Is Craigslist Still an Effective Marketing Platform for Car Dealers?

There's currently no better way to reach a wider audience than Craigslist classified to market your car dealership inventory. Craigslist is a free public website that allows you to list anything from houses to used clothing pieces, and its format places no substantial limitations on what you can add to your ad. Craigslist is far from perfect though, there are flawed advertisements, indecisive buyers, and the apparent downside of working with unidentified finance anonymous buyers. It is still an essential valuable platform to market your cars and get more qualified leads if using the right tools.

The Perfect Craigslist Ad

 See steps below for strategies that will help increase your Craigslist ad popularity within the given 30-day window. Make your ad simple, secure, and to the point. Starting with: 

Images

Custom images for the specific car you'd like to sell, instead of pictures for multiple vehicles trying to manipulate the system. Some dealers try to post various photos for various vehicles in one ad. This increases the risk of getting penalized by craigslist resulting in not being able to post on craigslist anymore. Moreover, craigslist is now preventing dealers from adding different phrases that describe another vehicle or model when posting manually

Imaging With High Resolution

Everybody knows having images on your website make everything better and easier to read, why you may ask? Well, consumers like to see visual images over enormous amounts of texts. High-quality images always make content more engaging, so you can convey a message and interact with customers via pictures. High-quality images enhances your ad engagement. You would want the photos to be clear, right edges, along with 20+ images. If you would like more information on how to improve your imaging visit our article, How to take professional photos of your car dealership inventory.

Clear Headlines

Diligent eye-catching headlines does not imply written in all caps. This makes individuals look across the post, imagining a furious seller attempting to hit a product across their heads. Instead provide accurate information in a clear format (For example, 2018 Ford F-150 Lariat Ecoboost). You can also mention specials about your dealership, such as “All Credits accepted” or “Summer Blowout Sale”. 

Ad Copy Description

 The wording and description of the item SHOULDN'T BE IN ALL CAPS. This gives the buyer a sense of discontent and sets an irritant tone throughout the post. Even if your spelling and grammar are correct, lousy etiquette typing may render it hard to read your ad. Jumbled text or run-on sentences. Although this may seem like an apparent necessity, it is often ignored. Insert clear call to actions with visuals to engage with the customer. 

Price and Specific Location

How do you price a craigslist product for sale? How do you understand the value? What if I'm too costly? For all enterprises of all sizes, this is one of the persistent problems. In this case, however, it isn't that difficult. The value of an item or service can be very easily determined. What must you pay to feel all right with the purchase? And who’s prepared to pay the asking price? The actual value of the item is between the two numbers.

Disclaimer

It is imperative to list a thorough disclaimer in order to avoid any potential issues with your customers 

Fees

The ad copy disclaimer should list all associated fees such as document preparation, and payment terms depending on the financial lender. 

Dealer Options - Modifications

If you have added modifications or add-ons that are not part of the base package to your vehicle, be sure to mention them in your description. A new stereo, alarm or specialty tires may attract buyers looking for such extras. Remember, though, that not all changes add value. Sometimes the custom orange paintwork or the increased suspension you enjoy may effectively restrict the number of purchasers.

Financing

Touch on that advertised payments, terms, and rates are all based on approved credit. This will protect you and your dealership from any future lawsuits. 

Warranty

Again, you want to mention that warranty is based upon approval and that terms and conditions apply. Always offer more information by stating “See Dealer for more information”

Why Craigslist Posting Can Be Beneficial To Your Dealership

If you need some advertising for your dealership inventory you should consider our Craigslist posting tool. Our Intelligent automotive craigslist posting tool is the newest technology that is taking over the automotive advertising market. Our Craigslist posting dashboard makes it easier for your automotive dealership to post all your inventory with a click of a button. Take advantage of the newest technology and have full access to reports, calls, and texts from your Craigslist postings. Our innovative dashboard allows you to report all sessions and leads from your dealership website to our marketing dashboard. Allowing you to view and record all web page data from your automotive dealership in a viewable dashboard.