Have you ever heard of CraigsList.com?

If not, you may be missing out on a potential lead generation tool.

People use the Internet for everything. In fact, I’ve recently learned of two people that have used places like CraigsList.com to not only look for work, but to also look for clients.

CraigsList.com is a directory that is broken down by location, and by industry/area of interest. Let me show you how it works.Â

First, start out by clicking on your location. CraigsList.com has USA and International options. Once you’re at your selected location, you’ll find a variety of categories. Click around and see what’s available. From my own research, I know most postings for photographers end up under the “services” section, and the category “creative”.

Find the services section, and click on the “creative” link. This will take you to postings made under this category.

Browse through some of the postings, and see what people are writing. As I’m writing this, there are offers for web design, writing and editing, and photography.

Keep in mind that anyone can post. You can create a post selling your photography services. Or you can create a post asking for bids on services.

Let me show you how it can work. A friend recently needed a business portrait, and posted a “Wanted” ad on CraigsList.com. Within one day, she had several contacts offering photography services. She chose one and had a professional portrait created near her office. She was very happy with the results.

This is a very simple system, yet the potential is amazing. CraigsList.com is the 7th most popular site online. With all of that traffic, shouldn’t you be giving it a try?

howard raver

It’s craigslist.ORG not dot com
https://virtualphotographystudio.com Virtual Photography

Howard – Very true, it is .org. They did realize that everyone uses .com, so they got both – a lesson for anyone considering a .org. Most of us think in .com!
Dandy

craigslist is best for getting some experience and to build up your portfolio, but, in general, people who use craigslist do not want to pay much. if you are realistic about why you are using craigslist, it is not a bad site to use, but you won’t get the same clients that wedding wire will bring you, that”s for sure. i shot my first wedding for $100 from a craigslist help wanted ad, and i am glad i did. i wanted to try out wedding photography without a lot of pressure. the couple also had a professional video company on hand, so i knew i would not be ruining their big day, and they were aware it was my first wedding. it worked out well. their wedding was a small destination wedding at one of the top wedding sites in the country. it was beautiful, they looked great and were easy to work with. they loved the pictures, i had a great time. i learned a lot from the video guys, who led me around and i got great shots that led to work with a wedding agency. so, all in all, a win for me, but i knew what i wanted out of the situation and i was willing to give up the immediate pay off for the long term goal. and i think i got lucky with great clients. you have to go with your gut about the clients in this situation. you really have to feel that you will be able to get pictures that will make it worth it—and they must sign a model release before you shoot anything.