Top 5 Steps to Safe Selling on Craigslist
When you’re selling on Craigslist, there are several important steps to remember to ensure you maximize your sale and protect yourself. Follow these five steps and you’re on your way to becoming a professional Craigslist seller.
Sell on Craigslist
The first step is to select your city and select “post to classifieds.” After you’ve clicked this, select “for sale” as the type of posting and then choose the item category from a list.
Next, enter a clever and descriptive title for your post. Remember, Craigslist buyers are scrolling through long lists of titles and only the most creative will stand out from the crowd. Make sure your title is both eye-catching and informative, as most buyers will be on the look-out for a scam.
The third step is to enter your asking price and location. Do not give out your home address. A general area and a personal email are sufficient. If you want to avoid spam emails, make sure you opt to keep your email anonymous.
Provide a detailed description of the item you are selling, and be upfront about the condition of the item. If you can, include pictures of the item as many buyers want to see an item before making a trip to look at it in person. Buyers can separate ads into listings containing images and those that do not, so appearing in both lists will improve your chances of selling your item for your asking price.
Finally, set up a public location and a convenient time to meet with potential buyers. You can include this information in your post if you want to include the maximum information but you do not need to. Communicate this information with potential buyers and don’t waste your time on buyers who refuse to call you back or cannot meet you at a time that is convenient.
Selling products is the easy part. If you’re looking to sell your services, it becomes much more complicated and we’ll address that in a future blog article. If you’re currently responding to gigs and help-wanted ads on Craigslist and just aren’t finding new customers, there are plenty of good reasons and we’ll give some free pointers in the future. In the meantime, if you’re offering professional services on Craigslist, such as weekly cleaning, landscaping or wedding planning, contact Consorte Marketing if you want help with optimizing your campaign. We’ll not only get you traffic, but we’ll devise a strategy for you to get it to convert into lifelong customers.