Craigslist Finds

July 22, 2008 | Leave a Comment

Only in Vegas… (not really).

Posted by Elaine Vigneault | Filed Under Miscellaneous
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Marketing 101

July 21, 2008 | 10 Comments

If you’re still talking about it years later, it’s a marketing success.

“People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals constantly sets back its cause with boneheaded moves, like the ad it ran juxtaposing photos of penned-up animals with starving Jews in concentration camps.” (source)

Offensive? Perhaps.
Successful in getting attention to the cause of animal rights? Absolutely.

Argue that PETA ads like that one are offensive, but don’t claim they don’t work. Clearly, the public’s consistently loud reaction to offense makes offense a successful publicity stunt.

And by the way, the movement is growing, either because of or despite PETA’s “boneheaded moves.”

Posted by Elaine Vigneault | Filed Under animal-rights, marketing, peta, vegan
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My Blog Archives

July 21, 2008 | Leave a Comment

If you’re wondering why you can’t find some of my old blog posts, it’s because they’re on the old server and I haven’t moved things over yet.

I do plan to resurrect my old blog. I just need some help to do it. Ed can help me, but not right now. With the move and related expenses my blog is pretty low on the priority list. So, please stay tuned. Eventually I’ll get those archives back up and running.

Posted by Elaine Vigneault | Filed Under about, archives, blog
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How To Write A Classified Ad

July 18, 2008 | 2 Comments

I’ve been shopping a lot on Craigslist lately for our new home. Classifieds are great to save some money, be less wasteful, and help people out, but I don’t even waste my time with 80% of the ads because they don’t do the following:

Put the price in the title. And use a descriptive title. “CHEAP STEREO” will grab attention, but it’s not very helpful. In fact, if I’m looking for a high quality stereo, I’m likely to pass on the add that’s titled “cheap.” A title like “HIGH QUALITY BOSS STEREO - ONLY $100″ will probably work better.
List the item’s key features. Don’t write a novel about your stuff, just list the main points so readers can quickly scan the info. For example, “Gently used ceramic clown stands 3 feet high. His blue, green, yellow, and red paint match virtually any decor,” is better than “Clown statue was given to me by my mother-in-law. It doesn’t match my new carpet.”
Add a picture. A picture really is worth a thousand words. Try to move all extraneous items out of the way and take the photo during daylight. A dark or cluttered photo is almost as bad as no photo at all. If you can’t take a picture of your item, try to find something similar online and use that picture (with a note in the ad that the picture isn’t the actual item, but looks similar.)
Be honest. There’s nothing worse than answering a classified ad and finding out the person who wrote the ad was lying. A little positive spin is fine, but don’t cross the line into dishonesty. For example, “1965 Mustang runs great, but has cosmetic blemishes” is better than “Classic Mustang in perfect condition.”
Be realistic. You’re not going to get more than half what you originally paid for the item (unless you’re really really crafty) so don’t bother. Even if I like your stuff I’m not going to bother contacting you if your price is way too high. Do your research and see what price other people are selling similar items for. And take into account the context - you can’t sell expensive rare artwork on Craigslist for the same price you could garner from an art auction. People who shop classified ads usually want a good deal, not your grandmother’s arts and crafts.

So, there you have it: my thoughts on how to write a classified ad.
:)

Posted by Elaine Vigneault | Filed Under ad, advertising, classified ads, craigslist, how to write a classified ad, marketing
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