Cowboys and Craig’s List
Wild Wild West
Of all of the places where we place job ads, Craig’s List is one of the most colorful. There is very little law in this here town and survival is often determined by who has the fastest gun.
Job ads in Craig’s List run the whole gamut. There are your standard, “We do this. We do that. We’ve been in business for a thousand years,” kind of ads. There are also very creative ads with flashing emojis in the titles and wild claims about how they are the best doggone place in these parts to work.
Personally, I love Craig’s List for job ads, because there are so few regulations and so much potential. You can write virtually anything you want in the title and description of your job. You can post it as often as you like in as many different categories as you want to pay for. And, most of all, it’s cheap! In my area, a 30 day job ad is only $25 for most industries.
There’s Gold In Them There Listings
You won’t use Craig’s List for every job and it certainly can’t be your only source for prospecting. However, for the right jobs, it’s a downright gold rush.
I use Craig’s List for entry-level and hourly jobs like housekeepers, maintenance people, general labor, nursing assistants, and childcare teachers. It’s also handy for retail associates, handymen, and trades.
If you’re wondering if it’s worth it for your company, just go in there and search. If there’s already a good number of ads from your competitors, there’s a good chance that you should have ads there too.
Standing Out Like Clint Eastwood
Ever notice how Clint Eastwood is just a bit taller and handsomer than everybody else when he rides into town? That’s because, in order to be the hero, people have to take notice of you. No one would look twice at Woody Allen strolling into the local saloon.
When it comes to Craig’s List, standing out is the name of the game, and that starts with your title. Take a look at the titles of all your competitors’ ads. They probably say something like this:
Cashier Needed
Cashier Jobs Available
Hiring Cashiers
What if your title said things like this?
We Need Killer Cashiers!
Are You The Cashier We Need?
Only The Best Cashiers Apply Now!
See what I mean? Your title has to stand out. Some people do it by adding asterisks or even emojis and sometimes that works too. The point is that you have to get noticed or you’ll never be the hero.
You Oughta Be In Pictures
Another tip for Craig’s List success is using all of the tools they give you. A big one is photos. Make sure that you have photos in all of your job posts.
Now, we’re not talking about just any kind of photos. You need to have the right ones. In order to explain photo selection, we have to talk a little bit about why people buy things.
Applying to your job is a transaction. Job seekers are buying and the currency is their contact information. This is why it’s important to understand what makes people buy. If you read most job ads, you may conclude that information makes people buy. They are literally packed with words that go on and on about the company, the money, and the benefits. But if that worked, you wouldn’t be reading this article now would you?
People don’t buy products or services. They don’t buy features or benefits. And they don’t give a flying fencepost about how old your company is. PEOPLE BUY TRANSFORMATION! Whether it’s widgets or washing machines, jobs or jack rabbits, people buy the difference between where they are and where they want to be.
If you want them to buy the job your selling, you have to show them how applying for your job will get them closer to where and who they want to be. That’s where the photos come in. (See how I brought that back around there? That’s what you call professional.)
Make sure that the photos you use depict the end result of working for your company. If your audience is stressed working for your competitors or not working at all, show a person who is relaxed and enjoying work for a change.
There are many more Craig’s List Tips that I’ll share down the trail. For now, I hope that helps you get started.