Writing an Ebay Guide: The Essentials

Ebay Guides are an excellent source of information for everyone researching products, items and ideas on Ebay.  In this guide, you can learn the essential elements in how you can create a well-rounded and informative guide that every reader will appreciate.

Guide Structure

Writing an Ebay Guide is much like writing a term or research paper from high school or college.  These included an introduction, the body of the topic and then a conclusion.  As with term or research papers, references are also included.

Introduction - In this portion of your guide, write a few sentences describing the topic of your guide and how your information might benefit your readers.  The introduction in Ebay Guides is especially important, since this is part of the 'header' or overview listed under the title of your guide when people have entered your 'tags' or search terms, or keywords. (Ebay shows the first 200 characters of your guide in their overview.)

The Body of Your Ebay Guide - In this section, you develop and discuss your topic fully.  This is the area in your guide were you discuss every detail of your topic, including photos, lists, recommendations and advice.

Conclusion - The conclusion of your guide should contain a brief paragraph summing up your topic and encouraging your readers to purchase the product, continue in further research or enjoy their newfound knowledge in the subject matter that you've presented.

References - Depending on your topic and discussion, you may have references for some of the information referred to in your guide.  List this information after your conclusion, noting book titles, publishers or office locations.  Ebay does not permit exterior website addresses, but you can list the organization and their geographic location or phone numbers.  This area is also the place to note any photographic credits.

Guide Formatting

One of the key elements in creating a guide that's easy and enjoyable to read is formatting.  This includes the use of headings, variances in text size, justification, bullet or numbered lists, links and photos.

Headings or Title Format - Using headings or titles can make your guide more enjoyable to read, allowing your readers to easily follow your thought processes and discussion. Ebay offers several options for heading size and style for your use.  Depending on the importance of your guide section or category, you can choose which header is most suitable for your titles.  Examples of each Header is listed below.

 An example of normal text - normal text in bold

Heading 3 text

Heading 2 text

Heading 1 text

Styling Tools - The Ebay Guide styling tool box, shown below, also can create more organized information patterns for your readers. Adding photos and links will be discussed in another section.

This toolbox allows you to format bold text and italics. The next set of tools allow you to left, center and right justify your text or paragraphs.  Justifying your text means to have all your text pulled to the left of your page (left justify) or located evenly balanced in the center of your page (center justify), or pulled to the right of your page (right justify).  Typically, photos are centered, but it can be visually enticing to left, center and right justify your photos in your guide if you have several photos to share. 

Bullet text and Numbered text sections are also available to you, as shown below. It's easy to remove or withdraw from any of these toolbox features while you're creating your guide, simply click on that toolbox item again.

• Example of Bullet Text Remarks

1. Example of Numbered Text Remarks

Left Indent and Indent are also useful tools available in formatting your guide.  Bullet text and numbered text items are automatically indented.

Here's an excellent Guide on Formatting your Guide by Shipscript:

Formatting a Pleasing Guide

Guide Content

Several factors can enhance the content of your guide.  It helps to do research on your topic and direct your readers to additional sources of information.  Photos also add informational and visual appeal to your guide as well as creating necessary 'negative space' for easy guide reading.  Adding links to Ebay resources in your guide is also a welcome addition to any guide content.

Research - It's always good advice to do research on any topic that you consider writing about.  Doing some preliminary research on your guide topic for Ebay can assist you in adding additional information that your viewers will find very useful.  Are you doing a guide on the best brownie recipies you've found?  Why not include a little paragraph on the history of brownies in general, or the oldest brownie recipe ever found.  Is your topic fishing in Minnesota? Consider listing the largest catches of the year or the best lakes for each type of fish you're discussing.  Information like this is easily found through simple searches on the internet.

Add Photos -  Photos can enhance any article or guide.  Visual references for your discussions add appeal and often more information than you're able to communicate with words alone.  There are some important things to know when considering placing photos in your Ebay Guide:

1. The photos that you post in your guide must be your own photos, public domain photos, or photos that you're using by permission.  Since Ebay is a commercial enterprise, any copyrighted or private photo that you use in your guide, could involve future legal entanglements.
   
2. The photos that you use in your guide should be small enough (less than 100k) for the picture insertion tool to be able to load your photo.  Larger photos won't load and the insertion tool will just spin for minutes without result.
   
3. The Ebay insertion tool can insert jpg and gif files only.                                                                                        
4. The Ebay Guide Template allows as many as 10 photos inserted into your Guide.
   
5. The photos must be on your computer.  Other areas in Ebay require that your photos be placed on a photo sharing website, but this insertion tool is uploading photos from your computer directly.
   
6. It is possible to add photos with Ebay's Photo Manager, rather than the picture insertion tool.  This guide address is posted below.
   Larger Guide Photos by Shipscript

To Add a photo to your guide, first locate your photo in your computer, then click the 'Add Picture' link on the top right of the guide toolbox.  Click 'Browse' to locate the area in your computer where your photo is stored.  Then click Insert.  This process should take only a minute or two at best.  If it takes several minutes, it's likely that your photo is too large or that your photo is not in a jpg or gif format. 

Add Links - Adding links to different item search terms, guides, reviews or areas within Ebay can be very helpful to your guide readers.  Any link that you post in your guide must be a link within the Ebay site.  Exterior links to any other website address are not permitted. Adding links to specific auctions or items is also not permitted.  When adding a link, you have the choice of searching Ebay keywords, or directly linking to a specific site within Ebay.

To add a link using an Ebay search term, click 'Add Link' in the top right corner of the guide toolbox, then type in the keywords for your Ebay search in the top Select Line. Then, create a title for your link as it will appear in your guide.  Here, as an example, I've typed in 'Studio Paperweights' as both my keyword search in Ebay, and the title of my link. Studio Paperweights

To add a link to a specific Ebay webaddress, locate the Ebay page that you'd like to share, then paste the whole webaddress in the second box on the link insertion tool, 'Ebay Webpage'.  Here again, create a title for the link that you're inserting.

Your readers will greatly appreciate your links to other guides and resources within Ebay.  In addition, since Ebay is a business that everyone contributes to in different ways, it's always good form to go to the trouble of creating links to ongoing auctions and store items that coincide with your guide topic.  Remember the brownie recipies? Why not insert a link to brownie and cake pans listed for sale.  The guide to fishing in Minnesota?  Fishing Guidebooks,  Minnesota Vacations, Fishing Equipment are all wonderful links to insert for your readers.

Guide Writing Tips

Good writing is always a welcome sight wherever you read.  Make use of the resources at your fingertips. 

Adjectives can do wonders in your descriptions, use a thesaurus for finding other words for 'good' (thrilling, wonderful, exciting, tasty, enjoyable, delightful) and other commonly used descriptors.

Consider your tone while you're writing your guide: Are you helpful, instructive, generous? 

Ask yourself questions while you're in the writing process like: 'what else might my readers want to know, or did I discuss this section in enough detail, or what if my readers have problems when they attempt this technique?'

Consider what Ebay resources would also provide more information to your readers. Are there books on your topic listed in auctions on Ebay?

Use the spellcheck feature in your toolbox.

Another Guide Writing Tip: If you are considering writing your guide outside of the Ebay Guide template and then pasting your article.  It's important to realize that most word processing programs add hidden html codes to your text.  The Ebay Guide template will not accept pasted guides from MSWord, Wordpad, or other programs.  Once you try to post your guide, if you've done this, you'll get a warning that you've posted html codes that are not permitted.  The only utility that won't add hidden codes to your text is notepad.  You can write your guide and then copy & paste from notepad into the Ebay Guide Template.  You may be aware of other word processing utilities exist that don't add hidden html, if so, that utility should work for you as well.

Edit Your Guide - Once you're finished writing and have posted your guide, you can still edit it further at any point.  To Edit your Ebay Guide, go to 'My Ebay'.   On the far left you see "my Reviews & Guides at the bottom".  When you click there, a new page shows all the reviews & guides you've listed on Ebay.  On the far right of each title, you see "edit", click here. Once you click Edit, you'll be back in the Guide Template as though you're writing it again.

Locate Your Guide - Every guide writer on Ebay has a similar webaddress.  Finding your guide or anyone's guide is easy.  Here is the guide writer's address format:

search.reviews.ebay.com/members/EbayID

As you can see, Ebay Guides can be an excellent source of ideas, how-to and product information.  Reviewing your Guide structure, format and content can assist you in writing your best guide.  Writing guides can be great fun!  I hope you can use these instructions and tips in creating your Ebay Guide and enjoy the process!