Here are some guidelines for writing a good, effective title for your auction. The words you put in your title will come up in search results so it's important to make good use of your space.
- Your title can be up to 55 characters long. Use as much of this space as possible
- Use words buyers would use if they searched for your item--Mary Kay, Lot, Tote, etc.
- Describe your item specifically. Even if you're posting a lipstick in the lipstick category, you still want to use the word "lipstick"in your title.
- Proofread your title! You'd be surprised how many people don't. Not only does it look silly, it may also affect whether your items come up in searches.
- Don't use characters in place of letters or things like "RARE!" or "MUST SEE". Everyone thinks their items is a must see. You are just wasting space you could use on a better description of your item.
- Don't use multiple exclamation points or other punctuation. Not only is it a waste of valuable space, it's annoying and it doesn't add a bit of info to your listing.
Here are the details you want to make sure to include in your title:
* Brand Name
* Product Name (TimeWise, Satin Hands, Signature...)
* Type of product (Lipstick, Cleanser, Lotion)
* Size (Full Size, Travel Size)
* Weight, in ounces
* Item condition (New, Used, New in Box)
An additional note on specifying item condition: some people use the abbreviation "NIB" in listings. I have mixed feelings about this abbreviation. In some respects, it is better than putting the word "New" in your listing because you aren't allowed to sell used cosmetics on eBay anyway. But some who are browsing listings don't necessarily know what NIB means. For cosmetics and skin care, perhaps NIB is more descriptive, since you are letting the buyer know that the product is new and in its box. For items like totes, I use "New" since that lets people know that it hasn't been used.
Here are some examples of good titles that I took right off of eBay:
Mary Kay Signature Lipstick Downtown Brown NIB
Mary Kay MK Signature Pink Meringue Cheek Color New
Mary Kay TimeWise powder foundation Ivory 100 w compactHere are some examples of not-so-good titles, taken right off eBay, and the reasons why:
Mary Kay~ tons of great samples!!!! ~L@@K!!!!!!--Here is an example of wasting space with exclamation points AND...the dreaded, complete no-no: L@@K. PLEASE don't EVER use L@@K in a listing. Never. It's dumb, it adds nothing, no one searches for the word so it's a waste of precious keywords again. Don't do it. Okay?
Mary Kay ..... Sunset Lipstick ..... L@@K--Again, the dreaded L@@K, but this seller has also wasted space with using the period repeatedly. Perhaps they think that the eye is drawn to the listing because of it. Maybe. But the space would be much better used by inserting some information about the product. Is this lipstick Signature or not? Is it in the box? Who knows.
Mary Kay Eye Color--Do I really have to explain this one? No. It's dumb. Who knows whether the eye color is Signature or not? Is it one eye color or a lot? On and on.
Should you use all capital letters in your title? That's completely up to you. Some feel that it draws attention to their listing. But all caps is hard to read for some.
