How to generate business leads on Craigslist
Craigslist, a website featuring free classifieds, has become one of most visited, most used, and most visible sites on the web. It is free, simple, and local, making it a great place to conduct business of almost any kind. Adhere to Craigslist's reasonable Terms of Use and you are likely to generate some business leads. Here is an easy way to post on Craigslist.
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Instructions
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Using Craigslist for Business Leads
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Look over the categories on Craigslist and determine what category (or categories) are best suited for listing your product or service. Be as specific as possible, and don't select many categories; multiple postings are considered spam. Besides, posting in the correct category is always the best way for potential clients to find you. Focus on quality, not quantity, of ads.
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Determine the best cities in which you should advertise. Craigslist is localized by city, so you'll need to post separate ads in each city where you do business. If you only do business locally, this decision will be simple.
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Write a unique ad and post it once (and only once) in each category you have selected. Don't post duplicate ads in multiple categories. If you post in more than one metropolitan area, be sure your ads are not too similar. Avoid simply hyperlinking to your website unless there is an obvious reason for doing so. Describe your product or service honestly and without a lot of hype, and invite readers to reply if they are interested. You can give out your email address (and/or other contact information) if you like. Craigslist also gives you the option of keeping your email address anonymous by allowing potential customers to reply to you directly through Craigslist.
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When business leads reply, their email address will be visible to you. Reply by email (or telephone if they provide a phone number) with a more detailed description of your service. Once customers have responded to your Craigslist post, it is safe to assume they are interested, and you can be more direct in your approach.
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Tips & Warnings
Another way to generate leads on Craigslist is to post meaningful, legitmate content (not adverstising copy) in the discussion groups. Interaction with others in these forums can lead to new business.
Ads in Craigslist are listed with most recent ads at the top, so removing and reposting your ads increases your visibility. Craigslist will allow you to do this every few days.
For your own ease of use, it is helpful to use a dedicated email address for Craigslist replies, so you don't lose track of any leads you generate.
Craigslist is very strict about violations of its Terms of Use (TOU) and will block accounts that repeatedly violate them. According to the TOU, for example, hyperlinks to commercial websites are only allowable in the "services" section of Craigslist; posting the same ad in multiple locations or metropolitan areas is prohibited; and using people's email addresses for unsolicited spam is against the rules. Make sure you abide by Craigslist's TOU. Keep your business dealings above-board and personable, and don't misrepresent yourself or your intentions, and you should be able to generate business without violating the rules.
