Etsy Ads

[GlassyFields]

The past 5 weeks have been exceptionally slow, so I decided to give Etsy ads another go. (I had Etsy Ads turned off for the last 6 months or so because they didn't seem to be doing much).

When I try to select which listings to include using my shop sections/categories, only the first 7 sections show. For the life of me, I couldn't get all 20 categories to show anymore. I used to pick a couple listings from each category to use in Etsy ads but can't do that now.

There was a little blurb popping up saying is the new feature helpful. I did not want to click yes or no until I'd used it. By the time I finished manually selecting which listings to include (very time consuming without being able to filter by sections), that little blurb was gone. I even tried to get it back by leaving marketing and coming back. But whatever they've done, it's incredibly unhelpful.

Anyone else noticing that only the first 7 sections show in the Etsy Ads section?

Anyone know of a trick to getting around this limitation?

I do plan on contacting Etsy about this but thought I'd start with the forums.

[NancyQstudio]

I haven't used Etsy Ads in a while because I haven't found them effective.  But I just went and checked this for you.  I found the same thing.  I was limited in selection.  Categories listed later on my shop list were not available to access.  

[GlassyFields]

Thanks for checking.

I chatted with Etsy support. I was pleasantly surprised to find that it was pretty each to get to the chat option. It took the agent a while to understand the issue (they zeroed in on the word section and offered me help using Etsy sections) and then there were big gaps in the conversation and then I got a lengthy cut and paste on how to use the Etsy ads. No real acknowledgement that there even was an issue. Agent did send me a link so that I could report the issue. 

Hopefully this is a quick fix bug. I still do a bit of coding and know that in GUI drop down boxes there is usually an option to determine size or the number of items allowed.

But it might not matter much because within minutes my 1$ per day budget was used up on 4 clicks. I'll give them another day or two but they probably won't be on for long.

[SugarTaffySoap]

@GlassyFields  Yes I can't see all sections neither. Only first 8.  I have to type in a product name in the Search Your Listings to add it to advertise.   This has been going on for a while. 

[GlassyFields]

@SugarTaffySoap 

Thanks for checking. I tried everything I could think of but still wondered if it was me.

For quite a while I had a $1 a day budget and I did get orders from the ads. The value was questionable but some of those turned into repeat buyers, so I stuck with Etsy Ads for years. A couple times I upped the budget but that didn't seem to make any difference, so I kept it at $1 a day.

Etsy Ads seemed most effective when I selected just a few items. Too many and all my clicks were used up within minutes and those minutes started at midnight East Coast Time. So, I selected a couple listings from each of my shop sections. Today, scrolling through hundreds of listings that are in no particular order was a very painful way to create a set of listings.

Since even with just a few listings included, the clicks were used up even before I finished chatting with Etsy support. I'll check over the next couple of days, but probably won't be using Etsy ads going forward.

[SugarTaffySoap]

@GlassyFields I know. Some days the $$ is used up extremely fast and other times it drags. It's like the algorithm has a sugar rush. lol.  I wish they would redevelop a whole new ad program.  Too much competition for ad space. Some sellers can afford to set it at $50, $100 or $1,000 a day, but it's not realistic for every shop.  What I really don't understand is the "Update Your Goal" option. What's the point of having it?  It doesn't bring in more sales. Seems like  words with no action behind it.  The Q&A is rather vague. Everything is always about optimizing your listing or this or that.  Oh well, maybe one day the ad algorithm will surprise us all.  

[DragonflyDreams1]

I contacted Etsy regarding the issue over 6 months ago. They told me that while they knew there was an issue, they fix problems based on the number of users on the site impacted. Considering I have been waiting over 6 months I assume they do not care to fix it. 

The only workaround I have found is to reorder the categories in my store. Whatever is listed first will show in ads, then you can select what you want, then go back and put your categories into the old order. 

[GlassyFields]

@DragonflyDreams1

Thanks for sharing that.

I know it's too much to hope for but what I'd like when reporting a suspected issue is honesty: "Thank you for contacting us. We are aware of the issue. At this point we don't have an ETA on a fix."

Honesty would be refreshing. It would save so much time. It would be so much better then ... oh you need help with sections, (no, I'm reporting that only the 1st 7 show up), oh let me check, one moment, here are instructions on how to select listings (big cut and paste).

It just occurred to me that what really bothered me about that whole help chat is that my issue was never actually acknowledged.

[DragonflyDreams1]

I agree. What I have found it is best to enter chat with a screenshot. My report was escalated and I received an email response. But nothing has been done and it makes me so crazy I go into the individual listings to turn ads on instead of using the "Etsy Ads" page. (because rearranging sections is a pain too!)

[LynnsLittleShop]

@GlassyFields Maybe try the left in cart discount instead of the ads. I have mine set at 10% but I saw someone had 5%. My thinking is that it will be sent to people that may actually be interested in the item. So far this year 25 have been sent and 5 have taken advantage of it.

PS from our post about items in deactivated mode, mine didn't reactivate even though it had a date it would automatically renew. I let it sit for 3 days after that date and then renewed it myself. So weird.

[BagmakerSupply]

@LynnsLittleShop: Listings moved to Inactive will NOT auto renew. They will expire but will remain in the Inactive state.

[GlassyFields]

@LynnsLittleShop,

Thank-you. I use the left in cart, favorites and thank-you coupons and do get quite a few orders from those. 

And ... back to the deactivated mode ... . Thanks for letting me know. I tried to report on my test results but couldn't find the thread. I set a listing to automatically renew. Then I deactivated it. I checked it multiple times. It is sitting in the deactivated folder and showing the auto-renew flag ... but it doesn't automatically renew from the deactivated folder. Good to know.

[LynnsLittleShop]

I couldn't find our original thread either. Yes, it is good to know. Hope your sales pick up. 

[SugarTaffySoap]

@GlassyFields  Didn't chat ask you for a screenshot?

[GlassyFields]

@SugarTaffySoap 

Yes, they did. I sent them a two screenshots of the Etsy Ads pull-down list with only 7 sections showing. I made sure that the screenshot showed the entire box so that they could see that there were no scroll bars on the right to see more sections.

[HotOffHerHook]

I think Etsy could pick up alot more money if they brought back that sellers could pick their own cost per click.  I only have a couple listings that are $2.75 and sure enough Etsy's cost per click was $.25 which is way too much there.  Pulled that one from the. listings to include!