Managing Bids

When businesses want to negotiate pricing for your ad slots, they submit bids. This guide explains how to review, respond to, and manage bids effectively.

Understanding Bids

A bid is a price negotiation from a business. Instead of booking at your listed price, they propose:

  • A different amount they're willing to pay

  • Their preferred date

  • A campaign brief explaining their business

You can accept, reject, or counter-offer on any bid.

Viewing Incoming Bids

  1. Click Bids in the sidebar

  2. You'll see a list of all bids on your ad slots

Bid Information

Each bid shows:

Information
Description

Business Name

Who submitted the bid

Ad Slot

Which ad slot they're bidding on

Proposed Date

When they want the ad to run

Bid Amount

How much they're offering

Your Asking Price

Your listed price for the ad slot

Comparison

How their bid compares to your price (% above/below)

Campaign Brief

(If provided) Their campaign description

Status

Current status of the bid

Filtering Bids

Use the filter tabs to view:

  • All — All bids

  • Pending — Awaiting your response

  • Accepted — Bids you've accepted

  • Expired — Accepted bids where the business didn't complete booking

  • Counter-offers — Bids where you've made a counter-offer

Bid Statuses

Status
Description

Pending

Awaiting your response

Accepted

You accepted; business has 48 hours to book

Rejected

You declined the bid

Counter-offered

You proposed a different price

Converted to Booking

Business completed the booking

Expired

Business didn't complete booking within 48 hours

Responding to Bids

Option 1: Accept the Bid

If you're happy with the offered price:

  1. Find the pending bid

  2. Click Accept Bid

  3. Review the confirmation dialog:

    • Business name

    • Ad slot

    • Bid amount vs. your asking price

  4. Click Accept Bid to confirm

What happens next:

  • The business receives a notification

  • They have 48 hours to complete the booking

  • The date is temporarily reserved

  • If they don't complete in time, the bid expires

Option 2: Make a Counter-offer

If you want a different price:

  1. Find the pending bid

  2. Click Counter-offer

  3. Enter your counter-offer amount

  4. (Optional) Add a note explaining your offer

  5. Click Send Counter-offer

Counter-offer tips:

  • Suggest a middle ground between their bid and your asking price

  • Explain any additional value you provide

  • Be reasonable to encourage acceptance

What happens next:

  • The business receives your counter-offer

  • They can accept, decline, or let it expire

  • If they accept, they have 48 hours to complete booking

Option 3: Reject the Bid

If the bid doesn't work for you:

  1. Find the pending bid

  2. Click Reject

  3. Confirm the rejection

When to reject:

  • Bid is significantly below your minimum

  • The business isn't a good fit for your audience

  • The proposed date doesn't work

  • You have other bookings you'd prefer

Note: Consider counter-offering before rejecting. A negotiation might still lead to a successful booking.

The 48-Hour Booking Window

When you accept a bid (or the business accepts your counter-offer):

  1. Clock starts — The business has 48 hours to complete their booking

  2. Date reserved — Other businesses can't book that date during this window

  3. Business action required — They must provide creative assets and payment

  4. Completion or expiration — Either they book, or the bid expires

Tracking Accepted Bids

Accepted bids show:

  • Time remaining in the 48-hour window

  • Clear indication when expired

Expired Bids

If the business doesn't complete booking in 48 hours:

  • The bid status changes to Expired

  • The date becomes available again

  • No further action required from you

Bid Comparison Indicators

Bids show how they compare to your asking price:

Indicator
Meaning

Green (% above)

Bid is higher than your asking price

Yellow (~% below)

Bid is close to your asking price (within 10%)

Gray (% below)

Bid is significantly below your asking price

Use these indicators to quickly assess bids.

Campaign Briefs

Many bids include a campaign brief — a description of the advertiser's business and what they're promoting. Review this to:

  • Understand if they're a good fit for your audience

  • Assess the quality of the potential advertiser

  • Prepare for what kind of creative to expect

Managing Multiple Bids

Same Date Conflicts

If multiple businesses bid on the same date:

  • Only accept one bid

  • The first to complete booking gets the date

  • Other accepted bids would expire once the date is taken

Prioritizing Bids

Consider these factors when choosing between bids:

  • Bid amount

  • Business fit for your audience

  • Campaign quality based on brief

  • Likelihood of completion

Best Practices

Respond Promptly

  • Businesses appreciate quick responses

  • Pending bids can discourage other bookings

  • Aim to respond within 24-48 hours

Be Strategic with Counter-offers

  • Don't counter too high — you might lose the deal

  • Explain your reasoning in the note

  • Consider the long-term relationship

Consider the Full Picture

A slightly lower bid might be worth accepting if:

  • The business is a great fit for your audience

  • It could lead to repeat bookings

  • The campaign is high-quality

Communicate Clearly

  • Use the messaging system after accepting bids

  • Set clear expectations for creative assets

  • Be available for questions

Notifications

You'll receive notifications for:

  • New bids on your ad slots

  • Counter-offer responses from businesses

  • Expired bids

  • Completed bookings from accepted bids

Configure notification preferences in Settings.

Common Questions

What happens if I don't respond to a bid?

Bids remain pending until you respond. There's no automatic expiration for pending bids, but promptness is appreciated.

Can I accept a bid and then cancel?

It's best to only accept bids you intend to honor. If circumstances change, communicate with the business via messaging.

What if a business keeps submitting low bids?

You can reject bids that don't meet your minimum. Consider setting a higher minimum bid on your ad slot.

Can I see the business's history on the platform?

You can see their company name and any campaign brief they provide. Messaging is available after bid acceptance.

Next Steps

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