Remember the old classified paper ads? How useful they used to be in helping you find what you need in your locality! Not that they have lost their utility completely but the ever increasing number of internet users have given way to online classified ads that have proved to be more useful and effective. Most of the classified sites are free to use and allow you to post unlimited number of ads with logos, graphics and links. Webmasters also used classified sites for building backlinks to their websites but that’s a different story altogether. Here we will be restricting ourselves to discussion on how you can use online classified sites to get more business for yourself.
Benefits of using online classified sites
Using online classifieds for business has a number of benefits, most of which are quite obvious. They are a perfect solution for freelancers, professionals and small businesses. And if you have a local business, you can’t afford to avoid them at all.
Cost effective: Standard listing in most of the online classifieds is free and even featured listings are priced very humbly. This makes it an affordable and cost effective solution compared to other highly priced options that may be beyond the reach of small and mid-sized businesses.
Real customers: Unlike social media sites and even search engines, where you can’t really make out the actual intention of your ‘ad audience’, in online classified sites, you will find users who are actually looking for a product or service. This helps you get your ads highly potential target audience which are more likely to turn into your real customers.
Prospects from search engines: Popular classified sites usually have a good ranking in search engines. So, when somebody is searching for a related product/service in your area, they are more likely to be sent to your classified ad. This helps your ad get a wide exposure bringing you more customers.
Tips for getting better results from online classifieds
Online classifieds work for both types of products – B2B as well as B2C. But to make the most of it, you need to do it the right way. Here are some pointers to keep in mind.
Find the right site: For the best results, you should first find a classified site that is best suited for your product and requirements. Depending upon the country you are targeting, the site you may want to go with would vary. If you don’t know which site to go with, you can take the help of search engines to do a little research. This will give you a basic idea as to the major players in your area. You can carry out further research thereon to shortlist 2-3 sites for your ad.
Keep it short and catchy: Don’t bore your audience with lengthy, non-relevant descriptions. Most of the people reading your ad will just not have enough time to go through them; and when it comes to B2B ads, your audience are likely to give you even less time. So, always make it a point to keep it short and focused. Put yourself in the shoes of your audience and try to think what terms you would be using to search for the product/service you are advertising. Use those terms in your ad but don’t stuff it with keywords. Leave your website link and other contact details as well. Also, don’t forget to make the title catchy and relevant in order to attract more audience.
Select the right region and category: This again is very important. No matter how attractive and effective your ad is, put it in the wrong category and you lose it all. Quite often, sites allow selecting of multiple categories and regions. Do this only if it genuinely applies to your ad.
Share on social media: Once your ad is published, don’t forget to share it on your social media channels like Facebook and Twitter. This will let your friends and acquaintances know about your business; since they already know you, they will find it more convenient to turn into your customers.
Try it out and this simple looking channel will leave you amazed with the results!
