'career' ebay sellers, what promotional / marketing tools do you use?

apprentice_tycoon

I'm just looking for a few hints on pushing my ebay business along a little more.

I have an ebay shop and weekly auction listings and my main lure to get buyers back again is to offer a returning buyers discount of 10% on future purchases, I make it clear that they need to remind me that we've dealt before and I can confirm this by checking my and their feedback if I'm in any doubt.
I've had this discount operating for around 5 years and I think that it encourages people to have a look at my lists again and buy again.

I'm considering using the ebay flyer to put in the parcels, I've put one together using the template that ebay offer but I'm not sure if it's too pushy/ cheesey/ American? I'm also looking at the email newsletter to send to buyers that have put me on their favourite seller list, has anyone found this to be useful?

I'd be grateful for any other ideas and experiences

rose_sparky

Do you put a 10% discount voucher in with the parcel?

How do you know that you are on their favourite seller list?

apprentice_tycoon

No voucher needed, I just write in the listing that there is a 10% discount for returning buyers assuming that we've left each other positive feedback. I reiterate this in the 'your item is in the post' email too.

It's up to the buyer to remind me that we've met before, sometimes if it's an unusual name I'll remember them and go straight in with a 'nice to see you back! here's your 10% discount' note on the invoice but I don't go out of my way to identify them, they get the discount if they point out that they've bought off me before, there is no chance that I can be fooled because if I haven't given them feedback then they weren't my customer.

If you have a shop there is a list of buyers that have put you in their favourite sellers list and you can send them a promotional email from this page

syanide

Just add a flyer in. I do for my auctions and it seems to work ok.
I normally include an oversized postcard which I purchased of vistaprint (one of their many free offers)..