Promotion?

[Spinell]

Hi everyone.

I have a reletively enw shop in the marketplace, still no in-world shop until I get some more money rolling. But I know it's possible to do "promotion" for your shop inworld. However, I'm a little lost on this. I really don't know what my options for Promotion are.

The only thing I can think of, other than hanging some promo pictures on rented boarda around some sims, is to enter in one of those hunts. But, I have no idea how to enter whenever I hear about a hunt, it's already going on. Also, like I said, I have no in-world store.

So, I wanted to ask for some guidence: what are the ways to promote a shop in SL?

Thanks for all the support! ;)

[Emma Krokus]

Welcome to the marketplace

I do have an inworld shop and hunts have helped for sure.

For Marketplace it's important to get your stuff seen - one way I know of achieving this, is to offer a nice freebie and link it to some of my other items on the listing (where it says related items). That way people who look at your freebie, see a bit of your other stuff too.

Include a notecard with your freebie giving people the website link for your shop - so if they like your freebie, they might look at your other stuff too.

Look out for special events where the organiser might want merchants to give some stuff away or sell it for a special price - like the recent Home & Garden Market Mystery Shopping Weekend, or big holiday giveaways like at Builders Brewery. Ok you might not make money on this, but people will see your stuff and if it's good, might come looking for more.

Good luck!

Emma

 

 

[Czari Zenovka]

How to promote one's business is a fairly broad topic.  One thing I might suggest is a class that Caledon Oxford holds regularly which is called something like "How to Start a Business in SL" and includes promotion.  I just looked to see when the next one would be held, but the notices on the dashboard are only good for the next 24 hours.

To check for the class (I'm pretty sure it will be held again within the week as I see it offered a lot), go to the bottom of your initial "Dashboard" page where it says "Upcoming Events."  On the drop down menu select "Education."  That will list the next 24 hours of various classes.

Good luck to you.

ETA:  Years ago a resident started a business and came to the (former) forums and asked for advice.  Thus began a 2-year thread where merchants beginning businesses brainstormed ideas and more experienced mechants gave tips.  It is a loooong thread...but skimming through it you might find some posts here and there that would be helpful.

Archived here.

[Spinell]

Czari, I have taken that lesson at Caledon, but it didn't help. The part on promotion is too vague and the lesson focuses more on the menus on the Merchant Home.

Emma, thanks for the tips, but I'm still clueless on how to get into a hunt. Where do "hunt makers" GO when they want to "recruit" merchants to be a part of the hunt? I belong to the Builder's Brewery group and I never seen anyone recruiting for a hunt.

Other than, nice tips. Keep'em comming, I truly apreciate the help.

[Perrie Juran]

Just Google Second Life Hunts

You will find many active groups organizing hunts as well as many who actively blog on the subject.

[Czari Zenovka]

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Spinell wrote:

 

Emma, thanks for the tips, but I'm still clueless on how to get into a hunt. Where do "hunt makers" GO when they want to "recruit" merchants to be a part of the hunt? I belong to the Builder's Brewery group and I never seen anyone recruiting for a hunt.

 

---

I find this to be an excellent compendium on hunts.  As for how to become part of one as a merchant, afaik you do need an in world location - have not heard of any MP hunts - but that said...generally once you find a hunt in which you are interested (can find lots on the linked site) you complete an application and are contacted if you are accepted into the hunt or not.  Sometimes the hunt organizers visit the store to check it out.

Besides this list I belong to two groups who each do hunts:

*Historical Hunts, Ltd. runs about 4 different hunts a year.  As a member of the group I get notices of when the hunts will be and where to apply.

*Homestuff/Womenstuff/Menstuff - This is a large group that holds hunts as well as providing a location where member merchants can sell exclusive items for a period of time. (Depending on what you sell, this might be a good idea to get your store's name out there.)

Both of those groups can be found and joined in world and both have websites.

[Emma Krokus]

Czari got there first!!

I know of a couple of other hunt blogs... huntingsl.com/ is one, huntsl.wordpress.com/ is another.

Choose your hunt carefully: check the blog attached to it to see if previews of the prizes will be offered - that definitely brings in more hunters, especially if it's a pay hunt. 

Offer good quality stuff as the prize - if you want people to come back to look at more of your stuff.

Emma

[iCade]

I have schimmed over the posts and it seems what people in here didn't take into account is that you do not have an in game shop.

As such you will not be able to participate in hunts.

Hunts work the way that you go to a creators store in game and find the freebie/dollarbie.

[Czari Zenovka]

---

iCade wrote:

I have schimmed over the posts and it seems what people in here didn't take into account is that you do not have an in game shop.

As such you will not be able to participate in hunts.

Hunts work the way that you go to a creators store in game and find the freebie/dollarbie.

---

I did mention that in my post:

"As for how to become part of one as a merchant, afaik you do need an in world location..."

But the OP kept asking about hunts so provided some information that, if not able to be used now, could be helpful when/if the OP does open an in world location.

[Tiffy Vella]

Everyone has good ideas, and I'm no expert...some basics I can think of right away are...

 

Put your land in search.

Use your profile and picks to direct people to your store.

Use your V3 profile feedy thing to do the same, and keep people informed of what you do.

Start a blog, and connect it to the feeds.

Name all your vendors descriptively and make them all show in search.

Use Flickr/Snapzilla.

Join hunts and weekly sales.

Use satellite stores in relevant themed sims.

Start a group, and use it to reward loyal customers.

Join sales groups to increase the people you post information about new releases to.

 

 

There's heaps I've overlooked, I'm sure. Good luck!

[iCade]

Ah, I apologise then Czari.

Though thinking about it, it may be possible to have a Market place hunt co-ordinated from one directory parcel. Instead of tp'ing to stores, people would be send to marketplace stores with a hint. They have to find a specific item the creatore sells and somwhere is the solution.

I am doing the Twisted Hunt right now, one store used a treasure chest that asked you a question, to answer that question you had to tp to a skybox to find the solution and you did not get the gift until you had the solution and typed it into that specific treasure chests answering window. As soon as you got it right, the treasure chest opened and sent you the item.

Basically, 1 parcel puts down a treasure chest for each MP store that participates. People tp to that parcel, click on a chest, get asked a question say "What song birds sing the most wonderful songs?" and are linked to an mp store. There they find that the creator of the store has song birds on page 2 of their store. They open up the item and anywhere in the description or features page it says " XXX sing the most wonderful songs". All the hunter has to do now is copy and paste that exact line into the treasure chests answering window and it will open up and send them the gift.

 

I am so proud for coming up with that lmao

[Czari Zenovka]

---

Tiffy Vella wrote:

Name all your vendors descriptively and make them all show in search.

 

---

This is a tip I received long ago from an experienced merchant, but she went even farther:

She suggested placing search terms for one's store in every conceiveable prim possible, meaning not just having the search terms on each item (where items are rezzed within the store) but placing the same descriptive name/search terms within each prim of the item.  Same with all prims of the store housing itself, decorative items, display items, basically any prim one owns within the store.

Not sure if this still works well, or at all, given how search currently works (or doesn't) in world, but I still do it by habit.

Great tips, Tiffy!!!

[Czari Zenovka]

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iCade wrote:

Ah, I apologise then Czari.

Though thinking about it, it may be possible to have a Market place hunt co-ordinated from one directory parcel. Instead of tp'ing to stores, people would be send to marketplace stores with a hint. They have to find a specific item the creatore sells and somwhere is the solution.

 

---

Awww...thank you and np, iCade.   I agree that including MP-only merchants in hunts would be wonderful.  One of the situations that invariably arises in most hunts is a merchant changing shop locations during a hunt (that happened to me during the last hunt my store was in).  A notice has to be sent to the group, some people will still end up in the prior location, etc. - none of which would happen with a MP store.

The creative ways some merchants offer their gifts within a hunt is amazing and most enjoyable, imo, for the hunters.  One of the most memorable for me was a store that was huge and had many themed locations within the sim/s.  To get the main hunt item, one had to go to 12 different locations, each being a mini-hunt.  Within the gifts at each of those hunts was a notecard with a number on it.  After collecting all 12 cards, the hunter returned to beginning of this store's hunt and there was some scripted item that the hunter touched, then had a certain amount of time to type in the numbers from the notecards in order.  It was one of the most challenging, and fun, locations.  The mini-gifts were all treasures as well.

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iCade wrote:

 

Basically, 1 parcel puts down a treasure chest for each MP store that participates. People tp to that parcel, click on a chest, get asked a question say "What song birds sing the most wonderful songs?" and are linked to an mp store. There they find that the creator of the store has song birds on page 2 of their store. They open up the item and anywhere in the description or features page it says " XXX sing the most wonderful songs". All the hunter has to do now is copy and paste that exact line into the treasure chests answering window and it will open up and send them the gift.

 

I am so proud for coming up with that lmao

---

I'm proud of you too.  

 

 

 

[Deja Letov]

---

Spinell wrote:

Hi everyone.

I have a reletively enw shop in the marketplace, still no in-world shop until I get some more money rolling. But I know it's possible to do "promotion" for your shop inworld. However, I'm a little lost on this. I really don't know what my options for Promotion are.

The only thing I can think of, other than hanging some promo pictures on rented boarda around some sims, is to enter in one of those hunts. But, I have no idea how to enter whenever I hear about a hunt, it's already going on. Also, like I said, I have no in-world store.

So, I wanted to ask for some guidence: what are the ways to promote a shop in SL?

Thanks for all the support!

---

With the current hunts, and really any hunt in a good size, you need to have an inworld store location. I like the idea of the MP hunts that someone else mentioned, but keep in mind, it's not done yet, which means the first few if someone took it on would be tiny and probably not very lucrative. Hunts are easy to get into, find the hunt, join the group, apply, you're in (assmung you aren't suck). They are a great tool and I use them a lot. But get a store. Even if you can't afford a full blown out store, just get a little 512m plot with 4 walls, your logo on a sign and a couple of product vendors in boxes. Or rent from someone you know, who will do it cheap. At least you have some sort of presence to get into hunts.

Now, once you get that setup...once you have ANY sort of presence...then I can throw a bunch of ideas for marketing your way! Unfortunately for MP I just don't have many. I would however, not bother with the ad boards you mentioned. They don't work. Think about it...when was the last time you clicked on one?

 

[Tiffy Vella]

---

iCade wrote:

Basically, 1 parcel puts down a treasure chest for each MP store that participates. People tp to that parcel, click on a chest, get asked a question say "What song birds sing the most wonderful songs?" and are linked to an mp store. There they find that the creator of the store has song birds on page 2 of their store. They open up the item and anywhere in the description or features page it says " XXX sing the most wonderful songs". All the hunter has to do now is copy and paste that exact line into the treasure chests answering window and it will open up and send them the gift.

 

I am so proud for coming up with that lmao

---

 

Wow..That could really work! I like it

[Tiffy Vella]

---

Czari Zenovka wrote:

This is a tip I received long ago from an experienced merchant, but she went even farther:

She suggested placing search terms for one's store in every conceiveable prim possible, meaning not just having the search terms on each item (where items are rezzed within the store) but placing the same descriptive name/search terms within each prim of the item.  Same with all prims of the store housing itself, decorative items, display items, basically any prim one owns within the store.

---

OoO...see I have a lot to learn.

And I really miss that old sales thread. So much has changed that I wish it were still going.

 

[Czari Zenovka]

---

Tiffy Vella wrote:

---

Czari Zenovka wrote:

This is a tip I received long ago from an experienced merchant, but she went even farther:

She suggested placing search terms for one's store in every conceiveable prim possible, meaning not just having the search terms on each item (where items are rezzed within the store) but placing the same descriptive name/search terms within each prim of the item.  Same with all prims of the store housing itself, decorative items, display items, basically any prim one owns within the store.

---

OoO...see I have a

lot

to learn.

And I really miss that old sales thread. So much has changed that I wish it were still going.

 

---

You mean this one?  I agree...that thread was invaluable and helped launch many successful businesses. 

 

[Tiffy Vella]

Yay..that one!

 

Thanks so much

[Nefertiti Nefarious]

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Czari Zenovka wrote:

This is a tip I received long ago from an experienced merchant, but she went even farther:

She suggested placing search terms for one's store in every conceiveable prim possible, meaning not just having the search terms on each item (where items are rezzed within the store) but placing the same descriptive name/search terms within each prim of the item.  Same with all prims of the store housing itself, decorative items, display items, basically any prim one owns within the store.

Not sure if this still works well, or at all, given how search currently works (or doesn't) in world, but I still do it by habit.

---

That was probably me ... The little 3-prim shop buildings that house my textures, or statues, or freebies have a short description of the buildings contents in each prim and in the sign by the door.. Each vendor's description field contains a brief description of the vendor contents in its prims. Any plant or animal I set out for decor is set to sell a copy and has the appropriate description field text.

I think the reason it works is that the descriptions are very specific - I'm not listing a lot of unrelated products in every prim, I'm using precision targeting, prim by prim. The decorative elephant text is all about the elephant, not the elephant and the naked ladies and the chickens.

[Suki Hirano]

Some merchants abuse hunts/sale groups for traffic. For example, I have not been to a single Fifty Linden Friday trip without at least one store not bother putting out an item for FLF, with some stores never putting out an item (no idea wtf the organizers are doing since they don't even verify the stores before putting them on the list). They join the hunt list simply to grab customers but are too greedy  to mark any item for sale or give it away for free in a hunt.

[Czari Zenovka]

---

Tiffy Vella wrote:

Yay..that one!

 

Thanks so much

---

You're welcome!!!

 

[Czari Zenovka]

---

Nefertiti Nefarious wrote:

---

Czari Zenovka wrote:

This is a tip I received long ago from an experienced merchant, but she went even farther:

She suggested placing search terms for one's store in every conceiveable prim possible, meaning not just having the search terms on each item (where items are rezzed within the store) but placing the same descriptive name/search terms within each prim of the item.  Same with all prims of the store housing itself, decorative items, display items, basically any prim one owns within the store.

Not sure if this still works well, or at all, given how search currently works (or doesn't) in world, but I still do it by habit.

---

That was probably me ... The little 3-prim shop buildings that house my textures, or statues, or freebies have a short description of the buildings contents in each prim and in the sign by the door.. Each vendor's description field contains a brief description of the vendor contents in its prims. Any plant or animal I set out for decor is set to sell a copy and has the appropriate description field text.

I think the reason it works is that the descriptions are very specific - I'm not listing a lot of unrelated products in every prim, I'm using precision targeting, prim by prim. The decorative elephant text is all about the elephant, not the elephant and the naked ladies and the chickens.

---

Could have been as I recognize your name.   Thank you if it was you and thank you for the additional info here.  I'm going to check all my prims and make sure the search terms are specific to each item.

 

[Czari Zenovka]

---

Suki Hirano wrote:

Some merchants abuse hunts/sale groups for traffic. For example, I have not been to

a single

Fifty Linden Friday trip without

at least one

store not bother putting out an item for FLF, with some stores never putting out an item (no idea wtf the organizers are doing since they don't even verify the stores before putting them on the list). They join the hunt list simply to grab customers but are too greedy  to mark any item for sale or give it away for free in a hunt.

---

I've never had this experience with hunts, but I tend to stay with a few well-established hunt groups.  I can tell you that if a merchant in any hunt I've participated in, either as merchant or hunter, did not have a hunt item available, that merchant would either comply immediately or be out of the hunt!!  Now what I *have* seen a few times is the merchant not placing their hint in the hint item and not providing the hint any other way.

As for hunt organizers not verifying the shops included, the organizers of the hunts in which my shop has participated check out my shop prior to acceptance (I see the organizer's name on my visitor list) and recheck the shop the day or two prior to the hunt to make sure my hunt item is out and ready.  It's a shame if other hunt organizers are letting stuff like this slip.

As for the "Fifty Linden Friday" type groups, I've never followed those; however, I have a very recent experience on this topic.  I applied to a fairly new group of this type and stated within my application that my store is small by design, but that I add new products and rotate them regularly/seasonally.  I also provided the URL to my MP store so the group owner could see what I sell in totality.  My shop was turned down for inclusion in the new group because of its size.  So not all stores are automatically accepted.