Listen up online sellers and eCommerce entrepreneurs!
Barrie here, your digital marketing maestro. Today I’m going to share my insider tips and tactics for advertising successfully on major eCommerce marketplaces like Amazon and eBay.
These platforms have millions of buyers searching for products every single day. Tapping into that demand is crucial but advertising on them requires a different approach compared to other channels.
So grab your notepad and let’s dive in!
Start with the Right Expectations
Now before you start frantically setting up ads, you need reasonable expectations. These are not quick rich schemes or magic pills.
Marketplace advertising takes sustained effort and iterative optimization. But used right, it can become a dependable sales channel.
It’ll likely take months to gain traction and at least 6 months before you can assess performance. Patience and persistence are key!
Many sellers make the mistake of giving up too early. Don’t be that guy (or gal)!
Research Where Your Audience is
Not all product categories perform equally on every marketplace. Do your research to identify where your target buyers are browsing and buying.
For example, Etsy attracts more arts/crafts shoppers while eBay draws electronics and collectibles seekers. Choose the best fit.
Pro tip: List your products on multiple marketplaces for wider reach but focus advertising on one or two better suited ones.
Optimise Your Listings
Before running ads, ensure your marketplace listings are optimised for organic discovery:
- Descriptive titles and detailed product descriptions
- Relevant keywords naturally woven in copy
- High quality images showing the product from different angles
- Competitive pricing relative to other sellers
- Good feedback/reviews
This strengthens the foundation before layering on paid advertising. Don’t skip it!
Start with Automatic Campaigns
Most marketplaces like Amazon and eBay have automatic ad Campaign types. These are a good starting point for new advertisers.
The platform handles targeting, bidding and placements based on your product, inventory and budget.
Automatic campaigns help you:
- Quickly get up and running with minimal effort
- Identify which products get traction
- Benchmark costs and results to inform future efforts
Once you’ve tested the waters, move on to more advanced campaign types.
Target Interests and Behaviors
Granular targeting options are what give you an edge. Marketplace audiences can be segmented by:
Interests – e.g. fashion, sports, electronics etc. Choose ones relevant to your products.
Behaviors – like past purchases, browsing history, cart abandoners. Laser focus on people demonstrating purchase intent.
Demographics – age, gender, income level etc. Know your product’s core buyer persona.
Layering these forms of targeting greatly increases relevancy and conversion rates.
Optimise for Conversions
Marketplace advertising is a conversion game. To maximize ROI, everything from your creative to landing page should optimise for purchases.
- Creative – spotlight your USP, discounts/deals, reviews, shipping guarantees
- LP – clear call-to-actions, trust symbols, scarcity/urgency messaging, streamlined checkout
- Offer – discount promo codes, free shipping, limited quantity deals
Test different combinations to see what converts best. Don’t forget to A/B test creatives too.
Adjust Bids to Target ROAS
With marketplaces, you bid for ad placements based on cost-per-click (CPC). Set your bids based on return on ad spend (ROAS) needed for profitability.
For example, if a sale earns you £10 profit on average, and you want a 3 ROAS, then set CPC bids allowing for £3 max spend per click.
Monitor performance by product, keyword etc and tweak bids to maintain your ROAS target.
Promote New Product Launches
Advertising lets you quickly scale up awareness and sales when launching new products:
- Generate buzz pre-launch with teaser ads
- Drive visibility on launch day with higher bids and expanded targeting
- Sustain interest in the weeks after with aggressive promotion of reviews, deals etc.
Getting initial traction is critical – advertise big out the gates!
Retarget Engaged Shoppers
Retargeting engagers like:
- Past purchasers for repeat sales
- Cart abandoners to complete purchase
- Product viewers to nudge them along the funnel
These warm audiences convert much better than cold traffic. Large marketplaces make retargeting easy.
Monitor and Iterate
Like any marketing effort, marketplace ads require diligent tracking and refinement.
Review weekly reports on performance by product, segment, time period. Dig into what’s working and what’s not.
Find top converting products and scale up their budgets. Pause poor performers and switch up their targeting.
Rinse and repeat each week to drive up ROAS over time. Small but consistent optimizations add up.
Some final real talk – marketplace advertising requires hustle and patience. But clever targeting, conversion focus and iteration can steadily grow your sales.
Hopefully these tips provide a blueprint to get you started in conquering platforms like Amazon and eBay. Now get out there and start advertising, you wonderful eCommerce rebel!
FAQs
What metrics are most important for marketplace ads?
ROAS, ACoS (Cost of Sale), CR (Conversion Rate), CPC/CPM. Analyze by segment to find profitable areas.
What’s better – automatic or manual campaigns?
Start with automatic for initial learning. Gradually switch top performers to manual for added control.
How much budget should I allocate?
Start small while testing – $50-100/day per product. Scale up budget as profitable ROI is achieved.
When is the best time to advertise?
Major sales like Black Friday, holidays, new product launches. But continually test different periods.
How frequently should I monitor and adjust?
Review reports weekly and implement small performance optimizations. Significant changes 1-2 times per quarter.
