My analysis on how LL's marketing of SL can be even better while simultaneously increasing its cultural relevance

[Brett Linden]

Lots of great ideas and feedback here! 

The entire Marketing team is reading this thread and we will be posting a blog post this week with highlights of our current and future marketing strategy and efforts. This will also include some examples of display and video campaigns that are already underway.

We're also appearing on this Friday's "Lab Gab"  to answer community questions, too. My colleague Strawberry will be posting a blog announcement about it with a question submission form in the next day or two.

[Beth Macbain]

The hill I will die on - 

Any discussion of marketing and Second Life needs to include targeted marketing towards the adult market, and SL needs to stop trying to pretend the adult market doesn't exist and that it isn't HUGE. Adult content blogs should be included on the new blog roll thingie, the Adult Content forums on here need to be expanded and not be hidden at the bottom like it's something shameful. Ditto for the destination guide. 

And, yes, @Patch Linden, that was my question in last week's Lab Gab about including the adult content creators in SL17B. We were supposed to have a discussion about that once things calmed down after last year's birthday celebrations. And, yes, I also know absolutely nothing has calmed down. 😋

But it's still a discussion that needs to be had. 

And introverts. Marketing SL towards introverts should be a no-brainer. 

Introverted perverts with disposable income. 

[Bree Giffen]

"Second Life. Where you can pretend you are an extrovert, you introverted pervert... Download today!"

 

[Soft Linden]

6 minutes ago, Beth Macbain said:

Introverted perverts with disposable income. 

May I steal that for my first-life profile?

[Beth Macbain]

1 minute ago, Soft Linden said:

May I steal that for my first-life profile?

Far be it for me to refuse a Linden anything! 😋

Have at it!

[Rolig Loon]

1 hour ago, Beth Macbain said:

And introverts. Marketing SL towards introverts should be a no-brainer. 

THAT I can agree with.  There are lots of us out here. Not particularly interested in clubs and large events, but able to really get into decorating personal spaces and our avatars, exploring, and talking with a couple of friends.

[Beth Macbain]

4 minutes ago, Rolig Loon said:

THAT I can agree with.  There are lots of us out here. Not particularly interested in clubs and large events, but able to really get into decorating personal spaces and our avatars, exploring, and talking with a couple of friends.

I spent nearly the entire weekend on my land, alone, redesigning nearly the entire layout. After that I hit up some events, including the Arcade where I stood outside and cammed the machines and ended up with a giant attachable kangaroo that I can ride inside the pouch of. I then spent the next while back on my land giggling to myself as I hopped around riding in the kangaroo pouch. Then I took some naughty pics for Flickr (sans giant kangaroo). All the while I had friends trying to IM me and I was having way too much fun all by myself to be bothered with talking to people. 

I spent an hour or so after that snuggling with my honey, but for the most part I had an absolute ball in SL all weekend long all by myself. While I was hopping around in the kangaroo, I thought about how easily amused I am. And how I'm perfectly capable of making my own fun without anyone else around and thought, "gee, that would make a good slogan for SL. 'Make Your Own Fun'," because, really, isn't that what we're all doing? 

The whole "your world, your imagination" thing is nice, but I would have never imagined a giant kangaroo so, at least in my case, it's really "my world, someone else's imagination". 

I freaking love that giant kangaroo. 

[Lindal Kidd]

When I'm by myself and not working on my landscaping, I usually put on my Aviatrix outfit and fly one of my planes around pretending I am Amelia Earhart, until I embarrass myself with a cocked-up landing at a major airport where lots of people are watching.  (Why is no one ever present when I grease one on!?)  Other than that, though, Beth and her giant kangaroo really strike a chord!

[Fauve Aeon]

This is my opinion on the topic and I’m sure that there are many people who will disagree.

People looking for the adult content do not seem to ever have trouble finding it. It’s something that they will seek out everywhere, even with no advertising. Individual businesses advertising even a little bit with this interest in the already well-established appropriate places where potential customers will see it, have great visibility to their target audience because the people who wish to find it are very determined and pardon the pun, take great joy in completely fleshing out their second life to the nth degree. And they’re free to do so. It’s not like adult content is some hidden sneaky thing that you have to try really hard to find in SL just because it is not on the street corner or in the advertising. Adult advertising reaches a very limited audience on the web as well, limiting the places that you can even put your advertisements, making your advertisements often not safe for work. Many sites will not allow anything past a PG rating in advertising, so they will reject all the advertising if any of it has adult content, which would further narrow, not broaden the platforms were where SL could be advertised. 
 

Adult content in the marketing forefront of an entire platform that has many other more broad interests that also do NOT in any way include adult content, and making that advertising inescapable, may deter many people, in business, education, and anyone without specialty adult interests, highlighting the inability to completely exclude adult content, something that many people already see as a growing problem. Not the fact that there is adult content, let’s be clear, but the fact that it is growing more difficult to completely exclude adult content if one wishes to. Ask anyone who has a child avatar how difficult it is and how constantly aware you have to be about your proximity to adult content in just moving about the grid.

There are some places where it’s absolutely not appropriate And I think the Vanguard of the advertising for the entire platform is one of those places, not because it’s ‘adult’ per say but because it’s a niche interest that’s only catering to one section of the population and potential membership. It’s the same with anyone saying ‘ I think that (any other very specific content) needs to be thrust to the front more’. There’s really no need when it’s a specialty interest that people will absolutely seek out.

[animats]

3 hours ago, Beth Macbain said:

Any discussion of marketing and Second Life needs to include targeted marketing towards the adult market, and SL needs to stop trying to pretend the adult market doesn't exist and that it isn't HUGE. Adult content blogs should be included on the new blog roll thingie, the Adult Content forums on here need to be expanded and not be hidden at the bottom like it's something shameful. Ditto for the destination guide. 

SL has sex, yes, but sex businesses in SL seem to be marginal. I'm seeing fewer sex-oriented business on Zindra. My own place on Zindra, in Kama City, is a vehicle R&D workshop on a street corner. Neighbors are a gas station, an RP area modeled on Baltimore, a store that sells cute cat-themed items, a very tall tower, a vampire hangout, some vacant LIFE Properties lots, and a vacant lot with a ban line.

Over the last two years, some sex-oriented businesses have come and gone. There was a gay AFK place in a skybox for a while; one day I noticed 12 new avis in the sim. Found the skybox; it turned out to be 11 AFKs and a bot to supervise them. No customers. That lasted about a month. I'm seeing new builds, but few are sex-oriented businesses. There are some long-standing sex destinations on Zindra that remain active, but few new ones.

Zindra once had a promotional organization, the Zindra Alliance, but it's defunct. They left behind a nice little Chamber of Commerce building with outdated promotional materials.

Zindra has a nice ocean, but few people sail there. There are yacht basins with yachts, but I never see the yachts move. By the way, Zindra could really use some road and water rez zones.

People are having sex in SL with their friends, but as a commercial thing, it seems to be declining. One of the big cyberpunk sims has a "get a room" policy - no sex in public, but they'll rent you a hotel room. That seems to be the way things are going. I'm fine with that. I like that SL has sex, and that it doesn't dominate SL. That means it's a working virtual world, matching real life.

I'd like to see more activity on Zindra, sexual or otherwise. It's been slow lately.

 

[Beth Macbain]

1 hour ago, Fauve Aeon said:

...words...

T-A-R-G-E-T-E-D

I’m not suggesting LL advertise Nadine’s in Better Homes & Gardens. And the RL businesses and educational institutions packed up and left ages ago, and they aren’t coming back.

People who are seeking quality adult content do have a difficult time finding it. It’s mostly word of mouth. Again, I’m not talking about Nadine’s.

Facts are facts whether people like it or not - Sex is huge in SL. It is an enticing draw for many. Sex is a niche interest... lol? Breathing is also a niche interest, I guess. You know what is a niche market? Child avatars. What type of content fills the way-too-many events in SL? What type of clothing? Not much kidswear at Fameshed or Collabor88 or Level 10 or Cosmopolitan or Kustom 9 or Kinky Monthly.

1 hour ago, animats said:

... more words...

The sort of places I’m thinking of don’t have, and wouldn’t want, a presence on Zindra. They aren’t interested in the noobs of SL that search “free sex” and hit up the first place listed. There is an entirely different world beyond the mainland when it comes to where the more discerning people interested in adult content congregate and the word of how to find those places is usually spread by word of mouth and it costs money to gain entrance.

THIS is the adult side of SL that I believe LL should be promoting and advertising, again, in targeted ways.

SL is endless. There is plenty of room for all, including in the marketing, advertising, and PR. LL, in my opinion, should be playing up their strengths - and extremely visually appealing avatars being able to meet other visually appealing avatars and bang them is one of their strengths.

[Fauve Aeon]

1 hour ago, Beth Macbain said:

My important hill-to-die-on agenda

Which is completely unimportant to some and only of some importance to others still and it’s ok to say so in an open discussion thread.  I know kid avatars are a niche, and I don’t at all advocate anything for ‘kids only’ to be generally featured as part of the major SL advertising to the general public either. It’s exclusionary and limiting and a narrow use of advertising resources. So is the SL sex and adult content market.
Commercialized pixel sex in a virtual world, which is what is being discussed, is also a niche interest, unlike RL breathing. Because any SL use is a niche interest in the general population. Anything done within said world, a still smaller niche. Period.

[lucagrabacr]

Thanks to the Lindens for replying and show that you guys do care  (that's why we care too!) and I've read all the responses and replies, and I hope this graph I made below can further explain or elaborate on my points, also answering some of the replies here in this thread

Also, I'm not criticizing the abilities of LL, its marketing team or anyone who's involved, I'm sure there are many reasons that I don't know about regarding why some of us (me, my friends, some people I've asked and some people in the forums who agreed with my points) might feel that certain niche-specific marketing materials of SL do seem a bit lacking in certain aspects, but I did ask my friends and people about what they think of SL's ads and niche-specific video ads in particular (cyberpunk, biker clubs), and they generally don't think they are as good as they could've been

In my opinion there are very surgical ways that LL can integrate SL into the subcultural subconscious of certain subcultures (lots of subs in a phrase I know) which in my opinion consist of people that would love the chance to live out their internal realities in a more tangible form if they were presented with the right materials in the right ways

Edited March 3, 2020 by lucagrabacr
making stuff more clear

[AlexandriaBrangwin]

Mixed feelings reading this discussion.

Back when I joined SL I really wanted to help LL market it, even though I didn't know how.

I knew there was no money or fame or glory in it, just an old habit.

I've been working since I left high school & you do your part to make the company rise, it's habit.

I tried making marketplace items but, they got banned for various reasons I don't recall, maybe IP similarity to Disney property (anyone would panic smash items that dared incurred the wrath of those lawyers)...ran away from that idea scared I'd get banned...account was too important to me!

Then I tried making Flickr pics, even added some to the official SL group...got banned...never an explanation!

The ban was lifted recently which was bittersweet as it was after Wagner James Au asked me to DM him with the details on Twitter...sinking feeling it only got noticed & reversed out of fear I'd talk to the press.

Today...I approach 8.6 million views on Flickr, each picture created in SL gets about 500 people a day, also on Twitter, Deviant Art, YouTube...spreading everything i create in here far & wide.

You'd think that would be prime to do a bit of advertising, drop a link here & there...but I've removed all mention of Second Life from my work.

I got ignored, treated like a troublemaker, punished like I was out to screw the system.

How can LL market SL better?

................................know what you've got...before it's gone!

[Maryanne Solo]

Identify the magic in the How are you feeling today? thread and you're well on the way to nerdvana.
I haven't had a chance to even attempt this in slick 2020 advertising social-speak.
Capture it please somebody! 

[Beth Macbain]

12 hours ago, Fauve Aeon said:

It’s exclusionary and limiting and a narrow use of advertising resources. 

Second Life isn't one thing and it is never going to be able to create a singularly focused advertising campaign and be very successful with it. They need to be diverse with their marketing efforts (and budget). This is not exclusionary and limiting. It's the opposite, actually. If all their efforts were focused on what would be appealing to you, it likely wouldn't be appealing to me. What would appeal to me likely wouldn't appeal to builders. What appeals to builders likely wouldn't appeal to the family RP people. What appeals to them likely wouldn't appeal to the steampunk folks. What would appeal to them likely wouldn't appeal to the furries. See how that works? Or doesn't work? 

Diversity is good. Putting all your eggs in one basket is bad. 

[Beth Macbain]

10 hours ago, lucagrabacr said:

Thanks to the Lindens for replying and show that you guys do care  (that's why we care too!) and I've read all the responses and replies, and I hope this graph I made below can further explain or elaborate on my points, also answering some of the replies here in this thread

This is wonderful and SL would do well to take this into some very in-depth, serious consideration. 

3 hours ago, AlexandriaBrangwin said:

Then I tried making Flickr pics, even added some to the official SL group...got banned...never an explanation!

I'm curious about the subject matter of your photos and what they could contain that would get you banned from the official SL Flickr group.

3 hours ago, Maryanne Solo said:

Identify the magic in the How are you feeling today? thread and you're well on the way to nerdvana.
I haven't had a chance to even attempt this in slick 2020 advertising social-speak.
Capture it please somebody! 

I'm certain I'm a bit biased about this, but I do think you're onto something here. We bicker and fuss with each other at times, but at the end of the day, we're all human beings dealing with life and trying to survive as best we can. SL absolutely gives us a place to both escape, and also make some amazing and safe connections. When we open ourselves up a bit, as we invariably do over time, and find out that we aren't alone, it can be magical. When we support each other, and lift each other up, and just be there, it's really beautiful. This goes towards SL being extremely appealing to introverts. We can open up as slowly as we want, as carefully as we want, make connections... and equally important, turn off when we need to. 

And for people who feel like they are frequently misunderstood, SL is a godsend. Finding out that other people often feel the same way, and struggle with the same difficulties is wonderful (and we get to do this anonymously and that eliminates a lot of the risks we feel opening up in RL). There is magic in SL and this community we have. It's been a constant in my life for a dozen years now, and I know for many others it's been even longer than that. That's kind of amazing. I've spent thousands of hours and thousands of dollars, laughed thousands of times, shed thousands of tears, had thousands of O's (well, maybe not thousands, but lots and lots and lots). The point is that I've heavily invested a good chunk of my life in SL, as most of you have as well. 

Why is that? What is it about this place, this world, this community, that has captured us and kept us for so long? It's more than a thing. When I log off, I don't forget about my friends and the people I love (yes, love) that I've met in SL. They're real to me. There is a level of intimacy (not sexual) to friendships and relationships in SL that is impossible and different from the kind of intimacy we have with the people we see in RL every day. 

Okay, going to stop now... I'm getting into the weeds with the philosophy of SL and it's all a bit deep for a Tuesday morning... lol. 

Thank you for coming to my TED Talk. 

[AlexandriaBrangwin]

3 hours ago, Beth Macbain said:

I'm curious about the subject matter of your photos and what they could contain that would get you banned from the official SL Flickr group.

I think it was a Deadpool pic, Disney IP

[Brett Linden]

Just a quick update to mention that the marketing team will be on "Lab Gab" this Friday.

Questions for the team can also be submitted in advance via the link in the blog post.

 

[FairreLilette]

1 hour ago, Brett Linden said:

Just a quick update to mention that the marketing team will be on "Lab Gab" this Friday.

Questions for the team can also be submitted in advance via the link in the blog post.

 

I don't know if I have a question for marketing as my idea of a spin-off (separate world) for a TinyLand is really about development and the kid's market rather what Second Life currently is today.   And, in this thread, when I speak of TinyLand, I am not speaking of adding another teen grid like what SL used to have nor if there ever were a TinyLand, by spin-off, I mean a completely separate world somewhere else and not mingled with Second Life and it's grids.   

I just want to say that a lot of the "tiny" stuff already exists and is so adorable, perhaps someone should look into it as a spin-off world.  And, the tinies can wear most of the unrigged items here as well.  And, it's all just a suggestion.

As far as better marketing for SL, I agree somewhat with the adult audience needs to be targeted.  Though there are a variety of amazing artists here from live performers to photographers to all kinds of visual artists and builders.  

It's a diverse world of residents.  I saw SL on TV and knew I wanted to see it.  To put it simply, it looked amazing.  

Edited March 3, 2020 by FairreLilette

[Maryanne Solo]

Tinyland sounds really really cool. Something I personally have no interest in but that doesn't matter at all.

If LL can have an outrageous success with it and make a motza of RL cash?= bravo! 🥳😄 

So long as they don't forget about or neglect us WirtualVorlders. 😏

SL's time will come again. In what way or shape we cant quite be sure. I'm very happy with the way its gone.
Some things could be better and there may have been some mistakes in hindsight but I 😍 my avi/s and 
always will. 🥰

Edited March 4, 2020 by Maryanne Solo

[Mollymews]

Marketeer Linden:  any marketing ideas ?

Thinkies Resident: i think you should do better marketing

Marketeer Linden: better like how ?

Thinkies Resident: much better

Marketeer Linden: ok then thanks

Thinkies Resident: you welcome

😸

 

[Arduenn Schwartzman]

My analysis on how LL's marketing of SL has shaped its public perception while simultaneously maintaining its cultural relevance:

[AlexandriaBrangwin]

Against my better judgement I decided to give it one last try.

I went to Ahern to try and do a comic on "Second Life Avatar uses Second Life to see what the fuss is about".😄

Okay...some surprised facial animations....wait...no scripts?

Well then.....................um.............................yeah.....so much for that idea!

[FairreLilette]

On 3/1/2020 at 5:51 PM, Bree Giffen said:

I'd like to add that Roblox is mainly for children from about 6 to 12 years old. The graphics and gameplay are quite simple and definitely oriented for kids. I do get a sense that it has the tools and the game engine needed to create games. 

As far as say a spin-off to TinyLand from the maker's of Second Life and the audience you suggest of 6 to 12 and it's being simple.  Tinyland could be simple to advanced "games".   It would most likely end up a plethora of games.  

However, let's say one makes an outfit for a tiny, then just include the shape and in an instant it all fits - all the items included with the outfit because everything would be pre-fit by the creator of the outfit who would also include the shape.

Tinies aren't as diverse an avatar as Humans.   Tinies don't need endless avatar customization or uniqueness.  We like to be unique but it's not quite the same as for human avatars.

And, also as far as simple, just press buttons to dance or other animations like spin or what-have-you.  It's not difficult.  

And, as a far as a game, let's take an example "game", okay, your avatar getting through a maze as shown in the video in this thread of Roblox, a maze is a maze...whether it's Roblox or TinyLand, I'd figure you still have to move the same keys to get through the maze.  

However, I don't see TinyLand as completely "just for kids"...Disneyland is for kids of all ages.  

However, an adult aged creator should probably be a premium member same as Roblox has if I understand that correctly.

Plus, kids don't type...so a way to morph cute voices easily could be a lot of fun.

Tinies are also asexual avatars.

On another note, someone mentioned introverts are a big audience for SL and crowded places are not their cup of tea.  It's interesting because I am an introvert but in crowded places you can kind of get lost in the crowd...so I like the busy places.  I'd be an introvert if I had to perform through a microphone on stage.  That is something I could not do.  It's also interesting to note that when I became a tiny, I am far more outgoing.  I am more outgoing because I know no one is going to "hit" on me as a tiny so it's very freeing.  I love it personally.  The being free part well as all the adorkableness of it all.  

p.s.  I made a Roblox looking simple avatar by rezzing a round shape for a head and then a bunch of cyclinder shapes for middle, arms and legs, and made an avatar in under 5 minutes with SL's already existing tools.  

Edit:  Wanted to add.  Even though avatar customization isn't as intense as it is for humans, I still spend about the same for clothes, accessories and hair that I did for my human.  I change her outfit at least every two days and sometimes change a couple of times a day.  And, I buy the xyz menu hairs so I buy several new hairs a month just like I did with my human.  My spending is about the same.  

And, omg, you should see the porcupines...they are incredible with all those quills.  All the tiny avatars are just adorable.  

Edited March 4, 2020 by FairreLilette