Content strategy for marketplace and platform products
I help people understand what's changing and what to do next.
At Etsy, I spent twelve and a half years helping two million small-business owners navigate product launches, policy changes, and the everyday work of running a shop. I also built the standards and workflows that helped our team do that work consistently and at scale.
I currently consult on e-commerce content and storefront strategy. I'm looking for my next senior content strategy role.
SELECTED WORK
Making room for AI without lowering editorial standards
Seller Content Studio · Etsy · 2025
Routine seller communications were taking up much of the editorial team's time. Meanwhile, people across marketing were already using AI without shared standards for accuracy, voice, or review.
I grouped content by risk and started a pilot with lower-risk work. I built guided drafting, editing, and quality checks around Etsy's writing standards, with human review required for every draft. For more sensitive content, I recommended using AI to support professional writers.
In the pilot:
- 78% of drafts were delivered within 20 minutes.
- 78% needed light or no edits.
- 48 hours to return every editorial review.
The approach launched, expanded to the next risk level, and became the most-used GPT inside Etsy.
From brand trust to a better online shopping experience
Independent consulting · Pingüino México · 2026
Pingüino México already had something valuable: a strong brand and direct relationships with the artisan families behind its handmade folk art. Its storefront needed to carry that same sense of trust while helping online shoppers find the right piece.
Drawing on my experience at Etsy, I approached the project through the buyer’s journey. I restructured navigation, built a full-catalog page with filters for price, color, material, and region, and rewrote product and category content to make material, dimensions, origin, and shipping information easy to find. I also brought Pingüino’s artisan sourcing story forward on the homepage.
Together, these changes made the catalog easier to explore and the product experience more informative, connecting the brand’s existing equity to the moments when buyers decide whether to purchase.
To support the launch, I drafted customer communications that introduced the new site and explained how its changes made shopping easier. The work connected content strategy across the storefront and its launch: helping buyers discover products, understand what makes them special, and feel confident purchasing them.
Turning 16 product updates into one useful story
Bundled product releases · Etsy · 2025
Etsy's product teams shipped improvements throughout the year, but separate announcements made it hard for sellers to see how those changes added up.
I organized each release around seller benefits. That meant deciding which updates deserved attention, which supported the larger story, and which didn't need to lead.
I then adapted that story for the Seller Handbook, email, in-product messages, push notifications, community, and social.
- 16 product improvements brought together in one release
- 207,000 visits — the year's second-most-visited product update
Answering sellers' concerns about AI
Seller AI announcement · Etsy · 2025
Etsy was introducing optional AI tools to independent makers whose businesses depend on human creativity. Sellers had reasonable questions about privacy, authenticity, and what these tools would mean for their work.
I addressed those questions directly. The announcement explained what the tools did, when they might help, and what sellers could control. Choice and privacy were central to the message.
- 367,000+ views in under a week, roughly four times the benchmark
- 56% of 400+ respondents reported confidence in Etsy's use of AI
- 60% said they would try at least one tool
Seller feedback highlighted the reassurance that they could keep their own voice and style.
The next measurement step would be connecting readership to actual tool use.
Giving sellers a manageable holiday checklist
Seller Holiday Checklist · Etsy · 2025
Holiday advice was scattered across teams, each with its own priorities. Sellers were left sorting through competing requests during their busiest season.
I brought the guidance into one checklist, limited to about eight priority actions per update. We refreshed it monthly so sellers could see what mattered next.
That limit gave partner teams a clear reason to prioritize and kept the page useful.
- 8 priority actions per update — a deliberate ceiling
- 300,000+ launch views against a benchmark of about 85,000
It became the central holiday preparation resource for the season. I also worked with analytics to improve our understanding of what sellers did after arriving.
Getting a new promotion out clearly and quickly
First funded promotion · Etsy · 2023
Etsy's first 48-hour funded promotion introduced unfamiliar participation rules and new legal requirements. Sellers needed to understand the offer quickly.
I established the core message and rules before adapting them for each channel. That kept the communications consistent and made review easier under a tight deadline.
- 11 assets delivered in under 36 hours, including legal review
- $1.8M+ in incremental sales generated by the promotion
- 16,000+ sellers reached, up from about 1,000
I was then asked to lead the follow-up work: more than 23 assets across early-holiday and Cyber campaigns, and the approach was adapted for a European promotion.
Making difficult policy changes easier to understand
Trust and policy communications · Etsy · 2022–2026
Changes to returns, purchase protection, ratings, and creative standards can affect a seller's income and reputation. My job was to explain what was changing, who was affected, and what they needed to do.
The work included:
- Planning returns communications across email, education, and onsite guidance, with comprehension research before launch.
- Explaining when a ratings change would raise, lower, or leave a seller's rating unchanged.
- Creating reusable, legally approved enforcement messages.
- Drafting urgent seller and buyer communications during a natural disaster.
- Writing an executive communication strategy that surfaced the consequences of a proposed change for digital sellers.
During the ratings change, support volume stayed low and neutral even as public discussion remained skeptical. That suggested the communication helped sellers understand a decision they didn't necessarily agree with.
HOW I WORK
Start with what people need to know
I help teams decide what matters, what comes first, and what can wait.
Make good work repeatable
Clear standards and review processes help a team work well without depending on one person.
Test the message
Research helps us find out whether people understand what we mean.
Cut what gets in the way
I'd rather give someone eight useful actions than forty things to sort through.
EXPERIENCE
Independent consultant · 2026–present
E-commerce content and storefront strategy.
Etsy · 2014–2026
Twelve years, five roles, from product support to senior content strategy.
I started by answering seller questions, then moved into product education, editorial, and content strategy. Along the way, I led seller-facing launches, ongoing education, and trust communications.
Those years in support still shape how I write. Before I wrote launch announcements, I spent years hearing directly from sellers when something didn't make sense.
- Senior Content Strategist · 2022–2026
- Senior Editor · 2017–2022
- Staff Editor · 2016–2017
- Product Education Specialist · 2014–2016
- Product Support Specialist · 2014
WHAT COLLEAGUES SAY
“Shadi brings an incredible depth of knowledge and clarity to every project. His ability to turn complex ideas into simple, actionable guidance makes him an invaluable partner.” — Madison Kiani, Director of Seller Product Marketing, Etsy
“Shadi has a calm, measured presence that makes it easy for teams to collaborate with him. He creates psychological safety, listens deeply, and offers perspective that helps others navigate tough situations with confidence.” — Elizabeth Kirkland, Senior Editor
GET IN TOUCH
I'm open to senior content strategy, content design, and content operations roles, as well as consulting projects.