Making the Most of Online Classifieds
by Archie R. Lawhorne
Online classified ads are essentially just the
Internet version of offline ads we see everyday
in newspapers and magazines. Like any type of
classified ad, the primary drawback is the limited
amount of space available to present your promotional
message. And since space is scarce, your ad must not
only be brief, but attention-grabbing and packed with
BENEFITS.
Today there are literally thousands of places on
the Web to post free classifieds. And there are
numerous ways to find them. Simply go to Yahoo,
HotBot, AltaVista, or any of the other search
engines and type in "free classifieds." Hundreds
of different sites will appear. Set an objective of
how many listings a day you're going to post. It
can be time-consuming, mindless work, so plan this
in your "idle" time. Most free classified ads expire
after a certain amount of time, so keep track of
which ones are most effective and keep returning to
renew your ads.
Listed below are links to a number of top free
classified ad sites. Follow the instructions at each
site and place your ads as time allows to expose your
offer to millions of potential customers worldwide.
* Malaysia Free Classified Ads
* OurWest.com Classifieds
* U.S. Free Ads
* U2Publish.com
* 1 Stop Free Classifieds
* 1ONE
* Free Classified ADs
* Kickads
* MLM Station
* The Sunday Paper
* 1 Stop LinkShop
* 1999 Classifieds
* 1America Mall Free Classifieds
* 2001AD Smart Picture Classified Ads
* 2BuySell Interactive
* 4-1-1.com Free Classified Ads
* 5StarAds
* A World of Classifieds
* A.B. Free Classifieds
* Access Classifieds
* Access Free and pay Classifieds
* Achieve USA Biz Op Ads
* Ad Net! Classifieds
* Adfront.com Classifieds
* The ZAP Directory
* Five Star Classified Ads
* Classifieds 2000
One of the most widely-read classified sites on the
Internet is at Yahoo!. Though often referred to as a
search engine, Yahoo is technically a directory, and
it commands an astonishing 12 million visitors a day.
While getting your Web site listed within Yahoo's directory
can be a long, cumbersome process, you can place a
classified ad with relative ease.
Yahoo's free classified ads run for 30 days, but they
will generate hits to your Web site for only about the
first 2 to 4 days, after which your ad's position will
be lowered and replaced by newer ads. The new ads that
replace yours will also be dropped after 24 hours, being
replaced by other new ones, as part of an ongoing process.
The technique described below will allow you to maximize
the exposure of your Yahoo classified ad, keeping it highly
visible to millions worldwide, 24 hours a day, 7 days a
week. Here's the process:
First, go to Yahoo's classified section and review the
categories that relate to your business, or whatever
product you are promoting on the Web.
When placing an ad, you will be presented with two sets
of sub-categories. The first has 12 sections. You can
post 10 ads at Yahoo so choose 10 sub-categories out of
the 12 that make the most sense. The second set of sub-categories
is used for searches only. Don't worry too much about these.
Second, write out 10 ads and save them to a file so you
can quickly go back and cut and paste them to the form.
When writing your ad, make sure you change your headline
and wording slightly to match each of the sections you
have selected. For example, a "Help Wanted" ad should
read like a help wanted ad. This will help ensure that
your ads are accepted.
Third, you need to follow the schedule below. It takes
approximately 24 hours from the time you submit your ad
until it is posted on Yahoo. On the first day after they
are posted, they are positioned at the top of all ads
in the categories selected and stay there for a few hours.
Then they begin to drop in position, as newer ads take their
places.
Follow the steps below to maximize your efforts.
1. Go to Yahoo
2. Click on Classified link
3. Create an Account
4. Click on Submit Ad
5. Place your 10 ads and wait for three days.
6. Repeat 1 and 2
7. Click on Edit Ad
8. Go in and make a simple change to your first ad
9. Click on Submit Ad
10. Repeat this for all 10 of your ads
Wait for three days and repeat the process again and
again. You can also open additional Yahoo accounts and
create 10 new ads for each account you open. So if you
have five Yahoo accounts you can have 50 ads all running at
the same time. Just make sure the number of ads you place
is an amount that you can effectively manage and update
on a regular basis.
Archie R. Lawhorne, APR, is an accredited public relations
professional, marketing writer and owner of Crosspoint
Publishing Company. For information on what is aptly described
as "an affiliate program on steroids," visit his web site at:
www.profitleader.com.
For a free copy of his new e-book,
"Fundamentals of Web Site Promotion," send an email to:
archielawh@getresponse.com
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