Recruiting online
Recruiting online. Where to post the opportunity, and where not to.
Updated Oct. 4, 2026 · 8 minute read
Classifieds then and now
The online classified ad has had its day.
The old version of this article recommended placing “home business opportunity” ads on Craigslist, local newspaper sites and other online classifieds. For years, plenty of consultants did. The rules have since caught up.
Craigslist now lists network and multi-level marketing among its prohibited content. Indeed and LinkedIn Jobs both bar multilevel opportunities from their job listings. Meta allows people to talk about their business on Facebook and Instagram, but not to pitch pay-for-recruiting or get-rich-quick offers.
That isn’t bad news for honest consultants. The people who respond to a vague “work from home!” classified rarely stay anyway. The places that still work are the ones where people can see who you are, what you sell, and what the business really involves.
The short version
- Craigslist, Indeed and LinkedIn Jobs don’t allow multilevel opportunity posts.
- Facebook and Instagram allow honest posts, but no recruitment-pay or get-rich-quick pitches.
- A commission opportunity is not a job. Don’t advertise it as one.
- Post where people can see who you are: your profile, your channels, your list.
- Rules change. Read the current policy before you post anywhere new.
Platform rules
What each platform's rules actually say.
Craigslist
Not allowedAll categories, including jobs and gigs
Its prohibited list includes “affiliate marketing; network, or multi-level marketing; pyramid schemes.”
For you: Don’t post the opportunity. Not as a job, a gig or a service.
Indeed
Not allowedJob listings
“Roles tied to multi-level marketing companies aren’t allowed on Indeed due to high financial risk.” Listings that require candidates to invest money aren’t eligible either.
For you: A starter kit counts as an investment. Don’t list it.
LinkedIn Jobs
Not allowedJob postings
“Do not create postings for ‘business opportunities’ that require payments or recruitment of others or that resemble franchises, multi-level marketing, club memberships, or distributorships.”
For you: Keep it out of Jobs. LinkedIn’s community policies also bar promoting pyramid schemes anywhere on the site.
Facebook + Instagram
With limitsPosts, groups, Reels, messages
Meta’s Community Standards prohibit “offers of investment opportunities where returns on investment or compensation is partly or fully based on recruitment of others” and “offers of opportunities of unrealistic financial reward for unclear or minimal effort.”
For you: Posting about your business is fine. Pay-for-recruiting pitches and get-rich-quick claims are not. Groups add their own rules.
Facebook + Instagram ads
With limitsPaid ads
Meta’s Advertising Standards say ads for income opportunities must fully describe the product or business model, and must not promote models offering quick compensation for little investment, including multi-level marketing opportunities.
For you: Advertise products, not the opportunity. Check your company’s ad policy too; some restrict consultant ads.
It isn't a job
Don't present a commission opportunity as a job.
LinkedIn’s Jobs Policies require employers to clearly disclose when a role is commission-based, and bar posts that “require applicants to pay in order to apply or for employment.” A starter kit, however modest, is a payment to begin.
The FTC’s guidance adds the earnings side: any income claim “should reflect what the typical person to whom the representation is directed is likely to achieve,” and should take expenses into account. A headline like “$500 a week from home” fails both tests for most people.
So use the right words: independent consultant, commission, starter kit, income disclosure. People who still say yes after reading those words are the ones who stay.
| Job-ad wording | Honest wording |
|---|---|
| “Now hiring!” | “I’m looking for a few people to join my team as independent consultants.” |
| “Work-from-home position, $500/week” | “Commission on what you sell. Here’s what typical consultants earned last year.” |
| “No experience, no investment needed” | “The starter kit is $X. Here’s what’s in it.” |
| “Apply now” | “Message me with questions. No pressure.” |
Where it works
Where an honest recruiting post belongs.
Your own social profiles
A Direct Sales Aid profile
Your company website
An opted-in email list
Groups and communities
Facebook groups, forums and community boards are run by their admins, and many ban business posts or allow them only on a set day. Read the rules, contribute without selling, and post about your business only where it’s invited. Our guide to marketing in online communities covers how.
Writing the post
An honest opportunity post, and how to track what works.
I’ve been an independent consultant with [company] for two years, selling [products] to customers who keep coming back for them.
A few customers have asked how it works, so here’s the honest version: you earn a commission on what you sell, the starter kit is $[X], and there’s a monthly minimum of $[Y] to stay active. Most consultants do this part-time, and the company’s income disclosure shows what people typically earn. I’ll send it to anyone who asks.
If you already love [products], message me and I’ll answer any questions. No pressure, and staying a customer is great too.
Fill in your real figures. Check the wording against your company’s policies before you post.
Before you post, check
- the platform allows it (see the table above)
- your company allows it, in that place and format
- no income figures beyond what the disclosure shows
- no lifestyle photos or “quit your job” lines
- costs are stated plainly, kit and minimums included
- it doesn’t read like a job ad
Track where people come from
The old article’s best advice still holds: know where your leads come from. Ask every new customer and recruit “how did you find me?” and note the answer. Use a separate link for each place you share it, if your company site supports tracking links. After three months, put your time where the answers point.
Policies checked October 2026: craigslist prohibited list; Indeed, Job Posting Rules and Policies for Employers; LinkedIn Jobs Policies and Professional Community Policies; Meta Community Standards: Prohibited Commercial Practices and Advertising Standards: Unrealistic Outcomes; FTC, Business Guidance Concerning Multi-Level Marketing; FTC, CAN-SPAM Act: A Compliance Guide for Business. Platform policies change; always check the current version. Not legal advice.
Give people somewhere honest to find you.
Keep reading
More recruiting guides
New to direct sales? Start with What is Direct Sales?, Direct Sales 101 and Direct Sales vs Pyramid Schemes, or browse all articles.
