eBay

gurlcat · ‎03-28-2023

Lots of people have been noticing goofy stuff going on with their promoted ad rates and suggested ad rates, and today I found THIS when I went to promote an item that wasn't promoted (using the feature in Seller Hub, Active Listings, not by opening the item for revision). Normally the popup just asks what ad rate I want to set, and it shows the suggested ad rate. But now it's pre-set to this "Dynamic" thing, so you have to change it to Fixed in order to set your own rate. Now I ASSUME 'Dynamic' is just a flashier rebranding of 'Automated' (which already existed) but I don't know if it's exactly the same thing.

Oh and of course Dynamic is "recommended." Let me guess, the suggested ad rate always goes UP, never down, huh? How conveeeenient. 🤣

gurlcat · ‎03-30-2023

Well apparently all my listings have been in the same "campaign" since I first started using promotions 3+ years ago, but I set them all individually when I create the listing, and may change it later. To be honest I have never understood what is meant by "campaign" anyway. It obviously doesn't make all the items in it have the same rate, so what DOES it do?

brandeis-machinery · ‎03-30-2023

Same happened to me. Now I know what was going on, thanks to all of you. that really helped.

meme6253 · ‎03-30-2023

I Won't Use It!, I Don't TRUST It!

valueaddedresource · ‎04-04-2023

@simply-the-best-for-you wrote:
@stainlessenginecovers wrote:
the word 'Dynamic' means it's constantly 'changing'

It is a new word with the same meaning.

To 'control' what percentage someone uses; it's best to NEVER use that system.
Probably 'once in- hard or impossible to get out'.
I know what dynamic means, but IF it's the same thing as Automated, it only changes ONCE A DAY.

I love that system & have used it since it first became avl. You still have control over both the max rate you'll use & what %age above or below, so not sure why you would tell people to "NEVER" use it. It's actually great for certain sellers. It's also very easy to get into or out of, you simply choose of the other PL options, of the avl 3.

@simply-the-best-for-you @gurlcat - in today's eBay for Business podcast both griff@ebay.com and brian_burke@ebay said Dynamic ad rate changes "in real time".

https://community.ebay.com/t5/eBay-for-Business/Ep-236-Hobby-vs-Business-Selling-How-to-Determine-Wh...

Griff: A lot. So I thought we'd take a stab at answering this. And I wanted to start off by reminding Tike and anyone else who's using this new feature, the dynamic rate is just that. It's dynamic in real time. It's the average based on what sellers are indicating as a percentage when they're in that category and selecting, uh, you know, the same keywords and everything and it's similar items, it also changes in real time. Thus that's why it's dynamic based on the current rate activity. So actually if every seller used the suggested dynamic rate, that rate would probably stabilize at the rate amount cuz everyone would be using it.

Brian: But that's not what happens in real life because that rate is suggested not mandated. And so many sellers will indicate rates that are higher or lower than the suggested rate. Even if it is dynamic changing in real time.

devon@ebay can you please confirm with adsteam@ebay if this correct? Previously Automated rate would adjust based on the suggested ad rate once a day - if it is now truly "in real time" that is a significant change that sellers need to be aware of.

brian_burke@ebay · ‎04-04-2023

Gurlcat and everyone else,

We did change the name, but it also makes Promoted Listings Standard more efficient for sellers since no matter the Promoted Listings Standard campaign setup sellers now have the option to automate ad rates to match the daily suggested ad rate. This can save sellers time and is more efficient.

Sellers who are concerned about the change should test there way in. We have over 100 million buyers, try it on a percentage of your listings, you can even set caps on what you are willing to spend. But this allows you to be competitive without having to manually adjust your rate. Select the listing in the most competitive categories to start. You can adjust your strategy as you learn what works best for your listings.

In response to a question later in this thread...the dynamic ad rate is adjusted every 24 hours.

Thanks for selling in eBay.

Brian

Join us at eBay Open this September! eBay.com/ebayopen

valueaddedresource · ‎04-04-2023

brian_burke@ebay wrote:
Gurlcat and everyone else,

We did change the name, but it also makes Promoted Listings Standard more efficient for sellers since no matter the Promoted Listings Standard campaign setup sellers now have the option to automate ad rates to match the daily suggested ad rate. This can save sellers time and is more efficient.

Sellers who are concerned about the change should test there way in. We have over 100 million buyers, try it on a percentage of your listings, you can even set caps on what you are willing to spend. But this allows you to be competitive without having to manually adjust your rate. Select the listing in the most competitive categories to start. You can adjust your strategy as you learn what works best for your listings.

In response to a question later in this thread...the dynamic ad rate is adjusted every 24 hours.

Thanks for selling in eBay.

Brian

Thanks for the additional info brian_burke@ebay !

iamalwaysright · ‎04-04-2023

@gurlcat wrote:
Eliminating the seller's ability to set a cap -that is exactly the kind of difference I was concerned about, that Dynamic could have, and note how that tidy little explanation in the popup doesn't mention it! And who knows if it's the ONLY difference.

Next week the suggested rate will be 100% lol.

Ebay loves to change words around to try to sound less edgy or intense and spare the feelings of the ebayer, sometimes confusing us.

Automated > Dynamic. Trying to sound less robotic and more personal or exciting

Escalate > Ask to step in. Sounds less confrontational/scary

Vacation mode > Time Away. Sounds less committed and intense

Unpaid Item Strike > Cancellation. Sounds less mean to buyer

postcardcountry · ‎04-04-2023

Why am I being punished?

Why does "dynamic ad rate" have to be the default?

I like fixed rate. Period. No intention of ever using "dynamic ad rate".

How do I get it to default to fixed rate?

iamalwaysright · ‎04-04-2023

@gurlcat wrote:
Well apparently all my listings have been in the same "campaign" since I first started using promotions 3+ years ago, but I set them all individually when I create the listing, and may change it later. To be honest I have never understood what is meant by "campaign" anyway. It obviously doesn't make all the items in it have the same rate, so what DOES it do?

It acts as a group and subgroup. The only advantage is that you can bulk revise the rate as whole, which I think ebay doesn't want us to do anymore. You can bulk revise the PL duration/end time too.

Not very useful for me, I have it all in one campaign too

zamo-zuan · ‎04-04-2023

brian_burke@ebay wrote:
Gurlcat and everyone else,

We did change the name, but it also makes Promoted Listings Standard more efficient for sellers since no matter the Promoted Listings Standard campaign setup sellers now have the option to automate ad rates to match the daily suggested ad rate. This can save sellers time and is more efficient.

I'm sorry if I missed the explanation, but what exactly is the difference between what you just explained and the old system?

The old "automated" system also adjusted to meet the suggested ad rates with the same cap.

It sounds like the same exact system is being explained as "more efficient"?

zamo-zuan · ‎04-04-2023

@iamalwaysright wrote:
@gurlcat wrote:
Well apparently all my listings have been in the same "campaign" since I first started using promotions 3+ years ago, but I set them all individually when I create the listing, and may change it later. To be honest I have never understood what is meant by "campaign" anyway. It obviously doesn't make all the items in it have the same rate, so what DOES it do?
It acts as a group and subgroup. The only advantage is that you can bulk revise the rate as whole, which I think ebay doesn't want us to do anymore. You can bulk revise the PL duration/end time too.
Not very useful for me, I have it all in one campaign too

Their changes only made it harder to set ad rate, because I try to switch all the items in a campaign to a different rate, then I check the campaign the next day and a bunch of items STILL didn't update. So I repeat for the next week and then it's probably still not even 100% because I still run in to errant listings that didn't update properly!

simply-the-best-for-you · ‎04-04-2023

I'm wondering the same thing as @zamo-zuan , how is this any different than the former Automated PL? It sounds exactly the same to me & I've been using the Automated for a long time now. brian_burke@ebay

Also, I just set up a new "Dynamic" campaign & everything is the same as with the former "Automated". I saw absolutely no difference! The Automated changed once a day too. Even the verbiage on the screen says it changes once a day, not "in real time" (or alternatively in real time once a day lol). I don't get what the difference is or why there isn't any clarity on what appears to just be a re-branding of what's been in effect for at least a year now. @valueaddedresource Is there ANYTHING different between Dynamic & Automated?

Not sure why all the sarcasm & naysayers either. IF you use PL's, the Automated/Dynamic IS super convenient! That's why I've been using it. It works great!

This one goes to Eleven - Nigel Tufnel

Simply-the-best-for-you Volunteer Community Mentor
eBay Seller since 1996

valueaddedresource · ‎04-04-2023

@simply-the-best-for-you wrote:
I'm wondering the same thing as @zamo-zuan , how is this any different than the former Automated PL? It sounds exactly the same to me & I've been using the Automated for a long time now. brian_burke@ebay

Also, I just set up a new "Dynamic" campaign & everything is the same as with the former "Automated". I saw absolutely no difference! The Automated changed once a day too. Even the verbiage on the screen says it changes once a day, not "in real time" (or alternatively in real time once a day lol). I don't get what the difference is or why there isn't any clarity on what appears to just be a re-branding of what's been in effect for at least a year now. @valueaddedresource Is there ANYTHING different between Dynamic & Automated?

Not sure why all the sarcasm & naysayers either. IF you use PL's, the Automated/Dynamic IS super convenient! That's why I've been using it. It works great!

@simply-the-best-for-you I'm with you on this one. I don't see anything obvious that is different, so my inclination is to say it's a change of name only, but it sure would be nice if we could get *someone* at eBay to just directly say that.

That's the reason I added the quotes from the podcast today - I thought maybe finally we had found a difference, but that appears not to be the case so....I'm stumped.

simply-the-best-for-you · ‎04-04-2023

@valueaddedresource wrote:
@simply-the-best-for-you wrote:
I'm wondering the same thing as @zamo-zuan , how is this any different than the former Automated PL? It sounds exactly the same to me & I've been using the Automated for a long time now. brian_burke@ebay

Also, I just set up a new "Dynamic" campaign & everything is the same as with the former "Automated". I saw absolutely no difference! The Automated changed once a day too. Even the verbiage on the screen says it changes once a day, not "in real time" (or alternatively in real time once a day lol). I don't get what the difference is or why there isn't any clarity on what appears to just be a re-branding of what's been in effect for at least a year now. @valueaddedresource Is there ANYTHING different between Dynamic & Automated?

Not sure why all the sarcasm & naysayers either. IF you use PL's, the Automated/Dynamic IS super convenient! That's why I've been using it. It works great!
@simply-the-best-for-you I'm with you on this one. I don't see anything obvious that is different, so my inclination is to say it's a change of name only, but it sure would be nice if we could get *someone* at eBay to just directly say that.

That's the reason I added the quotes from the podcast today - I thought maybe finally we had found a difference, but that appears not to be the case so....I'm stumped.

@valueaddedresource

I appreciate you adding those quotes, as I haven't heard the podcast, but as soon as I read it, I knew that wasn't the case, there's no way they were changing it in what most of us consider "real time" - continuously at a frequent interval (every second or minute), there's just no way. Having an IT background, it was obvious to me that that wasn't the case b/c that massive level of updating is VERY resource-intensive & though there are some applications where it's necessary, this isn't one. The resource-usage would far outstrip any benefit. Frankly there wouldn't be much benefit either, the changes from second to second or minute to minute, would not be significant, typically.

ITA though it would be REALLY helpful if someone at Ebay confirmed or denied that this is simply a name change & nothing else!

This one goes to Eleven - Nigel Tufnel

Simply-the-best-for-you Volunteer Community Mentor
eBay Seller since 1996

my-cottage-books-and-antiques · ‎04-04-2023

@valueaddedresource I think the difference may be that there are three types of PLS campaigns, and previously not all had this ability...now all three do. But I haven't checked into it carefully, because I don't think there's any real difference in functionality between automated and dynamic. As to the "real time" thing, I assumed they just meant that the rate may change in the background throughout the day, but whatever rate it's at 24 hours after the last recommended rate, that's the rate that is shown to the seller. So the only rate that matters is the one at 24 hour intervals.

I also want to add, credit where credit is due---both Brian and Griff stressed experimenting with different rates, etc and advised sellers not to spend more than they need to.