4 Things You Need To Do When Creating A Post On Craigslist
I have had stunning success selling things on CraigsList over the years, but I hadn’t received a single inquiry from my latest post. I listed some computer parts hoping to raise a little cash to upgrade my gaming rig. Maybe people just aren’t looking for parts right now, or maybe something was wrong with my presentation.
Looking at the post, it wasn’t hard to imagine why it hadn’t generated any interest. I had created a single post with a generic “Computer Parts†title. Inside were cryptic names of the parts, with no pictures. I had gotten lazy and overconfident with my previous success. It was time to put in a little more effort and do the things I knew were necessary to give myself the best chance of finding a buyer for my computer parts.
Create Individual Posts
I had a delusions of a person seeing my post, recognizing that the parts were literally an entire computer, and contacting me to buy them all at once. So, I put all the parts in a single post. Unfortunately, many people might only want one of the items, and that one item might get lost in a list.
Include Pictures
Most people like to see what they’re buying. You can give the name of the thing, and describe the condition it’s in, but seeing is believing. Taking multiple high quality pictures of the item being sold gives buyers a warm fuzzy that they’re getting exactly what they want.
Create A Descriptive Title
The goal should be for potential buyers to know exactly what your selling by looking at the title. A generic title such as “Computer Parts†or “Household Goods†are not going attract much attention as it’s too generic. When looking for a specific object, I’d rather just keep scanning titles than click on a a post that will require me to look through a list for a match.
Price Correctly
The price of an item is obviously going to play a major role in how fast, or even if an object is going to sell. With my single post is that I couldn’t even list a price on the title. How you price an item depends just as much on how bad you want to sell it as it does on how much it’s worth. If your research indicates an object is worth $50, it might take awhile to find someone that will pay that much for it. People on Craigslist tend to be looking for bargains. But if you price it at $30, it might sell really quickly. If you can wait to sell it, price it higher. If you just want it out of your home or you really need cash, price it to move.
I violated each of the above guidelines in trying to sell my computer parts on Craigslist. I’m not surprised I didn’t get any buyers. I’m going to take my time and repost my parts following each of the above, and see if I can generate some cash to help fund my upgrade.
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Do you sell things on Craigslist? Do you have any suggestions to add to this list?
Brock is a software engineer by day and personal finance blogger at night. He is a fitness junkie and enjoys grilling and smoking meat. Married with two children, Brock strives to improve his skills as a husband and father, and is always on the lookout to stretch his family’s budget as far as he can.
Yes, you need good quality pictures. Pricing and description is important as well.
I’ve had posts that either get lots of interest or some that get none. It seems that price is probably the top factor, followed by description and pictures.