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Craigslist Changes It’s Rules: by Justin Williams

January 16, 2014

craiglistblog

Craigslist has recently made adjustments to their site which have some apartment communities upset. Agents are no longer allowed to post “enhanced listings” which some feel will have major implications to the amount of traffic they can drive in. RELAX. While the changes will surely force the advertiser to adjust their methods, the overall effectiveness of Craigslist should remain the same.

The first of these changes is that embedded images are no longer allowed, which means that all photographs must be uploaded via their image posting tool with a limit of twelve pictures. In the past some communities have found success in using slide shows or image links in their text, but this will no longer be allowed. The next major change is that live links have been removed, essentially meaning that prospects will no longer be able to click a link and be directed to a specific web page. This means that prospects will now have to copy and paste a URL into the address bar of their search engine adding an extra step to the process. Also, advertisers will no longer be able to splash their adds with color and exotic fonts.

While these changes will surely add extra steps, the net effect will be minimal. Communities can still post their property number in the text of their advertisement, they can still post a URL which can be copied and pasted to direct people to their site, and pictures will still be able to visually speak for the property.

With these changes there will be many methods of approach that individuals will take to make their craigslist post stand out. I believe a few essential steps would be beneficial:

  • Consider hiring a professional photographer to ensure the twelve allotted photos display your community at its best,
  • Make sure to display your URL’s very clearly and state where this will direct the prospect,
  • Consider limiting the amount of text in the document.  Try bullet points or numbering but do not bore your viewer with a daunting page full of information.

Ultimately craigslist is a fantastic source of advertising but trying to use this site as your sole advertising source is not advised. Try to take advantage of the thousands of advertising sources such as social media and apartment search websites. The more diversified your advertising sources, the more likely you will have success in drawing traffic.

 

 

 

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