Ways of Making Money through Craigslist

Craigslist is an online community where its users are able to buy or sell items, as well as looking for jobs or even meet and find new friends.  It also allows its users to exchange information.  This has now become the most complete site around the world, not just in the USA, offering free classified ads to those that peruse its pages. 

Currently, Craigslist is averaging around 4 billion page views a month, and so it can offer those who want them, a wealth of financial opportunities, especially if they are willing to capitalize on this site’s popularity.  So if you are really keen to set up your own online business which can be run from the comfort of your own home, then it is advisable that you start looking for a service or product which you can advertise on Craigslist, and just see what results you achieve.

So let’s take a look at some ways that you can make money through using Craigslist.

Sell products that are tangible on your Website

It can either be through a special offer or a sale.  But all you need to do is go to the right category on Craigslist, and then submit a posting in relation to what it is you are offering for sale, along with the price that you are offering it at.  Certainly, the better the deal you can provide to those visiting the site, then the more visitors it will bring to yours.

How to Post Your Advertisement on Craigslist

Posting your advertisement is really quite easy and straightforward to do.  Plus, the other great thing is that any advert you do post here, unless it relates to a job listing (for certain major cities), it is free.

There are actually a couple of different ways in which you can post your adverts on to the site, and below we will take you through each one step by step.

First, you need to find the city you want to post your advert in.  Actually finding your city, or the one in which you want to post your advert, is very easy indeed.  On the right hand side of the page you will see the following list subdivided out as follows:-

1. Countries

2. States

3. Cities

4. Provinces

So, say for example you live in the United States, and then you just click on the state and the area which is closest to where you are.  However, you may find that if you live in one of the major US cities, such as New York, Washington DC, Las Vegas etc., then it is probably already showing up on the home page of this site. 

However if you live in another country, then finding the area that is closest to you is just as easy…just click on the country where you live, and then search through until you find a location that is close to where you reside.

The next step is where you need to find the category that you want to post your advert in.  So if, for example, you want to place an ad in the small biz ads category, you will need to go into services, and then go to the link that says “sm biz ads” and click on it.

Now you have entered the category where you are interested in posting your advert, you need to click on the post link button.  This link can be found in the top right hand corner of the page. 

You will now be presented with a list of all the categories in the services section again, and you should immediately click on the link which says “small biz ads”. 

Once this has been clicked, you will find that you can actually start to post your ad.  Below we will take a look at just how this looks.

1.  Posting Title

This is required, and you should make it not only very descriptive, but also as catchy as possible.  You want to draw the attention of those using Craigslist to what you are offering. There are thousands of ads…make sure yours doesn’t get lost in the sea!

2.  Specific Location

Although you do not need to enter any information into this section if you do not want to, you should at least put in the area where you are located.

3.  Price

This is located right next to the location box, and again it is up to you whether you enter any information into this or not.

4.  Posting Description

This is where the main part of your advertisement is placed, and will tell those reading it what they will be getting, and the benefits they can gain from it.  It all depends on what you are offering, and what your intentions are in relation to the ad that you have placed, as to how descriptive it is.

So if you happen to be selling a product, then it is best that you provide the best description possible to those reading the advert. 

However, if you are just trying to get them to come to your own website, or to click on an affiliate link that you have, then maybe just providing them with a few teaser lines is the best option, and will get them going to your website in order to learn more about what you have to offer.

Again, be very careful using a technique like this, as it is something that *could* get you banned. Be creative, and find ways to work within the confines of the rules that Craigslist has in place.

The final part of the process of placing an advert on Craigslist is to input your email address.  It is vital that you input an email address which you use regularly, and so will be checking on a regular basis.  Also, make sure that the one you input is valid, because at the end of the process, Craigslist will send an email to you in order to finalize the listing that you have posted. 

It is important to note that any postings you make will not go live until you have responded to the email sent from the site.

Adding Images

Not all categories allow you to add an image.  For those that do, you will see that there is a button which says “Add/Edit Images”. 

By clicking on this link, you are then able to gain access to the locations on your computer where your images are stored, and find the one that is most appropriate to your posting. 

By adding an image to your advert, you are potentially increasing the number of click through that your ad will receive.  Even if you are just using a generic picture that you have obtained from your website, it is best if you post this as opposed to nothing at all.

Permissions Box

This box gives permission to others to contact you with regard to other commercial interests, products or services related to what you are offering.  It is optional whether you allow others permission to contact you or not.

After completing all the sections above, you will then come to a button which says “continue”.  You need to click on this, as it will show you the advert you have just produced.  It allows you to review it at this stage and make any changes to it. 

If you do need to make any changes, then just click on the “Edit” button and carry out the alterations as you need to.  As soon as you are satisfied with what you have produced, you then need to type in the verification code provided in the box below, and then click on the “continue” button again.

As soon as you have clicked this button, you will go on to the next page, where the terms and conditions relating to placement of ads, and below these are a 2 buttons.  One asks you to “accept the terms of use” and the other asks whether you wish to “decline the terms of use”.  However, in order for your listing to be accepted, you must accept the terms and conditions of use button.

Upon clicking on this button you will then be taken to a page that asks you to check your email so that you may finalize the posting.  So, as soon as you are able to, go to your email address (the one you provided at the beginning of the process) and by clicking on the link, it then allows you to either Post, Edit or Delete the listing that you have just entered. 

By following the simple instructions provided in the email that has been sent to you, you will soon be on your way to placing your first advertisement, and then start to earn from using Craigslist in the future.

After a few minutes, your advert will then appear live on the site, and once you have done a few of these postings, you will start to wonder just what all the fuss was about in the beginning when you first started.