Working Title: How I Do What I Do

I want to preface this article by stating that there are dozens of different Craigslist Advertising Software titles available on the market today. With each of these programs comes a learning curve. The reason hundreds of small business owners have used our Craigslist advertising design services is because they may not have the time, creativity or the Craigslist Advertising Software to create their ads quickly. I am going to talk about the Craigslist Advertising Software that I use and then give you some other alternatives that you can utilize to create your own ads.

Warning: Advertising Software for Craigslist is not cheap!

 

Craigslist Advertising Software #1 - Adobe Photoshop

Every single one of the Craigslist ads that I design has photographs in the ad. These photographs include logos, stock photography, customer supplied examples of their work, staff, establishment, etc. Using the right photographs and, more importantly, making sure that they look good is very important to the success of your Craigslist ad. Adobe Photoshop is hands down the best piece of Craigslist Advertising Software that you can purchase today to design your own ads for Craigslist. The going rate for this program is just over $400.00. You can see it for sale here.

Adobe Photoshop allows you to utilize layers to build your Craigslist ads. It also has a very extensive effects panel that helps you add drop shadows, bevel and emboss, add global lighting and other amazing effects to your photos.

 

 

Craigslist Advertising Software #2 - Adobe InDesign

If Adobe Photoshop is the Craigslist Advertising Software that allows me to edit and manipulate all of my Craigslist ad photos, Adobe InDesign is the page layout program for the ads. This powerful program is used by professional advertisers all over the world to produce magazines and advertising materials for huge corporations and small businesses. I'm a huge fan of Adobe products for Craigslist Advertising Software - so in combination of Photoshop and InDesign, my ads get created quickly and look very nice. The going rate for InDesign is around $450.00. You can see it for sale here.

Utilizing the same basic interface as Photoshop and allowing me to work between the two programs quickly helps me generate ads quickly. As with any Craigslist Advertising Software - the learning curve can be a little steep. I recommend leaving the graphic design to the professionals. If you simply MUST HAVE Craigslist Advertising Software, keep reading - there are some less costly avenues to pursue.

 

Craigslist Advertising Software #3 - Google Picasa

Ok, so you wanted something cheap to help you with your photos? I can give you that - we're ALL on a budget. Google's Picasa has some really great photograph features. It's not much for a page layout solution - but at least you'll have a way to quickly view, edit, manipulate and add effects to your photos. The best part is - it's Google's software and like so many things: it's free to use. Another cool feature is it allows you to store and share your photos. Bonus!

 

Craigslist Advertising Software #4 - Microsoft Works / Publisher

I do not personally recommend these two options as Craigslist Advertising Software - but I wanted to include them because sometimes your home computer system can have these programs already installed on it. This can save you a lot of money in the long run. There are plenty of online resources to allow you to learn how to use these programs and once you learn how to use their interface - these could be another viable option for Craigslist Advertising Software on the cheap. Use at your own risk / frustration. :)

Remember - it's not about which Craigslist Advertising Software that you use. You can select anything from the options above and also research your own. The idea here is that you're building a -better- Craigslist ad than just a plain text ad. Kudos for even reading this article!

 

 

Craigslist Advertising Software #5 - GIMP

GIMP is a program that was created in 1995 as open source software. It has many of the same bells and whisltes as the Adobe line of products and the best part is ... it's free! Personally, I've never used GIMP, however I know that there are many photographers and designers that have mastered it. Again, Craigslist Advertising Software is kind of like religon - find one that works good for you and enjoy it.

 

 

I hope you have learned something about various Craigslist Advertising Software programs that are available for Craigslist designers of every level.  When considering which Craigslist Advertising Software to buy - try to choose something that you've done your research on and feel comfortable tackling.

Or ... leave it to the professionals so I can continue to have a job. :)

As always, good luck with your Craigslist Advertising!