Over the last few years, my focus has been on researching, testing, then implementing the best techniques for posting Craigslist ads. As I continued this experiment, I noticed a marked improvement in the response rate (ad views/click-throughs to my website and – most importantly – closed sale) over that time period. Let’s read more about Craigslist Posting Services.

Tip: Do not blend in with others.

Craigslist visitors must first see your ad on a list of hundreds of others before they can make any connection. But don’t let yourself get lost in all that noise.

Ensure that your ad title has the key keywords your potential visitors are searching. Users will find your listing easily if you do this correctly. Avoid confusion and obscurity and be upfront with viewers.

– Add a special character or six to your title to make it stand out. A few special characters are recommended to spice up a dull title. If you want to draw attention, inserting a pair (Alt + 16 or diamonds) before a keyword is a great way to do so. Even a set (***) of asterisks can help. These characters can easily be added to an ad by simply copying and pasting them from the following page. Tip! Use Firefox to ensure the stars post correctly.

Avoid low-credibility terms. Craigslist users will be smart skeptical and not fall for $$$ or ALL CAPS dollar signs. They are also very suspicious of anyone claiming they are ‘free.’ Anything that looks too good to true or smells like a D.C. (cheesy or sour) will not be. This won’t result in the best response. Craigslisters will generally respond to a discount if there is a time limit. Learn more about how to write an effective call of action.

– Use appropriate terminology. If you’re writing in the real-estate section, it’s fine to use industry terms like W/D (for washer/dryer), or A Space (for building class). However, I don’t think it’s acceptable to use terms like ROI’ (return on investment) in the creative or computer sections. These sections have many people who aren’t familiar enough with this term. I used a combination of ‘Increase Revenue’ or Attract more Customers’ for better results.

TIP 2: Show Your Audience When They Are Looking.

Craigslist groups each post by their date submitted. This allows for the newest postings to be at the top. As a poster, you should aim for your ad to appear near the top in its category when your viewers are browsing. This is especially true for categories that receive hundreds, and less for those which receive only a few.

If your target market is consumers with a regular job, you should post your ad either before or after lunch (local). The average consumer is at work from 11:15 to noon. But, when lunch comes around, they’re much more likely browse Craigslist on their own.

Post your business services between 10am-1:30pm. My personal experience is that I have advertised web design services between these hours. It works. My audience is up at 6:45 am, gets through their emails and other messages from the previous day, then takes a break to look for me around 10. It is the same as before lunch.

TIP 3) Make Your Ad Appealing.

Your target clicked on your excellent ad title. But, the real battle begins. Now you must convince them that the next step is necessary for your business.

– It’s vital to create a stimulating layout. Craigslist’s plethora of plain-text ads are filled with text. You can be more than a number of people. Hire a designer or put together colorful graphics and formatting. It’s possible to make your ad look better and more worth it by investing in its appearance. If you spend more time on your ad, the viewer will want more time staring at it. Craigslist does not allow you to add HTML elements to your ad. With a little patience, or hiring a designer, you can still create an appealing design that appeals your target audience.

The hard selling is a no-go. Although it is tempting to try to close visitors right away, by giving them all the benefits of your services, translating features into benefits, handling objections, closing consistently, and so on, I advise you to not do this. Craigslist’s average viewer doesn’t want to hear from pushy ads. A personal example of this is me: I summarize the benefits, show past work (onpage images of my current websites), and include my contact information.

– Maintain the theme of your title. It’s not a good idea to have a title which says one thing, and an ad which presents another. A visitor who clicks the title on the category page is expecting to find more. They don’t seem surprised. Your title should be expanded and a call for action used to encourage them to take the next step.