Craigslist Listing Guide

We will cover the main variables including placement, content, tracking, multi-listing and re-listing.

Pick a Metro and Category:

Placement of your Craigslist listing is an important decision. There are 9 categories, in addition to 169 sub-categories in every Craigslist location, and all are present in the over 300 available locations to choose from.

Craigslist is typically a very regional based marketing outlet, so we will discuss placement with that in mind. Pick the metro closest to your target area. If you want to sell in multiple metros, there is a way to do it..I will cover it under multi-listing.

Here is a list of the 10 most popular metros:

    1. sanfrancisco.craigslist.org

    2. newyork.craigslist.org

    3. losangeles.craigslist.org

    4. seattle.craigslist.org

    5. boston.craigslist.org

    6. sandiego.craigslist.org

    7. washingtondc.craigslist.org

    8. orangecounty.craigslist.org

    9. portland.craigslist.org

    10. chicago.craigslist.org

The thought of marketing a product in 190 cities is a daunting task in itself. While one could potentially accomplish an undertaking of that magnitude on Craigslist, it is neither mandatory nor necessary to achieve success. The trick is finding the most appropriate markets or regions, and learning how to successfully tailor your product to fit the particular area's needs.

One way to determine the most appropriate locale to sell in and seek out a customer base is by evaluating the numbers. Quantitative analysis has served Wall Street well, and can also be a lucrative method on Craigslist.

Determine Your Metro:

Take into account the following: The New York City Craigslist received 153,203 hits in March of 2006. Compare that to Montreal, Quebec, which saw 1,497 unique hits in the same month. Next you have to determine your marketing strategies. Is it best to introduce your product or service to a smaller audience like Montreal, or release the dogs and go all out and launch a campaign in the NYC venue.

                        TRICKS OF THE TRADE

         How to Market Your Product Beyond Your Local Community

             · Sellers can post the same ad in a new city every 48 hrs

             · Post ads in communities similar to your own

                (suburb or metro)

             · Join discussion forums in different cities

Pick a Category:

Once you have selected a metro, review all of the available categories. Category placement is an important part of attracting the right customer. Some categories attract more attention, but will also be more competitive. Some of the main categories feature sub-categories that are very similar to others. However, each main category generally attracts a specific kind of traffic, here is a breakdown:

Community This main category generally attracts people

looking to purchase services or connect within their community.

Categories within this main section are less oriented towards

commerce, but more towards sharing thoughts, finding someone

for domestic work, meeting people, and finding activities in that

community. While some people do post listings for products

here, it is definitely important to only list if you are offering

services relative to the category. I would recommend this only for

domesticservices(cleaning,childcare,tutoring,dogwalking,etc.)

Personals This may be obvious, but this category attracts people

looking to connect with other people. There is a large divide

between the people looking in Casual Encounters and other sub-

categories. If you have a product or service where your target

market is singles searching for love, then steer clear of Casual

Encounters and focus on other long term relationship categories. If

You are promoting a product or service that caters to sex and casual

dating then Casual Encounters is a good spot to advertise. Realize

that people here are looking actively for something specific and if

you can give them what they want, when they want it, you can

make a lot of money. I would recommend this category for dating

sites, sex toys, adult services, massage or even divorce services.

Discussion Forums One of the most popular sections at

Craigslist is nothing like the other categories. It's    basically

a bulletin board forum system where people post about

specific topics. This is an open area for discussion, so treat

your advertising as you would if you were using a forum to

promote your product or service. Spammed posts are usually

deleted quickly. There are two great benefits to becoming

active in the forums. 1) They are extremely active in most

metros 2) Your postings stay active and searchable forever.

Housing This is what started Craigslist, the ability for

people to find and post available housing for sale, rent or

sharing. Born out of the competitive housing market in

San Francisco, Craigslist has revolutionized this process.

This     category can be extremely profitable for real estate

agents, apartment managers and vacation property owners

as well as any services that service the real estate industry.

For Sale From doll houses to 4x4 trucks and everything in

between. This category generally attracts people who want to

buy or sell something. This is a great place to sell your stuff

or product, so long as your listing doesn't appear spammy. I

would recommend this category for selling just about anything

new or used, promoting moving services, furniture stores,

discount electronics and promoting your eBay listing/store.

Jobs The most popular category area on Craigslist is a

definite competitor for major job sites like Monster and

Career Path. Everyday millions of people come looking for

the perfect job, which is a great opportunity for marketers that

promote job placement, resume writing and interview tips.

Of course this is also a wonderful place for employers to find a

great employee. Posting in this section is free, unless you post in

NY, L.A, San Diego, Seattle, Washington D.C, Boston or San

Francisco where the posting fee is very small.

Gigs This category attracts people looking to find

short term work or projects. However, I have seen a ton

of service related ads that fit within the sub-categories.

I would recommend this category for promoting work

from home opportunities and 2nd tier affiliate programs.

Services If you are selling a service, this is the category for you.

Craigslist allows you to post ads for services here and there are

tons of great target categories to choose from. People who visit

this area are actively looking to purchase specific services. I would

recommend this category for almost any service including legal,

real estate, childcare, domestic, massage, contractors, plumbing,

electrical, accounting, adult services and so much more.

Resumes This is a section I feel is underutilized by job seekers

and posters. Here you have a collection of resumes to search for

just about every job. Post here for free to promote yourself or

your job services (job placement, resume writing, etc.)

Here is a breakdown in the lifespan of your post into each category:

Posting Type Major Metros* All other cities

Classifieds 7 days 45 days

Resumes 30 days 45 days

Jobs 30 days 45 days

Gigs 30 days 45 days

Events Until posted event date range expires

*Boston, Chicago, Los Angeles, New York, Portland, Sacramento,

San Diego, Seattle, SF Bay Area, Wash, DC