Golden rules to craigslist by Sam Ingersoll

Golden rules to craigslist by Sam Ingersoll

Craigs List ads created and posted should be constructed to do the following in order of priority.

(1) avoid being "ghosted". CL has become vicious in most parts.

(2) be targeted in terms of price range and area to be (a) in area of most traffic, or (b) areas of zero competition depending...

(3) stay above the fold during most of the day - but especially important on days of highest viewership.

(4) attract attention with the headline - increasingly harder to do with everyone and their brother using >>>>> ++++ characters :)

(5) seem credible enough that they don't look like another "list" source. Some people write text as if it was from the seller who also tells them to see the full details on a website they found. tricksies it is....

(6) NOT give away too much info about the house. Tease them with as little as you can. Usually you have to have at least one image, but in some markets text ads have worked very well. Virtual tours -- Images of YouTube videos (people click thinking they can watch the video there...) work well. Use funny stuff.

(7) Make other offers.

(8) Use other text....your ad can be may paragraphs long -- like a "direct sales letter" if you have anything good to say.

(9) By all means get them to click on a page that matches whatever is on the ad -- tricked too many times they'll wise up to your ads and avoid them.

(10) SUPER SECRET! (Question? What do you think would keep them from ever searching on Craigs List again? or going to Zillow or Trulia?)

...and finally you're into regular old lead capture, unique value proposition, multiple means of communication, unique offers, and good conversion rate design. :)

If you need to BULK post either the same ads over and over again, or more than 40 a day -- talk to me about a referral to someone who does this.

On RENTALS what we do makes a killing. SALES is harder because ideally you need inventory to avoid ghosting. CL is full of bargain shoppers, investors, younger folks, and those with bad credit.

However, if you can dominate Craigs List the right way - your fortune is assured!

Enjoy :)