Originally published by Lori Ballen, Realtor at The Ballen Group, on ActiveRain.

Here’s what we know

As of today, in all areas as far as we’ve been able to see, Craigslist has removed all embedded images and all links. Ads can still be posted, and images can still be browsed for and uploaded, but all hyperlinks are turned into non-active text links. This means that when the consumer clicks the link, it doesn’t go anywhere. They stay on Craigslist. Wouldn’t you think that’s what Craigslist would have wanted in the first place?

Here’s what we don’t know

Are links coming back? Will they come back with a pay-per-link or pay-per-ad feature? We think so. This year, we started paying $25 an ad for employment ads. At The Ballen Group Las Vegas Real Estate Team, we run four to eight of these a week and quickly adapted to paying. We saw value, and made the change. We did not panic. We have to figure there are a lot of businesses who did like we did. Craigslist watches, learns and is probably already on the path to charging for housing ads as well. It would just make sense.

For everyone who was using Craigslist as a main source for website traffic, this hurts. For those of us who saw this coming, not so much. We have stood on a soapbox more than once and yelled, “Do other things besides Craigslist, it will change!” When you work the Web strategically through great website content, blogging, video, press releases, other ad sites and social media, you have cast a wide net. And when one thing changes, you don’t feel damaged.

Here’s some suggestions on how to adapt

  • Bring back old-school techniques.
  • Consider your Craigslist postings to be like a yard-sign call. Don’t discount the value of a call. We, personally, have always included our phone number and find great value in a call vs. a Web lead. Always better. Ability to convert a live call increases conversion rates from your Craigslist posting efforts.
  • Offer an item of value. “For your free list of foreclosures, call” or “See all homes listed in Summerlin under $200,000 today by calling _________.”
  • Include a short, simple dot-com website address so they can still type one in if they should decide to do so.
  • Focus on the images you are uploading. You will want to go back to using more bright, beautiful images. Without links, you will need to give them real motivation to want to know more.
  • Take advantage of the fact that most posters will not adapt and will go away. You now have less competition.

Lastly, you need to create a marketing plan you are proud of!

Show Comments Hide Comments
Sign up for Inman’s Morning Headlines
What you need to know to start your day with all the latest industry developments
By submitting your email address, you agree to receive marketing emails from Inman.
Success!
Thank you for subscribing to Morning Headlines.
Back to top
×
Log in
If you created your account with Google or Facebook
Don't have an account?
Forgot your password?
No Problem

Simply enter the email address you used to create your account and click "Reset Password". You will receive additional instructions via email.

Forgot your username? If so please contact customer support at (510) 658-9252

Password Reset Confirmation

Password Reset Instructions have been sent to

Subscribe to The Weekender
Get the week's leading headlines delivered straight to your inbox.
Top headlines from around the real estate industry. Breaking news as it happens.
15 stories covering tech, special reports, video and opinion.
Unique features from hacker profiles to portal watch and video interviews.
Unique features from hacker profiles to portal watch and video interviews.
It looks like you’re already a Select Member!
To subscribe to exclusive newsletters, visit your email preferences in the account settings.
Up-to-the-minute news and interviews in your inbox, ticket discounts for Inman events and more
1-Step CheckoutPay with a credit card
By continuing, you agree to Inman’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.

You will be charged . Your subscription will automatically renew for on . For more details on our payment terms and how to cancel, click here.

Interested in a group subscription?
Finish setting up your subscription
×