Here are instructions on writing descriptions, good tips to know, and

calming and inspirational images to help keep you happy (or to just
make you wish you were on vacation already).

Right. Here we go.

First, figure out what Tier the product is in.

You can find out what Tier a product is in by looking at your work queue in our
CMS. CMS is short for Content Management System - that's the system your
work queue is in and the system you write in. In CMS, Tiers are listed under a
column called "copy types." Why doesn't the column just call them Tiers?
Because that would be too easy.

OK moving on.

Waitasec, what is a Tier?

We break all the products we sell into three tiers. Loosely, the Tiers go from least-
technical to most-technical. Tier 1 products are usually things like cotton T-shirts,
hoodies, belts, and baseball hats. Tier 3s are skis, snowboards, tents, and
climbing shoes. Tier 2s fit in between. The Tiers give us guidelines on how much
to write for each product. All Tiers get the same main things: a top line, a detail
description, a list description, bullet points, tech specs, and size charts (size chart
when applicable). The differences are the length of the description and how many
bullets a product will need.

OK, on to the details.

How to write a Tier 1 description

Click on the Variant button to double-check the season. This will also show you
what colors and designs we bought of the product. When you read the
troubleshooting guide later, you'll see why this can be important.

Top Line: 10 words, 12 max. It's meant to be a teaser (without being simply a
punchline to your description), a summation of the main feature of the product,
or a specific situation you would use the product in. You might want to wait until
you've written your description to put this in—that way you have a sense of the
whole picture and of the product use. Read here for more detail.
Detailed Description: 30-70 words, more if necessary. Be sure to include
Brand + Gender + Product name in first 40 words. Use environmental context
whenever possible, and have fun with it if it's something basic like a T-shirt,
beanie, or belt. If the product is on the techy end, focus on use of product in
context and main features/benefits, and write what you need to as far as length to
explain features/benefits. If it ends up the length of a Tier 2, that's fine.

List Description: This is the line that shows up in the search results page when
someone searches for that product in Google, Yahoo, etc. It should be short and
to the point—up to 140 characters, counting spaces). It should include Brand +
Product name + Gender (if possible) and some helpful SEO terms like “ski jacket,
snowboard pants, fly fishing vest” – whatever’s appropriate that is not included
in the title. Read here for more detail.

Bullets: Keep bullets short - around 8 words. Call out features, not benefits. The
idea is to give readers a quick overview of the product; if they want to know more,
they can read the description. Bullets should not introduce substantially different
info than is what is covered in the description. Bullets go in order according to
the standardized sheets (standardized sheets are explained below under the notes
section); if there’s no standardized sheet, go in order of importance or follow
general theme: fabric, fit, features. There is no period at the end of bullets. Read
here for more detail.

Specs & Attributes: be sure these are filled out right (or fill them out if they're
blank).

Size Chart: if needed (check for one - we have brand-specific charts and general
charts - even for products like socks, hats, and lens tints for sunglasses). If there
is no size chart for the brand/product line you're writing about, submit a request
to Cory (instructions here) and let your editor know that you've taken care of this.

Example:

Hurley One & Only Chino Short – Men’s

Top Line: Shoot to twill.

List: The Hurley One & Only China Short retains a classic twill fabric with a modern
design ideal for simple outfits throughout the summer weather.

Hurley’s One & Only Chino Short for Men has taken twill to a new level. Originally
designed for military use, chino has come to mean simple, hard-wearing,
comfortable fabric for civilians and soldiers alike. Wear this cotton and polyester
twill to battle the responsibilities of your daily life. A 22-inch outseam and regular fit
make these shorts a classic item, and back button pockets offer a bit of convenience
while still maintaining a slim appearance.

 Cotton and polyester twill

 Regular fit

 Back welt button pockets

calming image 1

How to write a Tier 2 description

Click on Variant button to double-check season, etc.

Top Line: 10 words, 12 max. It's meant to be a teaser (without being simply a
punchline to your description), a summation of the main feature of the product,
or a specific situation you would use the product in. You might want to wait until
you've written your description to put this in—that way you have a sense of the
whole picture and of the product use. Read here for more detail.

Detailed Description: Up to 150 words, more if necessary. Usually one

paragraph, but may break into two if the word count is getting up there. Be sure
to include Brand + Gender + Product name in first 40 words. It should include
environmental context to help the customer understand the product's intended
use and capabilities (real-world-use scenarios), call out main feature/main
differentiator, and then cover the most important features/benefits. When you
can compare to other products within that brand's line, do so (the 150 is
Icebreaker's lightest weight merino, or this top uses Patagonia's heaviest-weight
baselayer fabric). Work that into your scenario with benefits.

List Description: This is the line that shows up in the search results page when
someone searches for that product in Google, Yahoo, etc. It should be short and
to the point—up to 140 characters, counting spaces). It should include Brand +
Product name + Gender (if possible) and some helpful SEO terms like “ski jacket,
snowboard pants, fly fishing vest” – whatever’s appropriate that is not included
in the title. Read more here.

Bullets: Short - about 8 words each. Call out features, not benefits. The idea is to
give readers a quick overview of the product; if they want to know more, they can
read the description. Bullets should not introduce substantially different info
than is what is covered in the description. Bullets go in order according to the
standardized sheets; if there’s no standardized sheet, go in order of importance or
follow general theme: fabric, fit, features. There is no period at the end of
bullets. Read more here.

Specs & Attributes: be sure these are filled out.

Size Chart: if needed. For goggles and sunglasses, check the Variants to see if
the product is offered with different lens tints. If it is, pull up a lens tint chart in
the size charts for the brand you're working in. You might want to include a final
bullet: Check size chart for information on lens tints. If there is no size chart for
the brand/product line you're writing about, submit a request to Cory and let
your editor know that you've taken care of this.

Example:
Patagonia Black Hole 120 Duffel Bag

Top Line: One tough duffel with three carry options.

List: Removable backpack straps and a waterproof coating turn the Patagonia Black
Hole 120 Duffel Bag into an easy-hauling fortress.

If you’re planning a multi-day trip in a harsh environment, pack your gear in

Patagonia’s Black Hole 120 Duffel Bag. Built with thick fabric, reinforced seams, and
a waterproof coating, Patagonia’s top-shelf duffel shrugs off the abuse of the
wilderness and all the manhandling brought on by international travel. A quick tug
of the heavy-duty zipper opens the U-shaped top flap to reveal more than 7000 cubic
inches of storage space inside—enough for a week of bumming around the desert
with your bike or squatting at a crag with your climbing gear. And with the
removable backpack straps and top and end haul handles, you get convenient,
comfortable carry options no matter.

 Double-thick body fabric with reinforced stitching

 External waterproof fabric coating

 End haul-handles, top handles, and removable backpack straps

 Wide top opening with heavy-duty zipper

 One external zipper pocket and two internal accessory pockets

 calming image 2

How to write a Tier 3 description

Click on Variant button to double-check season, etc.

Top Line: 10 words, 12 max. It's meant to be a teaser (without being simply a
punchline to your description), a summation of the main feature of the product,
or a specific situation you would use the product in. You might want to wait until
you've written your description to put this in—that way you have a sense of the
whole picture and of the use of the product. Read here for more detail.
Detailed Description: Up to 300 words, usually two paragraphs but can be
less. Be sure to include Brand + Gender + Product name in first 40 words. It
should include environmental context to help the customer understand the
product's intended use and capabilities (real-world-use scenarios), call out main
feature/main differentiator, and should include detailed technical explanations
and education around all the product’s important features and their
benefits. When you can compare to other products within that brand's line, do so
(this is Mountain Hardwear's lightest 3-person, 3-season tent), and have that tied
in to your context/story with benefits.

List Description: This is the line that shows up in the search results page when
someone searches for that product in Google, Yahoo, etc. It should be short and
to the point—up to 140 characters, counting spaces). It should include Brand +
Product name + Gender (if possible) and some helpful SEO terms like “ski jacket,
snowboard pants, fly fishing vest” – whatever’s appropriate that is not included
in the title. Read more here.

Bullets: Keep it short - 8 words, more only if necessary. Call out features, not
benefits. The idea is to give readers a quick overview of the product; if they want
to know more, they can read the description. Bullets should not introduce
substantially different info than is what is covered in the description. Bullets go in
order according to the standardized sheets; if there’s no standardized sheet, go in
order of importance or follow general theme: fabric, fit, features. There is no
period at the end of bullets. Read more here.

Specs & Attributes: be sure these are filled out.

Size Chart: if needed (we have size charts for skis, PFDs, backpacks, etc - brand-
specific ones too, so make sure you check before going on - think about how
important sizing info is). For goggles and sunglasses, check to see if there is a lens
tint chart for the brand you're working in. If there is no size chart for the
brand/product line you're writing about, submit a request to Cory and let your
editor know that you've taken care of this. If you're confused about whether a
product should have a size chart, talk to Natalie or Cory.

Example:

Montbell Alpine Light Down Parka– Men’s

Top Line: An ultralight, compressible down parka for the harshest

environments.

List: Compress Montbell’s ultralight Alpine Light Down Parka into a tiny corner of
your pack and head into harsh environments.
At a touch over 15 ounces, the MontBell Men’s Alpine Light Down Parka is all about
supreme warmth without much weight. Goose down is an excellent insulator, and
the 800-fill down found in the Alpine Light is among the most efficient available. The
800 designation means that an ounce of down will expand to fill 800 cubic inches of
space, which allows MontBell to use less of it to provide the same warmth as a 650-
fill jacket. The horizontal baffles keep the insulation close to your body and
consistently distributed, and the lightweight shell material and compressible down
allows the jacket to pack down into a small stuff sack.

Of course, MontBell’s designers know that nothing, especially the weather, is ever
certain in the mountains, so they made the Alpine Light using a thick-weave nylon
shell material. It’s an effective wind blocker, which allows the down to retain heat
better. In an industry crowded with plenty of ultralight layering options, the Alpine
Light Down Parka carves out a niche as the go-to piece for backcountry skiers,
climbers, or backpackers who don’t mind sacrificing some bells and whistles for
more warmth and less weight on their backs.

 800-fill down insulation throughout, including the hood

 Wind- and abrasion-resistant Ballistic Airtight nylon shell material

 Micro-fleece lined collar

 Compresses to fit in small (5.3×9.5in) stuff sac

calming image 3
Notes and Tips:

Standardized sheets? Those sound like a drag.

Standardized sheets are listed on the Orphan on the right-hand side. They give
lists of the major bullet points we use for hardgoods and some softgoods, and
they also tell you what order to put the bullets in. That way, our bullets are
somewhat standard so customers don't feel like screaming when they try to
compare products.

There's Something Strange ... in your CMS

Having a hard time finding information, or does something just not seem right?
Check the troubleshooting tips. Or just breeze through those ahead of time so
you'll know what to do when you come across a problem.

Blanking Out

Stuck staring at a blank screen while the minutes tick by? Break down a
description into the setup: what's the problem/scenario/story? How does the
product fit in here, how can it help? Then run through specific features (roughly
in bullet order) that address this need.

Broken Record

Repeating yourself? Often many products of the same brand will share the same
technical details. It's OK to use the same basic information in descriptions, but
changing up the words that 'color' the descriptions (humorous asides, references
to your 'story' introduced in the first line) will keep you from sounding like a
broken record. It will also help with SEO. For example, in one snowboard
description, you say: "The twin shape and flex means that Snowboard A rides
exactly the same switch and regular, and that means more combos on more
features." On the next snowboard, you might mix it up a little: "The twin shape
and flex means that Snowboard B rides exactly the same switch and regular,
which fills your bag of tricks with new options."

Misfits

Tier misfits happen. Have a Tier 1 product that has a lot of things to call out and
that's expensive (for example, a $250 urban-styled Arc'teryx Women's jacket)? Or
have a Tier 2 product that's an airbag avy backpack? If there are a lot of technical
callouts and things to write about, go ahead and just write about them all. Make it
into two paragraphs if necessary. Tiers are guidelines—if your product has
enough valid info to write more than the guidelines suggest, write more. On the
flip side of that, if you have a Tier 2 product and you can't get more than two
short sentences out of it, just write two short sentences.

Here are some more tier examples to look through when you have time.

Enjoy

It will probably take a little while to get into the swing of things, but hopefully
you'll also enjoy it. And:

inspirational image

J/k. Unfortunately we don't have portal guns here, so you'll just have to give
yourself a big ol' hug if you get discouraged.