Promoted Listings: Sale Booster or Budget Buster?

If you're an avid Poshmark seller looking to increase your visibility and boost your sales, promoted listings can be a game-changer. While not everone has the feature yet (Poshmark is currently testing is in BetaMode), as of August 10th 2023, all Posh Ambassadors I and II are eligible to join the waitlist to get the feature.

Do I have Access to Promoted Listings?

Participating beta-testing sellers will have an opportunity to try Promoted Closet for free--but are you participating? To see if you're one of the chosen few--and if you are, to get started--take the the following steps:

1. On the Poshmark website (not the app), select your profile image at the top-right of the page.
2. Select My Promoted Closet. Don't see it? Womp womp--you don't currently have access. But, if you're a Posh Ambassador, feel free to add your name to the waistlist.
3. Are you able to click "My Promoted Closet"? Then select Start Free Trial.
4. Add your payment details and select Start Free Trial.

Note: After your trial ends, your listings will continue being promoted and campaigns will be charged to your set payment method, so mark your calendar to follow up on this! According to Poshmark, any budget changes will take effect on your next billing cycle, so make sure to be proactive if you want to cancel or lower spending amounts.

What Are Promoted Listings?

Ever see those highlighted listings at the top of Google search, marked "Ad"? Promoted listings is kind of like that!

Essentially, just as with Google Ads, promoted listings on Poshmark are a marketing tool that allows sellers to get their items viewed by a wider audience within the app, by surfacing those items first for a given search.

By promoting your listings, you can increase their visibility in searches and category browsing, ultimately driving more potential buyers to your closet.

This feature provides:

-increased exposure (ie. more people see your stuff, ideal for niche items with a smaller pool of potential buyers)

-targeted reach (ie. the people who see your promotion have searched something relevant are are likely to be interested)

-better conversion rates (ie. better sales to views ratio)

-control over your advertising budget (ie. you decide exactly what to promote and how much to spend promoting it, with preset "caps" available).

With promoted listings, you have the opportunity to showcase your most desirable and high-demand products to potential buyers on Poshmark.

Why Use Promoted Listings?

Let's revisit that list of feature benefits and see why they're more effective than the average listing at driving sales.

1. Increased Exposure: Promoted listings appear in prominent positions within search results and the Poshmark feed, giving them greater visibility to potential buyers. This would have a similar effect to having amazing SEO and getting your product on page 1, result 1 of Google search results. Or, to use a Poshmark example, it would mimic the effect of having a "Just In" listing if a user is sorting by recency while they search. The difference is, this effect doesn't wear off as the item ages.
2. Targeted Reach: You have the flexibility to choose which items to promote, letting you focus your advertising efforts on your most desirable and high-demand products, or rare vintage pieces with a smaller pool of available buyers.
3. Better Conversion Rates: Promoted listings tend to have higher conversion rates because they are shown to users who are actively searching for similar items or who have expressed interest in related categories--just, without competing with thousands of others over those same keywords.
4. Control over Budget: Poshmark's promoted listings feature allows you to set your own budget and adjust your spending based on your advertising goals. This provides you with the freedom to experiment and find the optimal investment for your return on ad spend--or scrap efforts that aren't working.

The Potential Drawbacks of Promoted Listings

Using promoted listings on Poshmark can be highly beneficial for sellers looking to increase their visibility and boost sales. However, it's important to consider potential drawbacks before utilizing this feature. Here are some cons to be aware of:

1. Increased Costs: Promoting your listings on Poshmark requires a financial investment. While you have control over your advertising budget, it's essential to carefully monitor your spending to ensure it aligns with your overall business goals and profitability.
2. Competition: Promoted listings can create a more competitive marketplace, as other sellers may also be using this feature to gain visibility. This means you'll need to strategically position your listings and continually adapt your marketing approach to stand out from other promoted items.
3. Increased Risk: Money spent on ads is a very short term investment. Unlike tweaking the description copy or photos for your listing, once the impressions are made, the value has either been captured (ie. you made a sale), or not (you spent the money but didn't make a sale). While improving the quality of your listings can continue to win you new impressions (ie. views/traffic to the item), traffic acquired through paying for it is gone the moment you stop paying. Which brings us to our next point:
4. Effectiveness Depends on Listing Quality: Promoted listings can amplify your exposure, but ultimately, the quality of your listings will determine their success. If your listings lack appealing images, compelling descriptions, or competitive pricing, promoting them may not yield the desired results. Simple errors, like having the wrong size selected, can also render your investment null.
5. Potential for Oversaturation: If many sellers within a specific category or niche are using promoted listings simultaneously, there's a risk of oversaturation. This might lead to diminished effectiveness as more listings compete for attention. Buyers may also just start tuning out promototed listings, the way we all learned to ignore banner ads. Only time will tell if promotions will consistently grab clicks--or become background static.
6. Learning Curve: If you're new to utilizing promoted listings on Poshmark, there may be a learning curve associated with understanding how best to optimize your strategy. Go slow and start with small investments. Then analyze your results and tweak your approach before doubling down.

Overall, the risks are real, but by carefully managing your budget, continuously improving your listings, and adapting to market dynamics, like trending keywords, you can maximize the benefits of this advertising feature.

How to Create Promoted Listings

To get started with promoting your listings on Poshmark, follow these steps:

1. Identify Key Listings: Analyze your inventory and select the items you believe will benefit the most from increased exposure. Choose items that are in-demand, unique, or have higher profit margins.
2. Set Your Budget: Determine how much you are willing to spend on promoting your listings. Start with a conservative budget and adjust as you gain experience and measure the results.
3. Choose a Duration: Decide how long you want your listings to be promoted. Poshmark offers different duration options, allowing you to tailor your promotional efforts according to your needs.
4. Monitor and Optimize: Once your promoted listings are live, keep a close eye on their performance. Monitor the click-through rates (CTRs) and conversion rates to understand which listings are resonating with buyers. Use this data to fine-tune your promoted listings strategy for future campaigns.

Best Practices for Promoted Listings

To make the most of your promoted listings on Poshmark, keep these best practices in mind:

• Compelling Images and Descriptions: Ensure your promoted listings have clear, clean, eye-catching images and concise, engaging descriptions that accurately showcase the item's unique attributes and answer buyer quesitons. Don't skimp on measurements, style keywords, fabric/care info, and detailed description of condition to keep interested buyers in your pipeline.
• Competitive Pricing: Price your promoted listings competitively to attract potential buyers. Research similar items on Poshmark to gauge market pricing trends and position your listings accordingly. Increased visibility on an item isn't worth the investment if the pricing is likely to turn off potential buyers.
• Keyword Optimization: Incorporate relevant keywords in your listing titles and descriptions to improve their visibility in search results. Consider getting a keyword research tool in the mix to identify popular search terms within the Poshmark community, or trending aesthetics on social media. Remember, your oversized linen pants are someone else's "lagenlook"--help your buyers find you by speaking their language.
• Test and Iterate: Don't be afraid to experiment with different listings, budgets, and durations to find the optimal combination for your promoted listings. Regularly evaluate the performance metrics and make adjustments as necessary. The easiest way to waste money on advertising is to ignore (or worse, forget) promotions that aren't performing well.

Conclusion

Promoted listings on Poshmark can be a powerful tool to reach a larger audience and achieve increased sales, if you're one of the lucky few to have access to it. By leveraging this feature effectively, optimizing your listings, and staying attuned to buyer preferences, you might just take your Poshmark business to new heights.

So what do you think? Have you tried promoted listings on Poshmark or joined the waitlist? Are you curious, or have a hunch it's not your thing? Drop us a comment below with your thoughts!

-Cathy@ClosetWitch

Read More:

Promoted Closet Beta Announcement on the Poshmark Blog

How to Reset a Poshmark Listing's Just-In Date

How to Write Compelling Descriptions for Your Poshmark Listings

Fall 2023 Women's Trend Forecasts and Style Guide for Poshmark Sellers