Everybody, especially new marketers, want free or cheap advertising for their own or affiliate…

Everybody, especially new marketers, want free or cheap advertising for their own or affiliate products. FFA (Free For All) sites and safelists like Herculist or MailerGold have largely fallen out of favor—there’s a lot of noise, but very few people are actually paying attention.

However, classified ads (like Craigslist, USFreeAds and QwikAds) seem to be still up there as a traffic source, although they must be used in the right way in order to turn a browser into a buyer.

Classified ads, particularly free ones, offer a very low-cost entry point for testing product interest or making initial sales without investing heavily in paid advertising platforms.

There are some Fiverr sellers who will post to multiple classified ads sites for you to spread your word.

Think along the lines of people are there to buy. They are already searching within a niche (surely the definition of a classified ad). These are an ideal audience if you can provide what they’re looking for.

Here’s a breakdown of where classified ads can still have a role:
Local Niche Markets: For digital products that cater to a very specific local audience (e.g., a local guide ebook, a regional photography preset pack), online classifieds with strong local filtering (like Gumtree or Craigslist) can reach potential buyers who are already looking for something in their area. This means that if you easily localize your product, you can market the same thing in a number of places, but make it look regional.

Simple, Direct Transactions: For digital products that can be easily described and delivered directly (e.g., a single PDF template, a specific software script). Classified ads allow for a straightforward connection between buyer and seller, often with transactions happening outside the classified platform.

Lead Generation (less direct sales): While not ideal for direct sales of all digital products, a classified ad might serve as a lead generator, driving interested individuals to a dedicated landing page or website where they can learn more and complete a purchase. This method is a ‘must use’ for affiliate products. Make your own landing page to pre-sell something and to filter out the ‘only partially interested’ in order to avoid the wrath of the product originator.

Specific Platforms (e.g., eBay’s Classified Ad format): Some larger platforms like eBay have a “Classified Ad” format specifically for electronically delivered items, where the transaction is negotiated off-platform. This bypasses typical selling fees but requires direct communication between buyer and seller.

Now classified ads are not the be all and end all of free traffic and many sites do have some serious limitations.
Lack of Rich Media: Traditional classified ads are text-heavy and offer limited space for visuals or videos, which are crucial for showcasing digital products effectively (e.g., screenshots of software, video demos of online courses).

Many ad sites do allow some images but very few allow a video. Make sure that you can write a good description.

Limited Targeting and Analytics: Classified ads offer very basic targeting (usually by category and location) and minimal-to-no analytics, making it hard to understand your audience, track performance, and optimize campaigns. This means you must use a tracking shortener as your link to your page or product.

Scalability Issues: Relying solely on classified ads is not a scalable strategy for growing a digital product business. Modern digital marketing allows for much wider reach and automation.

You can, of course use identical descriptions on various different sites, but if you are covering a lot of locations on one site, do vary your text. It used to be a good way to get a site ban on Craigslist for someone posting 20+ ads, all exactly the same in different locations.

One or two sites will allow multiple location posting for a small fee. KwikAds, for instance, allows a world-wide posting for $7. Almost all will allow ads to be boosted or reposted for an additional fee.
Many classified ad platforms are crowded with various listings, making it difficult for your digital product to stand out. You may need to consider good images in order to be seen.

Trust and Professionalism: For higher-priced or more complex digital products, buyers often look for a more professional and trustworthy platform (e.g., a dedicated e-commerce store, a reputable marketplace) that offers secure payment processing, customer reviews, and support. In this case, try to get people to visit your own site – perhaps with a no-optin gift to get their trust.
Get browsers to a place where you can better control what they see as soon as possible. Your own email list is best, but even a Facebook or Skool group is a good start.

While classified ads aren’t the primary or most effective channel for selling most digital products, they can serve as an additional tool for very specific scenarios, especially for local or budget-conscious sellers. For serious digital product businesses, focusing on a comprehensive digital marketing strategy that includes dedicated platforms, social media, content marketing, and targeted advertising will yield far better results.
If you’re looking for an easy way to build an email list, provide tracking links, deliver PDF ebooks and create intermediate pages then consider LeadsLeap. It also has some extra traffic sources to get more visitors and advertising blocks that you can use as revenue for your site.

For a list of the sites (complete with links) mentioned here, please download this PDF: https://usercontent.leadsleap.com/Classified-Ads-Resources-File-180411.pdf