Craigslist - How to Use “The List” to Make Money
How to Use “The List” to Make Money
Hopefully you can see the potential for making money by using Craigslist. Mostly, it is free advertising. As long as you follow a few guidelines and rules set up by the site, you can post classified ads relevant to almost 450 cities globally.
While some ads will cost you money, the rates are far less expensive than typical paper adverts. You can use ads to gain valuable exposure with minimal time and effort on your part. Most of the “paid for” ads on Craiglist are job listings, so unless you are an employer, you should take advantage of all that the site offers with no investment other than time. How often do you get a chance to present ads free?
Better yet, how often do you file an ad to a site or paper offering more than 10 million unique visitors each year? Not bad for an advertising site. And, it all begins with nothing more than a simple post.
OK, so you want to post an ad on the “List”. Great! Now, how do you do it?
Posting on Craigslist is easy. First, go to the main page, and scroll up to the left-hand corner where you will see a link to “Post to Classifieds.” Here is an example:
Next, you will want to select the proper category to post your classified ad in. Most people will search for advertisements by category, so be sure you put your ad in the right category. And don’t worry too much if you don’t… you can always change the category you originally selected.
You have a choice of posting categories, such as; “jobs”, “gigs”, “housing”, “items for sale” and more. Posting your ad in the right place will maximize your potential for exposure.
While it is helpful to have a registered account, especially if you plan to use the site more than once, you do not need one to post your ad. However, it takes about 5 minutes to set up an account, and it is free, so why not save yourself some time next time you log in? Makes sense doesn’t it?
Now, when you register there are certain fields you have to fill out. These include the “title” field and the “description” field. People do want to know what you are offering after all, so a good description is essential. It helps to fill out the price section, but you don’t have to. You may turn many otherwise interested parties off by listing price. Of course the flip side is you can do the same by not posting price.
Tip
When you post an ad, Craigslist.com places it in chronological order. So, the more recent posts get more attention because visitors see them first naturally. Many times your ad will remain listed for up to 30 days. However, if you want to gain maximum exposure for your ad, you will want to post your ad often, so it rises to the top of ads posted on the “List”.
You can also increase the odds of people searching for your posts by using keywords to describe your posts.
Try adding popular keywords to your item description, so when people search for items using key terms your ad is most likely to pop up.
Pumped up? Great! Before you place your first ad, make sure you read over the terms of use and rules. Why? If you don’t, you may post an ad and find Craigslist bans your ad for life!
Now, wouldn’t that be bad? No sweat, the rules are easy to follow.