If you’ve already started using Craigslist to promote your website and online business, then you know how powerful it can be. If you haven’t, it’s time you started because you’re missing a huge opportunity to drive targeted traffic to your website.
There are a lot of rules and regulations on Craigslist that are meant to protect the advertisers and the consumer. The rules of conduct are very clear and support a site with high integrity. Some of the rules make it a little more challenging when you’re interested in posting ads to multiple locations or cities simultaneously. You never want to circumvent the rules, but you can take advantage of all opportunities to optimize your advertising strategies.
As you plan your classified advertising campaign using Craigslist, we’ve included some key tips that will help you expand your advertising options. However, we always recommend you stay within the rules of any website you use for advertising or you risk being banned from using them in the future. Craigslist is no exception and the rules are clear. We recommend you review the complete list of rules on the website before proceeding with your advertising campaign.
Tips on posting on Craigslist:
Creating an account with Craigslist gives you the ability to create, change, and edit your classified ads more effectively and efficiently. You can even repost from the web page saving you time and effort. If you have an account with them, your ads are published automatically when you visit the site, rather than having to take multiple steps to check your email, verify submission, and then check back to make sure the ad was posted. An account gives you added advantages when you plan to post consistently and frequently – which is the best strategy for success.
The same ad cannot run on multiple sites of Craigslist so this presents you with an opportunity to tweak and customize ads for different locations and cities. You can change your subject line and title for your ad and insert different words that may be specific to a region, evening including the name of the city where you are posting. Customizing content for regions can have an added advantage since the website is created as a community-minded site.
If you have a blog and a website, you can use each separate address to direct customers to them. Once people reach your blog, it’s easy to redirect them to your website. This not only promotes your business but gains exposure for your blog as well. You can create different ads in different cities for both your blog and website.
Don’t post more than 10 ads per day or you’re likely to be flagged as spamming and you’ll be banned from the website. It’s best to wait about 48 hours between each posting to avoid this too.
Include a link to your website in your content and within your graphics or pictures. Make it easy for people to reach your website and you’ll drive more traffic.
Using your creativity and innovation will help you create the most influential and compelling ads for your target audience. Knowing how to leverage the use of Craigslist to promote your website and your products will make you much more successful. Rules are created for a reason so adherence to rules and working within the spirit of the rules demonstrates your integrity and honesty. Don’t try to circumvent the rules process or you’ll likely find yourself on the banned list!
Good luck with your posting on Craigslist – and may your ads drive traffic for many days to come!
You may be wondering why anyone promoting an online product or business would worry with posting ads on Craigslist. Well, we may have the answers for you.
Classified advertising and promoting your business under the “Services” category are both free!
Craigslist has proven effective in driving traffic for many online entrepreneurs for years and the trend is heading upward as classified advertising is one of the best ways to reach a target audience.
You’re driving free – yes, FREE – traffic to your website just by creating a dynamic, engaging headline and very short content for your ad.
Now, you may have a better idea of why there’s so much hype about classified advertising on Craigslist for online businesses. Taking advantage of an opportunity for free promotion just makes good common sense. And it makes excellent business sense too.
There are a few things can make your advertising experience even more effective. Take a look and make sure you’re optimizing your experience by utilizing these tips and tricks.
Measure your traffic. Although this may be obvious to you, it’s worth stating again. You can’t improve what you can’t measure so traffic measurement becomes critical. You can do this by simply creating a separate landing page on your website where visitors can link to directly from your Craigslist advertisement. Tracking visitors to this page will give you a good idea of whether or not your ad is working for you.
Manage your posting schedule. Craigslist has some very specific rules and guidelines for posting. Ads can only be placed at one city or location at a time. Duplicate content is not allowed and the Craigslist ‘police’ will let you know if you violate this rule. This means you really need to manage your postings. Create a schedule that includes a listing of your ads (by name or other identifying indicator) and the dates they should be posted, reposted, and deleted. Use this schedule faithfully to ensure you are taking full advantage of posting opportunities to keep your ad consistently in front of potential customers.
Run your ads in different cities simultaneously. Although we’ve stated above that the rules disallow duplicate content, you are allowed to post different ads in different cities so take advantage of this. Include it in your schedule for posting to track it carefully. Modify and customize ads for different cities to make them unique.
Create ads that add value. Your ads must include something valuable for your readers and the content should engage them enough that they want to click on your link or email you with inquiries. Take time to carefully identify the major benefits of your products and include them in your content. Keep the ad short and succinct.
Give people a good reason to click. Free give-aways, discount coupons, special offers, limited quantities, and other types of offers can make potential customers click to your website. Once they click to your website, capture their email information, solicit their opt-in permission, and fully engage them in your website. Getting them is only half the work – the other half is keeping them!
Now that you know why you should advertise on Craigslist and what you should do to be successful, get started with your advertising campaign today. Evaluate your success and create an advertising strategy that brings visitors and converts them to customers through your valuable, unique content.
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