Why small businesses post on Craigslist
- It is local by design. Craigslist is split into city sites, so an ad on your city's site is seen by people in your area, not the whole country.
- It is cheap and simple. A services post is a flat $5 for 30 days. No bidding, no ad account to learn.
- People go there looking for help. The services section has categories like skilled trade, household, labor/move, automotive, computer and small biz ads, and people browse them when they need someone now.
- It is fast. You can write a post and have it live the same day.
Where a Craigslist ad falls short
- It sinks. Every new post pushes yours down. A paid post cannot be moved back to the top. You pay again for a repost.
- One city at a time. Each post belongs to one Craigslist site. Covering the towns around you means more posts and more fees.
- No way to tell what worked. Craigslist does not tell you which calls came from your ad.
- Price shoppers. Many people browsing Craigslist are looking for the cheapest option.
What a Craigslist post costs
| Category | Fee in the US |
|---|---|
| Services (every services category) | $5 per post |
| Jobs | $10 to $75, depends on the city |
| Gigs | $3 to $10, depends on the city |
| For sale by dealer | $5 per post |
| Commercial real estate | $5 per post |
| Most other categories | Free |
From Craigslist's own fee list. Paid posts stay up for 30 days. Fees can change, so check the posting page for your city.
Find your city
What local businesses ask for help with
We watch the gigs section of Craigslist in 55 US cities. When small businesses post there looking for marketing help, these are the requests that come up again and again:
- Getting a Google Business Profile set up and verified, so the business shows on Google Maps.
- Someone who knows Google Ads, often asked for by the hour or on site.
- Facebook and Instagram ads that bring customers, not just likes.
- A Nextdoor business page set up and posting to the neighborhood.
- Website fixes on WordPress, Shopify, Wix or Squarespace, and basic local SEO.
We do all of these. Tell us which one you need on the form below.
How we help
- Free Craigslist ad review. Send us your post or tell us what you sell. We tell you plainly what to change: the title, the category, the city, and what to say so people call.
- Local ads aimed at your city. Google Ads targeted to your city, a radius around you, or the zip codes you serve, so you show up when people search for what you do.
- Yelp, Nextdoor, Facebook and Google Business Profile. The places local customers look besides Craigslist.
- Calls you can count. We set up tracking so you know which ads made your phone ring.
MAWD Agency is an independent marketing agency, not affiliated with Craigslist.
Call (510) 857-7838Get your free Craigslist ad review
Questions
How much does it cost to post a business ad on Craigslist?
A post in any services category costs $5 in the US. Job posts cost $10 to $75 depending on the city, and gigs cost $3 to $10. Most other categories are free. Check the fee on the posting page for your city before you pay.
How long does a paid Craigslist ad stay up?
Paid posts stay live for 30 days. You cannot move a paid post back to the top. To get to the top of the newest listings again you pay for a repost or a new post.
Can one Craigslist ad cover several cities?
No. Each post belongs to one Craigslist site, and a repost always stays in the same place. To reach another city you create a separate post there.
Is MAWD Agency part of Craigslist?
No. MAWD Agency is an independent marketing agency and is not affiliated with Craigslist. We help small businesses get more calls from Craigslist and from local ads on Google, Yelp, Nextdoor and Facebook.