Are Promoted listings worth it now with new policy?

[unique-attic-treasures]

So we have been using the Promoted Listings option for the past year and about 6 months ago I looked into the difference in percentages and came to the conclusion that the 1% was the way to go for us...

Now with the announcement that Ebay is "cleaning up the look of searches" or however they worded it and they will be mixing Promoted with non-promoted at the top of the page does it ever matter anymore...I mean am I missing something? lol

[ypdc_dennis]

As much as they ever were. Just using a lighter thumb on the scales now.

https://pages.ebay.ca/seller-centre/selling/promoted-listings-update.html

[recped]

It's worth the same as it always was.....you don't pay anything unless you get results.

If promoted listings are ineffective for you, you have lost nothing, if they bring additional sales then perhaps they are worth it. The only way to know if the sales they generate are additional is to stop using Promoted Listings and see what happens.

[femmefan1946]

I agree on the 1% rate being as effective as any other.

I don't see more sales of Promoted Listings, but I do see a lot more Views, three to four times more between PL and non-PL.

And my sales overall seem to be up. I haven't been keeping the kind of records @ricarmic  does, so that's anecdote not data.

[ricarmic]

I think promoted listings are like any of the other payable options (ie advertising) to increase views/sales.

My own personal experience with promoted listings is very good at the moment. In fact I think I've had my best January ever this year, if not it is virtually a tie or the other one 9 years ago.

The problem with promoted listings, item sales etc etc is that if everyone does them then they no longer work, ie if all of us go the 1% then we all show up as much as each other.

The secret is to find a mix of things that is different from "everyone else" that percolates your stuff up more than everyone else in a cost effective way.

I like to think of it old school, it's like buying newspaper ads. A full page ad gets lots of views but it is astronomically more expensive than a classified ad. One has to figure out the "size" and "style" of advertising that fits their situation.

And as with everything else around here, tomorrow things will be different again because of what all the other sellers and/or eBay does! Keeps one's mind working!

[reallynicestamps]

I suspect that 1%PL are fine and dandy for OOAK or scarce collectibles, but too low to make a difference for sellers of mass produced merchandise.

I keep being told that my stamps and sewing patterns are underperforming, then when I look at the suggestions for improvement, notice that there are no real comparables.

I'm sorry eBay, unless the both stamps are VFNH they are not comparable.

A Newfoundland Airmail  First Flight cover does not compare with a Newfoundland #6 mint.

A Burda coat pattern in Women's Sizes 10-26 does not compare with a Burda halloween costume in Children's Age 2-6.

But a NIB Playbox 8 is a NIB Playbox 8 is a NIB Playbox8.

[2nd-time-around-jewelry]

Nothing seems to be working for me at the moment. Have gone almost 2 weeks without a sale. I have tried promoted listings with no success & I have sent hundreds of offers to watchers with only a few takers.  I have come to the conclusion that most watchers are not buyers. I am feeling really frustrated as eBay is still raking in fees for my store whether I sell anything or not.  All the changes on eBay in the last couple of years have really impacted sales. I am seriously considering other options. 

[teenytrinkets]

I think it's worth it for anything you're selling that yields a ton of search results, and if you know you'll get a sale because they saw your listing first.

I've promoted a handful of listings and had a couple of sales from it. But it was a tad pricey. Not recommended for anything you can leave for a while and is easily visible.

[femmefan1946]

But it was a tad pricey.

What percentage did you choose?  The defaults all seem to be around 8% of selling price, which is too much for my liking. 

Most posters seem to use one percent.

How does PL affect your views? 

I've been using it to up the number of views my Store gets, and that seems to affect the number of sales, not necessarily of Promoted items.

[mrdutch1001]

eBay has been quite a lost cause for me for the past year and continues to be...

Promoted listings has never worked for me...tried that on other sites as well as on eBay and never a sale from them.

With 95% of my 1400 items now on another site, I am no longer overly concerned with eBay anymore.

The other site has given me about half the sales I got on eBay during 2019, so hopefully things will get better there...

I also donate many items locally and will continue to do so...

I use my free listings on eBay and whatever happens, happens...or not!

C'est la vie! Que sera, sera!