| Savvy businesspeople and Internet marketers who | | | | billion page views per month from approximately ten |
| market on Craigslist are able to gain a great deal of | | | | million website visitors. This is appealing because it |
| benefits from this advertising option. Craigslist is an | | | | allows users to reach a large audience with only |
| online community where users can exchange | | | | minimal effort. |
| information, buy or sell items, seek jobs or even find | | | | Craigslist already has a large following and many |
| friends or romantic partners. There are a number of | | | | Internet users already turn to Craigslist for whatever |
| benefits to advertising on Craigslist. Two of the most | | | | they are looking for before searching other |
| important benefits are the affordability and the ability | | | | resources. Having such a large audience means half of |
| to reach a large audience. This article will focus on | | | | the work is already done for advertisers. They |
| these two benefits and will also offer advice on | | | | already have high traffic to the website, now they |
| ensuring your advertising is not just reaching a large | | | | just need to write an eye catching and engaging |
| audience but is reaching your target audience. | | | | advertisement that will attract customers. |
| The Price is Right | | | | A Large Audience is Not Necessarily a Target |
| Consider the cost of advertising on Craigslist versus | | | | Audience |
| advertising on other websites and there is simply no | | | | Craigslist certainly has a large pre-existing fan base of |
| comparison. The vast majority of Craigslist postings | | | | regular users but this large audience does not |
| are available free of charge to those who use the | | | | necessarily ensure advertisers will have a target |
| website. Only a limited number of advertisements | | | | audience just waiting for them to post their |
| including job advertisements in Los Angeles, San | | | | advertisement. Craigslist is an extensive online |
| Francisco and New York and brokerage listings in | | | | community and finding members of the target |
| New York are charged a fee for posting | | | | audience is more important than reaching the entire |
| advertisements. Even these advertisers are only | | | | community. |
| charged a nominal fee for their advertisements. | | | | Business owners can certainly invest a great deal of |
| This means all commercial advertisements for | | | | time and effort placing their advertisement |
| products and services are posted free of charge. | | | | throughout the different sections of the website but |
| Affiliate marketing, which offers business owners the | | | | this is not likely to be effective. Craigslist is divided |
| ability to only pay the affiliate when the | | | | into a number of different sections and categories |
| advertisement generates web traffic, a sale or a lead | | | | for a specific reason. This is to make it easier for |
| is an excellent bargain but even that is no match for | | | | users to find the information they are seeking. For |
| the free advertising offered on Craigslist. Advertising | | | | this reason business owners should focus on placing |
| on Craigslist becomes even more financially appealing | | | | their advertisement in sections which are likely to be |
| in comparison to other advertising option where the | | | | visited by members of the target audience. |
| business owner is charged for each time the | | | | Additionally, placing advertisements in multiple sections |
| advertisement appears whether or not it results in a | | | | may result in the moderators of Craigslist interpreting |
| sale being made or even a lead generated. | | | | the advertisements as spam and deleting them. |
| Reaching a Large Audience with Craigslist | | | | Whether the advertisements are deleted as spam or |
| In addition to affordability another benefit to | | | | rendered ineffective they are not likely to convince |
| advertising on Craigslist is the potential to reach a | | | | members of the target audience to purchase |
| large audience. Craigslist receives approximately four | | | | products or services. |