Is it possible to hire a listing poster safely ?

[Lyckaeus]

I love to create models and have a bit over 150 items but hate making the ads (screenshots, text etc, the models and textures are in SL at that point). I'm always behind and it often becomes the reason why I stop posting/making new models (it's been over a year now and still have a few in my inv I haven't posted).

I know it may seem strange but I just wanted to know if anyone else uses a listing poster and if so, how do you do it, what setup do you have, how much do you pay, is it safe ?

Thank you for any help.

https://marketplace.secondlife.com/stores/179004

[JSeesaw]

Hi Lyckaeus. I have experience as a Marketplace manager to help list products. 

1. First, they set me as the Store Managers in Edit store information, and then put all the products in the Marketplace Listing.
2. They package the raw files and drop them into Google Drives to share with me. I make ADs through those files. They might have an AD template, or I'll create one if they don't have one.
3. They have to give me the product's information like permission, price(original price/or +10% fee), details. I can provide an Excel file if they need it.
4. When I finish the information edits, I'll let the merchant preview. If it's okay, I'll list them all.
5. I only work on weekends, and my limit is about 20-50 items/month. The payment depends on the merchant. They may choose monthly payments or rely on the item counts.

They can see my audit logs in their merchant home so that the record will be proof if it has any problem.

 

Edited January 8, 2022 by JSeesaw

[Lyckaeus]

Thank you for all the information JSeesaw, that's good to hear that there is a way to do it.

Questions if you don't mind:

* Does that mean the creator just sends you raw screenshots, price, category, perms (I do use a photoshop template for my ads) and then you put it together, create text and post it till review?

* Paying is done either as a monthly sum payment(guessing for big creators), by items ($/$L per item ?) or % of sale (the 10% fee)?

Just trying to get a grasp on it,  sometimes I make 1 item per week, sometimes it's 3 or 4 depending on what I'm working on but mostly during winter months but who knows with a manager, I could make more during the year.

I would also love to hear other points of view and experiences.

 

Thank you

[JSeesaw]

6 hours ago, Lyckaeus said:

Thank you for all the information JSeesaw, that's good to hear that there is a way to do it.

Questions if you don't mind:

* Does that mean the creator just sends you raw screenshots, price, category, perms (I do use a photoshop template for my ads) and then you put it together, create text and post it till review?

* Paying is done either as a monthly sum payment(guessing for big creators), by items ($/$L per item ?) or % of sale (the 10% fee)?

Just trying to get a grasp on it,  sometimes I make 1 item per week, sometimes it's 3 or 4 depending on what I'm working on but mostly during winter months but who knows with a manager, I could make more during the year.

I would also love to hear other points of view and experiences.

 

Thank you

They usually send me the product pictures, template (if they have one) PSD/XCF and font files you typically use. I'll combine them to make the Marketplace main picture. 

Later they tell me how much it is (if the Marketplace price should be higher than the inworld price, please let me know) or give me an inworld store landmark to see the price. 

They tell what permission/land impact about the object (sometimes they offer me gift card/store credit so I can do double-check work), give me the description text on the Marketplace detail. 

If they don't tell me, I usually set the category and keywords by myself. 

If the product title is not the object name, they also need to give me the correct text.

So I'll recommend putting all text data in an Excel file, or I can organize them for you. 

Finally, I combine all information materials to edit the item listing, check the item by preview, and then active items.

 

Some creators choose the monthly payment request 3-4 series a month, and each series might be 10-20 items.

Some creators set each series in various payments. For example, outfit set series (include demo, single upper clothes, single lower clothes, clothes fatpack, shoe fatpack) is A payment, and hair series (contain demo, hair fatpack) is B payment.

Some creators choose to pay by item (L$ per item).

None creators choose % per sale, and I also think it's unreasonable with each other.

 

Edited January 8, 2022 by JSeesaw

[Ikumi Spicy]

On 1/7/2022 at 7:28 AM, JSeesaw said:

Hi Lyckaeus. I have experience as a Marketplace manager to help list products. 

1. First, they set me as the Store Managers in Edit store information, and then put all the products in the Marketplace Listing.
2. They package the raw files and drop them into Google Drives to share with me. I make ADs through those files. They might have an AD template, or I'll create one if they don't have one.
3. They have to give me the product's information like permission, price(original price/or +10% fee), details. I can provide an Excel file if they need it.
4. When I finish the information edits, I'll let the merchant preview. If it's okay, I'll list them all.
5. I only work on weekends, and my limit is about 20-50 items/month. The payment depends on the merchant. They may choose monthly payments or rely on the item counts.

They can see my audit logs in their merchant home so that the record will be proof if it has any problem.

 

I know it's been a hot minute but since you are listing things for other merchants, I would like to point out that inflating the MP price with 10% is against listing TOS - just info for anyone considering doing it, it's at your own risk. This can be flagged by customers under Disallowed listing practices -  inflated listing price. It can get your items reported/unlisted - this can quickly run into hundreds of listings if the store is big.

Anti-Competitive or Abusive Behavior. Examples include, but are not limited to:

• inflating prices on the SL Marketplace

[Chic Aeon]

1 hour ago, Evita Leeder said:

I know it's been a hot minute but since you are listing things for other merchants, I would like to point out that inflating the MP price with 10% is against listing TOS - just info for anyone considering doing it, it's at your own risk. This can be flagged by customers under Disallowed listing practices -  inflated listing price. It can get your items reported/unlisted - this can quickly run into hundreds of listings if the store is big.

Anti-Competitive or Abusive Behavior. Examples include, but are not limited to:

• inflating prices on the SL Marketplace

I can't find any mention of INFLATING the price in the above discussion. I am pretty sure that they are talking about a percentage of the sales price being given to the person doing the ad work BY USING the "split profit" option. That would be very easy to do.    If they are NOT suggesting that --- then it is still and option, just my idea :D.

As someone that has done RL Work for Hire though that wouldn't be my choice. My choice would be a certain amount per ad. It takes just as much work to make ads for a low cost item as it does for a very expensive object.  

 

 

[Ikumi Spicy]

4 minutes ago, Chic Aeon said:

I can't find any mention of INFLATING the price in the above discussion. I am pretty sure that they are talking about a percentage of the sales price being given to the person doing the ad work BY USING the "split profit" option. That would be very easy to do.    If they are NOT suggesting that --- then it is still and option, just my idea :D.

As someone that has done RL Work for Hire though that wouldn't be my choice. My choice would be a certain amount per ad. It takes just as much work to make ads for a low cost item as it does for a very expensive object.  

 

 

Hey if that's the case sure, but what she said "They have to give me the product's information like permission, price(original price/or +10% fee), details. I can provide an Excel file if they need it." implying they have to list what prices and/or additional 10%. It makes it sound like price should be changed with the optional extra 10% LL takes. The 10% is the MP fee from the sounds of it

 

edit: she also says that nobody chooses to pay with % - 10% per listing to pay someone would be insane in my opinion. she says they get paid per bulk often etc "Some creators choose the monthly payment request 3-4 series a month, and each series might be 10-20 items. "

 

Edited February 6, 2022 by Evita Leeder

[Rowan Amore]

Stores often give a discount for inworld purchases.  Usually 10% less.than MP price.

[Ikumi Spicy]

2 minutes ago, Rowan Amore said:

Stores often give a discount for inworld purchases.  Usually 10% less.than MP price.

I have no idea if that is considered inflation too or not... Maybe just a workaround. It's not clear enough.

[LittleMe Jewell]

1 hour ago, Evita Leeder said:

I have no idea if that is considered inflation too or not... Maybe just a workaround. It's not clear enough.

 

Long ago they used to not allow merchants to charge 10% more on the MP than they did in their inworld store (to recover the fee paid to LL), but that was leftover from the old marketplace LL purchased.  LL clarified the issue with the below post:

 

[Ikumi Spicy]

11 hours ago, LittleMe Jewell said:

 

Long ago they used to not allow merchants to charge 10% more on the MP than they did in their inworld store (to recover the fee paid to LL), but that was leftover from the old marketplace LL purchased.  LL clarified the issue with the below post:

 

Good find as there is no info on this anywhere else.

They did not update MP flagging to reflect this better - and since there are no other way of purchasing than inworld, inflation shouldn't even apply to SL. Why even have it in listing guide?

On side note I would avoid shops that inflate the price, I never purchase from those that charge 10% simply because I don't think I should be covering their fees, that's like asking customers to pay your taxes. Just raise your prices if you want to cover higher fees, like in real world. MP is convenient quick way of shopping and I wouldn't pay extra as a customer to a store that requires me to go to inworld to pay less. It seems unfair to people who prefer MP shopping.

[LittleMe Jewell]

Just now, Evita Leeder said:

since there are no other way of purchasing than inworld, inflation shouldn't even apply to SL

There used to be competing MP-like websites until LL banned them.

[Ikumi Spicy]

1 minute ago, LittleMe Jewell said:

There used to be competing MP-like websites until LL banned them.

I can't recall any from way back. Do you remember any of them? I remember SLEX before LL bought them out and turned into MP. Caspervend never took off.

edit: and since they are banned then it's even more useless thing to have in flagging/listing guide as option.

Edited February 6, 2022 by Evita Leeder

[LittleMe Jewell]

30 minutes ago, Evita Leeder said:

I can't recall any from way back. Do you remember any of them? I remember SLEX before LL bought them out and turned into MP. Caspervend never took off.

edit: and since they are banned then it's even more useless thing to have in flagging/listing guide as option.

There was OnRez and XStreet SL (which was called SL Exchange originally).  LL bought them both in 2009.  I don't remember if there were others that failed on their own prior to that.

Ref: Linden Lab Buys Second Life Virtual Marketplaces OnRez And Xstreet SL (kotaku.com)

 

Edited February 6, 2022 by LittleMe Jewell

[Salt Peppermint]

On 2/6/2022 at 5:40 AM, Evita Leeder said:

Hey if that's the case sure, but what she said "They have to give me the product's information like permission, price(original price/or +10% fee), details. I can provide an Excel file if they need it." implying they have to list what prices and/or additional 10%. It makes it sound like price should be changed with the optional extra 10% LL takes. The 10% is the MP fee from the sounds of it

 

 

this has changed in the TOS a while ago. it used to be against the TOS to have different prices from MP to inworld but not anymore . I also clarified that with a ticket to LL to have it confirmed. it's perfectly fine to have the 10% higher prices on mp compared to inworld

[Salt Peppermint]

13 hours ago, Evita Leeder said:

 

On side note I would avoid shops that inflate the price, I never purchase from those that charge 10% simply because I don't think I should be covering their fees, that's like asking customers to pay your taxes. Just raise your prices if you want to cover higher fees, like in real world. MP is convenient quick way of shopping and I wouldn't pay extra as a customer to a store that requires me to go to inworld to pay less. It seems unfair to people who prefer MP shopping.

the customer does pay the tax of the product in RL..it's what is added to the base price on top. the tax does not stay with the merchant