http://craigslistssecret.com/ en Copyright 2007 Thu, 09 Aug 2007 23:00:00 -0500 http://www.sixapart.com/movabletype/ http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/tech/rss Finding Everything You Need on Craigslist Craigslist is an extensive community offering a variety of products and services as well as forums for likeminded individuals to discuss issues of importance to them and those who share opposing viewpoints to express their opinions as well. Craigslist also receives approximately four billion page views per month making it clear that there are many people who already realize the value of Craigslist. However, there are many who don?ft quite understand Craigslist yet. This article will focus on answering three important questions related to Craigslist for those who do not fully understand what Craigslist is and how they can use it. What Is Craigslist? One of the most elementary questions many people have regarding Craigslist, is what is it? Craigslist is essentially akin to a combination of a newspaper?fs classified section combined with the editorial page and a job seekers website all offered online for easy access. Craigslist is an online community which features an extensive classified section including sections for sales of a variety of products and services, sections for job advertisements and even a personals section. Additionally, Craigslist offers locations for individuals to post resumes and a discussion forum where a variety of subjects can be debated and information can be shared. Sound confusing? It really isn?ft. A quick visit to the Craigslist.org website will make it immediately clear how much useful this online community really is to people seeking all types of information, products and services. Not only does Craigslist offer such a wealth of information but it also conveniently divides this information into geographical regions making it simple to search for products and services offered in a specific area. How Can Craigslist Help You? Now that you understand what Craigslist is, you may still wonder how it can help you specifically. There is no one simple answer to this question. The benefits you can gain from Craigslist will depend on what you are looking for from this community. In this section we will discuss some of the relevant uses of Craigslist for those who are seeking to purchase products or services, find a job or meet friends or romantic partners and in the following section we will discuss how Craigslist can be beneficial to a business. There is a section on Craigslist specifically for those who are looking to purchase or sell an item. Here those who have items for sale can post an advertisement in an appropriate category and receive responses from those who are interested in this item. Additionally, there is a section for individuals who are seeking a specific item to post an advertisement specifying the item they are looking for and the price they are willing to pay for this item. Craigslist can also be an excellent place to find a job. Craigslist offers a section for job seekers to review job advertisements as well as a section for job seekers to post their resume. One of the major advantages to searching for a job on Craigslist is it offers a variety of flexible options such as telecommute positions and contract positions as well as full time and part time employment. Craigslist can also help individuals meet platonic or romantic friends. There is a personals section on Craigslist where individuals can post advertisements or view advertisements in search of a friend or date. As with any online dating situation, care should be taken to ensure meetings with these potential friends or dates are safe. Arranging initial meetings in public locations or bringing a trusted friend along can help to make these meetings safer. How Can Craigslist Help Your Business? Business owners can benefit from using Craigslist. As previously mentioned, Craigslist receives approximately four billion page views per month so advertising on Craigslist makes it easy to reach a large audience with minimal effort. Business owners can use Craigslist in a number of ways. The most obvious use is to post advertisements touting products and services offered. Another way business owners can use Craigslist is to check out competitors on Craigslist and learn more about how they are reaching potential customers. ]]> http://craigslistssecret.com/craigslist/001craigslist-for-beginners/secret000025.html http://craigslistssecret.com/craigslist/001craigslist-for-beginners/secret000025.html 001Craigslist for Beginners Thu, 09 Aug 2007 23:00:00 -0500 Reaching a Target Audience through Craigslist The key to any successful Internet marketing campaign is reaching a target audience. Craigslist reaches a large audience but the size of this audience may not exactly translate to the advertiser being able to reach members of their target audience. There are, however, ways to help advertisers reach their target audience through Craigslist. This article will discuss how the discussion forums and the search feature can both be utilized to find the target audience. Find the Target Audience in Discussion Forums The discussion forums featured on Craigslist provide an excellent opportunity for users to find their target audience. This is important because misdirected advertising that does not reach the target audience is useless. Advertising on Craigslist is free but this does not mean business owners have nothing to lose by advertising on Craigslist without doing market research first. Time, energy and other resources can all be wasted when care is not taken to reach the target audience. Visiting the discussion forums allows an Internet marketer to reach the target audience by providing insight into the members of the community and what they are looking for in products and services. Through visiting these forums, advertisers can simply lurk and take careful note of the ensuing conversations. This can provide a great deal of insight into the thoughts of the target audience including information on how to win over this audience. Advertisers who actively participate in these forums can further capitalize by engaging members of the community in conversation and soliciting feedback from them. All of this information can be used to target advertising specifically to the members of the target audience. Hiring search engine optimization (SEO) specialist to assist in creating advertisements is a worthwhile investment. This is because an SEO specialist can provide useful information on how the advertisement should be structured. Additionally, they may have an SEO writer on staff that is capable of writing advertising that is not only engaging but also optimized for search engines. Use the Search Feature to Find the Target Audience The search feature on Craigslist can also provide valuable insight which can help advertisers to locate their target audience. Advertisers can start this process by entering keywords related to their products or services to search in various sections of Craigslist. During this time, take note of competitors?f advertisements which are returned during these searches and the sections in which these advertisements are placed. If competitors?f advertisements appear in sections which appear logical, it might be worthwhile to consider placing your own advertisements in these sections to ensure target audience members find your advertisement when searching these sections. Next carefully examine all advertisements by competitors. Pay particular attention to the keywords used in the advertisements. This is important because savvy Internet marketers recognize the need to optimize their advertisements for the same keywords being used by competitors. Failure to do so may result in potential customers only viewing the competitors?f advertisements when searching for these particular keywords. Hiring a SEO firm might be useful in this situation. They can not only provide you with a set of new keywords but can also help you to optimize your advertisement for both sets of keywords. The copy for advertisements should be optimized for the keywords but should also be informative and enticing. An SEO firm with an on staff SEO copywriter can be especially helpful in this capacity. ]]> http://craigslistssecret.com/craigslist/002businesses-on-craigslist/secret000024.html http://craigslistssecret.com/craigslist/002businesses-on-craigslist/secret000024.html 002Businesses on Craigslist Wed, 08 Aug 2007 23:28:48 -0500 Can Craigslist Improve Your Business? The answer to this question is yes and no and maybe. It all depends on the way in which the business owners utilize Craigslist. Savvy Internet marketers who are able to identify the target audience and create sales copy which entices the reader may find advertising on Craigslist to be incredibly profitable. Conversely Internet markets that do not do their research and take a spamming approach to advertising on Craigslist are not likely to see significant financial gains. There is certainly an opportunity to gain financial benefit through advertising on Craigslist. Advertising for all products and services is free on Craigslist making it cost effectively. Additionally, Craigslist already receives extensive traffic with approximately ten million visitors generating four billion page views each month so there is no need to drive traffic to the website. While Craigslist offers so many advertising benefits, these benefits may be wasted if the advertiser does not do his research or evaluate the competition. Research before Posting on Craigslist Advertising on Craigslist is similar to advertising in other forms of media. Despite the existing heavy traffic flows to the website, successful marketing campaigns require extensive research. This research should provide the Internet marketer and his staff with insight into where post the advertisements to most effectively reach the target audience, how to word the copy of the advertisement to make it most appealing to the target audience and which relevant keywords should be included in the advertising copy to make it likely for members of the target audience to find the advertisement easily when searching for products and services offered by the company. Research of this capacity can be conducted either online or offline. One of the most effective forms of this type of research is to have members of the target audience fill out market surveys. The answers provided by the participants should give the marketer a good idea of what the target audience is seeking. Incorporating this information into the marketing campaign can make it noticeably more successful. Evaluate the Competition on Craigslist The search feature on Craigslist gives an Internet marketer an excellent way to evaluate the competition. Studying the competition is important because it can help you to learn how you can be more successful. This increased success can be a result of determining successful aspects of the competitor?fs marketing strategy and implementing these strategies as well as determining faulty aspects of the competitor?fs marketing strategy and avoiding these strategies. To get a good idea of the competitors who are advertising on Craigslist, use the search feature to search for keywords relevant to your own products and services. You will likely receive search results including advertisements from competitors. Next, carefully analyze these advertisements to determine how your can not only create better products and services at more affordable prices but also write more engaging advertising copy. Many wise Internet marketers have the reasoning skills necessary to properly analyze the advertisements for competitors but they often falter when taxed with the dilemma of creating better advertisements. This is when the services of a professional sales copywriter with search engine optimization (SEO) skills becomes a vital part of the equation. This writer can use his SEO training as well as his knowledge on the subject of writing advertising copy to effectively entice members of the target audience to either purchase products or services or at least investigate these products or services further. ]]> http://craigslistssecret.com/craigslist/002businesses-on-craigslist/secret000023.html http://craigslistssecret.com/craigslist/002businesses-on-craigslist/secret000023.html 002Businesses on Craigslist Tue, 07 Aug 2007 23:57:36 -0500 Promoting Your Business through Craigslist Craigslist can prove to be an excellent avenue for business promotion. Whether an individual has a small business which they operate on a part time basis or a thriving business which has become a time consuming endeavor, Craigslist can help the business to increase in profits and popularity. The two main components to successfully promoting a business on Craigslist include reaching the target audience and running a marketing campaign which will appeal to this target audience. This article will discuss these two components in greater detail to help the reader realize how Craigslist can be used to grow a business. Reaching Your Target Audience on Craigslist Promoting a business on Craigslist doesn?ft have to be a difficult process. However, it is not necessarily automatically easier than promoting offline either. Promoting your business through Craigslist does have some similarities to the process of promoting your business offline. The main similarity is that the business promoter musts do their research to find out who is included in their target audience. Even the most well thought out and innovative marketing campaign will falter if it is not reaching the intended audience. This is why it is so important for those who are trying to promote their business on Craigslist to be sure they categorize their advertisement correctly to ensure their intended audience will receive the intended message. The majority of posts on Craigslist are available free of charge with the exception of job listings in New York City, Los Angeles and the San Francisco Bay area as well as brokered housing listings in New York City. Therefore small business owners can take advantage of the free posting on Craigslist to reach their target audience in a number of different locations. Consider an example of a company offering moving services in Portland, Oregon. A small moving company that is relatively new might want to take advantage of the free advertising available on Craigslist. To have the best opportunity to reach the target audience the company should place a services offered posting under the labor and moving category for the counties in which the services are offered. Placing the post this way makes it far more likely to reach an audience of those who are planning a move in the desired county than it would if the same exact advertisement was placed as a job advertisement under the category of government jobs in a county in New Hampshire. Besides being free for most postings, Craigslist offers additional benefits. The most significant benefit is a large audience. Craigslist receives over 4 billion page views per month. With such a large audience it makes it possible for those who post on Craigslist to reach a large audience. However, as previously mentioned, care should be taken when placing the post to categorize the advertisement correctly to ensure the advertisement is reaching the target audience. Effectively Marketing on Craigslist Marketing effectively on Craigslist is not very different from marketing effectively in other forms of print media. One of the most important elements of an effective marketing campaign on Craigslist is professionally written copy that appeals directly to the target audience. Hiring a freelance writer skilled in writing sales copy is an excellent idea in this situation. The business owner might be quite knowledgeable about their business but they do not likely have the skills necessary to convey the purpose of the business while also effectively convincing those who read the posting to perform a specific action. The specific action may include visiting a website and making a purchase, requesting additional information about the products or services or performing some other desired action such as visiting a traditional store or place of business. The other component to marketing effectively, as previously mentioned, is placing the advertisement in the correct section of Craigslist. Categorizing the advertisement correctly is important but it is also important to place the advertisement in the right physical location. Products and services which are only offered in a limited area such as a particular city or county should be advertised in these exact locations. However, those who offer products via a website might consider placing their advertisement in all of the location to which they are willing to ship their products.]]> http://craigslistssecret.com/craigslist/002businesses-on-craigslist/secret000022.html http://craigslistssecret.com/craigslist/002businesses-on-craigslist/secret000022.html 002Businesses on Craigslist Tue, 07 Aug 2007 00:26:24 -0500 Contract Positions Available through Craigslist As outsourcing becomes a more and more popular options for both small business and large corporations, Craigslist is leading the way for employers and contract employees to connect. Craigslist is an expansive community and those who advertise on Craigslist are fully aware of the large audience reached by Craigslist. Potential employees are equally aware of the size of the Craigslist community and often turn to Craigslist first in their job search especially when they are looking for work to be completed on a contract basis. Finding a Contract Position on Craigslist The number of employees seeking work on a contract basis is increasing in leaps and bounds. More and more employees are making a move toward self employment where they are able to determine when and where they work, their fees, the types of projects they accept as well as their project deadlines. This movement is a reaction to the ever increasing propensity of corporate America to make outrageous demands on employees to generate a greater profit for the company. It is also linked to the increasing occurrence of outsourcing by corporations. Individuals see work being outsourced and realize there is an opportunity for them to work independently and accept these outsourced projects. So, where does Craigslist fit into this picture? The simple answer is Craigslist is making it easier for employers looking to outsource and independent contractors to come into contact. Those who place a job advertisement on Craigslist are required to answer a series of questions. One of these questions is whether the position is a full time position, a part time position or a temporary contract position. Employers respond to this question and as a result the job advertisement is automatically searchable by the term of employment. Job seekers on Craigslist can enter the term, ?gcontract?h into the search to receive results which were listed as contract type employment. The ability to search by whether or not a position is a contract position on Craigslist provides an advantage over other websites designed specifically for job seekers. This is significant because it not only helps job seekers who are looking for this type of work to find potential matches more quickly but it also helps employers as well because they are less likely to receive applications from employees looking for contract work when they have an advertisement for a full time position and likewise they are less likely to receive applications from employees looking for full time employment when they are seeking to fill a contract position. This can help to make the process of finding an employee through Craigslist quicker and more efficient. Why Contract Positions are So Appealing There are a number of reasons why contract positions are so appealing to members of the Craigslist community. Many of these employees are drawn to contract type work because of the flexibility it offers them. Employees who are seeking contract employment may be doing so for a couple of reasons. This may include wanting to earn extra income around the confines of a traditional job or wanting to support oneself without committing to a regular nine to five job. One of the main advantages to contract employment is it usually includes a higher hourly rate than similar positions offered on a full time basis. This is because companies are often required to offer additional benefits to full time employee such as medical coverage, social security and workers?f compensation but they are not required to offer these benefits to contract employees. Therefore the company often compensates the contract employee for the lack of benefits with an increased hourly rate. Employees are also willing to offer a higher hourly rate because they realize they are in need of the special skills the contractor can bring to the company. This is especially true in the case of industries where there is a need to hire experts with highly specialized skills. In these cases it is much more economical for the company to pay these fees to a contractor than to hire, train and retain a full time employee with the same capabilities. Most companies are becoming aware that Craigslist is the best place to find the qualified individuals they are seeking. ]]> http://craigslistssecret.com/craigslist/001craigslist-for-beginners/secret000021.html http://craigslistssecret.com/craigslist/001craigslist-for-beginners/secret000021.html 001Craigslist for Beginners Mon, 06 Aug 2007 00:55:12 -0500 Scoping Out the Competition on Craigslist It is no secret that business owners are constantly in direct competition with other businesses offering similar products or services. Whether advertising and sale of these products or services takes place online or offline, those who are truly successful in the business, are aware of the need to continually study the competition. This article will explain why studying the competition is necessary to the success of any business and will offer insight into how Craigslist can simplify this process for Internet marketers. Why is it Necessary to Study the Competition? Studying the competition is one of the most critical aspects to succeeding in any business. Whether you are marketing products or services, it is important to know what types of products are available on the market. This is necessary to ensure the products and services you are offering to your customers is comparable to the products or services offered by competitors. This is important because customers are not likely to either select your products or services or remain loyal to your business if the competitors are offering better products or better prices. Consider a new lawn care business as an example in why studying the competition is worthwhile. Suppose this new lawn care company in a particular geographical region begins offering lawn trimmings at a price $40 for an average sized yard with an additional fee of $25 for edging the lawn. If there are three other existing lawn care businesses in the same region offering lawn trimmings and edging services combined for one fee of $35, it is not likely the first lawn care business will thrive in this situation. A business owner who is not continually evaluating the competition may be confused by the lack of business. However, if he were to spend some time studying the competition, he would clearly see business is being lost because the other businesses are more affordable and offer a greater range of services for a comparable price. The above example clearly illustrates how a new business can suffer by failure to evaluate the competition before officially opening for business. Existing businesses can also suffer by not evaluating the competition on a continual basis. Failure to do so may result in the business either offering inferior products or services or offering these products or services at inappropriate prices. When this happens it is not likely the company will remain financially successful. How does Craigslist make it Easy to Study the Competition? Those who market their products or services via the Internet can use Craigslist in a number of ways. Craigslist is a popular advertising option because most advertisement postings are offered free of charge. Additionally, Craigslist receives approximately four billion page views per month making it possible to reach a large audience with minimal effort. While Craigslist makes a great deal of advertising sense, it is important to realize competitors will also realize the value of advertising on Craigslist. While competitors advertising on Craigslist increase the competition level for the loyalty of customers, it also gives savvy business owners an easy way to study the competition. One way to study the competition is to do a search for your own products or services by using relevant keywords. In doing this you are likely to encounter other businesses offering comparable products and services. This instantly puts you in contact with the competition. Once you realize who the competition is, you can carefully evaluate their advertisements to learn more about them. Key information which may be gleaned from studying competitors?f advertisements may include the quality and type of the products and services they are offering, the prices they are charging and the relevant keywords they are using to promote their products or services. Internet marketing is driven by content and keywords. It is definitely worthwhile to hire a consultant with search engine (SEO) skills to evaluate the competitors?f advertisements and tailor your own advertisement to be optimized for these keywords as well. This will help to ensure potential customers looking for information on products or services you offer are directed to your advertisement and not just the competitions?. ]]> http://craigslistssecret.com/craigslist/002businesses-on-craigslist/secret000020.html http://craigslistssecret.com/craigslist/002businesses-on-craigslist/secret000020.html 002Businesses on Craigslist Sun, 05 Aug 2007 01:24:00 -0500 Affiliate Marketing through Craigslist Craiglist is an extensive online community which has a great deal to offer to users of this community. With approximately four billion page views per month it should come as no surprise that Craigslist can offer a wealth of financial opportunities to savvy Internet marketers who know how to capitalize on the popularity of this website. Affiliate marketing is one of the ways knowledgeable Internet marketers can expand on the profitability of their websites. Craigslist provides wonderful opportunities for both ecommerce website owners seeking affiliates to market for them as well as those who are in the business of affiliate marketing who are looking for new opportunities to market for another business. This article will provide an explanation of affiliate marketing and will also provide information on how Craigslist can be used to either find affiliates or affiliate opportunities. What is Affiliate Marketing? Affiliate marketing is essentially a marketing campaign in which the business owner only pays the affiliate based on performance. Unlike conventional marketing campaigns where the business owner pays for the advertising regardless of the results produced by the advertisements, in affiliate marketing the business owner only pays when a specific result is achieved. Affiliate marketing usually takes place in the following three forms: * Pay Per Click * Pay Per Sale * Pay Per Lead In a pay per click affiliate marketing campaign the affiliate places a coded link on their website and each time a visitor to their website clicks through the link to the sponsor?fs website, the affiliate receives a sum of money. The amount of money they receive is based on an agreement between the sponsor and the affiliate. This amount can be cents, dollars or even a fraction of a cent. In a pay per sale campaign the affiliate is not compensated when the visitor clicks through to the sponsor?fs website unless they also make a purchase when they click through this link. Again the amount of money the affiliate receives will depend on a pre-determined agreement and may be a specific amount or a percentage of the sale. In a pay per lead program the affiliate receives monetary compensation when a visitor clicks through the affiliate link and performs a specific action such as registering at the sponsor?fs website or requesting additional information. Using Craigslist to Find Potential Affiliates Business owners who are interested in finding affiliates to promote their website may use Craigslist for the purpose of finding these affiliates. It may seem logical to post affiliate opportunities in the jobs section of Craigslist but it is important to note this is against Craigslist?fs job posting policies. Review of the policy for posting jobs on Craigslist will verify these requirements. Therefore those who are interested in finding affiliates will have to take advantage of other areas of Craigslist to find affiliates. Visiting discussion forums related to your business may be one way to find potential affiliates. However, when using the discussion forums, care should be taken to avoiding spamming the discussion forums with links to sign up for your affiliate program. Such spamming techniques are likely to not be taken seriously by potential affiliates and may incur more severe penalties by Craigslist moderators. The best way to find potential affiliates is to make logical contributions to discussions and get to know other participants offline or to include a link to more information on your affiliate marketing program whenever you post. Using Craigslist to Find Opportunities for Affiliates Those who generate a profit from acting as an affiliate for others can find new affiliate opportunities through Craigslist. Although posting these opportunities on the job boards are prohibited it is possible for advertisements of this nature to appear either because the original poster was not aware of the restrictions or because they deliberately ignored the restrictions. These types of advertisements are likely to be removed when discovered but they may exist for a short time without being noticed. Those who act as affiliates can also find potential leads by placing advertisements in the services section or the resumes section. They may also find potential leads by networking with those in the discussion forums. ]]> http://craigslistssecret.com/craigslist/002businesses-on-craigslist/secret000019.html http://craigslistssecret.com/craigslist/002businesses-on-craigslist/secret000019.html 002Businesses on Craigslist Sat, 04 Aug 2007 01:52:48 -0500 Meeting People on Craigslist The Internet, and Craigslist in particular, is an excellent way to meet people. Whether the purpose of meeting people is to network, find friends who share a similar interest, find romantic matches or discuss important issues there is a place on Craigslist to help you find the people you are seeking. Although Craigslist can help people to meet others in a number of ways, this article will focus exclusively on networking on Craigslist and using Craigslist to find potential romantic dates. There will also be a brief section specifying a few precautions individuals should take when interacting with others online. Using Craigslist to Network Craigslist is an excellent place for networking for those who know how to find others with which they wish to network. The discussion forums on Craigslist provide the most obvious location for Craigslist users to network. By reading through the postings on a subject of interest, an individual will likely find others who share their interests and may be interested in further conversation. Each post on a discussion forum includes a contact email address for the individual who posted the remark. This may be a private email address or an anonymous email address provided by Craigslist. Other users of the forum can use these email address to contact those they wish to speak to further or can respond publicly on the discussion forum. Finding Dates on Craigslist Many turn to Craigslist to find potential romantic partners. Much like newspapers and dating services where individuals can either read advertisements left by others or post their own advertisements seeking potential matches, Craigslist also offers this type of opportunity. The personals section of Craigslist offers a variety of options for both heterosexual and homosexual adults. It is important to note that Craigslist does place some restrictions on the postings which are allowed in the personals section beyond the terms of use for the website. These additional restricts include restricting use of the section to those over the age of 18 and preventing individuals from impersonating others in their advertisements. Craigslist Precautions The dating scene, in general, is one which requires a great deal of precaution. The need for precautions is amplified in situations where the potential dates are being met through an online resource such as Craigslist. This is because the Internet allows individuals a certain degree of anonymity allowing them to misrepresent themselves either intentionally or unintentionally. The most serious potential for danger which exists in using the personals section of Craigslist is that the other person may be someone who has the potential to harm the other person physically. The potential for this type of situation can be mitigated by setting a few ground rules. First it is important to arrange for face to face meetings in a busy, public location as opposed to a secluded location. Also, giving out information such as address and phone number should be avoided. This will help to prevent those with malicious intent from finding the individual. One final precaution for those using Craigslist to meet potential dates is to keep an open mind about the other individuals you might meet. It is possible for an individual to meet a perfect match right away but it is more likely for individuals to receive a series of responses from those who do not meet the posters expectations. ]]> http://craigslistssecret.com/craigslist/003meeting-people-on-craigslist/secret000018.html http://craigslistssecret.com/craigslist/003meeting-people-on-craigslist/secret000018.html 003Meeting People on Craigslist Fri, 03 Aug 2007 02:21:36 -0500 Finding Jobs through Craigslist Craigslist.org has quickly become one of the most worthwhile resources for those who are in the market for a new job. There are many online resources for job seekers but Craigslist is one of the most extensive. Those who know how to use Craigslist properly can make their search for a new job as narrow or as broad as they wish. This makes it possible for job seekers to enjoy a wide variety of search options which can help them to find the job of their dreams. The advantages Craigslist offers to members of its community is a secure search environment, the ability to narrow the search down to a specific location, a variety of employment options offering flexibility and a large community featuring employers of all sizes. Trust the Security Craigslist Offers One of the major benefits of searching for a new job through Craigslist is the ability to contact potential employers through a secure environment. Most individuals who post a job listing through Craigslist supply an anonymous email address for job candidates to respond to with pertinent information. This email address is supplied through Craigslist which gives job seekers the security of knowing their response will go through the secure Craigslist email system. The downside to this system is employers may not know the name of the employer before they make their initial contact. This can be troublesome especially for potential employees who are concerned about their present employer finding out they are seeking a new job. Craigslist also offers security to job seekers by carefully reviewing job advertisements for content. Craigslist even urges members of the community to report questionable job advertisements. Users are able to flag these advertisements for further review by Craigslist staff. Craigslist then reviews the advertisement carefully to determine whether or not the advertisement may remain or should be deleted. Examples of advertisements which may be deleted are those which appear to be scams. Such advertisements often promise users a great deal of money for very little work in a short period of time. Although there is still the potential for misleading or false advertisements to appear on Craigslist the precautions they take help to minimize the number of these advertisements circulating within the community. Find the Right Job in the Right Location Another advantage to searching for a new job through Craigslist is the ability to narrow down a search to a specific region. Craigslist not only allows users to search for available positions by state but allows users to further refine this search by selecting major cities within the state to include in the search. This is significant because users who live in a particular area may only be interested in jobs within a certain radius. Even job seekers who are considering relocating to a particular state may only be willing to relocate to certain parts of the state. Find Flexibility through Craigslist Another advantage Craigslist offers to the job seeking community is flexibility in employment options. There are an increasing number of employees who are seeking more flexible employment options. Options such as telecommuting and contract employment appeal to many potential employees. Most job search websites do not include options for telecommute positions, contract employment or other flexibility options. However, on Craigslist these are prominent parts of the search feature. Both employers and employees realize Craigslist is the place to go when you are either an employer looking for employees capable of working offsite or you are an employee looking for telecommute, contract or other flex options. Who is using Craigslist? Everyone One final advantage to searching for a new job through Craigslist is an impressive amount of available positions. More and more employers are beginning to realize how widely Craigslist is being used and are also beginning to realize they cannot afford not to place their available positions on Craigslist. Available jobs positions appear on Craigslist communities from small Mom and Pop companies to multi billion dollar corporations. Companies of all sizes realize they cannot afford to miss out on the wealth of potential employees who are flocking to Craigslist in search of exciting new job opportunities.]]> http://craigslistssecret.com/craigslist/002businesses-on-craigslist/secret000017.html http://craigslistssecret.com/craigslist/002businesses-on-craigslist/secret000017.html 002Businesses on Craigslist Thu, 02 Aug 2007 02:50:24 -0500 Craigslist for Beginners on Craigslist Although Craigslist has been around in one form or another since 1995, there are still some who have no idea how to use Craigslist. These individuals are missing out on a wonderful opportunity to be a part of a growing and continually evolving online community. This community is an excellent resource for finding information, finding jobs, finding friends or dates, making purchases, selling items or discussing important issues. This article will provide a brief introduction to each of the major sections on Craigslist. Community Section on Craigslist The community section of Craigslist is very useful for finding a great deal of local information. This may include activities, events, activities and lost and found just to name a few. This is definitely the section to check out if you are looking for things to do or see in a particular area. Personals Section on Craigslist The Personals section is where individuals can meet platonic friends or romantic partners. This section is set up with a number of different categories making it possible for both heterosexuals and homosexuals to find potential dates. The personals section is restricted to users over 18 years of age. Discussion Forums on Craigslist The discussion forums provide a location for individuals to voice their opinions, answer questions or otherwise exchange information. This section is divided into a number of different categories to make it easier for users to find others who share their interests. Certain categories allow users to post without logging in while other sections require users to log in before posting. Housing Section on Craigslist Craigslist?fs housing section offers a variety of options related to lodging. Users of this section can find apartments or homes available for rent, sublet opportunities, potential roommate situations, house or apartment swaps, real estate sales, vacation rentals and even storage, parking and office space for rent or sale. For Sale Section on Craigslist The for sale section of Craigslist is largely self explanatory. Like most sections, it is divided into a number of different categories. Each of these categories describes the types of items which are offered for sale within the category. Additionally, there is a wanted section where users may post advertisements seeking to purchase particular items. Not all of the items listed in the for sale section require a fee to be paid to receive the item. Some of these items are available for free or in barter situation. Services Sections on Craigslist In the services section, service providers may place advertisements for the types of services they offer. Advertisements should be placed in appropriate categories but if there is no appropriate category the advertisement may be placed in the generic small business section. Jobs Section on Craigslist The job section is by far the most extensive section on Craigslist. This section is broken down into a number of different categories to make it easier for users to search for potential career matches. Users may find full time as well as part time opportunities in this section as well as telecommute positions and contract positions. Gigs Section on Craigslist The gigs section is similar to the jobs section but advertisements in the gigs section are supposed to refer to one time only opportunities as opposed to ongoing work. For example advertisements for volunteer staff needed for a one day event should be placed in the gigs section while advertisements for full time staff positions should be placed in jobs. Resumes Section on Craigslist The resumes section enables job seekers to post their resumes. The key to getting noticed in this section is to use a catchy headline for the resume. The resumes are not divided into different categories making it difficult for users to search through these resumes. ]]> http://craigslistssecret.com/craigslist/001craigslist-for-beginners/secret000016.html http://craigslistssecret.com/craigslist/001craigslist-for-beginners/secret000016.html 001Craigslist for Beginners Wed, 01 Aug 2007 03:19:12 -0500 Finding Telecommute Positions through Craigslist Telecommuting is quickly becoming one of the most desirable types of employment. The ability to telecommute, either full time or part time, is appealing to employees for a number of reasons. Some of the reasons telecommuting is so appealing to many include the opportunity to spend more time with family, the ability to work according to your own schedule and the chance to avoid the hassles of commuting. While telecommuting is appealing for all of these reasons, there are some pitfalls to telecommuting. Using Craigslist to Find Telecommute Positions For those who are interested in securing a job where they are able to telecommute there is no better place to begin the search than Craigslist. While other popular websites designed specifically for job seekers have been slow to make telecommuting a prominent part of their community, Craigslist is leading the way in promoting telecommute options. When employers post their job advertisements on Craigslist they are asked a series of questions regarding the position. These questions include some of the standard questions such as the salary range, years of experience required, education required and job locations. However, Craigslist also includes questions referring to whether telecommuting is an option for the position. The simple inclusion of this question makes it possible for job seekers to include whether or not telecommuting is acceptable in their search criteria. Spend More Time with Family Why are so many users of Craigslist seeking telecommute positions? As previously mentioned there are a number of appealing aspects to telecommuting. Those who have a spouse or children prefer telecommuting because it gives them more time to spend with their family. Employees who telecommute do not have to spend time traveling to and from their job during rush hours. This travel time can really add up and can take time away from the family. Parents who commute to a traditional job are often much more tired than those who are able to work from home. Those who commute also endure additional amounts of stress which can detract from family time. Work at Your Convenience Another reason job seekers are flocking to Craigslist to find telecommute positions is because they enjoy the ability to work around their own schedule. Parents of young children who telecommute can wake up early and work for two or three hours before their children wake up. They can then spend the morning with their children and then work a couple more hours after lunch while their child naps. Finally, the parent can conclude their workday in the evening after their children go to bed for the evening. This allows the parents to put in a full eight hour workday without compromising anytime with their children. Parents who have school aged children can be available to drive their children to school in the morning and pick them up in the afternoon but spend the time while their child is in school working. The parents may also wake early to work before their children wake up or put in additional hours after their child goes to bed. Again, it is clear why so many members of the Craigslist community are seeking these types of positions. Avoid the Hassles of Commuting Still another reason why Craigslist members are delighted with the ability to search for positions which specifically offer a telecommute option is the desire to avoid the hassle of commuting. Whether an employee commutes to a job via car, bus or train, it is likely to add a significant amount of time to the workday. This is time for which the employee is not usually paid and is time which detracts from family time. Also, depending on the difficulty of the commute it can result in dramatically increased stress levels. The Downside to Telecommuting Although many Craigslist members fully understand the appeal of telecommute positions, it is important to note there are some pitfalls to telecommuting. One of the obvious downsides to telecommuting is friends and family members do not always respect your personal time. They often feel as though imposing is possible because you are at home and have flexibility in your schedule. Another downside to telecommuting is it may sometimes be difficult to separate work and home. Those who work in a traditional office often have an easier time leaving their work at the office while those who work from home are not always able to make this distinction and may spend too much time working just because it is convenient. One of the most important downsides to telecommuting is the employer may question the amount of work the employee is doing. Although many employers offer telecommuting options, these same employers often put less faith in these employees and do not allow them to climb the corporate ladder as quickly as those who work within the office. ]]> http://craigslistssecret.com/craigslist/002businesses-on-craigslist/secret000015.html http://craigslistssecret.com/craigslist/002businesses-on-craigslist/secret000015.html 002Businesses on Craigslist Tue, 31 Jul 2007 03:48:00 -0500 Why Your Business Cannot Afford Not to Advertise on Craigslist Craigslist is not always the best advertising option but there are certain situations in which a business cannot afford not to advertise on Craigslist. For the purposes of this article we will examine two common scenarios where a business owner should definitely consider advertising on Craigslist because failure to do so can be detrimental to his business. These examples include small startup companies without a large advertising budget and existing companies whose direct competitors are advertising extensively on Craigslist. Small Startup Companies Benefit from Advertising on Craigslist Small startup companies often have a great deal of work ahead of them to begin competing with existing companies who are already thriving. These companies may already have established client bases and may have substantial funding budges for the purpose of obtaining new customers. Customer loyalty can be difficult to break and new companies either have to offer significantly better quality products or services, comparable products or services at reduced prices or a slick marketing campaign with consumer appeal. However, smaller companies rarely have the advertising budget necessary to orchestrate an elaborate advertising campaign. This is when Craigslist becomes a necessity. Smaller companies can focus their energy on creating outstanding advertising copy without spending exorbitant amounts of money to run these advertisements in other forms of media such as newspapers, magazines, television or radio. It is important to not that while free advertising is appealing, the advertising should be just as sophisticated as it would in markets where the business owners would be required to pay a fee to run the advertisement. This will help the business to maintain a professional image and will entice potential customer to try their products or services. Don?ft Let the Competition Corner the Market Another scenario where a business cannot afford not to advertise on Craigslist is when direct competitors are making use of the advertising opportunities on Craigslist. This is important because businesses who do not advertise in the same locations as their competitors are essentially conceding potential customers who peruse those locations to the competitors. Imagine you own a dog walking business in Portland, Oregon. If there are a large number of members of that community using the local Craigslist website to find dog walkers, you will likely miss out on these business opportunities because these individuals will likely select one of the individuals advertising on Craigslist for their dog walking needs. If you were to place a well written advertisement in an appropriate section of Craigslist you may find you are able to gain a market share of the available business. There is, however, one caveat to placing advertisements wherever your competitors are advertising. This practice is not considered worthwhile when the market is already saturated with competition. Consider the above example of a dog walker in Portland. If there are a small number of competitors competing for business on Craigslist it is worthwhile to place your own advertisement here. However, if literally hundreds of dog walkers are flooding the website with their advertisement it is not worthwhile to post an advertisement because your advertisement will likely be lost in the shuffle. It is much more worthwhile to advertise in other locations. Checking Craigslist periodically may still be a good idea because those advertising on Craigslist are likely to not see great gain from this advertising and may resort to other options. When you notice a decline in competitor advertisements, it is a great opportunity to add your advertisement.]]> http://craigslistssecret.com/craigslist/004advertising-on-craigslist/secret000014.html http://craigslistssecret.com/craigslist/004advertising-on-craigslist/secret000014.html 004Advertising on Craigslist Mon, 30 Jul 2007 04:16:48 -0500 Using the Craigslist Search Feature Those who really want to take advantage of Craigslist should be well aware of how to use the search feature to find exactly what they are seeking. The search features can be very helpful whether the user is looking to gain financial benefit from Craigslist, network through Craigslist or learn more about their target audience or direct competitors. Using the Craigslist Search Feature to Gain Profit Proper use of the Craigslist feature can help companies who market their products and services on Craigslist to increase their profitability. Most small business owners may incorrectly assume the search feature is only useful for members of their target audience and there is not an opportunity for business owners to profit through use of the search feature. However, business owners can learn a great deal by exploring Craigslist through the search feature. One of the most significant ways business owners can gain greater profitability through Craigslist is to post their advertisements in the most appropriate locations. The search feature can be helpful in this capacity because savvy business owners can search through Craigslist for products or services similar to the ones they offer. Taking note of which sections of Craigslist feature advertisements for products or services similar to the ones you offer can provide insight into which sections should be used for advertisement purposes. Discovering a large cluster of advertisements for similar product or services in one particular section may indicate this section is a good choice for posting an advertisement for your products or services but it may also indicate it might be worthwhile to include your advertisement in sections which are still appropriate but less popular. This is because if the majority of competitors are posting advertisements in one section the competition for customers will be greater in this area. However, in less popular, but still appropriate sections, the business owners may find they enjoy greater success. Using the Craigslist Search Feature to Learn about Your Target Audience Wise business owners, who want to learn more about their target audience, realize there is an excellent opportunity to do so by utilizing the Craigslist search feature. If business owners are relying on Craigslist to attract a large potential audience, it is logical for these same business owners to explore Craigslist thoroughly to learn more about members of the Craigslist community. Craigslist attracts over four billion page views per month clearly indicating investing time in posting advertisements on Craigslist is worthwhile but it is important for business owners to determine whether or not there is an audience for their products or services on Craigslist. Searching through the discussion forums focusing on subjects related to the products or services offered by the business is one way learn more about the target audience. By searching through these forums the business owner can learn more about what the target audience is talking about and what they are looking for in products and services. Using the Craigslist Search Feature to Learn about the Competition Another beneficial way to use the search feature in Craigslist is to use it as a way to learn more about direct competitors. In searching for information on products or services similar to the ones they offer, a business owner can pick up on crucial information about the competition. They can learn where the competitors are advertising, the keywords they are using to promote their produces and services, the prices they are charging for their products or services and the incentives they are offering to attract new customers and to retain previous customers. All of this information can be very useful for helping the business owner to understand how they can make themselves more appealing to the target audience. Study of the keywords used by competitors can also help business owners to reach a wider audience. The key to any Internet marketing campaign is knowing how to reach an audience. Potential customers will be entering relevant keywords into the search feature to find more information about your products so business owners should be sure they are using the most relevant keywords in their advertisements.]]> http://craigslistssecret.com/craigslist/001craigslist-for-beginners/secret000013.html http://craigslistssecret.com/craigslist/001craigslist-for-beginners/secret000013.html 001Craigslist for Beginners Sun, 29 Jul 2007 04:45:36 -0500 The Benefits of Advertising on Craigslist Savvy businesspeople and Internet marketers who market on Craigslist are able to gain a great deal of benefits from this advertising option. Craigslist is an online community where users can exchange information, buy or sell items, seek jobs or even find friends or romantic partners. There are a number of benefits to advertising on Craigslist. Two of the most important benefits are the affordability and the ability to reach a large audience. This article will focus on these two benefits and will also offer advice on ensuring your advertising is not just reaching a large audience but is reaching your target audience. The Price is Right Consider the cost of advertising on Craigslist versus advertising on other websites and there is simply no comparison. The vast majority of Craigslist postings are available free of charge to those who use the website. Only a limited number of advertisements including job advertisements in Los Angeles, San Francisco and New York and brokerage listings in New York are charged a fee for posting advertisements. Even these advertisers are only charged a nominal fee for their advertisements. This means all commercial advertisements for products and services are posted free of charge. Affiliate marketing, which offers business owners the ability to only pay the affiliate when the advertisement generates web traffic, a sale or a lead is an excellent bargain but even that is no match for the free advertising offered on Craigslist. Advertising on Craigslist becomes even more financially appealing in comparison to other advertising option where the business owner is charged for each time the advertisement appears whether or not it results in a sale being made or even a lead generated. Reaching a Large Audience with Craigslist In addition to affordability another benefit to advertising on Craigslist is the potential to reach a large audience. Craigslist receives approximately four billion page views per month from approximately ten million website visitors. This is appealing because it allows users to reach a large audience with only minimal effort. Craigslist already has a large following and many Internet users already turn to Craigslist for whatever they are looking for before searching other resources. Having such a large audience means half of the work is already done for advertisers. They already have high traffic to the website, now they just need to write an eye catching and engaging advertisement that will attract customers. A Large Audience is Not Necessarily a Target Audience Craigslist certainly has a large pre-existing fan base of regular users but this large audience does not necessarily ensure advertisers will have a target audience just waiting for them to post their advertisement. Craigslist is an extensive online community and finding members of the target audience is more important than reaching the entire community. Business owners can certainly invest a great deal of time and effort placing their advertisement throughout the different sections of the website but this is not likely to be effective. Craigslist is divided into a number of different sections and categories for a specific reason. This is to make it easier for users to find the information they are seeking. For this reason business owners should focus on placing their advertisement in sections which are likely to be visited by members of the target audience. Additionally, placing advertisements in multiple sections may result in the moderators of Craigslist interpreting the advertisements as spam and deleting them. Whether the advertisements are deleted as spam or rendered ineffective they are not likely to convince members of the target audience to purchase products or services. ]]> http://craigslistssecret.com/craigslist/004advertising-on-craigslist/secret000012.html http://craigslistssecret.com/craigslist/004advertising-on-craigslist/secret000012.html 004Advertising on Craigslist Sat, 28 Jul 2007 05:14:24 -0500 Understanding Craigslist Many people hear the name Craigslist and know it refers to some sort of website but many are still unclear about the different ways in which Craigslist can be used. However, Craigslist receives over four billion page views per month so there are obviously many people who have a better understanding of the services offered by Craigslist. Essentially, Craigslist is similar to the classified section of a newspaper where individual can either post advertisements or respond to existing advertisements. There are a variety of different advertisements offered online and presented in a group of different categories to make it easier for users to find these advertisements. Whether you are new to Craigslist or a veteran of the online community this article may offer useful information about some of the uses of Craigslist. This article will discuss the following ways visitors can use Craigslist: * Promote your business with Craigslist * Find a job with Craigslist * Sell items with Craigslist * Meet dates with Craigslist The above are just four of the most popular options for using Craigslist; however, these four options do not cover the vastness of Craigslist. Readers of this article are encouraged to investigate Craigslist on their own to learn more about what this online community has to offer. Promote Your Business with Craigslist One of the most popular uses of Craigslist is for business promotion. Both small businesses and large corporations can take advantage of the free advertising offered on Craigslist to promote their business and attract new customers. Business owners are free to place advertisements on Craigslist in the section for services offered. This section is broken down into a number of categories to allow business owners to place their advertisement in the most appropriate location where it is likely to reach the target audience. There is also a section for small business advertisements but it might be more worthwhile to place advertisements in one of the appropriate categories because it is more likely to be found by interested individuals. Participating in the discussion forums and providing insightful comments and accurate answers to questions while also placing a link to a business website can help to drive traffic to an ecommerce website. However, when doing this, care should be taken to avoid making posts which will be perceived as spam. Find a Job with Craigslist Individuals can also use Craigslist to find jobs. They can either browse through the listings available by selecting a location and a general category. Additionally, the search feature can be used to refine the search for a job. This may include using search criteria such as whether or not the position is a telecommute position, a contract position, an internship, a part time position or a position with a non-profit organization. Conversely business owners and human resources representatives can use Craigslist to solicit resumes for open positions. Those who post job openings in an appropriate category on Craigslist are likely to receive a large number of responses. Sell Items with Craigslist Individuals can also sell new or used items through Craigslist. Here individual can post a host of items which they are offering for sale. These items can be posted into different categories and the user supplies a description of the item as well as a desired price. There are also categories for individuals to place items they are seeking as well as items they are offering free of charge. There are some restrictions placed on the type of items which can be sold through Craigslist. For example the sale of firearms is not permitted in the sporting goods section and pornographic items cannot be offered for sale in the CD/DVD/VHS section. Meet Dates with Craigslist Craigslist can also be used to find potential dates. There are however a number of strict restrictions enforced in the personals section. Most importantly Craigslist does not allow individuals to impersonate another individual in a personals advertisement. Those who place a personals advertisement on Craigslist have a number of categories from which to choose. They can post an advertisement seeking platonic relationships, seeking romantic relationships, seeking missed connections or other relationship related scenarios. ]]> http://craigslistssecret.com/craigslist/001craigslist-for-beginners/secret000011.html http://craigslistssecret.com/craigslist/001craigslist-for-beginners/secret000011.html 001Craigslist for Beginners Fri, 27 Jul 2007 05:43:12 -0500