Running Promotions

Complete guide to eBay marketing campaigns, promoted listings, item promotions, and ad optimization

Running Promotions

Learn how to increase your eBay sales with marketing campaigns, promoted listings ads, item promotions, and strategic optimization using the eBay MCP Server.

Prerequisites

• eBay MCP Server with user OAuth token
• sell.marketing scope (write) or sell.marketing.readonly (read-only)
• Active eBay listings to promote
• Advertising account approved (check eBay Seller Hub > Marketing)

Marketing Strategies Overview

The eBay MCP Server provides three main marketing tools:

Promoted Listings

Pay-per-sale ads that boost listing visibility in search results

Item Promotions

Discounts and sales events (10% off, Buy 2 Get 1, etc.)

Campaign Analytics

Performance tracking and optimization insights

Promoted Listings Campaigns

Understanding Promoted Listings

Promoted Listings is eBay’s pay-per-sale advertising platform:

• Cost: Only pay when item sells (ad fee percentage)
• Placement: Higher visibility in search results and category pages
• Control: Set ad rates per item or campaign-wide
• Performance: Track impressions, clicks, and conversions

Ad fees typically range from 2% to 20% of the sale price. eBay recommends starting at 5-8% and adjusting based on performance.

Create Your First Campaign

1. Create Campaign

   Set up campaign structure with name, marketplace, and budget

2. Create Ad Group

   Organize ads by category, price range, or product type

3. Add Products

   Select listings to promote with individual or bulk ad creation

4. Set Bids

   Configure ad rates (percentage of sale price)

5. Launch Campaign

   Activate and monitor performance

Step 1: Create Campaign

Ask your AI assistant

Create a new promoted listings campaign:
- Name: "Summer Electronics Sale 2024"
- Marketplace: EBAY_US
- Status: RUNNING
- Budget: $500 monthly cap

The server uses ebay_create_campaign to establish your campaign foundation. You’ll receive a campaign ID for adding ads and ad groups.

Step 2: Create Ad Group

Ad groups help organize your ads by theme or strategy:

Ask your AI assistant

For my "Summer Electronics Sale 2024" campaign, create an ad group:
- Name: "Laptops - High Value"
- Default bid: 8%
- Target products: Laptops priced $800+

Use ad groups to test different bid strategies. For example, one group for high-margin products at 10% ad rate, another for competitive products at 5%.

Step 3: Add Products to Campaign

You can add products individually or in bulk:

Individual Ads

For precise control over each listing:

Add these SKUs to my campaign with custom ad rates:
- LAPTOP-001: 10% ad rate (high margin)
- LAPTOP-002: 6% ad rate (competitive category)
- LAPTOP-003: 8% ad rate (medium competition)

The server uses ebay_create_ad for each listing

Monitor Campaign Performance

Track how your ads are performing:

Ask your AI assistant

Show me performance metrics for my "Summer Electronics Sale 2024" campaign:
- Total impressions and clicks
- Conversion rate
- Total ad fees paid
- Revenue generated
- Return on ad spend (ROAS)

The server retrieves campaign reports showing:

• Impressions: How many times your ads appeared
• Clicks: Buyer engagement with your ads
• Sales: Purchases attributed to ads
• Ad Fee: Total cost of advertising
• Revenue: Sales generated from ads

Keyword Targeting

Understanding Keywords

Keywords determine when your promoted listings appear in search results:

• Broad Match: Variants and related terms (e.g., “laptop” matches “gaming laptop”, “laptop computer”)
• Phrase Match: Exact phrase with additional words (e.g., “Dell laptop” matches “new Dell laptop”)
• Exact Match: Precise term only (e.g., “Dell XPS 15” matches only “Dell XPS 15”)

eBay automatically targets relevant keywords based on your listing titles and categories. Manual keyword management provides additional control and optimization opportunities.

Add Keywords to Ad Group

Ask your AI assistant

For my "Laptops - High Value" ad group, add these keywords:
- "gaming laptop" (Broad match, 9% bid)
- "Dell XPS laptop" (Phrase match, 8% bid)
- "MacBook Pro 16 inch" (Exact match, 10% bid)

The server uses ebay_create_keyword with match type specifications.

Bulk Keyword Management

Add multiple keywords efficiently:

Ask your AI assistant

Bulk add 20 laptop-related keywords to my ad group:
- All with Broad match type
- Default bid: 7%
- Include terms: ultrabook, notebook, laptop computer, portable computer, etc.

The server uses ebay_bulk_create_keyword for batch operations.

Negative Keywords

Prevent ads from showing for irrelevant searches:

Campaign-Level

Apply negative keywords across entire campaign:

Add these negative keywords to my campaign:
- "broken"
- "parts only"
- "for parts"
- "not working"
- "refurbished" (if selling new only)

Saves budget by filtering out unprofitable searches

The server provides 16 tools for comprehensive negative keyword management at both campaign and ad group levels.

Item Promotions (Discounts & Sales)

Types of Promotions

eBay supports multiple promotion formats:

Order Discount

Percentage or dollar amount off orders meeting criteria

Examples:

• 10% off purchases over $50
• $5 off any order
• 15% off for first-time buyers

Markdown Sale

Temporary price reductions on specific items

Examples:

• 20% off all electronics (event sale)
• Flash sale: 30% off for 24 hours
• Seasonal clearance: 25% off winter items

Volume Pricing

Discounts for buying multiple items

Examples:

• Buy 2, get 10% off
• Buy 3, get 1 free
• Tiered: 5% off 2 items, 10% off 3+

Shipping Discounts

Reduced or free shipping promotions

Examples:

• Free shipping on orders over $25
• 50% off shipping for all items
• Free expedited shipping (limited time)

Create Item Promotion

Ask your AI assistant

Create a promotion:
- Type: Order discount
- Offer: 15% off orders over $100
- Duration: 7 days starting tomorrow
- Apply to: All electronics category listings
- Promotion name: "Electronics Week Sale"

The server uses ebay_create_item_promotion with detailed rules:

• Discount amount and type (percentage or fixed)
• Minimum purchase requirements
• Eligible items (by category, SKU, or listing ID)
• Start and end dates
• Priority (if multiple promotions apply)

Manage Active Promotions

View and modify your promotions:

List Promotions

Show me all my active promotions

Returns all RUNNING, SCHEDULED, and PAUSED promotions

Promotion Performance Reports

Track promotion effectiveness:

Ask your AI assistant

Show me performance data for my "Electronics Week Sale" promotion:
- Total orders using promotion
- Revenue generated
- Average order value with vs. without promotion
- Discount amount paid

Use insights to optimize future promotions and identify which discount strategies work best for your products.

Advanced Campaign Optimization

Bid Suggestions

Get eBay’s recommended bid rates:

Ask your AI assistant

What bid rate does eBay recommend for these keywords in my laptop ad group?
- "gaming laptop"
- "Dell XPS"
- "MacBook Pro"

The server uses ebay_get_bid_recommendation to retrieve:

• Suggested bid percentage
• Estimated impressions at that bid
• Competitive landscape data
• Expected performance metrics

eBay’s bid suggestions are based on competitor bids and category performance. Start with recommendations and adjust based on your actual results and profit margins.

Listing Recommendations

Improve listing quality for better ad performance:

Ask your AI assistant

Get optimization recommendations for my promoted listings

eBay may suggest:

• Adding more photos
• Improving title keywords
• Updating item specifics
• Adjusting pricing
• Enabling Best Offer

Campaign Lifecycle Management

Pause Campaign

Temporarily stop all ads:

Pause my "Summer Electronics Sale 2024" campaign

Useful during inventory shortages or to adjust strategy

Clone Successful Campaigns

Replicate what works:

Ask your AI assistant

Clone my "Summer Electronics Sale 2024" campaign:
- New name: "Fall Electronics Sale 2024"
- Same ad groups, keywords, and bids
- Update start date to October 1st

The server uses ebay_clone_campaign to duplicate entire campaign structure, saving setup time.

Performance Reporting

Generate Campaign Reports

Create detailed performance analysis:

Ask your AI assistant

Generate a campaign performance report for the past 30 days:
- Include all active campaigns
- Dimensions: Campaign, Ad Group, Keyword
- Metrics: Impressions, clicks, sales, ad fees, ROAS

The server uses ebay_create_report_task to generate asynchronous reports with:

• Campaign metrics: Overall campaign performance
• Listing metrics: Per-item ad performance
• Keyword metrics: Search term effectiveness
• Account metrics: Portfolio-wide advertising data

Report generation is asynchronous. Large reports may take several minutes. Use ebay_get_report to retrieve completed reports.

Key Metrics to Monitor

Click-Through Rate (CTR)

Formula: (Clicks / Impressions) × 100

Good CTR: 0.5% - 2%

Low CTR suggests poor ad relevance or uncompetitive pricing

Conversion Rate

Formula: (Sales / Clicks) × 100

Good Rate: 5% - 15%

Low conversion suggests listing quality issues

Return on Ad Spend (ROAS)

Formula: Revenue / Ad Fees

Good ROAS: 5:1 or higher

Target varies by profit margin (higher margin = lower ROAS acceptable)

Cost per Sale

Formula: Total Ad Fees / Total Sales

Monitor: Against profit margin

Ensure ad costs don’t exceed your profit

Best Practices

Campaign Structure

1. Organize by Category

   Create separate campaigns for distinct product categories (Electronics, Clothing, Home Goods) to track performance independently

2. Use Ad Groups Strategically

   Within campaigns, group similar items (High-End Laptops, Budget Laptops) to optimize bids by price point or margin

3. Test Bid Strategies

   Run small test campaigns with different bid rates to find optimal ad spend before scaling

4. Monitor Daily

   Check performance at least weekly; adjust underperforming ads or increase bids on winners

Budget Management

Set monthly budgets to prevent overspending. Ad fees are charged when items sell, which can accumulate quickly during high-sales periods.

Budget allocation strategy

Total Monthly Marketing Budget: $1,000

Allocation:
- 60% ($600): Proven campaigns (consistent ROAS > 5:1)
- 30% ($300): Growing campaigns (ROAS 3-5:1, room for optimization)
- 10% ($100): Experimental campaigns (new products, keywords, strategies)

Review and rebalance monthly based on performance

Keyword Strategy

1. Start Broad: Use broad match to discover what buyers search for
2. Analyze Performance: Review keyword reports after 2-3 weeks
3. Refine: Convert high-performing broad terms to phrase or exact match
4. Add Negatives: Filter out unprofitable or irrelevant searches
5. Test Continuously: Add new keywords based on search trends and competitor analysis

Seasonal Promotions

Plan promotions around key shopping events:

Q1 (Jan-Mar)

• New Year sales (clearance)
• Valentine’s Day (gifts, jewelry)
• Spring cleaning (home goods)

Common Issues and Solutions

Low impressions despite high bids

Problem: Ads not showing despite competitive bid rates

Solution:

• Verify listings are active and in-stock
• Improve listing quality (photos, titles, item specifics)
• Check if category is eligible for promoted listings
• Ensure campaign and ad group status is RUNNING
• Review negative keywords (may be blocking relevant searches)

High ad spend, low sales

Problem: Many clicks but few conversions

Solution:

• Review pricing (may be too high vs. competitors)
• Improve listing photos and descriptions
• Check shipping costs (high shipping deters buyers)
• Analyze keywords (attracting browsers, not buyers)
• Add negative keywords to filter bargain hunters
• Ensure inventory is actually available

Campaign won't start

Problem: Campaign status stuck in PAUSED or won’t activate

Solution:

• Verify ad account is approved (check Seller Hub)
• Ensure payment method is valid
• Check for policy violations on listed items
• Confirm at least one ad exists in campaign
• Review eBay marketing account standing

Error: Ad already exists

Problem: Attempting to promote already-promoted listing

Solution:

• Check existing campaigns for this listing
• Update existing ad bid instead of creating new one
• Remove from old campaign before adding to new one
• Use ebay_get_ads to find where listing is promoted

Automation Ideas

Leverage AI assistants for hands-free marketing:

Weekly optimization routine

Every Monday at 9 AM:
1. Generate performance report for all campaigns (past 7 days)
2. Identify ads with ROAS < 3:1
3. Reduce bids by 1% on underperformers
4. Identify ads with ROAS > 7:1
5. Increase bids by 1% on top performers (up to 15% max)
6. Check for new keyword suggestions
7. Add top 5 suggested keywords to each ad group
8. Review and add negative keywords from search term reports

Next Steps

First Listing

Create listings to promote

Bulk Operations

Scale your advertising with bulk ad creation

Marketing API Reference

Complete marketing tool documentation

Analytics & Reporting

Deep dive into performance analytics

Related Topics

• Marketing Campaigns Features - Detailed marketing documentation
• Rate Limits - Optimize bulk ad operations
• OAuth Setup - Configure marketing scopes
• Troubleshooting - Common marketing errors