When it comes to anything free, people can get greedy. They don't play nice and they don't leave extras for others. Well, Craigslist is no different, and unfortunately (or fortunately depending on how you look at it), Craig has taken notice and has implemented 2 techniques to try to combat the growing problem of spam on his site. If your marketing plan involves multiple postings on Craigslist, then listen up....you may be shooting yourself in the foot and not even know it!
The first thing Craigslist has implemented is requiring Phone Verified Accounts, or PVA's, for posting in certain categories. Have you noticed that you used to be able to post freely on Craigslist without being required to set up an account, but recently, you've been blocked from posting until you set one up? If so, then Craigslist has identified you as an overposter. So just how do they do that you ask? Well, no one knows for sure, but there are several things that Craigslist takes note of each time you make a post. They include:
-Your IP address
-The cookies on your computer
-The location of your IP address in relation to your posting location
-The text of your ad
-Any links in your ad
Probably the most common factor leading to a poster being required to have a PVA is multiple posts from a single IP address. If you post daily on Craigslist from any computer in your office (different computers typically have the same IP address), then chances are you will almost definitely be required to set up a PVA.
So what's so bad about setting up a PVA you ask? Well, that brings me to the next tool Craigslist has implemented to deter overposting....a phenomenon called "ghosting." Have you ever posted ads on Craigslist, received verification that they were posted, only to receive no traffic from them? Well, chances are, your ads were ghosted. Craig doesn't really play nice when it comes to ghosting. He'll make you think your ads were posted, only they haven't been, but you have NO idea. So essentially, you put out the effort of creating ads for nothing. Now that doesn't sound fun, huh? No one likes to do work and not be rewarded for it!
So I'm sure you're wondering how exactly an ad gets ghosted. Well, that's another Craigslist mystery, but here are the theories...
-Placing links to outside websites in your ad
-Posting in a geographic area other than the one you're actually in
-Posting multiple times from a single PVA
The first thing Craigslist has implemented is requiring Phone Verified Accounts, or PVA's, for posting in certain categories. Have you noticed that you used to be able to post freely on Craigslist without being required to set up an account, but recently, you've been blocked from posting until you set one up? If so, then Craigslist has identified you as an overposter. So just how do they do that you ask? Well, no one knows for sure, but there are several things that Craigslist takes note of each time you make a post. They include:
-Your IP address
-The cookies on your computer
-The location of your IP address in relation to your posting location
-The text of your ad
-Any links in your ad
Probably the most common factor leading to a poster being required to have a PVA is multiple posts from a single IP address. If you post daily on Craigslist from any computer in your office (different computers typically have the same IP address), then chances are you will almost definitely be required to set up a PVA.
So what's so bad about setting up a PVA you ask? Well, that brings me to the next tool Craigslist has implemented to deter overposting....a phenomenon called "ghosting." Have you ever posted ads on Craigslist, received verification that they were posted, only to receive no traffic from them? Well, chances are, your ads were ghosted. Craig doesn't really play nice when it comes to ghosting. He'll make you think your ads were posted, only they haven't been, but you have NO idea. So essentially, you put out the effort of creating ads for nothing. Now that doesn't sound fun, huh? No one likes to do work and not be rewarded for it!
So I'm sure you're wondering how exactly an ad gets ghosted. Well, that's another Craigslist mystery, but here are the theories...
-Placing links to outside websites in your ad
-Posting in a geographic area other than the one you're actually in
-Posting multiple times from a single PVA
-Posting from multiple PVA's from a single IP address
-Posting ads that look similar
-Posting the state abbreviation in the location field (i.e. Raleigh, NC)
Ghosting can be a real pain in the behind. So just how does one avoid it? Well, if you want to receive the maximum benefit from advertising on Craigslist and actually get results from the effort you put out, there are a few things you can do.
1. The first and most important rule to effective Craigslist advertising is DON'T OVERPOST! It may sound appealing to blast a ton of free ads on CL, but in the long run, you risk having not only your account banned, but also having your IP address and telephone numbers banned. Then what would you do? You'd be up a creek without a paddle!
2. Feel out your limits. I've found that I can successfully post 3 ads on a single PVA per day without being ghosted. But, I've heard of people only being able to post a single ad per PVA every 48 hours. There's no "rule" to this. The only thing you can do is test out the waters and find out what works for you. To do this, start by posting a single ad on your PVA one day, then 2 the next day, 3 the next and so on and so forth. You'll have to search for your ads on Craigslist about 15 minutes after you post them to see if they actually show up. If they do, you're good, if they don't, you've been ghosted. When you start noticing ghosted ads, then the next day, back down by 1 ad and check again. Keep up this pattern until you find out exactly how many ads you can have to show up per day.
Keep in mind that your limits can change. Monitor them regularly and check for your ads regularly.
3. Don't get slick and try to set up multiple PVA's from one location. The problem here is that even though you may be posting from different accounts, you're posting from the same IP address. Craigslist WILL notice and ghost your ads.
4. Play by the rules. Nothing irritates Craig more than someone breaking the terms of service. So, read them, know them, live by them.
I can say with pretty good certainty that if you follow these rules, you will have more success with your advertising than if you blast CL with multiple daily posts. Eventually, that kind of activity will catch up with you. Whether it be having your PVA banned, your IP address banned, your account blocked or your ads ghosted, Craigslist will notice and you'll lose out on a valuable advertising source for your community!
-Posting ads that look similar
-Posting the state abbreviation in the location field (i.e. Raleigh, NC)
Ghosting can be a real pain in the behind. So just how does one avoid it? Well, if you want to receive the maximum benefit from advertising on Craigslist and actually get results from the effort you put out, there are a few things you can do.
1. The first and most important rule to effective Craigslist advertising is DON'T OVERPOST! It may sound appealing to blast a ton of free ads on CL, but in the long run, you risk having not only your account banned, but also having your IP address and telephone numbers banned. Then what would you do? You'd be up a creek without a paddle!
2. Feel out your limits. I've found that I can successfully post 3 ads on a single PVA per day without being ghosted. But, I've heard of people only being able to post a single ad per PVA every 48 hours. There's no "rule" to this. The only thing you can do is test out the waters and find out what works for you. To do this, start by posting a single ad on your PVA one day, then 2 the next day, 3 the next and so on and so forth. You'll have to search for your ads on Craigslist about 15 minutes after you post them to see if they actually show up. If they do, you're good, if they don't, you've been ghosted. When you start noticing ghosted ads, then the next day, back down by 1 ad and check again. Keep up this pattern until you find out exactly how many ads you can have to show up per day.
Keep in mind that your limits can change. Monitor them regularly and check for your ads regularly.
3. Don't get slick and try to set up multiple PVA's from one location. The problem here is that even though you may be posting from different accounts, you're posting from the same IP address. Craigslist WILL notice and ghost your ads.
4. Play by the rules. Nothing irritates Craig more than someone breaking the terms of service. So, read them, know them, live by them.
I can say with pretty good certainty that if you follow these rules, you will have more success with your advertising than if you blast CL with multiple daily posts. Eventually, that kind of activity will catch up with you. Whether it be having your PVA banned, your IP address banned, your account blocked or your ads ghosted, Craigslist will notice and you'll lose out on a valuable advertising source for your community!
Morgan Oney, CAM
Communicate with your residents with stylish, affordable and interactive online and print newsletters at My Newsletter Connection! http://www.mynewsletterconnection.com
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