How to Avoid Craigslist Post Flagging

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Craigslist is a user managed community and to facilitate that vibe Craigslist has a flagging system which allows any user to flag a post as spam, scam or against policies. Unfortunately this system can and has been abused for profit. Competitors will flag posts from multiple computers to make it appear as if a post is being flagged for real violations. There are also a set of people on Craigslist that feel strongly against certain products or services. These flaggers appear to have nothing better to do than misjudge postings all day.

Avoiding the wrath of these potential predators can be tricky, especially if you market in categories that do not specifically relate to your business type. However, here are some handy tips to avoid flagging:

 - Make sure your post directly relates to the category you are posting in. This may require some fancy writing to make sure it appears to fit in with the group.

  - If you suspect someone is maliciously flagging you, you do not have to just take it, contact Craigslist and Craig himself may even research and resolve your issue.

  - If your posts keep getting flagged, take a few days off and get off the flagger’s radar.

  - Post only every 48 hours.

  - If you must post daily or more, change the post so it appears to promote a different company all together. Try focusing on a specific service for each post and change the contact info.

  - Avoid scripts and bots that will turn you into a spammer – spamming is not as successful as you might think. Over posting (more than twice daily and in useless categories) will get you banned and it’s just not worth it.

  - Focus every day on a segment of your market rather than posting to all of them each day.