Craigslist has been my main advertising tool for my small business. The site allows me to include my own work as examples in my advertisements, proving that I run an honest and valuable company - get the facts!
Craigslist is a tedious process that can get repetitive. It seems that many ads are a reflection of the fact that small businesses find it difficult to compete amongst larger businesses. There are a number of things the "little guy' can do to stand out in a Craigslist listing.
1.) Make an advertisement with a title that demonstrates how Craigslist works. Use appealing titles or unique characters that will encourage people to view your ads. Craigslist ads are free to advertise on, making it a very different marketing strategy than PPC.
2.) To include images in your ads, have a designer create several designs. With graphics, your Craigslist ad will appear more professional. This will make the ad stand out from other boring craigslist postings that are predominantly text.
3.) Craigslist's advertising is an extremely competitive process. Do not forget to list every single day or every alternate day.
4.) If you are selling products, use links that lead to the product. Instead of links, include pictures in your ads. If you are an artist, include illustrations of the work that you do in your advertisements.
5.) If you're looking to gather email addresses for your catalogue, create an advertisement that attracts people. Then, have them reply to you with an automated response. This will ask them to go to a specific website and link it to your mailing list.
6.) It is better to use your own business email to communicate with people who may want to respond to your Craigslist advertisments (instead to rely on Craigslist). This can enhance the way you build your brand.
7.) If, like many internet marketers, you have a pre-existing sales page, remove it from your advertisement. Craigslist users dislike long ads. So, instead of posting them on Craigslist, link to the page. Be sure to make your ad appealing and compelling so that people will contact you.
8.) Check that your Craigslist ad is in the proper section. You may get flagged for misclassification by Craigslist Posting.
9.) I wish you all the best with your marketing.