Since it was launched in 1995, Craigslist has been the go-to site for classifieds. Even today, the site gets thousands of users and more new ads per day than ever. It’s popularity is a testament to how effective Craigslist listings still are.
Craigslist isn’t for everyone, but it does offer something for users and businesses alike. In fact, Craigslist marketing is a part of a digital marketing strategy for many small and medium businesses. Across every country, entrepreneurs have unblocked Craigslist to reap its full potential.
Getting to Know Craigslist
Since Craigslist is an online directory of classified ads, you can find virtually everything on it, including ads from well-known brands and the small businesses near you. People see Craigslist as the source of information; those visiting the site are already looking for something.
That mentality is among the reasons why Craigslist is so effective. Since people are already looking for specific things – they already want to buy something – the sales cycle on Craigslist is relatively short. Users who find items they like are more likely to follow through with the purchase.
Another reason why Craigslist is a preferred site for many businesses is that there are no fancy animations or complex navigation menus. The site is designed to be as simple as it can be. Most businesses that cannot afford expensive visual advertisements love Craigslist because their simple ads fit perfectly on the site. Simplicity is part of Craigslist’s charm indeed, but it is not without its disadvantages.
Should You Utilize Craigslist Marketing?
There are three main reasons why Craigslist is an effective marketing tool when you are a small or medium business. First of all, the site is very targeted. Your Craigslist listings can be location-specific and categorized accordingly, allowing you to reach a specific market segment without jumping through hoops.
The second reason is ease of use. As long as you have a strong copy and deliver accurate product information, you will capture the attention of potential customers. This means crafting an effective Craigslist marketing campaign is also simple.
Lastly, Craigslist is accessible. While the site offers premium listings and has limits, there are ways to supercharge your use of Craigslist as a marketing tool. You even get SEO and digital marketing benefits from a successful Craigslist campaign.
So, who is Craigslist for? Craigslist lets you tap into local market segments, which makes it very suitable for a wide range of small and medium businesses. If you have a car rental business, for instance, you can use Craigslist to market your services.
The same is true with other businesses that target local customers. Craigslist also has large directories for services, including consulting services, household services, and more. There are sections for SMBs offering tangible products for sale as well as categories for digital products.
As long as you are targeting specific markets, Craigslist is an effective marketing tool to utilize. That brings us to the next part of the equation.
Using Craigslist Like a Pro
Manually adding listings to Craigslist of specific cities or areas is the last thing you want to do. Craigslist isn’t a marketing instrument you want to use manually. To be an effective Craigslist marketer, there are a few extra things you need.
Top Craigslist marketers enlist the help of posters in different cities to access different markets. Funnily, you can find posters in different cities on, well, Craigslist. With the help of posters, you can also post more ads and capture the attention of more potential buyers.
Another way to get around some of the limitations of Craigslist is by using a Craigslist proxy. Craigslist proxies alter your IP address to match certain cities or areas, giving you the ability to post as if you are based in multiple cities or areas. The best Craigslist proxy even allows you to use multiple IP addresses for more listings.
With the Craigslist proxies added to your toolbox, you can begin thinking about automating your Craigslist marketing campaign. Instead of doing everything manually, you can simply focus on creating compelling ads while automatic tools post them to the right sections. Automation also allows you to begin tweaking your ads based on the insights you gather in return.
Last but not least, as your Craigslist marketing scales, consider hiring a full-time employee (or several of them) to handle Craigslist marketing. As a small business, there is a lot to be gained from connecting with customers directly through Craigslist, which makes doing Craigslist marketing seriously well worth the investment.
Get Started
You have everything you need to get started with Craigslist marketing at this point. You know how the site can be incredibly useful for reaching new customers. You also know how to best approach Craigslist and the tools you can use to supercharge your marketing campaigns. All you need to do now is get started with your own campaign.
Craigslist has been the main marketing tool for a lot of successful businesses. With the tips and resources you can find in this article, it can be an effective marketing tool for your business too.