Want to really make those ads on craiglist work for you? It’s all about Titles.
The Title is what people see first. The purpose of the Title is not to explain or sell anything, it is simply to get a click. What many carpet cleaners forget is that it is very easy to skim over even a very clever Title (even easier for a boring one).
On page of text, you’ve go to draw their eye to your ad. What’s the point of having an awesome craigslist flyer or advertisement if the perfect customer never sees it.
You can use asterisks, but symbols are much more effective. Here are some of my favorite symbols to help draw the eye: ❙ ➤☛♦. I like to place 2 or 3 on each side. Notice which title stands out when your looking at a page of text:
To insert these symbols open up Microsoft Word, then click Insert, Symbols. Choose your symbol and copy and paste into the Title. You can also use codes by holding the Alt key and typing number codes on your number pad (not the numbers at the top of the keyboard). Go to www.alt-codes.net for a complete list of symbols. On a Mac you will need to click the American flag icon at the top right of your screen and select symbols from the list.
Say Something Useful
Now that you have their attention say something unique about your service. It could be a special offer or something about your process. Look around a see what others are saying. Be different and always use the words Carpet Cleaning in the title so you will pop up if they do a specific search.
Examples:
❙❙❙ Carpet Cleaning Specials and Coupons ❙❙❙
❙❙❙ Carpet Cleaning Healthy Green Cleaning❙❙❙
You may want to tailor your ads for specific times or seasons. For example in the summer when people are a lot of moving you might want to say: Carpet Cleaning Move In/Out Specials or in the holiday season: Carpet Cleaning Thanksgiving/Christmas Specials.
One thing you don’t want to do is use ALL CAPS. This can be viewed as screaming or desperate. Most craigslist users will skip over these types of ads. Also, don’t say something that is too good to be true. Craiglist is known for scams, bait & switch etc. People are on the look out for this kind of ad and may even flag you as spam.
Test, Test, Test
Finally, keep in mind that not all ads will work all the time in every city. You need to constantly test new titles and keep track of which ones work the best and at what times of the day, days of the week and during what parts of the year. Also try posting in different locations if you are in a metropolitan area.
Follow these tips and let me know how they work for you. If you are ready to take craigslist to the next level. Call me and we can talk about custom fliers and display ads.
Call Joe at 406-214-6504! I offer a free consultation and sample website so you see what you’re getting before you purchase.
