This week I’m free to write about promotions. Orkut Promote is quite a good feature — I’m still testing it. My test campaign has got around 200+ views within 4 days. I will update the test results here soon. Orkut promotion is a new strategy for promotions, but you should never neglect the basic promotional strategies. Classifieds are always easy, effective, and mostly free. There are lots of classified sites around the web. Plan your goal for the best classified — Craigslist (more than 6 billion page views per month):
Craigslist is a centralised network of online communities, featuring free online classified advertisements — with sections devoted to jobs, housing, personals, for sale, services, community, gigs, résumés, and discussion forums.
As the definition suggests, there is nothing that can’t be promoted on Craigslist. With the great help to get started, you can earn more and more.
Some tips to promote your listing:
1. Craigslist is completely categorised and its users are accustomed to categorisation, so never put your ad in the wrong category. The accurate category will generate more business.
2. Many people feel ads need to be simple, but in the classified world you need some catchy content. Your title needs to be interesting enough to grab the reader’s attention. I would suggest looking at some local newspapers — they can give you a basic idea of what “catchy” means for your biz.
3. Use the complete character count provided: It’s about catching users’ attention through length. There are few instances where your competitor won’t use 100% of the character limit.
4. The title needs to be catchy, but not the description. Once you have grabbed the user’s attention, it’s all about your description that helps to promote — don’t forget to mention the following:
- What you are selling
- Why you are selling
- The condition of the product
- Product specs
5. End with contact info. Remember to avoid getting spam.
6. Avoid bad English, too many exclamation marks, and all caps.
I hope you will share your experience about these tips.
Sources: Wikipedia, Craigslist Handbook