eBay

valueaddedresource · ‎09-20-2021

I know the big buzz right now is about Promoted Listings Advanced cost per click ads, but this post, and the answer from the ads teams, made me curious if Promoted Listings Express is live now as well and if so, has anyone here been using it?

https://community.ebay.com/t5/Selling/Promotional-fees/m-p/32288155

One interesting thing I noticed was this page says in one spot it's for "consumer to consumer sellers".

https://pages.ebay.com/seller-center/listing-and-marketing/promoted-listings-express.html#m22_tb_a1_...

I asked on that other thread if that means sellers with a personal account only, not a business account. If it does, that would seem very odd to me since I would think there would be plenty of business sellers, who may be interested in being able to promote their auctions, especially in collectibles.

Apparently it's currently only available through the app and it sounds like it's very different from the other types of promoted listings - you aren't shown the option to promote until after you list the item and it is a tiered flat rate fee based on category and length of auction.

How Promoted Listings Express works
When you promote your listings with Promoted Listings Express, you’ll pay a flat fee upfront to place your listing as a sponsored ad on similar listings. When a buyer clicks on the sponsored ad, they’ll be taken to your listing.

Fees for using Promoted Listings Express
Your Express ad fee will depend on the length of your auction-style listing and the category you select when listing your item. When promoting your listing, you will see the fee clearly stated before confirming your purchase, and will be charged immediately.

Express ad fees will be listed on your Transactions page within the Payments section in My eBay.

https://www.ebay.com/help/selling/listings/listing-tips/promoted-listings-express?id=5277&st=12&pos=...

Maybe I'm missing something but it would seem to me to be awfully risky to pay an upfront flat fee just for possible impressions (not even clicks, let alone an actual sale) especially when you have no way to know how much the final bid is going to be.

I'm really curious what sellers who use auctions think of how this is set up.

coffeebean832 · ‎09-24-2021

@valueaddedresource wrote:
But the answer I got from someone at eBay specifically said it is available "in the iOS and Android app listing flows if you are a seller that uses MyEbay (vs. Seller Hub)."

There is no Seller Hub in the app. If it's app-exclusive then there's no need to make a distinction between My eBay and Seller Hub.

My eBay doesn't exist on the web version, either- unless they are counting the All Selling subsection of Seller Hub as My eBay.

And what if you're a seller that uses Seller Hub on the web version but creates a listing on the app? Or you create a draft in SH then go to the app to publish it?

Clear as mud. It shouldn't be so difficult to get a straight answer.

valueaddedresource · ‎09-24-2021

@coffeebean832 wrote:
@valueaddedresource wrote:
But the answer I got from someone at eBay specifically said it is available "in the iOS and Android app listing flows if you are a seller that uses MyEbay (vs. Seller Hub)."
There is no Seller Hub in the app. If it's app-exclusive then there's no need to make a distinction between My eBay and Seller Hub.

My eBay doesn't exist on the web version, either- unless they are counting the All Selling subsection of Seller Hub as My eBay.

And what if you're a seller that uses Seller Hub on the web version but creates a listing on the app? Or you create a draft in SH then go to the app to publish it?

Clear as mud. It shouldn't be so difficult to get a straight answer.

@coffeebean832 I was trying to figure that one out too and found this old thread that sheds some light on things, maybe. 🤣

https://community.ebay.com/t5/Android-App/seller-hub-on-Mobile-app/m-p/27248383/highlight/true#M707

In the android app, if I go to "Help" and search for Seller Hub, I get a button to visit seller hub and if you push that, it does actually take you to the Seller Hub overview page. It's tiny and you'd have to pinch and zoom and scroll to use it, which would be really annoying, but it is there.

I do have access to an old account that I haven't sold on in years but still buy on, which is still has All Selling. I'd use that to test things out myself but A. it doesn't have recent selling history and B. I would have to switch it to Managed Payments before I could even try a test listing and I'm not doing that with this account because I already have a different selling account in MP that uses Seller Hub.

But, if I do this same thing in the app on that account, it directs me to a page to switch to Seller Hub.

This is all still within the app itself, though technically it looks like what it is doing is it loads a version of the mobile website within the app, just like if you opened up Chrome or Firefox on your phone and went to ebay.com instead of going to the app (if that makes sense).

But it does at least show that even within the app, eBay seems to know whether or not you use Seller Hub and it also shows that at least as far as the the messaging eBay displays, All Selling is not considered to be part of Seller Hub because otherwise why would it be prompting me to change to Seller Hub?

That's a whole lot more than I intended to get into with this discussion honestly, but since eBay has decided to make the distinction on the eligibility for PLExpress based on using Seller Hub or not, I guess we also need clarification on exactly what that means.

Like you said....it just shouldn't be this difficult. 😩

coffeebean832 · ‎09-24-2021

LOL. It's Friday- make sure you unwind tonight.

I'll look on the iOS app this weekend to see if I find the same SH access.

valueaddedresource · ‎09-30-2021

adsteam@ebay - in the September Seller Check In today, when speaking specifically about Promoted Listings Express for Auctions, Elisabeth Rommel said "this is available to everyone today."

However, as we've been discussing here, current messaging on site indicates this is only available via the app and only to sellers who use My eBay, not Seller Hub.

Has the availability changed and if so, when we can expect that help pages to change?

@my-cottage-books-and-antiques

my-cottage-books-and-antiques · ‎09-30-2021

@valueaddedresource I asked that question in the Q&A today, and basically was told it's available to everyone ....using My eBay and the app...if they meet the other qualifications as well....recent sales history, etc.

ebay: "....available to everyone today"

Me: "You keep using that word. I do not think that word means what you think it means"

my-cottage-books-and-antiques · ‎09-30-2021

In related news: The category manager will be answering questions on a "monthly" basis in Voices: Collectibles.

I think questions were first asked in July. He said today he'll be answering questions tomorrow (October 1st.)

ebay: "...monthly..."

Me: "You keep using that word. I do not think that word means what you think it means"

valueaddedresource · ‎09-30-2021

@my-cottage-books-and-antiques wrote:
In related news: The category manager will be answering questions on a "monthly" basis in Voices: Collectibles.

I think questions were first asked in July. He said today he'll be answering questions tomorrow (October 1st.)

ebay: "...monthly..."

Me: "You keep using that word. I do not think that word means what you think it means"

@my-cottage-books-and-antiques if eBay keeps going this way, they might soon be hearing "Hello....my name is (insert seller ID here). You killed my sales..." 🤣

priorityplus1 · ‎10-22-2021

IF YOU PAY THE FEE UP FRONT, WHAT IF IT DOESN'T SELL....HOW DO YOU RECOUPE THE FEE??

valueaddedresource · ‎10-22-2021

@priorityplus1 wrote:
IF YOU PAY THE FEE UP FRONT, WHAT IF IT DOESN'T SELL....HOW DO YOU RECOUPE THE FEE??

@priorityplus1 from everything eBay has publicly posted about Promoted Listings Express for auctions so far, the short answer is....you don't.

My understanding is it's basically like placing an ad in the local classified section or a "by dealer" ad on Craigslist - it's an upfront fee paid for possible visibility, no guarantee of clicks or sales.

This is not a cost per sale model like Promoted Listings Standard where you only pay if the item sells within 30 days.

It is also not a cost per click model like Promoted Listings Advanced where you only pay if a potential buyer takes a specific action (clicking on the ad).

It is very explicitly an upfront fee paid for the possibility of having your item shown in ad slots in certain places throughout eBay. Given that, I don't think there is any scenario where you would get that fee refunded once agreeing to pay it.

valueaddedresource · ‎10-27-2021

CEO Jamie Iannone confirmed on the Q3 earnings call today that Promoted Listings Express has expanded to cover more sellers. It's still in app only, but sellers who use Seller Hub are now eligible.

I took it for a test drive and here's what it looks like on the app for a pair of sneakers - fee shown was $2.99 for a 7 day auction in that category.

@my-cottage-books-and-antiques - your question about whether that fee is dynamic and may change over time for the same category/duration still hasn't been answered, but I'll update if I find anything else out on that one.

It's interesting to note the language "buyers viewing your item" and "higher chance of a sale from increased views." In the traffic reports and other places throughout Seller Hub, "views" typically specifically refers to a view or visit to your actual listing page.

With Promoted Listings Express for Auctions, you're paying an upfront fee to have your listings displayed in ad spaces on similar listings, regardless of whether that results in a visit to your listing or a sale - it would seem to me that would be more properly defined as an "impression" not a "view" within the context of how eBay usually uses those words.

It may be just a semantics argument, but hopefully that doesn't cause confusion for sellers about what exactly it is they are paying for with these ads.

valueaddedresource · ‎10-27-2021

adsteam@ebay - can you clarify if I were to create a 7 day auction in the sneakers category a week from now, would it be expected to see the same ad fee for the same category/duration or is there a possibility it might vary depending on daily average rates or some other criteria?

Also, please pass on to the powers that be that the use of the word "views" could cause confusion.

Here's how eBay typically uses "views" vs "impressions" in other areas of Seller Hub

By referencing "views" for Promoted Listings Express, it might make sellers think they are paying for actual visits to their listings - which is not necessarily true. Having your listing displayed in ad space in other listings would be more accurately an "impression".

my-cottage-books-and-antiques · ‎10-27-2021

@valueaddedresource Thanks for that info. Maybe I'll try fooling with this later. Do you know if ebay provides any type of traffic report for this? I'll give them a pass on views vs impressions....for one thing, many auctions sellers are casual sellers, who might not be aware of the distinction. Also, I'd guess the assumption is if you get enough impressions you're almost bound to get some views...Either way, they aren't guaranteeing any set number of views much less a sale.

It sounds like another difference between this and PLS is that this doesn't promote the listing on the search results page, but only on some of the "other" pages.

I'd probably be willing to test this, play around with it, depending on the upfront cost (I get a bunch of free auction listings which I never really use, so there would be no other listing cost). But it seems it would be pretty hard to determine the effectiveness, even if the item sold, especially on one of a kind items.

Now that the availability has expanded somewhat, I wonder what sort of seller adoption they'll get?

valueaddedresource · ‎10-27-2021

@my-cottage-books-and-antiques wrote:
@valueaddedresource Thanks for that info. Maybe I'll try fooling with this later. Do you know if ebay provides any type of traffic report for this? I'll give them a pass on views vs impressions....for one thing, many auctions sellers are casual sellers, who might not be aware of the distinction. Also, I'd guess the assumption is if you get enough impressions you're almost bound to get some views...Either way, they aren't guaranteeing any set number of views much less a sale.

It sounds like another difference between this and PLS is that this doesn't promote the listing on the search results page, but only on some of the "other" pages.

I'd probably be willing to test this, play around with it, depending on the upfront cost (I get a bunch of free auction listings which I never really use, so there would be no other listing cost). But it seems it would be pretty hard to determine the effectiveness, even if the item sold, especially on one of a kind items.

Now that the availability has expanded somewhat, I wonder what sort of seller adoption they'll get?

@my-cottage-books-and-antiques that's a good question! I haven't seen anything anywhere about reporting specifically for Promoted Listings Express. Maybe adsteam@ebay can let us know about that too?

Yes, my understanding is these only show in "similar listings" - so promoted ad slots on listing pages, but not in search results.

"When you promote your listings with Promoted Listings Express, you’ll pay a flat fee upfront to place your listing as a sponsored ad on similar listings."

adsteam@ebay · ‎10-28-2021

Hi @valueaddedresource, thanks so much for asking these questions and for your interest in Promoted Listings Express. We will try to answer a few of the questions you presented here.

adsteam@ebay - can you clarify if I were to create a 7 day auction in the sneakers category a week from now, would it be expected to see the same ad fee for the same category/duration or is there a possibility it might vary depending on daily average rates or some other criteria?

What kind of reporting is available for PLX? Is there a traffic report for PLX campaigns that sellers can look at and/or download? By referencing "views" for Promoted Listings Express, it might make sellers think they are paying for actual visits to their listings - which is not necessarily true. Having your listing displayed in ad space in other listings would be more accurately an "impression".

The pricing for Promoted Listings Express is dynamic and based on a variety of factors including your item's category and the duration of your auction. We’re still working on getting more personalized rates, so you may notice slight variations in pricing for similar items. The price of Promoted Listings Express will be clearly displayed before you confirm your purchase.

At this time, we don’t have a ton of information we can provide on reporting, as we are currently working on developing a reporting feature for Promoted Listings Express. Currently, the "views” you are seeing is the standard view count which is displayed for all auction listings. We’re working hard to launch the reporting feature, which will be available to all Promoted Listings Express users once released and will provide a quick breakdown of the performance of your ads.

As soon as we have more to share, we will be sure to circle back with additional information. Again, thanks for your interest in this new campaign type, we love to see our sellers testing and learning what works best for them, and we value the insights and feedback from sellers on how to continue to improve these features moving forward.

valueaddedresource · ‎11-01-2021

For those who are keeping tabs - tested doing a new listing of the same sneakers, same price, same duration etc. and was still shown the same $2.99.

And just another data point to throw into the mix - a 7 day auction in Motors>Parts & Accessories>Boat Parts>Controls & Steering with a starting price of $30 was showing a whopping $7.99 ad fee.