Marketing Your Business on Craigslist

Building Ads

Building an ad on Craigslist can be as simple as typing in some text, or you can incorporate html and images. Typically, what works best is the direct approach. For instance, if you're a real estate agent using Craigslist to promote properties for sale, build a text ad that incorporates images of the properties for sale -- you don't need to know html to do this. Simply define what property specifications best sell the property and keep the sales pitch to a minimum. Be sure to include important search words, such as "three bedroom" or "condominium," as well as regional identifiers including a ZIP code, city or community name. You do this so that people who search for specific items find you in the search results.

Craigslist's search function isn't based on a search algorithm; instead, search results are displayed first by date, then by keyword. This makes the text content of your ad extremely important. Images only increase ad effectiveness. And adding images to your ad isn't difficult. If you're not Web-savvy, use the "upload image" function available during the posting process. (If you want to feature a large image or more than one, you'll need to upload your images to your own Web server and reference them inside your ad using basic html.) Images, however, are not required. Often the best-performing ads on Craigslist are simple text ads that get straight to the point.

Tracking Results

If you plan to post in multiple cities and offer specific promotions, tracking which ads produce the best results is important. You can track a Craigslist ad by email, phone number or Web site referral. Each tracking mechanism should feature a unique component such as a custom email address, telephone extension or Web site referral code. How you choose to track should depend on your industry and the typical methods customers use to communicate with you. Unlike eBay, Craigslist does not provide you with any demographic or tracking data.

Regardless of whether you sell a product or service, it's important to understand the competitive landscape on a daily or weekly basis. Supply and demand for certain products or services will fluctuate. Take the time to get to know the other players in your cities or categories. If you see a rush on a certain product, focus on something complementary. For instance, if you're a mattress wholesaler and see that a large number of mattresses of a specific brand or size are flooding your market, either price match or focus your energy on a different size or bed frame until the market stabilizes. Also, take into consideration the season and the demographic (both income and recreational) of the cities in which you post. In the winter, a snowmobile will not sell nearly as well in California as it will in Vermont.