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Craigslist Domestic Home Service & Job Guide Those offering domestic and home services often rely on a current customer's recommendation to expand their business. A large portion of people providing these services work independently and must keep prices low in order to compete with others in the same business. With that in mind, little if any money is allocated for advertising purposes.
While the local factor helps people in the domestic and home service industry profit by providing a free advertising resource and connecting them beyond the `word of mouth' reach, the industry has found Craigslist to help on a regional level as well.
The Franchise Review noted the following as the top 2006 cleaning franchises in the US, and both use Craigslist to market the business.
"MaidPro, who uses Craigslist to find new employees, posted job openings in the wanted category. Home Cleaning Centers of America advertised its services on the site."
Craigslist allows people in the domestic and home service industry to advertise their services for free, and gives them access to thousands of potential local customers. Domestic and home providers no longer have to rely on word of mouth recommendations, which can be inconsistent and are out of the provider's control.
A study done on Craigslist on ClickZ.com revealed the following: During the week of November 21, 2004, Craigslist had 12,200 active job listings on its San Francisco site. In contrast, the San Francisco Chronicle had 1,500 and the Oakland Tribune a mere 734. With the number of jobs available online, it is important to recognize the employer's legitimacy and clarity of the ad. Newspaper classifieds and even other online job sites like Monster.com and Careerbuilder.com are limited in the amount of information they can print related to the job or company. From an employer's perspective, we will also discuss what is required to market these jobs effectively. Unlike other sites and traditional job postings, Craigslist allows employers the ability to be straightforward and honest, as the following example ad.
POLITICAL FUNDRAISING- Entry Level ________________________________________ Looking to change the course of your career and build skills that will open up exciting new opportunities? Come raise money and awareness for the Democrats, and other great groups like: ACLU, Sierra Club, Planned Parenthood, Human Rights Campaign, Amnesty Int'l, PBS and NPR stations, and more. Gain valuable experience working for some of the world's most influential political and non-profits. Join a great group of people doing great work! We offer a friendly and diverse work environment, paid training, convenient downtown location central to bus lines and light-rail, flexible schedules, Am/ Aft/Eve/Wkend shifts, 12-40 hrs/wk, paid training, and opportunities for advancement and career growth. Immediate openings! How to apply? Give us a call for more information and a short phone interview. Mon-Fri, 10am-6pm. XXX-XXX-XXXX www.XXX.com
The ad is informative, provides contact information, and presents a casual tone. A job seeker would gain much more from this ad as opposed to a typical newspaper ad, which is generally short and uninformative like the following sample marketing position featured in the Los Angeles Times:
"Marketing Analyst, Fax resume to Sunset Textiles (name changed), Los Angeles, Fax: (XXX) XXX-XXX, attn: Liz Smith"
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Generally speaking, newspaper ads, including the one above, are short, vague, and struggle to give an accurate overview of the position advertised.
The following chart clearly portrays Craigslist's ability to outperform its competitors in regards to the number of people using the site to perform a job search.
The prices to advertise job classifieds on the table below are easily correlated to Craigslist's success.
craigslist monster career builder hotjobs NYC $25 $395 $359 $275 LA $25 $395 $359 $275 SF $75 $395 $359 $275 Boston $0 $395 $359 $275 Chicago $0 $395 $359 $275 Seattle $0 $395 $359 $275 Denver $0 $395 $359 $275 Miami $0 $395 $359 $275 Dallas $0 $395 $359 $275 Phoenix $0 $395 $359 $275 DC $0 $395 $359 $275 Phila $0 $395 $359 $275 Atlanta $0 $395 $359 $275 Detroit $0 $395 $359 $275 Raleigh $0 $395 $359 $275
A nationwide survey of 50 recruiters by Forrester Research Inc. rated the following sites in terms of their effectiveness:
Job Board Effectiveness* craigslist 4.25 careerbuilder 4.00 monster 3.79 hotjobs 3.50
*1 is "not at all effective" and 5 is "extremely effective" Source: A nationwide survey of 50 recruiters by Forrester Research Inc.
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