17 {{ upvoteCount | shortNum }}
17 {{ upvoteCount | shortNum }}

Okay... Now what? - Craigslist Follies

by CreekChub
15 replies
Opened up a new CL account yesterday. Made a post in the Services section to advertise what I do. It went off without a hitch, and was there when I went back 15 minutes later to check on it. No, I didn't check the direct link. It showed up just dandy in the actual category.

Waited the 24 hours, and posted out of town. Not WAY out of town, but about three hours away. Same ad copy, slightly modified title. I didn't clear any cookies.

3 hours later - no dice. It shows up fine in my account, but not in the actual area where it is supposed to be. My understanding is that the post was "ghosted"... yes?

Why?
Do I leave that one and post it again?
Delete it and post a new ad with different heading and the same copy?
Same as above, but scrap the whole ad copy and headline as well?

No images in the copy, no link. Just a phone number. Red?Nameless?Other dude? (sorry, I think it starts with an "M" but that's all I can remember...)
#craigslist #follies
  • Profile picture of the author mattlaclear
    You just need to repost it every day for a month or so and be persistent with it. The ad will lose it's ghost of you do.
    Signature

    Free Training for SEO Providers in the United States - https://happyseoclients.com/happy-seo-clients-training/

    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[7439346].message }}
    • Profile picture of the author DEaFeYe
      Banned
      [DELETED]
      {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[7439359].message }}
      • Profile picture of the author iAmNameLess
        Originally Posted by DEaFeYe View Post

        "Ghosting" as you call it is merely a bug that craigslist won't admit to, cuz then they might have to solve it... and who knows how many tens or hundreds of thousands it would take to solve for Joe Business who doesn't make them a dime.
        It is NOT a bug.. That is an outright lie. They have a ghosting algorithm, it isn't a bug, it is intentional and has been intentional for a very long time. They still make regular updates to it as well.
        Signature
        {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[7439366].message }}
      • Profile picture of the author kenmichaels
        Originally Posted by DEaFeYe View Post

        A system that deals with as many simultaneous reads/writes as Craigslist, that is incredibly low budget (for their size), and built upon MySQL is bound to miss a database write or two.

        "Ghosting" as you call it is merely a bug that craigslist won't admit to, cuz then they might have to solve it... and who knows how many tens or hundreds of thousands it would take to solve for Joe Business who doesn't make them a dime.
        ehhh .... wrong. as in completely, and utterly wrong.

        Originally Posted by mattlaclear View Post

        You just need to repost it every day for a month or so and be persistent with it. The ad will lose it's ghost of you do.
        also .. wrong...


        Originally Posted by CreekChub View Post

        posted out of town. Not WAY out of town, but about three hours away. Same ad copy, slightly modified title. I didn't clear any cookies.
        there is a your problem(S)

        first, always clean your cookies.

        Second, you should change your title and msg body. ( not always required) but recommended.

        Third. your IP is only good for a certain radius. As in they GEO locate your IP and anything out side
        of a specific area gets ghosted. ( in some CL sections, not all )

        I haven't posted in a a while, when i was doing it, it was 12 miles. That is way less then 3 hours.

        is it still 12 miles? I don't know. Probably less now.
        Signature

        Selling Ain't for Sissies!
        {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[7439376].message }}
        • Profile picture of the author mattlaclear
          Originally Posted by kenmichaels View Post

          ehhh .... wrong. as in completely, and utterly wrong.



          also .. wrong...




          there is a your problem(S)

          first, always clean your cookies.

          Second, you should change your title and meg body. ( not always required) but recommended.

          Third. your IP is only good for a certain radius. As in they GEO locate your IP and anything out side
          of a specific area gets ghosted. ( in some CL areas, not all )

          I haven't posted in a a while, when i was doing it, it was 12 miles. That is way less then 3 hours.

          is it still 12 miles? I don't know. Probably less now.
          Just posting what works for us and what makes our phone ring. Then again maybe I am wrong.
          Signature

          Free Training for SEO Providers in the United States - https://happyseoclients.com/happy-seo-clients-training/

          {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[7439402].message }}
          • Profile picture of the author kenmichaels
            Originally Posted by mattlaclear View Post

            Just posting what works for us and what makes our phone ring. Then again maybe I am wrong.
            so your saying you post an ad, every day for a month, before it ever sticks?

            as in 30 days of complete guessing?

            with no clue if its being ghosted because of spam filters, or ip filters
            or common text filters, or image filters, or link filters, or time of post filters,
            or even title filters?

            and then regardless of any of that, after 30 days of constant ghosting, it just appears?

            Every system has a glitches, hell i used to be the guy people payed to find those
            glitches, so i am in no way saying your not being truthful,

            You look like you want to help, so i am merely looking for clarity.

            if i understand you correctly, that can be HUGE.
            Signature

            Selling Ain't for Sissies!
            {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[7439424].message }}
            • Profile picture of the author mattlaclear
              Originally Posted by kenmichaels View Post

              so your saying you post an ad, every day for a month, before it ever sticks?

              as in 30 days of complete guessing?

              with no clue if its being ghosted because of spam filters, or ip filters
              or common text filters, or image filters, or link filters, or time of post filters,
              or even title filters?

              and then regardless of any of that, after 30 days of constant ghosting, it just appears?

              Every system has a glitches, hell i used to be the guy people payed to find those
              glitches, so i am in no way saying your not being truthful,

              You look like you want to help, so i am merely looking for clarity.

              if i understand you correctly, that can be HUGE.
              To be honest I didn't even know they were being ghosted until somebody told me they couldn't find the ads a couple of weeks after we started posting them. Then I forgot to have the employee posting them for us to stop. When I realized she was still posting them we found they had become unghosted. Not sure what I would gain from being untruthful.
              Signature

              Free Training for SEO Providers in the United States - https://happyseoclients.com/happy-seo-clients-training/

              {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[7439434].message }}
              • Profile picture of the author kenmichaels
                Originally Posted by mattlaclear View Post

                To be honest I didn't even know they were being ghosted until somebody told me they couldn't find the ads a couple of weeks after we started posting them. Then I forgot to have the employee posting them for us to stop. When I realized she was still posting them we found they had become unghosted. Not sure what I would gain from being untruthful.
                definitely was NOT calling you untruthful.

                I was only asking for clarity.

                A ton of people can use the information you are providing.

                Like i said i have seen all kinds of "oops", so unless i tried it myself
                and it did not work, there is no way i would say you .. or any one
                was lying.

                Posting blind for a month is def suspect. but you cleared that up
                pretty easy.

                I wasn't not calling you out matt. i have heard nothing but good about you .
                Signature

                Selling Ain't for Sissies!
                {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[7439447].message }}
                • Profile picture of the author DEaFeYe
                  Banned
                  [DELETED]
                  {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[7439487].message }}
                  • Profile picture of the author CreekChub
                    [DELETED]
                    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[7439532].message }}
                  • Profile picture of the author iAmNameLess
                    [DELETED]
                    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[7439822].message }}
                    • Profile picture of the author sandalwood
                      nameless,

                      A quick question please. In part you posted,

                      I have a lot of experience posting on craigslist, and I understand how it works. It also helps that one of my buddies, as well as a fellow warrior on here works for them.

                      I appreciate your experience on CL. I don't have any so I can't comment about it. One or two posts in my local area, whoopee...

                      It is the second sentence that caught my attention. You say you have a buddy and fellow warrior who works for CL. That raises this question, do your posts make it through their filters becuase your buddy "fixes" or "facilitates" your posts? It also raises this question,
                      given the system changes, does your buddy tell you how to beat the system each time a change is made?

                      I haven't seen you do anything shady or give bad advice so I am not accusing you of anything. I am only asking questions from a perspective that jumps out and says, hey look, this guy has an in and can get by with stuff you can't.

                      This sounds like something a congress critter would do. Anyway, my suspicious goggles have been put back in their drawer.

                      Tom
                      Signature
                      Get 30% or More Retirement Income If you are serious about your retirement, you'll love this product.

                      The Money Ferret Finance Article Directory
                      {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[7439885].message }}
                      • Profile picture of the author iAmNameLess
                        Originally Posted by sandalwood View Post

                        nameless,

                        A quick question please. In part you posted,

                        I have a lot of experience posting on craigslist, and I understand how it works. It also helps that one of my buddies, as well as a fellow warrior on here works for them.

                        I appreciate your experience on CL. I don't have any so I can't comment about it. One or two posts in my local area, whoopee...

                        It is the second sentence that caught my attention. You say you have a buddy and fellow warrior who works for CL. That raises this question, do your posts make it through their filters becuase your buddy "fixes" or "facilitates" your posts? It also raises this question,
                        given the system changes, does your buddy tell you how to beat the system each time a change is made?

                        I haven't seen you do anything shady or give bad advice so I am not accusing you of anything. I am only asking questions from a perspective that jumps out and says, hey look, this guy has an in and can get by with stuff you can't.

                        This sounds like something a congress critter would do. Anyway, my suspicious goggles have been put back in their drawer.

                        Tom
                        No, just very general questions that I've asked will I get the answer to. I don't get specific answers or a guide on how to beat it. Most of what I have learned is just how it works, and when you understand how something works, you learn little tricks from experience.

                        I wouldn't ever ask for something like that from her, and I also wouldn't compromise myself by using links, phone numbers, or the email account I post from. Friends are friends until they're not.
                        Signature
                        {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[7439959].message }}
                        • Profile picture of the author sandalwood
                          Originally Posted by iAmNameLess View Post

                          Friends are friends until they're not.
                          Ain't that the troof...

                          I didn't think you did anything nefarious and I think you'd agree with me that sentence could be read a cupla different ways. Anyway, apperciate your reply.

                          Have a great day,

                          Tom
                          Signature
                          Get 30% or More Retirement Income If you are serious about your retirement, you'll love this product.

                          The Money Ferret Finance Article Directory
                          {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[7439998].message }}
        • Profile picture of the author iAmNameLess
          Originally Posted by kenmichaels View Post


          Third. your IP is only good for a certain radius. As in they GEO locate your IP and anything out side
          of a specific area gets ghosted. ( in some CL sections, not all )

          I haven't posted in a a while, when i was doing it, it was 12 miles. That is way less then 3 hours.

          is it still 12 miles? I don't know. Probably less now.
          I can post anywhere in the US with my main IP address, no proxies, nothing. I only post in services so I'm not sure how it is in the other categories.. for sale, jobs, gigs, might be different.
          Signature
          {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[7439412].message }}
          • Profile picture of the author kenmichaels
            Originally Posted by iAmNameLess View Post

            for sale, jobs, gigs, might be different.
            ... they are
            Signature

            Selling Ain't for Sissies!
            {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[7439427].message }}
          • Profile picture of the author CreekChub
            [DELETED]
            {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[7439518].message }}
            • Profile picture of the author iAmNameLess
              Originally Posted by CreekChub View Post


              As soon as I tried to post in services - BAM, gotta have an account. Created one, made a post in my backyard. 24 hours later, make another 200 miles south. #2 never showed up...
              What was the difference in content? Something caused it to not show up... unless your first ad ended up being flagged.
              Signature
              {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[7439864].message }}
              • Profile picture of the author CreekChub
                Originally Posted by iAmNameLess View Post

                What was the difference in content? Something caused it to not show up... unless your first ad ended up being flagged.
                Nope. Exact same title and copy. I could send you links to the two if you are dead set on that being the reason, but they were identitical. And the first (local) ad is still up. # 2 (non-local) never made it. I haven't tried to delete it, re-post, or anything else yet. Just left it alone.

                Edit - now that I think of it, I did ad some bolding here and there in ad #2, but that's it.

                Oh - and it looks like there was a bit of house cleaning in here while I was away...
                {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[7440255].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author Aaron Doud
    Seems strange they would ghost you over two ads.

    Best way to avoid it? Unque copy on every ad. What is the minimum changes to make? No clue but a craigslist expert should be able to help.

    Also the "same" ad in multiple locations is always a flag for craigslist.
    Signature
    Aaron Doud - Sales & Success
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[7439369].message }}

Trending Topics