Advertising with eBay Promoted Listings
In 2015, eBay introduced the Promoted Listings initiative, aimed at improving the visibility of products listed by store owners on the platform. The Promoted Listings Standard feature enables sellers to boost the exposure of their products without requiring expertise in advanced ad management techniques such as keyword bidding and target marketing. This service, indicated by a "Sponsored" label on listings, guarantees that if a product is bought within 30 days of clicking on the advertisement, the sale will be attributed to the campaign, and the seller will be billed an advertising fee.
Are eBay Promoted Listings Worth It?
eBay provides Promoted Listings, a form of product listing advertisement that can be seen on and off eBay. These ads are displayed in search results and on listing pages. Sellers can choose from three different Promoted Listings campaigns, each with its own insertion fees, cost models, and ad placement options. The available campaigns are Promoted Listings Standard, which offers basic ad placements; Promoted Listings Express, designed for prominent spots; and Promoted Listings Advanced, which provides advanced targeting and ad management choices. Each campaign is designed to improve product visibility in unique ways, catering to the diverse requirements of eBay sellers.
Setting Up Promoted Listings on eBay
Here's a simple guide to get your ads up and running with Promoted Listings on eBay:
Go to the Seller Hub on eBay and access your Promoted Listings dashboard.
Click on "Create a new campaign."
You have the option to promote individual listings or select multiple listings in bulk.
Set your ad rate, where eBay provides the trending rate as a guide, and you'll see the estimated total cost if the product sells.
Give your campaign a name for easy tracking, and then launch it to start promoting your listings.
Understanding eBay Promoted Listings Standard
eBay's Promoted Listings Standard is a budget-friendly way for sellers to advertise, as they are only charged when an item is sold. While it does increase visibility with a "Sponsored" tag, sellers have limited control over specific ad details like keyword bidding and targeting. To be eligible, sellers must have a certain level of account activity and maintain either an above-standard or top-rated seller status. When a buyer clicks on a sponsored listing and makes a purchase within 30 days, the seller incurs an advertising fee linked to the Standard campaign. This model allows for enhanced product exposure without any upfront costs, making it a great option for qualified eBay sellers looking to increase their sales.
Visibility and Placement of eBay Promoted Listings Standard
eBay's Promoted Listings Standard can help sellers boost their product visibility on multiple platforms. By joining a Standard campaign, your promoted items will not only be seen on eBay's search results and product pages, but also on eBay's partner websites and sponsored spots on external search engines. This broad exposure aims to attract active shoppers both within and outside of eBay. The placement and frequency of these ads are determined by factors such as the quality of your listing's data, how relevant your listing is to the shopper's search query, and the ad rate you choose, which impacts how competitively your listing is promoted in comparison to others.
Cost Structure of eBay Promoted Listings Standard
eBay's Promoted Listings Standard gives sellers the freedom to choose their ad rates, ranging from 2% to 100% of the final sale price of the item. This fee structure allows sellers to anticipate costs and maintain control over their profit margins. eBay provides guidance on setting ad rates based on various factors such as item details, market competition, seasonal trends, and seller performance history. Higher ad rates typically result in better ad placement, increasing the chances of making a sale. Moreover, eBay offers a Promoted Listings credit for returned, canceled, or unpaid items, which is credited towards the seller's next invoice.
Overview of eBay Promoted Listings Express
eBay's Promoted Listings Express campaigns offer a unique approach for auction items, different from Standard campaigns. Sellers pay a fixed fee to promote their auction items through Express, regardless of whether the item sells or not. Initially only available on the eBay mobile app, this option is now also accessible on desktop platforms. Auctions using Promoted Listings Express have seen a significant 48% increase in listing views. These ads are strategically placed alongside similar auction-style listings, appearing directly below related products under the heading "Similar sponsored items."
Eligibility and Fees
To participate in Promoted Listings Express, sellers must meet specific criteria, including having sufficient account activity and maintaining an above-standard or top-rated seller status. Certain categories such as vehicles, real estate, and travel are excluded from the program. The cost to use Express is a predetermined flat fee, which varies depending on the auction's duration and the product category. This fee is transparently disclosed upfront, allowing sellers to know the exact cost before committing to the campaign.
Overview of eBay Promoted Listings Advanced
Functionality and Setup
eBay's Promoted Listings Advanced is a new feature in their advertising programs that highlights fixed-price listings at the top of search results. This program works on a Cost-Per-Click (CPC) model, where sellers can bid on keywords relevant to their products, similar to Google Search campaigns. Sellers can group their products into ad groups by categories and target specific keywords to maximize their ad visibility. For example, sellers of athletic apparel can group shoe listings under terms related to athletic footwear. Setting up involves selecting keywords, setting a daily budget, and bidding on search terms. Your ads will run until your daily budget runs out.
Visibility and Eligibility
Promoted Listings Advanced ensures high visibility by placing products in the top four search result slots on all eBay platforms. The placement is based on factors like listing quality, keyword relevance, and the competitiveness of bids. To be eligible for this advanced advertising, sellers need to have a certain level of account activity and be either above-standard or top-rated sellers. However, some listings are excluded, such as auction listings, products in specific categories like vehicles or wholesale, and any listings that are out of stock. The cost of these ads depends on the auction dynamics of keywords, with fees based on actual clicks received and following a daily budget cap.
Dual Campaign Utilization
eBay gives sellers the option to use both Standard and Advanced campaigns at the same time in order to increase the chances of their listings being seen. With Advanced campaigns, sellers can bid for the top spots in eBay's search results, while Standard campaigns offer wider exposure across eBay's network in different locations. To make sure your listings are visible in both premium and standard search positions, eBay recommends using both types of campaigns together for complete coverage.
Tracking Promoted Listings Performance
Sellers have the ability to keep track of how well their Promoted Listings are doing by using the Performance tab in their Seller Hub. This handy dashboard gives sellers a wealth of information about their campaigns, such as the number of times their listings have been seen, how many clicks they've received, the total amount of sales generated, the fees associated with running ads, the rate at which people click on the ads, the rate at which sales are converted, and the average rate at which ads are sold. Armed with these valuable insights, sellers can evaluate the effectiveness of their promotional strategies and make data-driven adjustments to achieve better results.
Advantages of eBay Promoted Listings
eBay's Promoted Listings can be a game-changer in certain situations. They come in handy when your products are priced similarly to others, making sure your listings don't get lost in the shuffle. They're also great for giving a sales boost to seasonal items during slow periods, like selling Halloween gadgets when it's not Halloween. Plus, Promoted Listings can really amp up the exposure and traffic for top-notch products that might not get much attention otherwise.
eBay's Promoted Listings program has revolutionized the way products are displayed, giving store owners an easy way to boost visibility without needing to be marketing experts. Through options like Promoted Listings Standard, sellers can get more exposure with a "Sponsored" label, ensuring that sales made within 30 days of a click are credited to the campaign, with the seller paying an ad fee. This simplifies advertising while increasing visibility and potential sales. eBay's Promoted Listings not only provide a competitive edge for visibility and sales, but also offer detailed performance tracking for sellers to effectively manage their advertising efforts. This all-encompassing approach helps sellers navigate the competitive eCommerce market and improve product visibility through tailored advertising solutions. Good luck advertising on eBay!
Thank You,
Commerce Canal Team
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