Promoting...How high Should One Promote?

[12345jamesstamps]

I only promoted like 30+ items...all at 20%.

Wanted to see if any new 'improved' changes are really new or 'fair'.

I wonder how high a seller promotes to get to be at the top of a search item.

So, even though I clicked on lowest price of similar items...my item at 20% is too low to reach the top tier.

Thought it was interesting....

[redlinear]

Anything more than "suggested" only costs you more. 
IMO: Use suggested and cap it at 20% (since you seem to willing to promote at 20%).
I'd actually cap it at 16%
   No matter how much you promote, you won't get good position all the time, nor as much as you think you should.
I view it much like a lottery drawing.  The more you promote (up to suggested + a couple %), the more lottery tickets you have in the drawing.
Just increases your chance of drawing good placement.
Still.........chance

[tarotfindsandmore]

Are you certain the other seller is promoting?  Could it be that their listing better matches what the algorithm is optimized to find?  Are your item specs the same? I can see your titles are not.

I think you'd need to create an identical listing to properly test your theory.  You're not really comparing apples to apples here. 

[my-cottage-books-and-antiques]

@12345jamesstamps  You will NEVER get the top slot with 20%, 40% or 80%. Doesn't matter what rate you choose.

Per the change made on Jan 13th, the top slot is reserved EXCLUSIVELY for sellers using PRIORITY ad campaigns. You are using a GENERAL Ad campaign, and so you simply are NOT eligible for the top slot.

[caldreamer]

Promotions are just a "big money grab" by EBAY.  Silly to give all your profits to EBAY.   Remember, EBAY recently changed the rules and even if "one person in the world" viewed your item, EBAY will charge you "promotion fee".  

[my-cottage-books-and-antiques]

@12345jamesstamps  This is from the ebay Announcement:

"Starting January 13, 2026, we’re upgrading the priority strategy experience. Campaigns using a priority strategy for items listed on ebay.com, ebay.ca, and cafr.ebay.ca, will get exclusive access to the first ad slot at the top of eBay search results. This means that only priority listings will be eligible to show up in the top, most visible position. With more visibility, your items should have a better chance of selling.

We first introduced the priority campaign strategy to help sellers reach more buyers and sell their items faster by providing priority access to high-visibility ad placements and advanced controls for increasing sales velocity. Over the past year, we’ve launched new features like AI-powered keyword guidance, Smart Targeting, and trend-based campaigns.

Now, with this upgrade, a priority strategy provides exclusive access to the first ad slot position in search results – helping you drive greater visibility for your listings and generate more sales. This also means campaigns that use a general strategy will no longer be eligible to show ads in the first ad slot position in search results.

We’ll continue investing in the priority strategy to ensure you have access to premium ad placements and can increase sales velocity with greater efficiency. If you’re already using priority campaigns, your ads will automatically be eligible to show in the first ad slot position at the top of search results.

[funfactorychannel]

Looks like the person above you have better keywords.. You have Unused, Scott, not even sure if free international shipping is needed the listing.

[my-cottage-books-and-antiques]

One thing that is confusing about your screen cap is that neither listing says "sponsored".  Have you tried doing the search with best Match sort?

[12345jamesstamps]

Yes...I finally understand that.

It's just when you are looking for 'lowest price'...lowest price show be at the top in search results.

The seller at the top gets there because of 'priority add campaign' and not because of lowest price of the same item.

What's the point of having 'lowest price' then?...Don't need an answer to this.

Curious question though...'priority add campaign'...does the seller get charged doing this before it is sold?

[my-cottage-books-and-antiques]

If I change the search term to: 

australia stamp set scott # 1839-1846

You are at the top in lowest to highest.

I don't think this has anything to do with ads. The first one in your search results came closest to your actual search term (which didn't include the word Scott or the # thingie.)

I could be wrong, but I think for lowest to highest, ebay is no longer even using ads as a factor----too many complaints about stuff that threw off the proper search order. I think what you are seeing is more a search issue: ebay's first choice, even though not the lowest price, has a title that most closely matches your search query, so it was given the top slot.

[my-cottage-books-and-antiques]

In Best Match I'm seeing you at the top, but it does not say "sponsored"....so my best guess is, ebay is showing it as organic, which does allow you to take the top spot IF no there is no relevant listing using Priority.

[12345jamesstamps]

Interesting on what I have seen.

This seller gets his item(this one) listed under my listing  as 'sponsored'.

When I clink on his item...my item at 20% promoted is not listed in 'sponsored' or anywhere under this seller.

My item is not shown, however some other sellers same item 'sponsor' do show.

Might this be a part of the 'priority ad campaign' as well?

[duffy4444]

Greetings, James,

    I did a simple eBay search for "Australia 1839-1846" in the Stamps category, sorted by "Price + Shipping: Lowest First", just like you did. Yours was at the very top of search results, beating the next listing from Canada by about $2. The one you show at the top of the list in your OP photo was only 4th on my search results. Way down the list there were one or two MNH others lower priced than yours, but were posted under "Results Matching Fewer Words". It looks like your promotion is putting you there at the very top. Whether your heavy 20% promotion is responsible for that is probably due to different search algorithms by different buyers.

    Since you're second from the top in your OP photo, most buyers will still see yours at the same time as the $44.05 listing one. They will probably go for yours first, even if it may appear in some buyer searches below the other one. Buyers have no knowledge of how much a seller promotes their item for; they just want the lowest price that meets their condition requirements.

    My guess in this situation is that yours will probably sell first, because buyers will see the price first with yours having free shipping... UNLESS the other set saying MNH makes a difference, where yours only says "Unused".

    I was a stamp collector for 50 years, starting out as an 8-year-old watching my dad with his collection on the dinner table in the 1950s. About 25 years ago I sold the bulk of my extensive worldwide collection piecemeal right here on eBay for a 3-year total of around $40k, and I found out that my MNH singles and sets sold a lot faster and for more moolah than the same sets that weren't. MNH is a real eye-catcher and is different from "Unused", and the difference in value can be substantial, which I'm sure you already know. But "Unused" can also include the less-desirable MH or MLH, as long as they're uncancelled.

   The only place where I see MNH in your listing is in your item description, where mostly only discriminating collectors will look. I believe you should put MNH in your main title, and consider dropping "Unused". You just might also have a better chance of selling the MNH set even without such a heavy 20% promotion.

   Something to think about. 

Cheers, Duffy 

[redlinear]

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@12345jamesstamps wrote:

Yes...I finally understand that.

It's just when you are looking for 'lowest price'...lowest price show be at the top in search results.

The seller at the top gets there because of 'priority add campaign' and not because of lowest price of the same item.

What's the point of having 'lowest price' then?...Don't need an answer to this.

Curious question though...'priority add campaign'...does the seller get charged doing this before it is sold?

---

I think priority campaigns are Pay per Click.
SEARCH is pretty messed up if you think it should pull up words in the title. It pulls from quite a few areas and sticks your results in Best Match.  Which is "Best Match" for whatever eBay's ai thinks that should be. 
Sorts and Filters tend to show whatever ai wants them to be as well. 
I see quite a few Title (exact matches) be thrown down into "results matching fewer words". 
   The only logical thing I can think of is eBay's ai is trying to spread the sales out amongst sellers...giving every seller a chance whether they deserve it or not.  Some day's it's your turn, some days it's somebody else's.
Promoting simply gives the promoter more chances than not promoting.

[my-cottage-books-and-antiques]

That has nothing to do with Priority Ads. In my experience, if you are logged in under your own ID, ebay very often does not show you your own items on another seller's listing page. Try logging out and looking again, your listing might show up.

My GUESS is very few stamp sellers use Priority Ad campaigns because they are Pay Per Click---that means every time someone clicks on a Priority listing, the seller pays for that click (whatever amount he set the click payment at). Doesn't matter whether the item ever sells or not. Pay Per Click makes very little sense for sellers of one-offs. It is designed for sellers of new, multi quantity items. In a few circumstance, it might make sense for a seller of a one off, maybe something really expensive for example, but I would guess most collectible stamp sellers use General Ads, if they use anything at all.