Let's brainstorm...what to offer CL businesses?

12 years ago

One service you can offer other service providers that are posting on craigslist is to make their CL pretty. haha Sounds lame, but do you know what I mean?

If a lawn care company is just posting text as their ad and its boring and unattractive, but their competition is posting a nice flyer ad in the CL ad then show them that and say you can do that for them. They clearly see the value in posting on CL so why not show them how you can make it better.

Charge them for the flyer and maybe a monthly fee for posting it X amount of times a month.

Just and idea!

Sean

Thanks

Signature

-------->Started with $500 on Amazon and building it from there. Week #1 income report is live ($593.78 in revenue)<----------

{{ DiscussionBoard.errors[4956587].message }}

BUFFALOBT

12 years ago

Thanks for the input Sean- that's a good idea that I have seen before.

I wonder how that can be incorporated into some sort of monthly set it and forget it service that these cheap business owners would sign up for?

The key here is monthly, automatic, LOW payments ongoing.

Thanks

{{ DiscussionBoard.errors[4956603].message }}

johnny125

12 years ago

I agree with Sean - this sounds lame, but it really works. I was trying to post ads personally on CL (stopped doing this because I have moved to day-job). People were really looking at how the ad looks.

Thanks

{{ DiscussionBoard.errors[4956619].message }}

somacorellc

12 years ago

It wouldn't take much to put together a service that does the following:

1. Put in your business information

2. Upload some pictures

3. Webstie generates an attractive ad (stored on your server). It's basically a "copy this code to CL" thing.

4. autoresponder set to email "post to craigslist" reminders every 5 days or whatever so they don't forget to refresh their listing.

I bet you could get away with $20 a month.

Thanks
1 reply

Signature

Web Design Columbia SC

{{ DiscussionBoard.errors[4956819].message }}

johnny125 12 years ago

Originally Posted by somacorellc

3. Webstie generates an attractive ad (stored on your server). It's basically a "copy this code to CL" thing.

I like that idea very much, surely I will try to write such script, but I would add to this that there should be a few types of ad, that the system can mix them. Using still the same ad can cause that potential leads get used to them and just don't look at them at CL
- Thanks
{{ DiscussionBoard.errors[4957410].message }}

BUFFALOBT

12 years ago

Nice idea thanks Mike!

If there is a way to automate this as much as possible for the business, I bet you could charge less but sign up hundreds of businesses.

I think the key here is to price it as close to free as possible, and put it on auto pilot.

Love the input fellas- keep it coming!

Thanks

{{ DiscussionBoard.errors[4957266].message }}

Vikuna2009+

12 years ago

Originally Posted by BUFFALOBT

Businesses that post on Craigslist do so for 2 reasons...

1)They NEED new customers, and
2)It's free!

I'd like to brainstorm and share ideas on what we can offer these businesses. This is a tough nut to crack, since free is hard to beat.

But...there has to be something of value we can offer.

My overall idea is to offer something that costs $1/month ongoing, is easy for them to do, and is something to help them find new customers.

I know the idea is out there...somewhere!

ANY biz that advertises, free or not, is looking for more/new customers. Just because they are advertising for FREE on CL does NOT mean that they do not have any money to spend on additional marketing. If what you are selling them brings in more buying customers, they'd be happy to pay you (at least one would think so, lol).

Why not take it a step further?

Do they have a website? Can it be found?

Have they claimed their listing on Google Places and is it optimized?

Maybe a Fan Page?

What about a link in their ad, directing to an opt-in page for a "7 tips for bla, bla, bla..."

Or, is your question ONLY about what you can do for them ON CL?

Just thinking out loud... Eva

Thanks
1 reply

{{ DiscussionBoard.errors[4958696].message }}

BUFFALOBT

12 years ago

Originally Posted by Vikuna2009+

ANY biz that advertises, free or not, is looking for more/new customers. Just because they are advertising for FREE on CL does NOT mean that they do not have any money to spend on additional marketing. If what you are selling them brings in more buying customers, they'd be happy to pay you (at least one would think so, lol).

Why not take it a step further?

Do they have a website? Can it be found?

Have they claimed their listing on Google Places and is it optimized?

Maybe a Fan Page?

What about a link in their ad, directing to an opt-in page for a "7 tips for bla, bla, bla..."

Or, is your question ONLY about what you can do for them ON CL?

Just thinking out loud... Eva

Great input Eva thanks! I'm not involved in any of those services you mentioned...I am interested in starting some new low cost monthly service to offer these businesses to help them find new customers.

I'm talking about something you can offer for $4.95/month recurring and have lots of businesses sign up.

Not sure what that service is at this point!

Thanks

{{ DiscussionBoard.errors[4959130].message }}

SamirRastogi

12 years ago

Here's an idea, create a site where Moving Service Businesses can post their ads and craigslist users can find them, use them and rate them. This will help CL users as well as the moving service providers and the site can pretty much run on its own. All you'll need to do is market it.

Thanks
1 reply

{{ DiscussionBoard.errors[4958985].message }}

agonce 12 years ago

Samir, shqipetar je? Pm me because I can't pm members yet ...
- Thanks
{{ DiscussionBoard.errors[4959009].message }}

BUFFALOBT

12 years ago

Thanks Samir- another great idea!

I'm thinking of the following monthly home service businesses to target:

1)pest control
2)pool cleaning
3)landscaping
4)housecleaning

They all need new customers to replace lost ones and obviously to grow their business. I THINK they would all love to find those new customers in their local target market...in their own backyard.

What about a service that lists/spotlights/markets one busienss from each of these categories in a particular neighborhood? And goes further somehow in getting the word out in that neighborhood about these 4 businesses?

So a business that wants to dominate a specific neighborhood would sign up for our service.

I am always amazed at all of the multiple companies in these 4 categories that are constantly driving in and out of my neighborhood every day...it's very fractured with no particular company dominating their niche/service.

So that is the key...what to offer at a low ongoing monthly cost to help these companies dominate their target areas?

Thanks

{{ DiscussionBoard.errors[4959162].message }}

mattmax

12 years ago

Instead of charging them money, what about offering a way for them to make money, with no cash out of pocket?

Scan CL for businesses that are likely to have a decent sized mailing list (email or snail mail) and then approach them offering to help them monetize their list(s), with the only catch being that you take a split of the revenues.

Then it is just a matter of matching up good offers for their lists, and getting the company to sign off on the offer and the mailer (so they don't worry about their customers getting offended).

Obviously this can be an intro to all sorts of other services (paid) as well.

Thanks

{{ DiscussionBoard.errors[4959175].message }}

BUFFALOBT

12 years ago

Sounds good mattmax...I personally don't have any expertise in this area...wouldn't know where to start or what to do.

Thanks

{{ DiscussionBoard.errors[4959305].message }}

Let's brainstorm...what to offer CL businesses?

Trending Topics

Boat and Jet Ski Rentals...... Door Hangers Effective?

Are billboards still effective in driving customers?

Let's dissect the genius behind Nike's 'Just Do It' slogan. What makes it so powerful and timeless?

4 underutilised SEO research approaches to explore

A Very Strange Internet Problem