The answer to this question is yes and no and maybe. It all depends on the way in which the business owners utilize Craigslist. Savvy Internet marketers who are able to identify the target audience and create sales copy which entices the reader may find advertising on Craigslist to be incredibly profitable. Conversely Internet markets that do not do their research and take a spamming approach to advertising on Craigslist are not likely to see significant financial gains. There is certainly an opportunity to gain financial benefit through advertising on Craigslist. Advertising for all products and services is free on Craigslist making it cost effectively. Additionally, Craigslist already receives extensive traffic with approximately ten million visitors generating four billion page views each month so there is no need to drive traffic to the website. While Craigslist offers so many advertising benefits, these benefits may be wasted if the advertiser does not do his research or evaluate the competition. Research before Posting on Craigslist Advertising on Craigslist is similar to advertising in other forms of media. Despite the existing heavy traffic flows to the website, successful marketing campaigns require extensive research. This research should provide the Internet marketer and his staff with insight into where post the advertisements to most effectively reach the target audience, how to word the copy of the advertisement to make it most appealing to the target audience and which relevant keywords should be included in the advertising copy to make it likely for members of the target audience to find the advertisement easily when searching for products and services offered by the company. Research of this capacity can be conducted either online or offline. One of the most effective forms of this type of research is to have members of the target audience fill out market surveys. The answers provided by the participants should give the marketer a good idea of what the target audience is seeking. Incorporating this information into the marketing campaign can make it noticeably more successful. Evaluate the Competition on Craigslist The search feature on Craigslist gives an Internet marketer an excellent way to evaluate the competition. Studying the competition is important because it can help you to learn how you can be more successful. This increased success can be a result of determining successful aspects of the competitors marketing strategy and implementing these strategies as well as determining faulty aspects of the competitors marketing strategy and avoiding these strategies. To get a good idea of the competitors who are advertising on Craigslist, use the search feature to search for keywords relevant to your own products and services. You will likely receive search results including advertisements from competitors. Next, carefully analyze these advertisements to determine how your can not only create better products and services at more affordable prices but also write more engaging advertising copy. Many wise Internet marketers have the reasoning skills necessary to properly analyze the advertisements for competitors but they often falter when taxed with the dilemma of creating better advertisements. This is when the services of a professional sales copywriter with search engine optimization (SEO) skills becomes a vital part of the equation. This writer can use his SEO training as well as his knowledge on the subject of writing advertising copy to effectively entice members of the target audience to either purchase products or services or at least investigate these products or services further. PPPPP Word count 573

Craigslist is an online community which offers members the opportunity to take a virtual trip around the world. There are Craigslist sites covering cities in all 50 states of the United States as well as sites for cities in over 50 different countries. With so much local and international coverage it is clear to see how users of Craigslist can virtually travel the globe through Craigslist. The existence of Craigslist communities around the world gives users all over the world a variety of opportunities including the ability to find international jobs, learn about cultural events, meet others in distant locations and find housing options in either different states or foreign countries. Working Abroad For many the appeal of working abroad may be very alluring. This is especially appealing to those who are young and do not have any commitments such as family keeping them from taking a risk and attempting to find a job abroad. Additionally, those who are financially secure and approaching retirement may be enticed to consider a foreign job. Although the possibility of working in another country may seem intimidating to some, there are others who may enjoy the opportunity to take on this type of adventure. Learn about Cultural Events Those who are planning a trip to another state or country may find the community section of Craigslist to be especially helpful. Here they can search for events which may be going on during their visit or activities which may be of interest to them during their trip. In the community section of Craigslist, users can also find information relating to volunteer opportunities or classes of interest. They can also review the local news section of a particular location to learn more about what is going on in that particular area. All of this information can be useful for users who are planning a trip as well as for those who are just interested in learning more about another geographic location. Make Long Distance Connections The personals section may also be of interest to those who are planning a vacation to another geographic location. Those who do not know anyone in the area might post an advertisement seeking a tour guide to show them around the city or accompany them to events. Although this may seem like a risky endeavor to those who are less adventurous, it can lead to an excellent opportunity to have a native provide you with insider information on a particular location during your visit. Of course caution should be exercised to ensure the encounter is not potentially harmful. One way to avoid being placed in a potentially harmful situation is to agree to meet those found through a personals advertisement in a busy, public location during daylight hours and to never go to a secluded location with the individual. Find a Place to Stay Those who are looking for affordable housing in another location might consider the housing swap category under the housing section for a particular city. Here individuals post information regarding the type of home or apartment they have, the location of their housing and information regarding when and where they would like to find another homeowner to swap homes with for a set period of time. A housing swap may be an affordable way to eliminate lodging from a travel budget but it does come with some inherent problems. The primary problem is you have to first find another homeowner who is willing to offer their housing for a period of time, secondly you have to coordinate with the other owner to find a suitable time for the swap and finally you have to rely on the other individuals description of their domicile. Additionally, the homeowner has to be willing to allow the other individual to use their own home for a period of time. This may make many feel uneasy because they may be fearful of their possessions being stolen or their house being damaged. However, those who are willing to take this risk may find an affordable solution to lodging costs. PPPPP Word count 680

Craigslist is an online community which has a great deal to offer to both individuals and business owners. Some of the features on Craigslist include sections for community events, activities and news, personals advertisements, discussion forums, housing opportunities, for sale items, services offered, small business advertisements, jobs and resumes. While some of these sections such as the discussion forum and parts of the community section exist exclusively for the purpose of exchanging information or ideas, other sections such as the personals, housing, sale, services, job and resume sections provide the opportunity for users to respond to advertisements for more information or to make a purchase. In these cases uses should exercise caution. This article will focus on specific precautions which should be taken when answering advertisements in the personals, housing and jobs sections of Craigslist. Answering Personals Advertisements The personals section of Craigslist can be a great place for individuals to meet platonic friends or potential romantic partners. However, it can also be a location for predators to prey on unsuspecting victims who do not realize the threat of danger which may exist with meeting online partners in person. One of the simplest ways to avoid potentially harmful situations is to never agreeing to meet someone in a desolate location. Initial meetings should take place in busy, public locations to minimize the potential for danger. Predators are much less likely to attempt to harm you in a public location. Additionally, it is wise to not travel to a secluded location with someone you dont know until you are positive they do not intend to do you any harm. Precautions should also be taken to avoid giving out personal information such as your address to those you meet online. The Internet affords a certain degree of anonymousness and some unscrupulous individuals can take advantage of this to mask their true identity. Answering Housing Advertisements The housing advertisements on Craigslist offer opportunities for those who are seeking housing situations such as rental of a housing location, roommate opportunities, sublets or house swaps. Care should be taken in all of these opportunities to ensure the person you are working with does not have any ill intentions towards you. This can be done by carefully screening all potential roommates or others who might be using your house or apartment. When selecting a potential roommate it is important to verify the individual is trustworthy and able to pay the rent. It is also important to seek out an individual with living habits similar to your own to avoid the potential for conflict. Answering Job Advertisements Craigslist is an excellent location for finding exciting new career opportunities. There are many different job advertisements in a variety of different categories. These job opportunities include full time, part time, telecommute and contract positions. The downside to answering job advertisements on Craigslist is the advertisements are often placed anonymously. Those who place the advertisements are given the opportunity to either use their own email address for candidates to respond or to have candidates respond through an email address generated by Craigslist. Therefore, candidates do not always know who has placed the advertisements. For this reason care should be taken when responding to these advertisements to avoid supplying specific contact information. Candidates are instead urged to supply only an email address when responding to advertisements. PPPPP Word count 559