Promoted Listings Advanced

[katzrul15]

Have read thru this a couple of times.  

Will this mean that PLs as we know them now will essentially be worthless/not effective?

A little concerning as we use PLs quite a bit currently.  Not certain our budget can work for the PL Advanced or that I have a "daily" budget for PL Advanced?

Thoughts?  

How Promoted Listings AdvancedBETA works

Promoted Listings AdvancedBETA is based on a cost-per-click model. You start by deciding how much each keyword and click is worth to you. Next, you bid to target placements at the top of eBay search results. Top placements show your listings to buyers right when they’re looking for your items across all experiences on eBay, including desktop, mobile, and the eBay app.

With this new type of campaign, you’ll be able to:

• Bid for the top slot in search using keyword and budget controls, and pay per click.
• Select the keywords that matter to you.
• Set a daily budget for additional control.

To set up your first campaign, go to the Seller Hub Marketing tab. You can create a new campaign within the Advertising dashboard by following these simple steps:

1. Name your campaign.
2. Choose dates and a daily budget.
3. Name your Ad Group.
4. Add your listings and keywords to the Ad Group.
5. Select a maximum cost-per-click for the keywords, displayed as “CPC bids” in the tool.

Review your campaign after you complete these steps.

Top tips

• Use features like suggested keywords and bids to help you set up effective campaigns.
• Include high-quality listings in your campaign with complete and accurate item specifics and great photos for the best chance of gaining high visibility. In addition to your bid, factors including keyword relevancy, listing quality, competition, and daily budget determine whether your ad will appear in the number one position.
• Use the daily budget feature to manage your ad spend.

You can also use both Promoted Listings Standard and Advanced together to help achieve maximum visibility for your ad placements across the eBay network, and utilize both budget approaches for your ad spend.

Coming later this month—Promoted Listings AdvancedBETA

Starting at the end of this month, Promoted Listings AdvancedBETA will be available to all eligible Promoted Listings sellers. If you’re eligible, you’ll be able to opt in to Promoted Listings AdvancedBETA to start bidding for the highly coveted top spot in the search results, as soon as it’s accessible.

All existing Promoted Listings campaigns will automatically be renamed Promoted Listings Standard campaigns, without you having to do anything. The only changes will be to the name and attribution logic.

[bimm_corp]

@this*old*attic

>I think I turned in my cheerleader card over this one.

Congratulations. I've always said one of the reasons I stick around is to be here when eBay turns on the cheerleaders. Maybe it's started.

[katzrul15]

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@Anonymous wrote:

I hope everyone understands what an AGGRESSIVE money grab PLA will be.

It will ruin new sellers who don't fully grasp the concept.

I have found that PL is fully functional at the minimum 1%. Items are shown just as much and as many times as using a higher percentage. Anything above 1% is a complete waste of money.

50%-60% of listings I promote sell through the promotion. I doubt anyone else is doing much better at higher percentages.

That being said, PLA is an even bigger lie and waste of seller's money.

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We too typically promote in the 1-1.5% rate and our sell thru has been very good. 

Pay per click, if wielded against a competitor could be very costly and unfruitful.

Just need the current version to remain viable, especially thru the Holiday Season.

[ckimodog]

Yep... big pep rally coming! lol 

[ckimodog]

What really gets me is the "Is this still available?"

The listing says it's available right?

I think there are just some really dumb buyers out there.

If I had a dollar for everytime I didn't say what I wanted to say in response to a stupid question, I would be rich.

I sold a rosary once that stated in the title "not sterling" silver.  The buyer filed a NAD stating it was not real silver. They won and kept the item.  Case closed.  No matter how descriptive or detailed your description is...you'll never win.  They're out there in abundance.  Have a great day. 

[my-cottage-books-and-antiques]

@nuclearomen I'm seeing a lot of handwringing over PLA, but I saw much the same when PL was first introduced. and yet quite a few people here are (now) saying they use PL effectively. 

I think this comes down to the two types of business models: the new multi-quantity listing seller is much more like an actual retailer, and an advertising tool like this is nothing new to experienced retailers. The beta test for this was limited to sellers using sites like Channel Adviser....so, basically, larger retailers, many of them already multi-channel and already familiar with the pay per click model. I strongly suspect many of them welcomed the chance to compete more effectively. 

The smaller seller of one offs (like me): This is really not for me. Sure, I could experiment with it, but it really isn't a good fit for my business model. And I doubt my competitors will use it either. PLS is a much better fit for my business model. And I think, ultimately, for the one off business model, the best advertising (for those who pursue it) will likely be a combination of PLS, and store "branding": using newsletters, coded coupons and so forth, Seller Initiated Offers and Social Media effectively.  My stuff is "long tail", and for years the philosophy has been list it and forget it (which can still work for long tail). But the seller who WANTS increased sales velocity now has more tools than ever to try to achieve that. 

I just don't see PLA as having a big impact on most small sellers. 

[nuclearomen]

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@my-cottage-books-and-antiques wrote:

@nuclearomen I'm seeing a lot of handwringing over PLA, but I saw much the same when PL was first introduced. and yet quite a few people here are (now) saying they use PL effectively. 

I think this comes down to the two types of business models: the new multi-quantity listing seller is much more like an actual retailer, and an advertising tool like this is nothing new to experienced retailers. The beta test for this was limited to sellers using sites like Channel Adviser....so, basically, larger retailers, many of them already multi-channel and already familiar with the pay per click model. I strongly suspect many of them welcomed the chance to compete more effectively. 

The smaller seller of one offs (like me): This is really not for me. Sure, I could experiment with it, but it really isn't a good fit for my business model. And I doubt my competitors will use it either. PLS is a much better fit for my business model. And I think, ultimately, for the one off business model, the best advertising (for those who pursue it) will likely be a combination of PLS, and store "branding": using newsletters, coded coupons and so forth, Seller Initiated Offers and Social Media effectively.  My stuff is "long tail", and for years the philosophy has been list it and forget it (which can still work for long tail). But the seller who WANTS increased sales velocity now has more tools than ever to try to achieve that. 

I just don't see PLA as having a big impact on most small sellers. 

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@my-cottage-books-and-antiques 
I agree. I've used PL since they started really and there is always a changing curve to PL with every seller update where they change and mess with PL. Good news is this is the first one in like a year or so they didn't change something in the PL Standard - at least not that i can see, it's more focus of PL Advanced feature coming into play. 

Thing is sellers hear (read) things like PLA will get top slot and such things and automatically start to worry and feel ebay is screwing smaller sellers. Well, lol, I don't necessarily disagree that they do, but with PLA, I don't think any smaller seller should panic and worry about this particular change. Most sellers that will use are larger sellers, corp sellers, larger retail sellers etc... that is a completely different competitor that most smaller sellers aren't really competing against anyways. That and fact that PL don't always show, and they won't for Advanced either, it will depend on what seller set for budget.

[ittybitnot]

Haven't sellers B-D wasted their money to not get the number one spot ?

@Anonymous   

I realize I am not always the 'brightest crayon in the box", but it seems to me that they ALL lose money regardless of the "spot" if the CLICK(s) don't result in a sale.   eBay, of course, will get money even if your item doesn't sell.   Doesn't one pay for the click even if you are is spot 10? 

[katzrul15]

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@ittybitnot wrote:

Haven't sellers B-D wasted their money to not get the number one spot ?

@Anonymous   

I realize I am not always the 'brightest crayon in the box", but it seems to me that they ALL lose money regardless of the "spot" if the CLICK(s) don't result in a sale.   eBay, of course, will get money even if your item doesn't sell.   Doesn't one pay for the click even if you are is spot 10? 

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Yes.  Clicks do not = sales.

[lotzofuniquegoodies]

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@katzrul15 wrote:

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@mr_lincoln wrote:

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@nuclearomen wrote:

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@katzrul15 wrote:

@nuclearomen 

Okay - then this new Stores promotion needs to work for the Store I am paying for, as it is doubtful PL Advanced will ever be in my budget.  We have multiples and our items are new, but having 10 or 15 of something and having 250 of something is very different.  One more way, the smaller/small-ish Seller is going to find it harder to compete on here.

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Idk what your doing for store promotion...but as for Advanced PL I don't see it that way. I can't say for as I haven't used them, and I would say need a quarter to actually see how these Advanced play out and effect things. But I do agree if you have 1-2 of item or small quantity it may not be worth using the Advanced...depends on what seller figures is not only doable for a budget but also if they can afford to loose that budget for no sales... just because someone uses PL doesn't mean they sell their item(s)... Advanced will be same, just sellers get charged per click... well I know from experience as any seller should, listings get clicked on all the time, and no sales happen for long time on an item. I have item that went 500+ clicks til it sold...clicks/watchers = no meaning... it literally means nothing unless a buyer clicks that "Buy Now" or Bid or whatever button. Large corp sellers will use this Advanced option - you can count on that for sure, but if that has any real effect on majority of smaller sellers sales...well yet to be seen, but I'm going to go further and say, no, it won't matter. 

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@katzrul15, @nuclearomen   I will often get a Buyer message me when they find one item and ask "what else do you have in this line" or "I'm looking for more from this manufacturer" etc.   It's like, can't you see the two links on THAT listing to either see other items or visit the store?  If eBay made those links more prominent we (collectively) might not be having half this conversation.

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If e-Bay would make MY/YOUR listings more prominent when an item is viewed and not those of our competitors, it might also connect those dots.  It burns my biscuits that instead of a buyer seeing more of what I/YOU might have, e-Bay shows them 6 others, usually cheaper or whatever, of the exact same thing.  Goodie.  Got them to my listings and now e-Bay wants to show them the Seller Buffet selling against me/you.  Yay.  Not!

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It works same in reverse from a buyers perspective. If I am looking for something(from Canada) and happen to come across something close by with reasonable shipping the options available below are usually located somewhere with either off the wall shipping or from overseas with no guarantee of ever arriving. 2 things I would be searching for.....Last.

-Lotz

[b86fiero]

An alternative view:

PLA gives sellers the option to willingly raise their fees thereby saving most of us a direct fee increase.  If PLA generates enough new money for eBay perhaps the rest of us won't have our fees increased for another six months or so. 

[mrgoodlite]

i never used PL and have no intention of doing so.  Clicks and views and watchers and promotions and coupons all the rest is a way to make more money....but not for you.   just change your sale items often, never let anything relist automatically and make money for yourself.   you can buy keywords, and clicks on just about every social media and selling website on the planet and all those companies report record profits every 1/4.  you already pay a kings ransom to own a store and selling fees not to mention ebay holds your money now for days.  they are not sitting on it, i can assure you.  they are running it every night thru the overnight money market sweeps and making a little $ off of your $.   

[my-cottage-books-and-antiques]

@ittybitnot  At least at this point, it is ONLY the number one slot that is being bid on.  If sellers B-D don't win the #1 spot, they aren't out any click fees....they just don't get the #1 spot.

Also, for sellers who are worrying about this: ask yourself this question: Do all your items currently show up in the #1 slot? Because if they don't, and you are still getting decent sales....well, the only way this would really change things is if the #1 slot consistently was won by someone who has a much more attractive listing than you do.

[ittybitnot]

Just asking a general question on this topic.  Is the PayPerClick PLA model only for Onsite Clicks?   For example, if your item appears in a paid marketplace space on Google or Bing, and it is clicked are you paying for that click if you have enrolled in the program as well?  How about if your listing is featured in generic search results on Google or Bing, are you charged for the click since it leads to your product? 

[ittybitnot]

At least at this point, it is ONLY the number one slot that is being bid on.

@my-cottage-books-and-antiques 

Thank you.  So only the "winner" gets to pay for the clicks.  That certainly is an odd model. 

[my-cottage-books-and-antiques]

@ittybitnot The PLA only applies to ebay search , not off ebay sites.