Ways To Market Your Business Using Craigslist While Avoiding Spamming

One of the things that many internet marketers overlook is budget. They spend too much on things that they could have done for a small cost or even for free – a fancy website, copywriter's fees, promotions, etc. And they do this even before they make their first sale! Worse, some of them promote too much that they get banned from certain sites and lists for the sin of spamming. What they don’t know is that there are ways to market a business at low or zero cost without spamming anyone. One of these is through Craigslist.

Free classified ads and more
Craigslist is one of those sites that you will probably thank heavens for, primarily because it can help you reach and expand your market. It's also for free. Craigslist (www.craigslist.com) is a website that accepts and posts classifieds without charge.

Aside from the classifieds, you also get to post stuff in the non-classified pages, such as the 'Rants & Raves' and 'Missed Connections'. The non-commercial sections may seem like a dead end but they are actually quite popular. People go back to these sections for their entertainment value and many actually check out these sites before and after they look for something to buy on the classifieds.

Treading carefully on Craigslist
When there is so much potential of developing a market, there is a danger that you might overdo the marketing part and end up spamming people. And you know how everybody hates the 'S' word. You could get blocked and be viewed as an unreliable, dubious internet marketer out to make a quick buck.

With Craigslist, or with any list for that matter, choose your market carefully. Spamming usually happens to people who grab all the e-mail addresses they can find and send out thousands of e-mail messages and invites in one go, without even thinking of what those people actually want as individuals. C'mon, how many times have you been offered cheap Viagra and you're a woman?

Craigslist without spamming
Spamming is internet marketing without thinking. It's like shooting blind – lucky if you hit something, bummer if you don't. And when you're in it for the business, it's not just a good thing to do. It's a complete waste of time, effort and resources.

The key is to read the categories and use those categories. Are you promoting an e-book on the how-tos of handling a divorce? Use the personals but you might want to keep your post away from unrelated categories such as 'pets'. UNLESS… your e-book includes a topic on what happens to and who gets the pets during a divorce. The interest of the pet lovers in the well being of their pets will make your e-book relevant. Simply look at what types of ads and subjects are active and popular in Craigslist and design your ad around them.

Familiarize yourself with the categories. Two of the very first sections you can market in are the 'Services' and 'Sale' sections where you'll usually find fellow internet marketers. These sections have sub-categories, perfect if you're doing niche marketing. Are you promoting a legal or financial service or selling a sports or computer-related product? You'll find an audience here and more.

To make sure you avoid spamming, post the same ad using a different copy for each. The same ad in different sections will get you flagged. Using the same idea, a few changes here and there will usually work. This is a rather close community and it's best to treat them well so they repay you in kind.

Marketing in the discussion forums
The Craigslist discussion forums can also be an excellent venue with which to market your business without spamming. There are more than 70 forums that are currently active, so it's impossible for you not to find the right recipients.

The forums are also categorized by topic and you'll get to exchange views with millions of people all over the world. Again, use the categories with care. Review the topics of the discussion forums to see which one is the best venue to market your business in.

Keeping it fresh
One thing to remember when you're marketing your business in Craigslist or elsewhere is to ensure that you rotate the ads on a regular basis. The same ad over and over again for months at a time will sound stale. Plus, you could get flagged if you posted the same ad over and over again since this smacks of spamming. People are also less likely to trust you, since it seems as if you're not selling at all. Review your ads regularly and be on the lookout for any changes to keep yourself updated.