Thursday 24 November 2016

#DifferenceMakesUs - Listing


   Listing pieces is a tricky job. Most of my pieces share details - glass bottle, 'terrarium necklace', dimensions and so on - so it can be very difficult to write listings without using the same phrases. Copying a listing outright (using an existing listing as framework) seriously affects your position in search results both on and off of Etsy, and both the new listing and the original suffer.
   So I write them all from scratch, trying not to use the same phrases and I so often fail. You have to be aware of trends, think like a buyer, keep it all relevant and, above all else, be clear, and when I find something that works, it's difficult to rephrase it without losing its effectiveness.


   Some time early this year I started changing my listings a bit. Rather than just provide information on the necklace itself, I started including information about the animals they featured. Thinking about it, it must have been some time last year because all of my Christmas pieces had little information boxes when I came to relisting them this month.
   I thought it might help my work pop up in general animal google searches, too, but it also gives a nice bit of flavour to the listing itself. I try not to choose typical information, I like to try to provide interesting facts and either lesser-known details or things people aren't generally certain on. And some animals are better to do this with than others. My British Coasts collection was not particularly riveting - what is there to say about crabs? I did have a little more luck with hermit crabs specifically because I'd learned a couple of things about them from some documentaries (see the listing for yourself, lazy bum!). But it did prove to be the least interesting - no, we'll say 'most modest' - group of animals I've done.
   So when I write these listings, as well as contending with the usual relevancy rubbish that everyone seems to struggle with, I have to gather up interesting facts. I don't resent that, though; I really like having the facts there and I learn things, myself, in the process. I usually resort to the internet and my trusty animal book, but in some cases, such as the hyena, Breverton's Phantasmagoria comes in helpful. It's full of all kinds of myths an legends, including misconceptions about real creatures such as the hyena.




Previously: Product Photography    ♥    Next Up: Product Packaging & Post Run


And don't forget about my final Christmas order dates for domestic and international purchases!


NaBloPoMo November 2016



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