targeted advertising to make the most of those numbers. If you use a scattershot approach your results will suffer. In simple terms, anyone who has an interest in what you are offering is your target.

One of the main features of Craigslist is the fact that it has different categories for posting. Think of it as a super-powered version of the newspaper's classified section. After determining the people who would most likely have an interest in your product you need to find the corresponding category on Craigslist. If you are offering guitar lessons post in the music area, as opposed to automobiles. There may be times when posting in more than one category makes sense, as long as they are relevant you should be okay. If you overdo it, it could be considered spamming.

It's possible that your offer will not fit into a specific section. If that happens you can post in the small business ads section. And you can hope it will be spotted by anyone searching the same category. Another option is to suggest new categories by contacting Craigslist. This isn't a sure bet, but if they see value in it they may add a category.

Advertising vs. Spamming

You may be thinking it would be a good idea to place your offer on every regional Craigslist page to reach as many people as you can. It is not a good idea. Placing ads in too many categories or many different cities can get you in trouble for spamming. Follow the terms of service carefully and you will have very few problems. Keep in mind that spamming not only can get you banned from Craigslist, but it can also alienate potential customers.

by Joe cavell -

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