Sunday, June 28, 2009

Using Free Classifieds to Your Advantage

Contributed by Alex Wu

Given the fact that folks have been using free classifieds to find, sell, and buy items for more than thirty years, they are practically an institution. They have endured where many other trends have not. Part of the reason they are so popular is because they are so versatile. They can be used for just about anything. You can find practically any item, product, or service you might want by browsing the classifieds. You really never know what you are going to come across.

That being said, simply placing an ad does not guarantee success. You need to follow a few fundamental rules. Some ads are more successful than others. That is simply fact. What separates the successes from the failures is usually the ad itself rather than what it is advertising. There is one key thing to remember when placing a classified ad. You need to remember that your sole reason for placing it is to get people interested.

You place it because, for whatever reason, you want people to read it and contact you to get more information. You have to interest and intrigue your readers. It does not matter if you are trying to give away free puppies or to sell a private product or service.

People are not going to contact you if they are not interested. Therefore, you have to catch their eye. In some ways, it is often better to avoid actively selling something in your ad. It is far better to pique someone's interest and then try to sell what you are advertising when they contact you.

If you try to sell something too much, then people will generally do the exact opposite. Rather than being interested, they will be put off. You have to make them want to contact you rather than forcibly trying to sell or give them something. You can get to that point after you have them intrigued with the subject of your ad.

One of the ways you can do this is by staying away from ads which only run a week or so. These are considered one-shot ads and they rarely do any good. You should either let your ad run for a few weeks at least, or place a subtly different ad every week. That way, you can keep catching the readers' eyes. This is also the reason so many people prefer free classified ads.

As stated, people turn to the classifieds for many different reasons. There is literally no limit to what you can use them for; it all depends on you. They are, for instance, ideal for getting more visitors to personal or business sites or blog pages. People who are trying to sell something can also be helped by them. It does not matter if they are trying to sell services or products.

Naturally, free ads are a wonderful place to buy and sell things as well. Perhaps you are looking to buy a washer and dryer, a stove, a futon, or any number of other things. Perhaps you are even looking for a roommate! Then, too, perhaps you have something other than a private product you want to sell. People who are having garage sales and yard sales can even benefit from advertising.

Alex Wu runs a (http://www.Jihoy.com) free classifieds social network site that lets people post their ads, build profiles, and connect. He hopes to create an active environment for businesses (http://www.Jihoy.com) post free ads and build relationships.

If you have a blog, you need to read Blogging to the Bank.

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