Tips for Maximizing your Craigslist Advertisement

[Mike Roy]

Hi BP - I thought I'd share a strategy I have to maximize my reach on Craigslist and potentially pull renters that were considering other nearby locations.  This works especially well for my rentals in rural areas.  When I create a title, I try to list several surrounding communities that have higher population and are a short driving distance away.  For example, I have rentals in Wiscasset, ME (pop. 4,000) that are a 10 minute drive to Bath (pop. 8,000) and 15 minutes to Brunswick (pop. 20,000) and Topsham (8,000).  

My title reads something like "Wiscasset 3 BD - Short Commute to Bath, Brunswick, Topsham!"

Now, my ad shows up in the search results for these three nearby towns, the towns that most people in the area are searching for anyway.  Since my rental is priced very attractively compared to listings in these towns, some people may now decide that the short commute is worth the lower rent in Wiscasset.

This is a pretty basic trick, but hopefully one that some of you haven't thought of and can now employ. 

Please share other tips and tricks you are using to maximize the effectiveness of your Craigslist ads!