How to Use Classified Ads to Increase Traffic and Market Your Work

June 2nd, 2010 | Alex Mathers

The Internet is a truly useful tool for gaining exposure for your brand and your work. One of the many ways to get some solid exposure is through online classified ads sites such as Craigslist, Yahoo, AOL, Gumtree and USFreeAds.

You can use classifieds as a means of advertising your services directly, or as a way to drive decent amounts of traffic directly to your blog and sites.

Because such sites are tailored to local areas, particularly some of the local community sites and portals (which you can find using search engines), you need to keep in mind the locality or region you are advertising your services to.

However, for those of you looking to advertise globally, it might be a case of choosing to place ads aimed at a few areas, or to place multiple ads covering many areas.

Some sites will charge you for placing an ad, whilst many will be free. Before posting an ad, it is worth writing out the ad in a text document to be copied first.

Writing the ad

Use a headline that highlights the main benefit of what you are advertising. For example: “Clean and contemporary website design”.

Write a section that explains exactly what you offer and provides explicitly and clearly what benefits you can provide.

Write a ‘call to action’, which is a line that specifically draws the reader to something, namely your base site. An example could be:

‘I would appreciate any feedback you might have on my portfolio, which can be found at http://…’

Pictures

If pictures are allowed, it is a good idea to use one that is relevant and will add to the depth of the advertisement.

Submit the ad

You then need to input this information into the form of the ‘new ad’ or ‘post’ on as many classified sites as you choose. Many sites will require you to register before submitting. Always keep your target audience, and (if it is necessary) your target geographical area in mind when submitting ads to classifieds sites.

You can use automated submission software for submitting ads at once, or hire someone to post several for you. The more ads you submit, the more exposure and traffic you will get in this way.

Delete ads that have been up for more than a few weeks, and re-submit them, to keep ads at the top of listings.

A large list of sites that accept classified advertisements for submission are available in the resources section of my online promotion ebook.