{"id":5327,"date":"2019-05-30T15:43:12","date_gmt":"2019-05-30T05:43:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.machines4u.com.au\/?page_id=5327"},"modified":"2020-06-29T23:11:06","modified_gmt":"2020-06-29T13:11:06","slug":"academy-perfect-listings","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.machines4u.com.au\/lpm\/academy-perfect-listings\/","title":{"rendered":"Academy – Perfect Listings"},"content":{"rendered":"

[vc_row][vc_column] <\/p>\n

Machines4U Academy<\/strong><\/h1>\n
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13-Part Series To Help You Get The Most Out Of Machines4U<\/p>\n

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Module 3<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

How to create the perfect listing<\/div>\n

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Content is king. You\u2019ve probably heard this phrase before, but what does it mean? In this article, you’ll learn:<\/p>\n

\u2022 What you need to make a perfect listing<\/p>\n

\u2022 Why quality content is so important<\/p>\n

\u2022 What photos to include on your listings<\/p>\n

\u2022 How you can use video to increase buyer engagement<\/p>\n

\u2022 Why pricing your listings is so important<\/p>\n

\u2022 How to write effective descriptions<\/p>\n

\u2022 Why you should upload PDF brochures[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column][vc_column width=”1\/2″ el_id=”acad-video”][vc_raw_html]JTNDaWZyYW1lJTIwc3JjJTNEJTIyaHR0cHMlM0ElMkYlMkZwbGF5ZXIudmltZW8uY29tJTJGdmlkZW8lMkYzNTU5MTMzMDAlMjIlMjB3aWR0aCUzRCUyMjY0MCUyMiUyMGhlaWdodCUzRCUyMjM2MCUyMiUyMGZyYW1lYm9yZGVyJTNEJTIyMCUyMiUyMGFsbG93JTNEJTIyYXV0b3BsYXklM0IlMjBmdWxsc2NyZWVuJTIyJTIwYWxsb3dmdWxsc2NyZWVuJTNFJTNDJTJGaWZyYW1lJTNF[\/vc_raw_html][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row el_class=”normal-text”][vc_column][vc_column_text]<\/p>\n

What you need to create a perfect listing<\/p>\n

[\/vc_column_text][vc_single_image image=”6202″ img_size=”600×400″][vc_column_text]When you add a listing to Machines4U, you’ll notice in your edit screen that it will have a coloured bar. This coloured bar is only visible to you and your account manager, and it indicates your Content Quality Score<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

So what do you need to make that bar green?<\/p>\n

\u2022 A set price displayed<\/p>\n

\u2022 10+ photos<\/p>\n

\u2022 1 Video<\/p>\n

\u2022 A PDF brochure uploaded<\/p>\n

\u2022 250+ characters in the listing description<\/p>\n

If your bar is green<\/strong><\/span>\u2014fantastic! Your listing is fully optimised for buyer engagement and is set up for success.<\/p>\n

If your bar is orange<\/strong><\/span>\u2014it needs more work. Hover over your bar to see what you’ve missed and how to fix it.<\/p>\n

If your bar is red<\/strong><\/span>\u2014statistics show any listings with a low content quality score will not perform well and will receive less engagement and leads than a listing with a high quality score. Hover over your bar to see what you’ve missed and how to fix it.<\/p>\n

If your bar has\u00a0no colour<\/strong>\u2014your listing will not have much success as is. Add a price, photos, a video, a PDF and a description to give your listing a much-needed boost.<\/p>\n

An overview of your Content Quality Score is shown as an average across all your current live listings in your MyMachines4U dashboard under content overview<\/strong>, as shown below. If you have any questions about the CQS, please reach out to your account manager.[\/vc_column_text][vc_single_image image=”6203″ img_size=”600×400″][vc_column_text]<\/p>\n

Why is quality content so important?<\/p>\n

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Think about what you look for when you\u2019re browsing ads online. You\u2019ll likely judge the ads based on the content available, including:<\/p>\n

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\u2022 Photos\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0\u2022 Description<\/p>\n

\u2022 Videos\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0\u2022 PDF brochures<\/p>\n

\u2022\u00a0Pricing<\/p>\n

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And for machinery, it\u2019s much the same. A buyer will judge an ad on the content available. So if your listing is bare, or doesn\u2019t have relevant information, you\u2019ll lose that buyer\u2019s interest. And, if you don\u2019t have enough engaging material to draw them in, your ad will be lost among the others.<\/p>\n

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So, if you want to get more leads from your ads, uploading quality content is vital.\u00a0\u00a0Check out this article for your ad checklist!<\/a><\/p>\n

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Things to remember<\/strong>:<\/p>\n

1. Content needs to draw buyers in<\/p>\n

2. Without quality content, your ad will get less clicks<\/p>\n

3. You\u2019ll get more leads from an ad with quality content<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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What photos to include on your listings<\/p>\n

Ever seen an ad with no images? If you have, you probably scrolled past without a second thought. And that\u2019s exactly what your prospects will do if you don\u2019t include quality images on your listings.<\/p>\n

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But, what makes a good photo? Let\u2019s look at these 2 machinery photos side-by-side.<\/p>\n

[\/vc_column_text][vc_column_text][\/vc_column_text][vc_single_image image=”5330″ img_size=”full”][vc_column_text]<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n
\u2022 White Background<\/td>\n\u2022 Machine is onsite<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\u2022 Pixelated<\/td>\n\u2022 Photo is clear<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\u2022 Doesn’t look like their own machinery<\/td>\n\u2022 Can tell this is their machine<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

[\/vc_column_text][vc_column_text]When you look at the image on the left, you probably don\u2019t think that machine is actually in stock because it looks like a generic brochure photo. Meanwhile, the image on the right looks like it\u2019s available because you can clearly see the workshop in the background, and it\u2019s obvious the seller took the photo.<\/p>\n

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Ads showing images with a white background tend to get less click-through than those with a regular background. So if you\u2019re taking a photo of your machine, take it in front of the workshop, or somewhere that won\u2019t be too distracting. You want buyers to focus on your machine. That way, it\u2019s easy to see you have that machine in stock and buyers can come check it out. So, upload as many photos covering as many angles as possible to get the best results.<\/p>\n

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For more tips on taking quality photos,\u00a0check out this article.<\/a><\/p>\n

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Things to remember<\/strong>:<\/p>\n

1. You can upload up to 20 photos to your listings\u2014do so for the best buyer engagement<\/p>\n

2. Don\u2019t upload images with a white background and avoid uploading images you\u2019ve downloaded from a brochure<\/p>\n

3. Take clear photos of your machine onsite to maximise interest<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column_inner][\/vc_row_inner][vc_row_inner][vc_column_inner][vc_column_text]<\/p>\n

How you can use video to increase buyer engagement<\/p>\n

[\/vc_column_text][vc_single_image image=”5331″ img_size=”full”][vc_column_text]Videos are one of the most powerful tools you can use to increase buyer engagement. Ads with videos achieve up to 88% buyer engagement. That\u2019s massive.<\/p>\n

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Why does engagement skyrocket with video? Well, a video allows buyers to see and listen to the machine working. They can hear if the bearings are worn or if the engine sounds good, they can even tell if something doesn\u2019t sound quite right. And all of that will give the buyer the information they need to make a purchasing decision. It also means less questions for you to answer when they do make contact.<\/p>\n

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All you need is to have your best sales person walk around the machine, pointing out the good, the bad and everything in-between. Think about it: if you could watch a video and see the machine in action, wouldn\u2019t you be more likely to enquire?<\/p>\n

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Read 6 tips to making great machine videos fast, here.<\/a><\/p>\n

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Things to remember<\/strong>:<\/p>\n

1. Videos can get up to 88% more buyer engagement than ads without video<\/p>\n

2. Videos allow buyers to hear and see the machine working<\/p>\n

3. Buyers will watch videos before they look at anything else<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column_inner][\/vc_row_inner][vc_row_inner][vc_column_inner][vc_column_text]<\/p>\n

Why pricing your listings is so important<\/p>\n

[\/vc_column_text][vc_single_image image=”5358″ img_size=”full”][vc_column_text]How do you feel when you see an ad for a car, or a house, that doesn\u2019t have a price? It feels a little fishy, like the seller is hiding something, right? That\u2019s how most people feel when you use\u00a0POA instead of an actual price on your listings.<\/a><\/p>\n

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On Machines4U, a buyer will sit on our site for more than 2 hours and make an average of 3 enquiries. With so many listings available for similar (if not the same) machine, it\u2019s no surprise that you need to get a leg-up on the competition. And if you\u2019re not pricing your ad, you\u2019re basically letting your opposition take leads that could (or should) have been yours.<\/p>\n

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We constantly see sellers listing machinery without a price. But then, the sellers tell us the leads are no good, that they\u2019re a waste of time. And they point to our platform, saying it doesn\u2019t work.<\/p>\n

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But what is the real reason? A lead is a lead, right? Not quite. If you don\u2019t qualify the prospect before they become a lead, all of the enquiries you get are \u201chow much?\u201d price enquiries. Which wastes everyone\u2019s time\u2014including your expensive salesperson.<\/p>\n

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You\u2019re much better off putting the best price you can on your machinery listings. Even if you put a price range on instead, so that buyers can see if your machine is somewhere within their budget.<\/p>\n

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Things to remember<\/strong>:<\/p>\n

1. Our data tells us that ads with no price or POA generate less leads<\/p>\n

2. If you use POA, the leads you do get will likely be about how much the machine is<\/p>\n

3. Buyers tend to scroll past ads with no price as you\u2019re withholding information<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column_inner][\/vc_row_inner][vc_column_text]<\/p>\n

How to write effective descriptions<\/p>\n

Your description is an important part of your listings, but you don\u2019t have to be a writer make it effective or generate leads from it. Here\u2019s how you do it:<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

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\u2022 Include key features<\/p>\n

\u2022\u00a0List the benefits of the machine<\/p>\n

\u2022\u00a0Give a quick history of the machine<\/p>\n

\u2022 Include the make, model, year and hours<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Think about the major things your buyer would want to know and the major specs people are looking for in the market; include all of that in your description. Specifically, try to get the most important information in the first 3 lines. We\u2019ve found that most of our users browse through the first 3 lines of the description before making a decision whether to keep reading or not.<\/span><\/p>\n

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Check out this article for more tips on writing effective, lead-generating descriptions!<\/a><\/p>\n

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Things to remember<\/strong>:<\/p>\n

1. Focus on the features, benefits and major specs<\/p>\n

2. Include the history of the machine<\/p>\n

3. Write for the buyer<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

[\/vc_column_text][vc_column_text]<\/p>\n

Why you should upload PDF brochures<\/p>\n

PDF brochures are an important part of any ad. They not only give your buyers more information, but they also help you get the buyers details at the top of the sales funnel.<\/p>\n

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When people are on our site, they\u2019ll watch a video, look through photos, read the description, and then they\u2019ll go to the pdf brochure for more specific information about the specs.\u00a0And to download that brochure, they need to give you their details, including their: name, phone number and email address.<\/p>\n

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By having this information, you have a soft lead that your salesperson can get in contact with to ask if they\u2019re still interested or if they need more information. So, having a PDF on your listing is a great strategy for capturing buyers early on in their buying cycle.<\/p>\n

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Not sure how to upload a PDF? We\u2019ve made it easy in this how-to article.<\/a><\/p>\n

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Things to remember<\/strong>:<\/p>\n

1. Include more specific specs in the PDF brochure<\/p>\n

2. PDF brochures catch prospects at the top of the sales funnel<\/p>\n

3. You get the contact details of people who download your PDF brochure<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Things to avoid<\/p>\n

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To get the most from your content there are a few things you should avoid doing.<\/p>\n

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1. Don\u2019t use brochure photos on your ads<\/p>\n

2. Don\u2019t upload the same video to multiple ads<\/p>\n

3. Don\u2019t put everything in your description<\/p>\n

4. Don\u2019t duplicate ads\u2014this is against our terms and conditions<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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There you have it! That\u2019s all of the key things you need to know to create the perfect listing. In the next module, you’ll learn how to position your ads for the most exposure on Machines4U.[\/vc_column_text][vc_raw_html]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[\/vc_raw_html][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column width=”1\/2″ offset=”vc_col-xs-6″][vc_column_text el_class=”text-left”]Previous Module<\/a>[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column][vc_column width=”1\/2″ offset=”vc_col-xs-6″][vc_column_text el_class=”text-right”]Next Module<\/a>[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column][\/vc_row]<\/p>\n<\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

[vc_row][vc_column] Machines4U Academy 13-Part Series To Help You Get The Most Out Of Machines4U   [\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row el_id=”m4u-acad-title”][vc_column width=”1\/2″ el_class=”intro-text”][vc_column_text] Module 3 How to create the perfect listing   Content is king. You\u2019ve probably heard this phrase before, but what does it mean? In this article, you’ll learn: \u2022 What you need to make a perfect … <\/p>\n

Continue reading “Academy – Perfect Listings”<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-5327","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.machines4u.com.au\/lpm\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/5327","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.machines4u.com.au\/lpm\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.machines4u.com.au\/lpm\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.machines4u.com.au\/lpm\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/4"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.machines4u.com.au\/lpm\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=5327"}],"version-history":[{"count":58,"href":"https:\/\/www.machines4u.com.au\/lpm\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/5327\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":6255,"href":"https:\/\/www.machines4u.com.au\/lpm\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/5327\/revisions\/6255"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.machines4u.com.au\/lpm\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=5327"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}