The Pew Center in the US released a report overnight which shows how the free online classified advertising opportunities such as Craigslist, are impacting paid claissified advertising in newspapers.
The number of online adults who have used online classified ads has more than doubled in the past four years. Almost half (49%) of internet users say they have ever used online classified sites, compared with 22% of online adults who had done so in 2005.
The age of those using Craigslist is important for us to note. This shows where the generation we want to attract to newsagencies is going for classifieds.
Free online classifieds sites like Craigslist are tremendously popular with young adults moving to new cities, looking for jobs, or trying to find inexpensive goods or roommates. Internet users ages 25-44 are significantly more likely than any other age group — including 18-24 year-olds — to use online classified ads. Fully 62% of online 25-34 year olds and 57% of 35-44 year-olds use online classified ads, compared with 49% of online 18-24 year olds and 48% of online 45-54 year olds.
While yet to gain critical mass, Craigslist does have free online classifieds sites here in Australia for all capital cities.
We will look back and say that online classifieds were an opportunity missed by newsagents.