Anyone looking for a good deal knows that Craigslist is probably the best site to visit. Mostly anything that you can ever think of buying is probably being sold on Craigslist, included but not limited to used cars, apartment rentals, cameras, cell phones, kitchen appliances, lawn mowers…and several other strange items that you probably will never need in your life.
Craigslist is a fast and effective way to get rid of just about anything you want to sell, and you don’t end up giving 10% back to the company for listing fees. You’ll also be dealing with locals and generally will not need to mail anything out, which I always find to be a huge plus. But if you’re going to start writing listings, you want to make sure they are going to help you sell your items quickly and not just create more work and questions for you to answer.
Here’s how to make your Craigslist ads stand out:
- Be brief, clear, concise — Start with a headline that contains keywords that describes your item in as few words as possible. It should be information-dense but short. Catching a viewer’s attention doesn’t necessarily mean writing your headline in ALL CAPITAL LETTERS. Also, don’t put in too many exclamation points and asterisks if there is no actual need for it — it’s just annoying. Reserve the adjectives of the qualities of your product for the description, not the title. If you are witty or funny, you can certainly show off your skills in your listing, but save it for the description and not the post title.
- Take some decent photos — Always remember to include at least one photo in your post. People like to see your goods but it has to be some that you’ve taken yourself of the actual product. When people search for a certain item, they already know what it looks like. And they want some reassurance that if they are going to buy yours, it’s actually what you say it is, and in decent condition. But don’t put in too many photos, either, because it will end up taking longer for your listing to load.
- Clear Enough? — Now that you have gotten people to click on your ad, the challenge shifts to maintaining their attention. Make your posts readable. Use bullets and paragraph breaks so it is easier to read the information on the page. Your posts should be concise, accurate and easy to understand. You’re not writing a thesis on this toaster or bike.
- Contact Me — Indicate the best way you can be contacted by potential and prospective buyers, like sending you an email, which can be done via their mail system which masks your email address. For urgent listings, you may include your number but make your instructions are clear, like if the person should call you or limit the communication to a text. If you get a great deal of people contacting you before the listing expires, make sure to take down your ad so people will not continue to send you mail or call.
- Keep prices reasonable — If you really want to get rid of something, look around online to see what value your item has. Don’t set a price super high so you have a lot of bargaining room, or you’ll get less interested buyers. If it’s something that is collectible, think about listing it on eBay or an auction site instead.
- Beware of scammers — If someone writes you and wants you to mail the goods, will send you a check, wants to send a friend, pay later or anything seems fishy or out of order, walk away. Act smart and be alert, especially if you’ll be a single woman home alone with someone you don’t know.
Keep these tips in mind while writing your listings, and also think about the way you respond to your possible customers as well as how eager customers are to make the purchase and you’ll do great! Just remember to be truthful about your posts and respect the community. And that you’ll be blessing someone else with the stuff you no longer want; not to mention making your life better by getting rid of the stuff.
Have you had any good or bad experiences on Craiglist? What tips do you have for those using it?
