Promoted Listings - Giving credit where credit is due ...

[mr_lincoln]

Its time to give eBay some Credit where Credit is Due ...

We have a pile of sales and advertising flyers on our dinning room table, we cull through it about once a week and keep what we'll use then can the rest.  It seems like every store known to man is offering some kind of a discount to get you to come to visit them and spend money ... I call that driving traffic.

If someone handed you $ 30.00 would you take it?  I would and I do with eBay's Promoted Listings.  Each quarter they offer Store Owner Sellers $ 30 ad fee credit on Promoted Listings.  I run no more then one Promoted Listing Campaign per quarter. 

I don't over think it, I put every GTC item on the Campaign and select one Promotion % to apply to all of them AND I set a specific start and end date, usually 30 days plus or minus depending on where the end date falls in relation to either a weekend or holiday ... and then I let the big dogs run.

I know what my "average" sale is and below are some pics of the current PL Campaign that runs until just after Thanksgiving.  This campaign is almost 1/2 way over and the way the math stands right now, after eBay's $ 30 ad fee credit it will take ONE average sale to cover the current ad fees I will owe eBay.  That's good math considering 32 items have sold thus far ...

[vintagecraze50]

Good news. What percentage do you use for each item to give to Ebay for promoting them?

[mr_lincoln]

@vintagecraze50   10%

[coffeebean832]

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@mr_lincoln wrote:

Each quarter they offer Store Owner Sellers $ 30 ad fee credit on Promoted Listings. 

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That's not accurate. They give Top Rated Sellers a $30 credit per quarter- store or no store doesn't matter. They give Anchor store subscribers a $25 credit per quarter which stacks with the $30 credit if the Anchor store subscriber is also TRS.

[mr_lincoln]

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@coffeebean832 wrote:

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@mr_lincoln wrote:

Each quarter they offer Store Owner Sellers $ 30 ad fee credit on Promoted Listings. 

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That's not accurate. They give Top Rated Sellers a $30 credit per quarter- store or no store doesn't matter. They give Anchor store subscribers a $25 credit per quarter which stacks with the $30 credit if the Anchor store subscriber is also TRS.

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Thanks ... well, it was accurate when they first came out with PL ... but again thanks.

[coffeebean832]

OK.

https://pages.ebay.com/seller-center/seller-updates/2017spring/listings-visibility.html#m22_tb_a1__7

I use promoted listings, too- the only reason I use them is because of the credit.

[jnybuysell]

32 sales in 15 days is good? Low expectations

[lindyslucky]

Yes, we have found promoted listings work.

They drive traffic and increase sales.

But, we are small sellers.

I have never liked selling on ebay enough, or made enough money to get a store.

So...... We don't get any credit for promoted listings.

In an effort to clear out what we have, we promote items & pay dearly for it.

I must admit, it must  provide a boost for those with a store and, well, you pay for it. (With paying for your store). 

I ran across a situation last week where every item like mine was promoted. (A vintage collectible) 

I was stymied. (Thank you for your reply Mr_Lincoln) .

At some point, the promoted items will saturate some categories. Then what?  If everything is promoted, it's promote, or your item just won't be seen. 

I must say as well, I absolutely hate it as a buyer. Promoted items are  confusing & clutter up the search. I definitely have stopped buying as much. 

Promoting works now, and for sure its a help for those with a store, but it's a wash for small sellers. It seems that it cant go on  forever. 

I raise prices to cover promoted fees. Sometimes it works. 

Just some thoughts.

Good for you for making it work! 

[u_cant_take_it_with_u]

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@jnybuysell wrote:

32 sales in 15 days is good? Low expectations

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Ah...But what are low expectations for some, are realistic expectations for others.

[coffeebean832]

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@lindyslucky wrote:

If everything is promoted, it's promote, or your item just won't be seen. 

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eBay probably hopes sellers will compete for the sponsored slots by raising their promoted rates.

[lindyslucky]

Good point! 

We already do that!

we have waaaay over promoted a few things to see what happens.

Items get sold! 

But, it seems there will be a point of diminishing returns.

Then, do bigger stores get more $$ for promotions? 

Thats rhetorical, it already seems to be so.  

[mr_lincoln]

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@u_cant_take_it_with_u wrote:

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@jnybuysell wrote:

32 sales in 15 days is good? Low expectations

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Ah...But what are low expectations for some, are realistic expectations for others.

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Exactly ... over 1/2 of the sales (here) on the eBay venue are via Auctions so moving the GTCs via PL Campaigns just keeps things flowing through this particular venue.  Other venues work differently so it's more a matter of finding what works or doesn't on each one ...

So the "Low expectations" comment is subjective.  For what I sell the answer is yes to 32 GTC sales in 15 days.  Those same numbers could be high or low depending on what others sell ... perhaps high for people selling $ 100 to $ 500 items or low for people selling $ 1 to $ 5 items ... it's different for everyone ...

[webwanna]

That's interesting.... I wasn't even aware.  I just checked some of my old invoices back when I was using Promoted Listings and I never received a credit.  When and how is the credit supposed to be applied?  Maybe Ebay owes me some money....

I don't use promoted listings any more...

[mr_lincoln]

@webwanna   The way it works is that the billing cycle the items sell on you are charged the ad fees ... then  the next billing cycle you are credited the fees up to the $ 30 or whatever level of credit your store warrants (per another poster on this thread).  The last one I did I got the full $ 30 on the pursuant invoice.

Go back and check the "next" invoice in line and see if the credits are there.

[pink.fish.rule]

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@lindyslucky wrote:

I ran across a situation last week where every item like mine was promoted. (A vintage collectible) 

I was stymied. (Thank you for your reply Mr_Lincoln) .

At some point, the promoted items will saturate some categories. Then what?  If everything is promoted, it's promote, or your item just won't be seen. 

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But at some point if yours is the ONLY one (or one of a few) which isn't showing as "sponsored", maybe you can get the buyers who avoid sponsored listings?