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Craigslist for those who may not know is an online classified community. It serves as a place post ads, jobs, or services for local people to see and act upon. Properly utilized it can be a good source of income for selling products or finding work. More specifically, a freelancer in any field can find a steady source of work through this site.
Location, Location, Location!
Making money decent from Craigslist really depends on the person’s geographic location. Like most things, larger cities offer the most opportunity simply because the large population equals a better chance of making money. I can personally attest to this because of my recent relocation. As a resident in West Lafayette, IN I rarely found opportunities for work that had to do with computers. The little work that was available usually was local to Indianapolis and even then it was not as steady as I would like it.
Fast forward to my move to the Denver area, as I began to check Craigslist more frequently I began to notice the influx of opportunity. Not a day goes by without at least some sort computer related job that is relative to services I offer. But just having the opportunity available does not always guarantee you will get the job. There are still things you need to do to increase your chance of landing the gig.
“Jobs” Opposed to “Gigs”
Unless you are looking for full time work, it is best to concentrate your efforts on the “Gigs” section of the site as opposed to the “Jobs”. In the “Jobs” area, normally companies are trying to fill fulltime positions and unfortunately they do not always know what they are looking for. “Gigs” on the other hand are normally individuals looking for one-on-one help with a particular problem. This is what a freelancer should be focusing on. Occasionally your will find an ad for full-time work there but normally those are in “Jobs”.
The next step is watching the section of interest constantly. I will use the “computer gigs” as my example because that is what I personally focus on. It is advised to leave a tab or window open on your browser at all times to make checking for updates easier. Simply go hit refresh on that page as often as you can to ensure you are the first person to see the ad and in turn get your response to them first. If you snooze you will lose on Craigslist so it is imperative that you consistently check for new postings.
Craigslist Offers RSS
Now unless you can sit at your computer all day like I can (and it even becomes hard for me at times) subscribing to the RSS feed for your particular section is the next best thing. I have an RSS reader on my phone, so I am alerted when all ads in the “computer gigs” section are posted. Granted RSS is not instantaneous but it is better than nothing. With this you can stay one step ahead of those that only check Craigslist once or twice a day.
Remember making money online consist of having multiple income streams. Craigslist offers a great source if you happen to be in or close to a relatively large population. So if you want to make money stay ahead of the curve and the competition. If you implement what I said I above you will find work.
Phot0 Credit: Squidoo
