When it comes to affordable advertising, your local Craigslist site has the potential to give you plenty of bang for your buck. In fact, many service oriented businesses depend almost entirely on the classified site for business. It’s free, it’s easy to update, and, for many businesses, it works for generating leads.
Like all aspects of your overall advertising plan, Craigslist marketing requires some forethought and strategy. That said, it shouldn’t be very time-consuming if done correctly: you can spend as low as 15 minutes a week on your Craigslist campaign.
Anatomy Of Effective Craigslist Advertising
Your Craigslist advertisement should include the following:
1. A Title That Is Clear, Informative, And Audience-Focused
Customize titles of your ads to target the appropriate audience, using court-related headlines during the week, and “last minute” messaging to target weekend clients.
Include short information about your license and business insurance (bonds). If possible, link your license to the verification site: if you are a notary, use Secretary of State website, contractor – use contractor’s state license board, real estate or mortgage broker – include your licensing info.
2. A Message That Is Clear, Concise, And Captivating
Define your overall advertising strategy: do you want your client to call, or register for appointment online, or walk-in? Use two simple words: “fast” and “affordable.” By keeping your message simple, your will be able to stand out from your competition, who rely too heavily on visual “clutter.”
3. Use Eye-Catching And Relevant Images
Remember that people are visual first, so catch peoples’ attention with an image, then leave them with your message. Many Craigslist users set filters to exclude ads without pictures, so finding appropriate images is critical in lending credibility to your business listing.
4. Post Often
With Craigslist, people only look at the top of the list. Because the site automatically sorts ads chronologically, try to post every other day, which, according to Craigslist rules, is the maximum that users are allowed to re-post free ads. Experts also recommend deleting older ads.
5. Include Contact Number and/or Links
Make sure you provide an easy and quick way to reach you.
6. List Services Under Multiple Categories
Figure out which categories work with you, and post accordingly.
7. Track Your Success
Track the days you receive the most calls and the days you go out on the most assignments, and ask clients how they heard about you. Pay attention to what is working — and what’s not.
Final Words On Craigslist Advertising
Rather than depending solely on Craigslist, which can vary in its effectiveness based on your location and market saturation, try cross-listing your services on other free sites as well, including Yelp, YP.com, and Google Maps, and register with other listing services, both locally and nationwide.