The world of online marketing has reached phenomenal levels as more and more people are turning to the Internet to make purchases, find information, and connect with other people. Classified advertising is one way marketers are promoting their websites and expanding their marketing reach across the Internet. With so many different classified advertising sites available, it’s sometimes hard to decide which sites to utilize.
Craigslist is one of the most popular and free classified advertising sites available. With millions of visitors monthly, the site provides a huge opportunity to promote your business and your website.
Unfortunately, many marketers don’t really understand the power of Craigslist. They see it as a website to sell widgets one by one. If you approach this website with that type of strategy in mind, you’ll never reap the true benefits of Craigslist and won’t enjoy the increased traffic to your website that is possible.
Making decisions that time and effort, even though posting an ad is free, can result in disappointment and frustration on your part. Rather than spending your time making the same mistakes many other online marketers have made, focus on what Craigslist can do for you from a broader perspective.
Website traffic and brand recognition are keys to success for any online business. That’s where Craigslist can really make a difference. By promoting the value of your website, focusing on your target audience, and giving your potential customers something they want, you can drive traffic to your website and create long-lasting relationships that will help your business grow and expand.
But don’t fall into the same trap that others have already experienced. Beware of these actions that can deter you from reaching optimal results from advertising on Craigslist. Take a look at some of the mistakes others have made and avoid them at all costs!
Mistake #1: Promoting and trying to sell a product.
Selling a product is great, but who wants the one-time sale. It’s repeat visitors and repeat customers that create a thriving, successful business. Don’t focus on a one-time sale with your ad, but focus on the bigger picture and promote your website and your brand image. Drive traffic with your ad for greater success.
Mistake #2: Talking about your company and you.
Okay, let’s face it. People don’t really care about your company or you. They care about what you have to offer them and what you can do FOR them. So you were established in 1995. Longevity is important but that can be included somewhere on your website. Don’t waste your time talking about your company, your employees, and yourself in your classified ads! Talk about the value you bring to the customers and how you can help them.
Mistake #3: Creating non-professional, standard ads.
Craigslist may not be the most sophisticated website on the Internet with state-of-art visual appeal. But millions of people use it every month and they want to know that they are highly respected and valued. When you create ads with typographical or grammatical errors, poor quality graphics and photos, and inappropriate content, you’ll send readers running in the opposite direction. If your ad is just like every other one on the site and isn’t unique from your competition, you don’t attract your target audience. Take your ad creation seriously and create ads that are professional, high quality, unique, and that demonstrate respect for your potential customers.
Mistake #4: Ignoring the rules and conduct policies.
BIG mistake! This is a great way to lose all opportunity to post free classified ads to promote your website and business on Craigslist.org. They take their policies seriously and if you’re spamming and inappropriately using their website, you’ll be banned. You lose a great opportunity for free advertising and it doesn’t say much about your character and integrity either!
Mistake #5: Not managing the posting and reposting schedule.
Remember that it takes multiple times of seeing an ad for people to truly remember it. If you post your ad one time and then forget about it, you’re likely to waste your time. Using Craigslist as part of your promotional strategy means managing the process effectively. Create a spreadsheet or calendar to manage postings and be sure to repost your ads timely. Evaluate effectiveness of ads and if you’re not getting traffic, consider different types of ads, new graphics, or posting in different communities (cities). Don’t post one ad and sit back and wait. You’ll be sorely disappointed!
Craigslist can be an incredible marketing tool for your online business – but only when it is used effectively. Driving traffic to your website requires an understanding of what motivates, inspires, and influences people to click your links for more information. If you take the time to properly prepare your advertising campaign on Craigslist, you’ll find that it pays off today and in the months and years to come.
Don’t make the mistakes others have made! Learn from them and forge ahead with enthusiasm and you’ll reap the rewards of your efforts.
You have a massive number of options available to promote your website and your business. Knowing which way to turn can be confusing. Display ads, classified advertising, linking, search engine optimization (SEO), and other methods are all excellent opportunities to help people learn more about what you have to offer.
One of the hottest websites for buying and selling today is Craigslist. This is a tremendous website that offers opportunities to advertise for job openings and to create classified ads to buy and sell. It is a much more cost-effective option than traditional classified ads in newspapers and it reaches a much broader audience.
When you mention online classified ads, the first site most people think of is Craigslist. This phenomenal website was created and started by Craig himself! Craig Newmark decided it was time to introduce classified advertising to the Internet in a big way. His incredible foresight and innovation has resulted in the most popular classified advertising site online today.
Community structure
This website is built around communities and people can post classified ads in a particular geographic region. But it also reaches out to more than 500 cities in over 50 countries across the globe. Whether you’re looking for jobs, products, services, furniture, or appliances, you can find them on Craigslist. And, whether you live in San Francisco, Chicago, or Tampa it doesn’t matter either. This website is based around communities but it reaches out to the world.
Posting ads
Posting classified ads on Craigslist is typically free and it is quick and easy. That makes it attractive to thousands of people every day. The site attracts millions of visitors each month with billions of page views, offering a tremendous opportunity to promote products and businesses. Craigslist is moderated, although it is not as highly moderated as most other commercial sites. With the thousands of classifieds posted daily, it is almost impossible to keep up.
Revenue generation
Revenue generation from Craigslist comes for its help wanted ads and millions of people have posted job openings on the site. It continues to be a major player in the field of employee recruitment, especially for the 40 and under crowd. Since the costs are low, they are extremely competitive and usually less than any other online job posting site.
Business promotion
But they’re not just about job postings. In addition to classified advertising for jobs, the site has also proven successful with classified ads for products, services, personals, and a huge variety of other items and purposes. Craigslist also has a huge listing of forums from adoption to yoga, and everything in between. These forums are a great place to learn what people are searching for and what they’re talking about. Not only can you make a potential sale here, but you can enhance your products to meet your target audience’s preferences and needs.
Craigslist allows you to list your business and post your URL which makes it attractive for online entrepreneurs. It’s a good opportunity to promote your brand or business name and attract people to visit your website. Listing your classified ad in the “Services Offered” category is an excellent way to increase your brand and website exposure.
Although Craigslist is a good site for consideration when promoting your products, there are some things you should know.
Controversy surrounding Craigslist
Craigslist has been the center of controversy for inappropriate classified ad postings over the years. Since the site is ‘lightly’ moderated, many postings can slip through the cracks. In 2005, it was discovered that a prostitution ring was using the website as a way to promote their business! The forums and message boards may include some unflattering comments and language so it’s important to steer clear of unethical practices and uses of the site.
The best way to truly understand how Craigslist works is to visit the website and peruse some of the classified ads, message boards, and forums. Find out what people are talking about and what they’re searching for. Evaluate this option as part of a multi-faceted marketing strategy for your business.
With free classified advertising on Craigslist, what do you have to lose?
This website uses cookies that are necessary to its functioning and required to achieve the purposes illustrated in the privacy policy. By accepting this OR scrolling this page OR continuing to browse, you agree to our Privacy Policy