If you are a business owner or a real estate agent who regularly posts on Craigslist, you know that your postings may get ghosted or flagged. Craigslist has certain checks in place to ensure that scammers and spammers are steered clear of Craigslist. However, sometimes even legitimate businesses may get caught up in this screening process.
What does it mean to get Ghosted or Flagged?
If your listing got ghosted or flagged, it probably means either of the following two possibilities:
- A user of Craigslist has clicked on the ‘prohibited’ option at the top of your post.
- Bots of Craigslist have removed your post for exceeding a threshold as per their algorithms.
5 rules to prevent being Ghosted or Flagged on Craigslist
Now that you know what ghosting or flagging on Craigslist is, let’s look at five rules to prevent ghosting or flagging.
#1. Avoid posting in more than one city from the same Craigslist account
Most spammers try posting in multiple locations from a single central location. If you have registered your email address with Craigslist and you post in a particular location from that email, you should only ever post in that location. To post in another city, use a different email address.
#2. Avoid posting identical content
Craigslist prohibits posting the same thing more than once as this leads to spamming. Having ads with similar content can get them ghosted or flagged. Make sure that the content of each post is different. Every time you post an ad, switch up the title, images, or content.
#3. Avoid using spammy words or phrases
There are certain words or phrases that are commonly used by spammers. Craigslist has an algorithm to keep an eye for such phrases. However, sometimes legitimate businesses may get caught up in this search. Some common spammy words are “free”, “credit card”, and the like. Ensure that your ad has a legitimate contact number as people may flag your ads simply due to the absence of contact information.
#4. Avoid posting repetitive ads
If you post ads with similar content back-to-back, it may look spammy to users who can flag it. Craigslist prevents posting two ads in the same category. If you wish to post multiple ads, allow some time to pass between the ads. The waiting time depends on the volume of postings in your particular industry. Limit your postings to a maximum of two per day and let other ads come as a buffer between your ads.
#5. Avoid sounding too commercial
Most users on Craigslist are attracted by the “free marketplace” vibe of the platform. Users may be discouraged from viewing your ads if they look too templated or commercial. Avoid HTML tagging or posting excessive photos.
These are only some of the many strategies that you can employ to prevent your ad from getting ghosted or flagged. The rules of the game are dynamic. However, these five rules are basic to avoid ghosting or flagging on Craigslist.
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