My fellow condo owners and I had our annual association meeting last night. And besides the usual fare of "pick up after your dog" and "we're raising dues again," something stood out this year. Not once, but several times
Angie's List,
Craigslist and
LinkedIn were mentioned when we discussed improvements to the building, finding reliable workers and connecting with other neighborhood folks.
I think sometimes it's easy to brush off these online hubs because we figure that only the savvy Web users are interested in and using them. But several of the people that own condos in my building are very, very non-tech savvy. And they were all about using these online services. So it serves as another reminder - especially to those with brick and mortar businesses - to spread yourself out and get involved in these communities and directories. Craigslist is one of the most trafficked sites on the Web, so the potential is tremendous - not just for sales but for driving traffic to your site. Here are some tips to using the directory to your advantage:
Use photos: A craigslist listing notes "pic" next to those with photos. People respond to images and it makes your ad stand out.
Repeat your listing: Depending on the amount of postings, your ad can get pushed down the list quickly. So it helps to repost it occassionally ... but not too much.
Don't spam: In recent years, craigslit has become better about removing spam and users are quick to report violations. Be careful that you don't repeat your ads too often.
Use the appropriate category: Don't shotgun your listing across all categories. That's craigslist spam and the listings will be reported.
Optimize your listing: Just like SEO, include keywords in your listing. Craigslist listings and categories show up in the search engines. I searched Panasonic Toughbook Chicago and a craigslist post was the third result.
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