You can use a QR code as an image in a Craigslist ad to add value to the searcher’s results. It helps the person looking for you, find you and get more information.
Craigslist removal of links in ads was a subtle albeit huge change in how ads are written and look in craigslist. It changed a worldwide marketing platform overnight. Many advertisers (and no doubt some spammers) simply abandoned CL and sought other advertising conduits, reducing your competition.
Here’s an ad with links from the “good ole” days:
New York Yankees vs Detroit Tigers Tickets
August 27, 2014 Comerica Park
Buy Now »
At first many advertisers wrote there url address and instructed, copy and paste address. This phrase violates craigslist terms SO DON”T USE IT. But a QR code can still take your prospect to a desired page.
To make a QR code, navigate to the page you would like to link to, select the url address and copy. Next open a QR code generator page that generates the code for you. Then download to your computer, and finally upload to craigslist. It should be the last image you upload so it’s not the default ad image. It’s ugly and confuses most people, they may think it’s too much work, plus may not have the app yet, so you don’t want it showing up as default image for ad.
If you have a graphics program you can add instructions in the image above and/or below the block you scan. If you search “how to put tables” or “how to use href”, or “how to add links”, “.. in craigslist ads”, you’ll find many informative but obsolete pages.
You’re now limited to making your ad stand out with creative text and pictures. If you write your ad with unsupported code now, you get the a message: img, Font, Table, Div and Span tags are no longer supported in this category.
Making a great ad is a matter of testing, but generally simple converts better.
A good example of an ad is:
Yankees vs Tigers Tickets 8/27/2014
New York Yankees vs Detroit Tigers Game
August 27, 2014 Comerica Park
Preferred-Seats.com/detroit-mi/tigers-tickets
Two images:
QR codes are commonly used on paper literature too, but the public needs instruction to know what to do and how powerfully simple they are to scan and go to webpage. Write instructions with as few words as possible.
To make a good looking ad:
- use keywords people are searching for in title
- use simple text in 3 lines
- use call to action in H2 tag
- use horizontal lines
- use 3-5 images including QR code image
* A free app is available on your device, search barcode scanner
Now, scan away.