Ways To Market Your Business Using Craigslist While Avoiding Spamming
One of the things that many internet marketers overlook is budget
. They
spend too much on things that they could have done for a small cost or even
for free a fancy website, copywriter's fees, promotions, etc. And they do
this even before they make their first sale! Worse, some of them promote too
much that they get banned from certain sites and lists for the sin of
spamming. What they dont know is that there are ways to market a business
at low or zero cost without spamming anyone. One of these is through
Craigslist.
Free classified ads and more
Craigslist is one of those sites that you will probably thank heavens for,
primarily because it can help you reach and expand your market. It's also
for free. Craigslist (www.craigslist.com) is a website that accepts and
posts classifieds without charge.
Aside from the classifieds, you also get to post stuff in the non-classified
pages, such as the 'Rants & Raves' and 'Missed Connections'. The non-
commercial sections may seem like a dead end but they are actually quite
popular. People go back to these sections for their entertainment value and
many actually check out these sites before and after they look for something
to buy on the classifieds.
Treading carefully on Craigslist
When there is so much potential of developing a market, there is a danger
that you might overdo the marketing part and end up spamming people. And you
know how everybody hates the 'S' word. You could get blocked and be viewed
as an unreliable, dubious internet marketer out to make a quick buck.
With Craigslist, or with any list for that matter, choose your market
carefully. Spamming usually happens to people who grab all the e-mail
addresses they can find and send out thousands of e-mail messages and invites
in one go, without even thinking of what those people actually want as
individuals. C'mon, how many times have you been offered cheap Viagra and
you're a woman?
Craigslist without spamming
Spamming is internet marketing without thinking. It's like shooting blind
lucky if you hit something, bummer if you don't. And when you're in it for
the business, it's not just a good thing to do. It's a complete waste of
time, effort and resources.
The key is to read the categories and use those categories. Are you
promoting an e-book on the how-tos of handling a divorce? Use the personals
but you might want to keep your post away from unrelated categories such as '
pets'. UNLESS your e-book includes a topic on what happens to and who gets
the pets during a divorce. The interest of the pet lovers in the well being
of their pets will make your e-book relevant. Simply look at what types of
ads and subjects are active and popular in Craigslist and design your ad
around them.
Familiarize yourself with the categories. Two of the very first sections you
can market in are the 'Services' and 'Sale' sections where you'll usually
find fellow internet marketers. These sections have sub-categories, perfect
if you're doing niche marketing. Are you promoting a legal or financial
service or selling a sports or computer-related product? You'll find an
audience here and more.
To make sure you avoid spamming, post the same ad using a different copy for
each. The same ad in different sections will get you flagged. Using the
same idea, a few changes here and there will usually work. This is a rather
close community and it's best to treat them well so they repay you in kind.
Marketing in the discussion forums
The Craigslist discussion forums can also be an excellent venue with which to
market your business without spamming. There are more than 70 forums that
are currently active, so it's impossible for you not to find the right
recipients.
The forums are also categorized by topic and you'll get to exchange views
with millions of people all over the world. Again, use the categories with
care. Review the topics of the discussion forums to see which one is the
best venue to market your business in.
Keeping it fresh
One thing to remember when you're marketing your business in Craigslist or
elsewhere is to ensure that you rotate the ads on a regular basis. The same
ad over and over again for months at a time will sound stale. Plus, you
could get flagged if you posted the same ad over and over again since this
smacks of spamming. People are also less likely to trust you, since it seems
as if you're not selling at all. Review your ads regularly and be on the
lookout for any changes to keep yourself updated.
by: Elijah Chai
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