While I have no problems spending a good chunk of change on a great advertising medium that I know will produce results, I still keep my eye on the free and cheap methods that are effective as well.

With all of the avenues of the internet, an effective advertising campaign does not have to leave your wallet empty.

From free to cheap there is something for every budget.

One of the ways to do this is with online classified advertising. Some of the most responsive are even free. Like the popular Craigslist, Backpage and Kijiji.

There are many options out there and people are constantly using these online classifieds to find jobs, homes, items and services they want as well as advertising the stuff they are looking to get rid of.

Whatever sites you decide to go with do your due diligence, check their alexa rating, Google pagerank, etc. Make sure to keep your target market in mind. Also, read the terms and conditions to make sure you are following their rules.

Most sites are easy to register and start posting your ads within minutes. Make sure to know when your ad expires and test out several ads. What works great in one city may not in another, same goes per site. Keep a spreadsheet to stay organized and track your results.

Things to do when placing an online classified ad:

*Highlight the benefits.Yes features are important, but the benefit is even more so. What will your product or service do for the consumer? If it is something tech related make sure to include the specs. If you can include pictures do so.

*Give additional value. Offer a coupon, a free ebook, newsletter or something else of value. These methods can also help you build your list.

*Call to action and contact. Make your call to action evident, do not be vague. Make sure your contact details are easily available as well; this alone will solicit a better response rate. If it is a lengthy ad, make sure to include your call to action and contact info at the top as well as the bottom.

*The more you post the more results. Have at least 10 sites you are submitting your ads to. When you are starting out you may want to pick 20 and depending on your results weed them down to your main 10. Then add on another 10 and gauge the results to your top 10. Create a healthy portfolio of responsive places to post. No more than you can manage of course.

*Split test each ad. Create a few variations of each ad and post them all to track the results. An easy way of dong this is creating a 3 digit code in the subject line or at the end of the ad so you know where the ad came from and which one. This will help you to know which ads work the best for each place you advertise.

No matter what advertising medium you choose it will take some time, creativity, testing and tracking your results to fine tune the method.

Consistency, quality and quantity are important when it comes to utilizing online classified advertising to your marketing arsenal.

Forest Marie is a dynamic Internet Marketer, a Wealth Masters Master Consultant and a top income earner in CarbonCopyPRO. To join Forest’s team, visit CarbonCopyPRO and submit an application.

Originally published: Online Classified Advertising

[tags]Cheap effective advertising, online classified advertising, online marketing for less[/tags]