How To Post A Craigslist Personals Ad In 2022
You can post a Craigslist personals ad in the Missed Connections Section to meet women. Yes, the personals section is alive and well... just in a different section of the site.
There are women actively looking for men on Craigslist. You won't find the number of women on Craigslist like 10 years ago. But, there are enough women browsing ads that it's worth your time.
This post shares how you can post a Craigslist personals ad to meet women. The focus of this post is looking for a casual encounter, basically a hookup.
If you seek a relationship on Craigslist, this post can still help. Just change the vocabulary in your ad, and you're good to go.
Woman responding to a Craigslist Personals ad.
Read THIS before posting a Craigslist Personals ad.
Although it's easy to post an ad, there are a few things you should know about Craigslist. Here are tips and facts when you post a Craigslist Personals ad:
- Your ad will be flagged at some point, so it's best to post in the evening. Focus on weekends as more women browse ads at that time.
- Women will respond, but it can be hit or miss. You may get 10 responses to your post, or you may get 1.
- The bigger the city, the more responses to your ad. If you live in a smaller area, you may get 1 response, but in a large city (Los Angeles), you could get 10 or more legitimate responses.
- A handful of men will respond to your post.
- Some people will be angry and curse at you. Don't take it personally when someone yells at you for posting an ad.
- Couples will also respond, seeking a third for a threesome.
- Escorts will contact you, offering their services.
- Spammers will respond to your post. They're easy to spot, typically bad grammar and a photo of a young supermodel.
- Use a generic email address for posting an ad. Don't use a work email (yes, guys do this) or one which shows your actual name. Take a minute to create a Gmail account.
- You need to use a phone number to post an ad. Craigslist will send a confirmation to your phone number before showing your ad.
Posting a Craigslist Personals ad is a crapshoot. It doesn't take much time posting an ad, so it's worth the effort.
Which section do you post a Personals Ad?
The Craigslist Personals section is gone, removed in 2018. That doesn't mean you can't post a Personals ad; you just have to do it in another section of the site
The best section is the "Missed connections section." I've tested ads in this section and got good results in cities across the United States.
If you want to know why Craigslist shut down the personals section, visit my blog post here, What Are Alternatives For Men Now That Craigslist Personals Are Gone?
Timing is everything for your ad.
As I mentioned above, your Craigslist Personals ad will be flagged for removal at some point (unless you delete it yourself). It's critical to post an ad when it's more likely to be viewed by women.
The best time to post on Craigslist is evenings, especially Friday and Saturday nights. Posting during the afternoon on the weekend is OK, but an ad is more effective on weekend evenings.
You want as many eyes as possible on your ad if you want to meet women. Not too many women are browsing Craigslist on a Tuesday at 1 PM.
Everything starts with a good headline.
Savvy marketers know it's all about the headline. If you can't grab a person's attention, they will lose interest, and the marketer is unlikely to make a sale.
It's the same philosophy on Craigslist. You must use a headline that stands out - nothing boring.
Below is what people see browsing Craigslist. Note my highlighted headline. You can see it stands out.
A good tip is to use the word "you" in your headline.
One tip is to use the word "you" in your post (see above). The word "you" creates curiosity, and people are likely to click on the headline out of curiosity.
I'm a fan of being cryptic, but not too much. The more your write, the more likely Craigslist will identify your post as a personals ad - they will immediately flag it.
You want women to know what you're looking for in your ad, but entice them to click on the headline. Below is an example of one I tested that is more forward - it's somewhat mysterious but says more than enough.
Your headline must capture a woman's attention.
The headline above speaks to women viewing it, and they will know what you're saying. Below is a response to the headline I was testing above.
A good headline speaks to women.
The body of your Craigslist Personals ad
I like keeping an ad short and to the point. I'm a man, looking for a woman - that's it, nothing more is necessary (see below).
Keep your Craigslist Personals ad on point.
I recommend keeping your ad short as well. The more you write about yourself and what you're looking for, the more likely you'll get flagged.
Be careful; if you include sexual words, Craigslist will know what you're doing. The ad will be identified as a personals ad and flagged quickly. Stay away from words like these:
- date/dating
- hookup
- FWB
- Any sexual lingo
- Relationship
You shouldn't write a long ad. I am flagged quickly with longer descriptions when I test ads, so keep your ad on point.
Here are actual responses to my Personals ad.
Below is a list of responses when I posted ads around various cities on Craigslist. I received messages from women, men, and couples.
A great ad gets results!
Couples may respond to your ad.
Some women have preferences.
You won't always get responses from women.
Men will respond to your personals ad.
You may get several women answering your ad.
This is a spammer - Note the response.
What you can expect
Be prepared for women to ask for pictures in their initial response. This is your decision to share a photo or not.
Women will generally ask for pictures first.
I recommend at least ensuring the person messaging you is legitimate. Ask where they are located and what they're looking for.
Also, say you are looking for a female (if that's what you're looking for). Men will respond even when writing you're seeking a female in an ad.
Pay attention to the grammar of people contacting you. You may receive responses from spammers, but they typically use bad grammar.
I can't emphasize how important it is to ask people what they're looking for. This ensures you're on the same page and will bring escorts front and center - they will tell you they are looking for money.
You will encounter escorts on Craigslist.
Eventually, your ad will be flagged!
If you keep your Craigslist personals post up without deleting it yourself, it will be flagged as spam. It's inevitable.
A tip is to keep your ad up only a few hours, then take it down. Briefly keeping your ad up prevents Craigslist from flagging it for deletion
Once your ad is flagged, you can repost. Change the headline and the body of the ad somewhat.
Your ad may be flagged if left up too long.
The more you post a Personal Craigslist ad, the quicker it will be flagged. It may get to a point where Craigslist won't publish your ad. Take a break from Craigslist for a month or so when that happens.
Final Thoughts
Men can still meet women on Craigslist in the Missed Connection section. It's a quick, effective way to find a casual romance. Follow the tips in this post, and you just might meet a woman.