Craigslist provides sellers and marketers with a platform to post free classified ads. Whether you are looking to buy or sell a home, post an ad for a new job, or promote a new product through a discussion forum, Craigslist has evolved into an extremely effective marketing tool. Receiving more than 10 million unique visitors a day and over 500,000 job listings a month, Craigslist is actually one of the top marketing outlets in the country. According to the experts from PMI Education, here are some of the unique benefits of Craigslist:

Cost: One main reason why people prefer Craigslist to other forms of advertising is that it’s free. When used effectively, Craigslist’s advertising offers entrepreneurs many exciting opportunities.

Discussion Forums: Craigslist provides discussion forums, which can help generate even greater profits. You just need to take note how you use promotional postings on these forums. If your discussion titles are mistaken for spam – an ad which is solely used to promote a business and nothing else – they will likely be ignored. Even worse, they could be banned or deleted by Craigslist moderators.

Networking: The great thing about marketing your services through online communities such as Craigslist is that you will be placing your ad in front of literally millions of clients! Some of these contacts might present opportunities to joint venture, connect you with a supplier or become life-long clients.

Bargains: There are often amazing deals on Craigslist – so amazing that you are practically robbing the marketplace blind! If you want to find products to resell, this is a great place to start.

Getting Started
Opening an account is not required to search or post items on Craigslist, but it certainly makes it easier. With an account, you no longer have to confirm your email address after every ad you post. Plus, opening an account enables you to view and edit all your current ads. This is very beneficial because it allows you to manage all your listings and relist your ads every 48 hours! To set up your account:

1. Visit http://www.craigslist.org/.
2. Click the LOGIN link on the left-hand side of the home page.
3. This brings you to a new page. Underneath the LOGIN box, you will see, “Don’t have an account? Click here to sign up.” Click on it.
4. Input the email address you want affiliated with Craigslist and then type in the verification word. Click CREATE ACCOUNT.
5. Confirm your account in the confirmation email Craigslist sends you.
6. Congratulations! You are now a registered Craigslist user and you’re ready to start making money!

Once you have registered for Craigslist, you’ll find that posting ads and searching for deals is extremely easy. Here are some advanced strategies to help you get the most from your account. Rather than trying them all at once, add a new strategy every week. In this way, you can bolster your online reputation and make as much money as possible.

Sell tangible products: Start by selling things that you already own. If you’ve never sold online before, the best way to learn how to do something is by doing it. Not only can you pocket some quick cash, but you’ll be able to gain a thorough understanding of how Craigslist works – and the best part is Craigslist doesn’t charge listing fees like eBay, so it’s absolutely free to start posting today.

Special Offers and Sales: If you have a website or eBay store, advertise special offers and sales with each physical product that you post. For example, if you are selling baseball bats, you could advertise that you will be selling other items with each bat on your website for a limited time only and include a link to your site. This way, you will be building a customer base for your website as well as a name to attach to the product, which hopefully will grow with each one of your buyers.

Respond Promptly: Be sure to respond to interested parties as quickly as you can. Remember, people who are shopping on Craigslist are looking for a deal and will probably move on to the next listing if you don’t respond within their buying timeframe.

Build Relationships: After a buyer makes a purchase from you, always ask permission to contact them in the future to inform them of new products you are offering. By doing this, you will be able to create an email list that can produce income for years.

Craigslist FREE Category: Did you know there is a section on Craigslist where people give away free stuff they don’t want anymore? You can find electronics, furniture or collectibles that people are simply giving away, which you can then resell at 100% profit! Keep your eyes open for some real bargains in the free section, because it might end up being the quickest cash you’ll ever make.

Multiple Products: Posting multiple products under one listing may be frowned upon by eBay, but it is absolutely acceptable on Craigslist. So advertise your hottest product in the title and then throw a bunch of extras into the body that the buyer might not have been interested in until they saw your post.

Gigs and Services: Craigslist has a section that a lot of people don’t take advantage of because they don’t even know it’s there. By looking under Gigs or Services you can find opportunities to earn extremely fast cash by providing a professional service. Be sure to browse these categories often, as it may prove to be more profitable than posting your own ads.