Craigslist is an excellent way to advertise your earrings on the Internet. Unlike recommended websites like Ebay and Ecrater, Craigslist is free. However, it acts like a classified ad so you have no platform for doing transactions. On the other hand, you can use your Craigslist ad to link to your online store if you have one. Or you could have your customers pay through a PayPal account if you have one. As mentioned in Part I, you can set up an online store on websites like Ebay, Ecrater, Ruby Lane and Etsy. But a way that you can create additional traffic to your online store is through Craigslist. Craigslist actually has an entire section devoted to jewelry. This would be a great place to advertise your earrings. In fact, if you go on Craigslist and search under the For Sale section and click the jewelry link, you will find thousands of ads for all types of jewelry.
And it is so simple to post an ad. Simply click the Post to Classifieds link near the top left corner and you will go to a screen that acts for a category. Choose the For Sale category and you will go to the next page which has jewelry as one of the categories. Click the jewelry category and then choose a location. If you have an actual store where people can walk through the doors, the location aspect is very important. On the other hand, if you only have an online store, the location is not as important since anyone from anywhere can buy from you. Once you choose a location you will be taken to the advertising template where you put in a title and then a description of your earrings. It is crucial that you provide quality photos. Craigslist will upload four photos for you. If you choose to advertise silver earrings, for example, it is wise to think about the background color scheme of your ad so that the photos show nicely.
But I would recommend using Craigslist mainly as a way to link to your website or online store. If you go to the jewelry section of Craigslist, you will see that most people post a small ad and then place a link to their website. You may see categories for pearl earrings or diamond earrings. On the other hand, given its huge popularity, you could actually sell your earrings on Craigslist without a website or an online store. Simply provide a good title, detailed description, and nice photos. If you are selling silver earrings, for example, you want to make sure that the photos are very sharp. And make sure you provide your customers with a way to contact you for payment. Again, I would recommend PayPal since most Craigslist users are familiar with it and you don’t have to deal with checks or money orders.