How To use the new craigslist fee policy to YOUR advantage
One day in the first week of March 2018, I noticed a new line in the categories section. It alerted me that beginning on March 15th, craig's list was going to charge anywhere from $3-$5 on new postings in the services and gigs section. They are also charging in other areas.
When I first saw it, I was shaken and concerned, but that changed as I saw how the new policy can be a very good thing for me. Is it a good thing for you? Well, that depends.
See, I was one of those guys that may have encouraged craigslist to make a change like this. I run anywhere between 200-300 ads nationally. I also have a fairly high end/profit service, so the time I put in posting, renewing and re-posting was worth it to me. It's important to calculate not only what you pay for advertising - but the TIME you spend advertising when it's free. For me, TIME is MONEY.
The simple conclusion I've come up with is I will still be posting on craigslist, but less. What's the good part of that? A lot of the volume and competition will not be posting as much either, and some will just stop posting there. Are there other free classified ad sites? Yes, but if they do not get near as many eyeballs to my ads or get low traffic, then free can mean "waste of time" for me. I can also nail signs to trees in my neighborhood for free, but for my services - that would be a waste of time. Craig's list is still the most popular classified ad site in the world, and I do not think the fees will change that. I could be wrong down the road, but until I see a site with the reputation and traffic that compares to CL, I will stay engaged with it.
I'm also thinking that less posts will get removed or flagged if a fee was paid on it. Will CL remove AND refund a poster? How craig's list will handle repetitive (but paid for) posts remains to be seen.
Some things to consider whether paying for your ads on craig's list is worth it or not should include:
Is your product or service high end?
Do you offer several types of services?
Are you strictly local or national?
What is your lead-to-closing ratio?
Let's take the first and last item. If your primary service nets you $200 and you close approximately 25% of the people who call you, then a $5.00 add was certainly worth it, and you should continue fairly aggressively on craig's list. If each customer gives you a profit of $30, then it gets a little less worth it. So, my initial read on the fee change is if it passes these 2 tests (higher profit amount+high closing ratio), then most should slightly decrease their posting volume and test the waters.
As time goes on, I will share my initial experience with the new format, and I hope some of you will share yours!
Nick Hunter
SEO and Internet Marketing Coach
Nick's SEO World
