What rings a bell when the name Craigslist comes up in conversation? The Craigslist killer? Prostitution ads? Anything involving unconventional advertising probably would be named as an answer. From selling houses to the lonely hearts club, Craigslist has become a major web source for everyday services, job offers, and market bargaining. Over sixty million people actively use craigslist each month in the United States. Moreover, two hundred million or more individuals participate in Craigslist’s online discussion forums (Craigslist). As a personal user of the site, I spend my time surfing the many outlets and offers listed under the umbrella title of the Craigslist name.
Differing from other typical sites for individual marketing such as EBay and Free-Cycle, Craigslist has elements of social media and employment opportunities intertwined under the title of one webpage. Similar to social media and dating sites, Craigslist offers topic selective discussion from anyone accessible to the internet. In order to converse, no preliminary information is necessary to become approved to interact with the website’s selective topic discussion group. Essentially, Craigslist has created a free-for-all for anyone seeking a voice to be heard.
As social media apps continue to grow and virtual communication becomes the normal for communication, the upcoming generation is using sites like Craigslist to quickly fulfill a variety of their selfish desires. If you want a date for the night? No problem, Craigslist can hook you up. Need a job? Craigslist can do that too. The variety of availability and selection of so many different offers, the consumer is allowed a personal buffet for whatever they need to fulfill their desires. As a personal user, I have experienced first-hand the options and success when filling to consumer’s immediate void. Although I have a high GPA, a senior at 20, and earning two degrees, I was unemployed, had not method of transportation, and was unsuccessful in advertising for my personal business. I had not a penny to my name. After creating a Craigslist account, I successfully purchased a bike for commuting, gained a new client for my personal voice studio, and got hired for 4 jobs all in two weeks via Craigslist ads I had posted. In essence, Craigslist allowed me to regain financial control over my life—all in three weeks.
While others will remain skeptical about Craigslist due to the website’s stained reputation from mass media coverage of gruesome stories, I believe a little common sense and intellectual deciphering allows Craigslist to be a wonderful source to fulfill a consumer’s array of needs. If consumers are turned off by the dangers of Craigslist, why don’t they stop shopping at places like Walmart? Many mainstream stores have terrible crimes committed on site but consumers continue to shop at that store. The same principle applies to the consumers of Craigslist. In summary, not all Craigslist ad producers are frauds and criminals and a lot of great opportunities are on the website. Sure, there are a few bad apples in every batch; I just happened to get a good one.
Sources: “Craigslist | about | Factsheet.” Craigslist | about | Factsheet. N.p., n.d. Web. 13 Mar. 2017.
