How Prolific Sellers Self-Present: Dissecting the Communication Patterns of 1.6 Million Reverb Listings

2026-08-30

AI Summary

本文通过分析1.6百万Reverb网站乐器销售列表，探讨了高产卖家与普通卖家在产品描述内容、风格和结构上的差异，发现高产卖家更注重产品的客观功能特性，并采用叙述式风格沟通。

Abstract

The current paper draws on self-presentation theory and warranting theory to evaluate how the language patterns in an online marketplace reflect seller status (i.e., a prolific seller versus an everyday seller). Using 1.6 million musical instrument listings from Reverb.com in search of content, style, and structural differences in seller product descriptions, the evidence suggested prolific sellers tend to focus more on objective and functional aspects of a product (e.g., its features and specifications) and less on subjective characteristics like tone, relative to everyday sellers. Prolific sellers also communicated in a more narrative-like style, which was driven by an elevated use of personal pronouns, and they used longer descriptions than everyday sellers. Therefore, what prolific sellers focus on tends to be quite technical, but how they communicate this information is typical of a story that is told to potential buyers. Implications for self-presentation theory and warranting theory are discussed.

Problem

• self-presentation theory
• warranting theory
• seller status
• language patterns
• online marketplace

Innovation

• self-presentation theory
• warranting theory
• narrative style
• objective features
• functional aspects