Mistake #1 – Horrible Headlines
An effective Craigslist headline has three components:
§ Geo-targeted Area — Examples:
§ Keywords — Examples: Lease Option, Real Estate, Garden Villa
§ Attention Statement — Examples: Just Listed, $20,000 Price Reduction
Combining these components, along with not listing a price or the number of bedrooms, ensures that your headline draws the attention of the viewer and stands out from the typical Craigslist ad.
So, instead of getting:
$175,000 / 4br – 2000ft – CEDAR LOG HOUSE
You get:
And on a Craigslist page, it looks something like this:
$175,000 / 4br – 2000ft – CEDAR LOG HOUSE
$200,000 / 4br – 2200ft – 28 x 56 Doublewide mobile home
$275,000 / 3br – 3000ft – 2 Story Arts Crafts Style Home
$75,000 / 2br – 900ft – Across the street from the park
$435,000 / 4br – 2700ft – Potential Portfolio Property
$110,000 / 2br – 1000ft – 2 Bedroom home in Compton Heights
Winghaven Garden Villa $20,000 Price Reduction *** You’ll be DAZZLED!!
$175,000 / 3br – 2000ft – OPEN HOUSE TODAY
$500,000 / 4br – 5000ft – Spacious home, 3 car garage
$375,000 / 5br – 2800ft – Brazillian Cherry, Gourmet Kitchen
$750,000 / 7br – 9000ft – Exquisite Ladue Home
$152,000 / 3br – 1500ft – Luxury and Location at a bargain
$175,000 / 4br – 2100ft – Jet tub, Flowers & Shopping
Now, remember back to
You’re striving for different with your headline…something that will catch your eye and stand out from the pack.
Mistake #2, Too Much Info
The goal of your Craigslist ad is to get people to your website and into your marketing funnel.
You want them to see all of the properties you have available to increase your chances of getting their business.
Provide too much information in your Craigslist ad and viewers who are not interested in that property will never get to your website and see what else you have to offer.
In other words, tease them.
Mistake #3: No Call To Action
What are you waiting for – GO!
Call
For pictures and description, visit
Stop by
Now, this may seem so obvious as to be silly. Or as my 8 year – old would put it, “DUH!!”
But it is very important that you tell people what you want them to do. Numerous times. Every time you “touch” them. The action you want them to take may be obvious to you, but don’t assume it is to the viewer.
Mistake #4: No Lead Capture
In a perfect world, every person who visits your website, calls your office or clicks on one of your Craigslist ads would walk through fire to give you their name, address, social security number and credit score…all three of them.
In the real world, that just doesn’t happen. In order to get what you want (they’re contact info), you must be prepared to give them something of value in return.
A free report for first – time home buyers or access to the
Mistake #5: No Branding
Branding yourself an expert is an effective way to separate yourself from the zillion other agents in your area. You can be an expert in anything you want. You decide. Foreclosures, HUD homes, lakefront property…anything at all.
Examples of branding yourself include:
§ “the Foreclosure Guy”
§ “the Condo Queen”
§ “your Short Sale Specialist”
Once you’ve chosen a brand and a catchy phrase, use it for everything, online and off, from business cards to your website to your Craigslist ads. Do this consistently (Mistake #6) and you will start to attract more leads and more visitors
Mistake #6: No Consistency
In order to keep your marketing funnel topped off, you need to post a Craigslist ad every 48 hours for each of your listings.
Your best response will come from ads posted on Sunday and Monday, followed by Friday and Saturday.
Timing is also important. Post at times of heaviest internet usage, like lunch hour and evenings during the week.
Consistency doesn’t only help generate business for your existing listings. In conjunction with branding yourself as an expert, prospects on Craigslist will see your ads regularly and you become “known” to them. Then, when they need an agent, yours is the name they think of.