10 Craigslist Tips for Power Users

Craigslist.org is the leader in the field of online free classified advertising. Craigslist is within top 50 in Alexa ranking. Due to it’s enormous popularity, the site is number one target of the spammers. Craigslist is upgrading it’s system continuously to fight against the spammers. Now it is harder to post the same ad on different locations or multiple times in a particular location.

Following are some tips for posting ads on craigslist:

1. Use Craigslist registered account: Try to post all ads with CL accounts. Avoid posting the ads anonymously, rather post the ads with a registered CL account. Posting ads with registered account will give you the opportunity of reposting which may save some time.You need phone verification for US and Canada Regions.

Step 1: If u submit without phone verification it shows the following error:

Step 2: Now you can put your phone number, then activate and get the response code and then continue with the verification. Once you verified, you can start submit the post.

2. How to search Craigslist multiple cities and categories:
craigslist.org doesn’t allow to search multiple cities or multiple categories at a time. For this reason searching craigslsist is a panic. But this problem can be overcome using google’s advanced search feature.

a. To Search the whole craigslist for a specific keyword: keyword site:craigslist.org

b. To search some specific cities: keyword site:sfbay.craigslist.org

3. Different Ad Descriptions: You need to change the ad description each time to avoid “similar posting” error and staff deletion (popularly known as “ghosting”). Use image in the description or upload image during ad posting. Using an image increases response.

4. If you are trying to promote your affilite products then you must hide your affiliate URL. A lot of techniques are available to to do so. Finally, avoid using a particular word or phrase (may be company name, phone number or email address etc.) in your titles or ad descriptions

5. Titles should match with category. If your title don’t match with the theme of the category the visitors are more likely to flag your ad. And obviously user flagging leads to staff deletion popularly known as ghosting.

6. Never give your financial information (bank account number, social security number, ebay/paypal info, etc.) to anyone. Those who ask for such information are most likely fraud on craigslist.

7. Select your posting category properly. Postings on wrong categories are flagged and ghosted so quickly. This is very important.

8. To get maximum benefit select your posting time carefully. If you see a sudden increase in flagging then take a hold on posting for few days and restart again.

9. If your ads are flagged so frequently then make your ads more natural looking. Too much commercial looking ads may be flagged so frequently unless you are posting under “services offered” category.

10. Post your question regarding flagging problem in craigslist help forum. You can also contact craigslsit’s support directly if you feel that your ads are being flagged while you are obeying craigslist’s TOS.