Retail Marketing New business South Africa

Flog it for free

Junk Mail, ostensibly South Africa's leading classified publication, is moving with the times in light of the recent global economic downturn. For the past 12 years, Junk Mail has been exclusively offered as a paid service to its subscribers, but is now implementing a 'no more subscriptions, no more payments' initiative.

Online users can now view all classified ads placed via phone, fax, sms, or the web instantly on www.junkmail.co.za for free.

Ads are and will always remain free to place, but users have the added benefit of being able to place up to 15 free photos and video per ad, thus enhancing the advertiser's visual content. All this is available online to an audience of hundreds of thousands, with full ad details including contact numbers free to view for all.

“In the case of our previous policy, ads were available online only once the printed editions of the publication had hit the streets - and even then only to those viewers who had paid a subscription fee, potential buyers with Internet access can now view ads as soon as they are placed, and at no charge,” says Junkmail MD, Felix Erken.

Thousands of ads are updated to the site and are live as placed by the advertisers. All one has to do according to Erken is, “Submit as much information as possible when compiling an ad, adding plenty of additional content at no charge in order to give as much information as possible to a potential buyer.”

In addition to the Junk Mail, which is available in printed regional formats in Johannesburg, Pretoria and Durban, other niche publications include Cape Ads, Job Mail, AutoMart, Buy and Sell 4x4, Truck and Trailer, Bike and Quad Mart, as well as Love Mail, which is available only in electronic format.

“Acknowledging the importance of electronic publishing as a business model, we have had an online presence for the last 12 years, and all our publications feature an online edition under their own names, such as www.junkmail.co.za,” he concludes.

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