Kijiji, also known as eBay classifieds, is a classifieds ads website launched by eBay in 2005. Unlike eBay, it has a very local focus.
You can buy and sell goods on Kijiji, as well as offer various services on Kijiji.
How Does Kijiji Differ From Craigslist?
Kijiji differs from Craigslist in several important ways.
First of all, people are less sceptical on Kijiji than Craigslist. There are fewer ads on Kijiji, which means fewer people vying for the customer’s attention.
You have a higher chance of attracting a browser’s attention on Kijiji. That said, there are fewer visitors on Kijiji.
Kijiji ads appear very different than Craigslist. Craigslist ads on the listing page are all text. On Kijiji on the other hand, all ads have a picture attached to it. This makes the browsing experience much more pleasant.
On Kijiji, the phone number of the person posting the ad is prominently displayed. This is very different than Craigslist, where the primary way of making contact is through an anonymous email.
Finally, on Kijiji the main focus of the ad is an image banner ad. There is a text description on the right, but the image is what’s front and center. This is different than Craigslist, which features mostly text posts. The image focus allows you to get more creative in your advertising, as you can put just about anything you want in the image.
What Services Can You Offer?
Kijiji has 13 primary service categories. Even if your service doesn’t fit under one of these categories, you can still post your services under the “other” section.
- Art, Music & Décor: If you’re a musician, an interior decorator or a mural painter, this is where you’ll want to post your services.
- Beauty & Health: Are you a dietician, massage therapist, nutritionist or personal trainer? This section’s for you.
- Cleaning & Maintenance: If you want to make a bit of extra money cleaning rooms, or if you’re a professional at maintenance, this section’s for you.
- Computer: For the technically proficient. This is where to post your computer repair services. Web design and graphic design also often goes under this section.
- Events & Occasions: If you specialize in helping throw kids’ birthday parties or hosting corporate get togethers, post here.
- Financial & Mortgages: If you’re a bookkeeper, an accountant, an investment specialist, an asset manager or a loan broker, post here.
- Hotel, airline & car: Run a limousine company? Sell hotel rooms? If you work in the travel and leisure industry, this is the place to go.
- Legal & lawyer: If you’re interested in helping people with their legal issues, this is where you can post your services.
- Lessons & Tutoring: If you can teach a language, a software program, an academic class or a music instrument, post here.
- Moving & storage: If you’re physically strong and want to make some extra money, post your moving services in this section.
- Repair & remodel: If you have the skills necessary, this section can bring in quite a lot of clients.
- Skilled trades: This section is for anyone who’s a skilled labourer. That includes landscaping, electrical engineering, car repair and more.
- Other: This is for anything that falls outside the above categories.
Here’s how to offer your skills and services on Kijiji.
STEP 1: ENTER YOUR LOCATION
Where do you want your ad to appear?
You can enter either a city and state or a zip code.
STEP 2: SELECT YOUR CATEGORY
Where do you want your post to go live? Select the category that most closely matches the service you offer.
STEP 3: ENTER A COMPELLING TITLE
Write a title that’ll help you stand out from the rest of the crowd. Make sure it’s a title that accurately describes what you’re offering; while presenting your best qualities upfront. For comparison, do a little bit of competitive analysis and see how your competition is positioning themselves.
STEP 4: ENTER DESCRIPTION
Enter a description of the services you’re offering. Keep in mind that the description on Kijiji is used more for providing details than for selling. The actual selling power comes in the form of images.
STEP 5: UPLOAD YOUR PHOTO
Upload the photo you want to use. Keep in mind that the photo is the primary focus of your listing, not your text. Once someone clicks on your listing, your photo is more or less what they’ll use to decide whether or not they’re interested in hiring you.
STEP 6: ENTER YOUR CONTACT INFORMATION
Enter your contact information. Some people choose to enter less information for fear of getting spammed or unsolicited phone calls. At the end of the day however, people are more likely to trust a merchant who’s public with contact information rather than a merchant who appears to be trying to hide.
Err on the side of providing more contact information. Give out at least your phone number and your email.
STEP 7: PREVIEW & POST
Once you click “Preview,” you’ll be taken to a preview page where you can see exactly what your post will look like once it goes live.
Decide whether or not you like the ad. If not, click “Edit” and change things until you’re satisfied. If you’re satisfied, hit “post.”
STEP 8: CONFIRMATION
Once you’ve hit “post,” you still need to confirm your email before you can continue.
Head over to your email and click the confirmation link. This is also the link you’ll use to edit or delete your ad if you want to make changes at a later time.
Once you’ve confirmed your ad, you’ll be up and running! Do note that it can take a few hours before the ad is live across Kijiji’s entire website.
Tips for Success With Kijiji
With Kijiji, the secret sauce really is in the images. It’s your one major chance to hook your viewer’s attention.
There are two times when your image can really make a difference.
First, before they’ve decided to click on your ad. Your viewer will see a thumbnail version of your ad. This thumbnail should catch attention and get them to read your headline.
The second time when the image matters is once they’re actually inside your listing. This is where you’ll want to use your image to either give them more information, or compel them to read the description.
Your image should fulfill both the goal of catching attention in the thumbnail listing as well as getting people interested on your main post.
How do you do this?
A combination of good design and good copy is best. The copy won’t be visible in the thumbnail view; so your image has to make sense whether or not the copy is read.
Split tests have shown that both men and women respond to images of women on marketing messages. Tests have also shown that a human face tends to draw attention. So a picture of a smiling woman doing something related to your product or service is a good place to start.
You now know how to post an ad to Kijiji to get prospects for your product or service. Remember to update and re-post this ad consistently, as it can take some time before the stream of clients start flowing in.