Promoting eBid listings

[FirstGreenIsGold]

What methods do you use to promote your listings?

My listings are only on eBid, so putting flyers in sales made on other sites is not for me, but is an option for other sellers.

I used to like the Google + circles, but that method has been discontinued.

There is a the big Stamp board forum. When I used to go there, I found it a bit intimidating. Google + stamp group was more comfortable for me. I might have to try that big Stamp Board again.

Facebook ... If I add listings to the eBid groups, then isn't it pretty much the same thing as using the Plug thread here on the board? I only have about 50 facebook friends and I don't want to fill my feed with eBid promotion. Can't imagine that would go over well. I did share that link that Craig posted, and Selkab did as well.

Twitter ... I follow a lot of people and use it to read the news mostly. It's so dark and angry there that I'd be afraid to actively post there much.

Pinterest ... It seems to me that I have an account there that I've never used. Does anyone find Pinterest to be a useful way to promote eBid?

Anybody here use other forums or groups to promote listings for their items?

When I search Google Shopping, I don't find many of my listings, unless I put the word eBid in the title, and no searcher is going to do that. I don't see my listings on a general Google search either. (Yes, I do believe that I've followed the guidelines for uploading to Google Shopping. Exempt and barcodes and so on.)

Lots of my sales are to newcomers who join to purchase an item and then don't leave feedback, so some people are finding eBid. They don't often communicate so I have no idea how they found us.

Any suggestions as to how we can promote eBid? I know this has been discussed a lot, but maybe someone has a new idea?

[Mandart]

Promotion is the biggest bane of my life - I promote on Twitter (I ignore all the angry old people on there and just do it...)

Selling groups on Facebook are another posting point; having a Facebook business page and trying to get people who might be interested in my products to join it and posting information-style ads three or four times a week - but it's all hard work I find....

Be interested to hear others' ideas...

[FirstGreenIsGold]

Promotion is the biggest bane of my life - I promote on Twitter (I ignore all the angry old people on there and just do it...)

Selling groups on Facebook are another posting point; having a Facebook business page and trying to get people who might be interested in my products to join it and posting information-style ads three or four times a week - but it's all hard work I find....

Be interested to hear others' ideas...

I just found you on Twitter and followed you.

[rocks2dust]

I think that participating in the stamp board would be valuable if you can find a few areas within it where you are comfortable contributing. In the few discussion forums in which I regularly (though lightly) engage, my only promotion of my ebid.net listings are links to my stores within my signatures. I see others who are more aggressive in promoting their wares, but that may be off-putting to many (as it is to me - I'm already inundated with adverts).

I doubt if I'll ever be able to dedicate the time to FB, Twitter or whatever is the latest hot platform. I gave up trying to figure out the purpose of Pinterest, other than it shows up in many image searches - although how one is supposed to be able to navigate from the Pinterest page onward to ebid.net or any other selling site is something that befuddles me as a searcher.

As for your items showing in Google searches, I'd suggest experimenting with titles. Try to put the most important (to someone searching) words at the start of your titles. For instance:

Instead of: USA Toledo Museum Art RPPC Real Photo Postcard Ohio US OH Sepia

Try putting yourself in the shoes of a searcher: Vintage Postcard: Pieter de Hoogh "Interior"; Toledo Museum of Art; Sepia

Despite all the hype about artificial intelligence in search engines, they still assume that titles and descriptions will have the most vital info up-front and will display matches with searches based upon that. It also doesn't hurt to repeat the important terms early in your description. The Internet is a crowded place, so make sure your listing titles are as close as possible to what a person may type into a search engine.

Even with good titles, searches on some items may turn up huge numbers of results, and ours may end up far back in the list. If you can find a few very desirable and less usual items to list, those may have less competition in search engine results. Though those items may not generate many sales, people who are intrigued enough to click may instead wander around your stores to browse other items.

[selkab]

I post all my listings to my Pinterest page. It only takes a few moments to post the item to Pinterest when listing the item. And a few more to delete the pin when the item sells. I think that I get sales thru pinterest but I know I get followers.

[FirstGreenIsGold]

As for your items showing in Google searches, I'd suggest experimenting with titles. Try to put the most important (to someone searching) words at the start of your titles. For instance:

Instead of: USA Toledo Museum Art RPPC Real Photo Postcard Ohio US OH Sepia

Try putting yourself in the shoes of a searcher: Vintage Postcard: Pieter de Hoogh "Interior"; Toledo Museum of Art; Sepia

Despite all the hype about artificial intelligence in search engines, they still assume that titles and descriptions will have the most vital info up-front and will display matches with searches based upon that. It also doesn't hurt to repeat the important terms early in your description. The Internet is a crowded place, so make sure your listing titles are as close as possible to what a person may type into a search engine.

Even with good titles, searches on some items may turn up huge numbers of results, and ours may end up far back in the list. If you can find a few very desirable and less usual items to list, those may have less competition in search engine results. Though those items may not generate many sales, people who are intrigued enough to click may instead wander around your stores to browse other items.

Good points. I need to process what you've written about listing titles. I agree. Finding less common items to list is important.

My focus when using listing titles has been to get the words in that a buyer might input here on eBid so that my listing pops up. I'll look at revising titles.

You use the example of one of my postcards.

In all honesty, I'm listing postcards for a low price because I can't bring myself to throw them in the recycling bin.

One of my hobbies is genealogy. If I were to find a postcard written by one of my Shaws, Rathbones, Hastings, Adams, Schwabes, Raths, Flaigs, Lusts, and connections, I would be over the moon. (The first four names are from UK .... Cheshire and Wirral.) It always surprises me that many postcard sellers don't put the country / names of sender / recipient etc., in their title or description. There are so many people interested in genealogy that pictures of locations or postcards written by ancestors are the focus.

Thank you.

[FirstGreenIsGold]

I post all my listings to my Pinterest page. It only takes a few moments to post the item to Pinterest when listing the item. And a few more to delete the pin when the item sells. I think that I get sales thru pinterest but I know I get followers.

I just found my Pinterest account and changed the password. Thanks.

[Mandart]

I just found you on Twitter and followed you.

Thanks for the follow, just reciprocated. Together we can twitter the world away...

[sheffieldtony]

I just found my Pinterest account and changed the password. Thanks.

I have 400 listings on my Pinterest Board but I have not had any sales from it.

[sheffieldtony]

Good points. I need to process what you've written about listing titles. I agree. Finding less common items to list is important.

My focus when using listing titles has been to get the words in that a buyer might input here on eBid so that my listing pops up. I'll look at revising titles.

You use the example of one of my postcards.

In all honesty, I'm listing postcards for a low price because I can't bring myself to throw them in the recycling bin.

One of my hobbies is genealogy. If I were to find a postcard written by one of my Shaws, Rathbones, Hastings, Adams, Schwabes, Raths, Flaigs, Lusts, and connections, I would be over the moon. (The first four names are from UK .... Cheshire and Wirral.) It always surprises me that many postcard sellers don't put the country / names of sender / recipient etc., in their title or description. There are so many people interested in genealogy that pictures of locations or postcards written by ancestors are the focus.

Thank you.

If a Postcard has been Posted. I show both sides in the listing.. Its not possible to put that info in the listing theres not enough room.