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Advertising With Craigslist |
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 Advertising With Craigslist
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.
Low-Cost Advertising With Craigslist
The fact that most of postings on Craigslist are free makes advertising about as affordable as it can get. At its inception Craigslist was a non-profit service. This changed in 1999 when they made the switch to being for profit. Craigslist's overhead is covered with the small fee it charges for employment postings made in eight U.S. cities. Also a fee is charged for some real estate in New York.
With upwards of 450 sites, the overwhelming majority of people can, amazingly, post for free. Looking at it financially it makes a lot of sense to post ads on Craigslist. Even though it's free to post ads on Craigslist, you need to be careful that you make postings wisely. While there may be no apparent financial loss improper posting can be a concern. There is no real profit potential if you misuse time and other resources.
How Can Craigslist Be Free?
Craig Newmark, the 'Craig' in Craigslist , had offers from advertisers to place banner ads on the site as far back as 1997. Even though this could have been profitable for him, Craig chose to keep the site noncommercial. Eventually Craigslist switched to being for profit, yet commercialization has been kept in check. This may be due to the following factors.
Although all of the 450+ sites have 'craigslist' in the address, each has its own distinct community. There isn't the feel of a corporate dictator telling those who post what to do. Craigslist is firmly planted in everyday things. It is laid out in an uncluttered easy to use format. Allowing people from many backgrounds to discuss, share or meet.
Craigslist Or Affiliate Marketing?
Another way to sell is with affiliate marketing. Business owners often find this to be cost effective and advantageous. The main appeal to business owners is that their affiliates only get paid when they produce the desired result - income, website traffic, customer leads, registration or filling out a form are some examples of desired results.
The many advantages of affiliate marketing can make it a good choice. Still, there are a couple of reasons why Craigslist may be a better option. The two main reasons are the (usually) free posting and the large amount of traffic the Craigslist community gets. Again, when done right this will save time and money. There are, however, certain instances when free advertising on Craigslist isn't the best choice for your marketing campaign. If your offer does not fit into the appropriate category on Craigslist for example. When that happens posting on Craigslist probably won't be worth the effort. The ad may not cost you any money, but chances are that it will not get the full attention of your target buyers. Obviously this would be a waste of time and resources.
The other instance where Craigslist is likely not the best option for advertising is in a category saturated with ads from your competitors. The reason this is not ideal is that you will have to expend more time and resources to overcome your potential customer's loyalty to a competitor. It may make more sense to purchase ads in a less saturated market.
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