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Build Effective Craigslist Listings Content It is critical to include pertinent, yet concise information in a listing that stands out amongst other similar listings, accurately portrays the business or service, while ensuring it complies with Craigslist rules and regulations.
Craigslist's basic, no-fuss look is a good example of how one should place ads and market on the site. Simply! Unlike other, more content controlled websites, Craigslist users have the freedom to post ads with little limit to what one can say. The ability to create ads flexibly and without the stringent controls of faceless corporate heads is not only fun, it's profitable.
TRICKS OF THE TRADE Five ways to Design Your Ad
· Keep it correct (spelling, punctuation, grammar) · Keep it organized (filter your incoming emails) · Keep it simple (don't put extra fluff content) · Keep it up to date (sold out? take down the posting) · Keep communicating (provide links to your website or other services)
As in any major search engine, search terms and phrases, if used correctly, can be effective marketing tools. From a marketer's perspective, is it important to get the most out of the terms directly associated with its posting and/or website. For example, a business advertising `Property Management' services would want to make sure to include the following terms in its ad in order to produce the highest number of hits: "Specialist, Free, Single Family Homes, Condos," to name a few. It would be wise to consult a website such as overture.com to determine what words generate response.
The following real estate example ad portrays several elements that are indicative of an effective Craigslist ad.
Renting or managing a home, condo, apartment building, or commercial property can be a very stressful undertaking. Our Company, XXX Property Management was founded in 1987 and has been successfully managing over 125 properties with values in excess of 100 million dollars. We provide two essential services:
TENANT PLACEMENT * Free market rent analysis * Free advertisement on various internet sites * We handle all prospective tenant inquiries and showings * We provide tenant screening, credit checks, employment verification, landlord references, and the negotiation of lease terms * We handle all of the lease documentation * OUR FEES RANGE FROM ONE HALF OF THE FIRST MONTHS RENT TO 6% OF THE FIRST YEARS RENT DEDUCTED FROM THE FIRST MONTH RENT 2 PROPERTY MANAGEMENT FEES * We are available 24 hours a day 7 days a week for maintenance requests * We have relationships with vendors in all areas of work necessary to maintain your property in pristine condition * We collect monthly rents and deposit those into your designated bank account * We do periodic inspections of the property and send you monthly reports * OUR FEES ARE A FLAT $150.00 PER MONTH FOR SINGLE FAMILY HOMES AND $100.00 FOR CONDOS, PLEASE CONTACT US FOR QUOTES ON MULTIFAMILY HOUSING AND COMMERCIAL PROPERTY. XXX XXX IS A LICENSED REAL ESTATE BROKER WITH OVER 15 YEARS OF EXPERIENCE IN ALL PHASES OF RESIDENTIAL AND COMMERCIAL REAL ESTATE. XXX IS A MEMBER OF TRI-COUNTY APARTMENT ASSOCIATION, THE SILICON VALLEY BOARD OF REALTORS, THE PRESIDENT OF THE MOUNTAIN VIEW HOUSING COUNCIL, AND A BOARD MEMBER OF THE PALO ALTO ROTARY CLUB. WE MANAGE PROPERTY IN THE ENTIRE SOUTH BAY.
Ad's Successes: · Simple title: `Property Management Specialist` · Lists Benefits to the customer (competitive prices, local knowledge, experience) · Simple Design: Copy is organized, aligned, and error free.
To compare, view the example ad below as an individual trying to make a few bucks on furniture:
Antique Bedroom Furniture - $100 (San Mateo) I have an antique dresser, dressing table with mirror and night stand for sale. First one with cash gets it.
While it's short and succinct, generally a successful way to sell something on Craigslist, it fails to give potential buyers much information beyond the price. While the withholding information method may spark interest in some arenas, it doesn't provide a visual or written description as to what the furniture looks like. A few simple additions, like a photograph, the year the furniture was purchased, or even a few words as to color and size would make a world of difference.
By focusing on these three elements, and consistently marketing them to the customer, a firm brand identity will be associated with the ad along with its local presence in the online community.
Similar to an eBay posting, it's best to leave the frills and unnecessary exclamation points to personal e-mails. Plainspoken and fact oriented captures the Craigslist customer, meaning state the purpose, price, and benefit to the customer as professionally and succinctly as possible.
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Images In a snapshot (no pun intended), be sure to do the following to achieve optimal response: · Include a picture of your logo (if you don't have one, create one!) · Save is at a JPEG or TIFF · Fill the image space · Eliminate background clutter · Check size (maximum 72 DPI)
Another option is to utilize the services of an ancillary Craigslist business such as a web designer or graphic artist, who will produce the best picture results for a small fee. There are several services available now that can catapult your business on Craigslist.
Lonzo Designs is a graphic arts company that specializes in Craigslist ads. The company understands that to run a profitable marketing campaign it's crucial to include eye appealing visuals, properly timed postings, all while selecting the right target market for your product. Lonzo Designs offers additional services including marketing and consulting and can be contacted via their website at lonzodesigns.com.
Searchability A great many people do not know that the bulk of localized searches on Google for products or services direct searchers to Craigslist to provide results. Yes, you heard me right your ad will not just appear on Craigslist. In fact, it will get a lot of traffic for search engines as well. This is great news if you optimize your listing ad the same way you would content on a website. Go to Google and type in "your metro + your target keyphrase" to see what comes up. Once the searcher reaches Craigslist you will need to have an optimized listing to produce the best results. What you place in your title and listing content will increase the possibility of coming up in a search. However, keep keyword spamming to a minimum, pick 5 target phrases and build content in the ad from there.
Conversion With every form of advertising, your ad on Craigslist needs to be optimized for conversion. Unlike other forms of advertising, the type of conversion optimization that works on Craigslist is not typical. First you have to understand the nature of the audience. Craigslist users love simplicity, they like to get to the core of the offer quickly. It's about enticing them to click or inquire, not telling them your life story in one post. People do not read anymore, they scan. They look for their one or two hot buttons and then move on.
To increase conversion for your ad: · Use bold type only as needed · Insert extra color just on very important sentences · Do not use !!! in every sentence · Make sure your title is succinct and grabs them · Use html to push them to a more info page · Keep your entire post short, sweet and to the point · Make it personal, the best ads aren't ads at all · Post a picture with your ad to increase visitors
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