Marketplace Release Notes: August 4, 2011

[Dartagan Shepherd]

One point this brings up is that some education about social networking might be useful, obviously many SL customers value privacy, so it's good to share to what degree information is being used out there.

Some marketing dialog would also be appreciated. I thought the questions where good on how all of this relates to Google, etc.

I think between education about privacy and how that relates to your social networking efforts, you could actually get the Merchant community involved in some co-marketing. It's only as invasive as you let it be in general and that's not well understood.

Also agree that Merchants shops, feeds, new products should be integrated into the new SL social networking tools. A Share button that promotes the product to the SL profile wall would be nice.

Something that Mickey had pointed out to me elsewhere in the forums is that groups are an under-tapped marketing resource. We're so focused on the avatar as identity that we're neglecting the business or group or store as identity (I realize the Marketplace has improved the concept of Store and is considering multiple storefronts/brands). The group and store need their own features like Avatars do. We had strong groups in Avatars United, hopefully some of those tools, and store as group will be re-introduced. This could tie in well with the Marketplace, you can offload a bunch of user/store data to the profile/social networking system.

I don't claim to be a social networking guru, as such I'm curious, where does an anonymous click from the Marketplace Facebook Like button display on Facebook? I see products displayed that I've liked show up in auto completion results when searching second life, otherwise, nowhere else, on my wall/feed.

Something everyone might not be aware of, the end benefit is mostly to Second Life users ON Facebook. So it might not be for you, or me, but users who are on Facebook who are also Second Life Residents are not evil. There is a reasonably healthy community on Facebook, which you can check out anytime without a Facebook login, at http://www.facebook.com/secondlife

Should they come across your items that are Liked, they're taken to your product page, so it's more about a re-direct to your product, than sharing of information about "you". In that sense it's a pretty harmless tool and basically free advertising.

Our Avatar identities have always been public to the world in one way or another so that's nothing new. It's only problematic if you put RL information in your Avatar profile, that you didn't intend to go beyond SL, but that too has always been true.

[Dartagan Shepherd]

So, sorry for babbling, but I'm looking through Facebook and not finding a dedicated Facebook Marketplace space. Wouldn't it make it easier to pipe all the Marketplace information into a dedicated space and make use of all Facebook features?

An account, business, group over there? Not familiar enough with the Facebook API, but I'd imagine that'd let you do much more.

[Dartagan Shepherd]

Since I'm babbling and wasting space, one last thing, I promise.

Whoever revamped that login screen? Give them some serious love if you still do that sort of thing. It looks great, it's about time you guys realized full screen screenshots are not at all sexy 

It could use one more slider bar, for new products though, hint, hint.

[Mickey Vandeverre]

I don't use Facebook, but there are smart-minded business folks running all over the Internet begging for people to hit the Like Button.

I hate the social concept of the Like Button - what is the world coming to - but story for another day - and we would need a sociologist and shrink on hand for that....but I've read a few articles (or maybe 200) and that Like feature is solid gold.

Would think that LL would be smokin' crack if it were not installed on the pages.

For those who think that this is going to pull your marketing strategy or your inworld escapades or this or that onto the Internet, I've got news for you....that stuff is already plastered all over the place already, and you have very little control anymore on where it ends up...if you are a business doing marketing.

Personally...if you're having adventures...and not tying names and businesses together...you might stand a wee bit of a chance on some privacy for those adventures, but you need to stay out of forums if that's the case, and you need to lay low.  Can't do that with a business.

And that's not a Second Life issue....that's an Internet issue.

Someone above said they wanted to keep control of their marketing.  Well, you've got a lot more serious stuff to pay attention to on that control than a Like button.  Taking my lesson on that the last few weeks.

That social networking tool would be a huge bonus for groups....IF...and only IF....someone from LL would send out some official instructions to everyone on how to use it.  Most do not want to use it because they are not sure how it works.

I have a ton of questions on that...just waiting for that official notice and instructions that are clear, before busting them all out.

[Toysoldier Thor]

Ohhh well - since us Merchants cannot get LL Commerce to fix SLM features and improves functions in SLM that we want - an dthey just want to add their own lil wishlist of goodies into SLM at random will  (I do strongly suspect this requested feature came from and was implemented because of Amanda Linden who has a deep love, passion, and belief that FB is still the future of SL's marketing success),  then we might as well try to use what ever crumbs LL Commerces wants to bring down from the mountain....

In that spirit...

I am putting out a call / notice / deal to anyone who reads this post (merchant or customers or forum reader)...

If you go to my SLM store items and press the FB LIKE button on 10 of my items... you will get a FREE INWORLD HUG FROM ME !!!

If you FB LIKE all of my SLM Store Items - I WILL SING YOU A SONG INWORLD AT MY KARAOKE HANGOUT  (condition - I have to pick the song )

So there you go folks - Start Clicking my FB LIKE BUTTONS!!

I would include a link to my SLM store but that might constitute a possible violation of the forum posting rules so just click on my signature image below

[Mickey Vandeverre]

You might be being a wee bit sarcastic...but clicks lead to sales, whether they buy anything or not, and they don't even have to be a second life person.  get yourself some product posted on that blog and get yourself 150 clicks all at once, and you'll see that in action.

[Toysoldier Thor]

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Mickey Vandeverre wrote:

You might be being a wee bit sarcastic...but clicks lead to sales, whether

they buy anything or not, and they don't even have to be a second life person. 

get yourself some product posted on that blog and get yourself 150 clicks all at

once, and you'll see that in action.

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Sarcastic???  You think??  lol

But although I am truly convinced that this generation of the LL Commerce Management team is just as lost confused on where they want to go with SLM as were past generations of the LL commerce Team, I am not stupid.

If Brooke belives its so important to place these little 5 minute FB LIKE buttons on all our listings... then I might as well do what ever i can to get ppl to click these buttons.  Just like the SLM Rating system, getting ppl to press the button has got nothing to do with if the customer actually LIKE the products - heck with FB LIKE - the visitor to my product pages doesnt even have to buy my product.

So... the wise Merchant will do whatever possible (promotion / pr / friends and relatives) to click this button.

Im crazy.... crazy like a Toy.... ooops - FOX

[Mickey Vandeverre]

I can see what that Like Button does in another business on a very very small scale, and even on that small scale...it is huge.  Can only imagine what it will do on this scale.

I sure did have a ton of fun here, and a ton of control when we were in the Stone Age, and I'm not "liking" some stuff (one particular issue this week)...but it's out of my control, looks like.  And it also looks like part of that issue is in the hands of the Internet.

They are damned if they do, or damned if they don't.  You've got two entirely different sets of needs of people using this venue, from one end of the spectrum to another...and probably a lot of styles in between.

But deal is...what's happening on the web guides what one has to do with their business.  And not sure if you understand how important that is to a merchant.  I would seriously wonder about this venue if they stayed in the Stone Age.

I'm bittersweet on those changes.  As an adventurer, it appears that wonderful niche they had there with exploration is corroding a tad.  But as a merchant...that one particular tool took on a life of it's own and is pretty much a requirement now.  Blame Zuck for that.

[Poenald Palen]

I notice that some don't like facebook, and this makes sense...isn't SL really sort of a place to get away from all the real world stuff?

It is like being on vacation (with all the weird stuff and annoyances even!) and just sort of...well...having some guy walk up and be like selling you the same orange juice you have in the fridge and is dressed like you neighbour....your 300 lb neighbour..the load one. Yeah, sort of not really interested! I mean, not that you hate the guy, but you where all happy and had dieted, just got a new set of odd foregner clothes and some shades...you are having some fun, listening to all the odd sounds and then some guy walks up and is like trying to sell you something you don't want, something mundane and this is totally not the time or place. That is sort of how it is a bit.....but, just my opinion. SO, even if you LIKE facebook....why?

But I understand why LL wants it, because so many people are so busy and SL is second to the first life they have. It helps people remember SL exists, shows things they might also like and so on. It helps keep people coming back. Which I suppose is why it is mentioned in merchants and not in the main announcements blog? So we can all go like things and bring back people to buy our stuffs! We can all act all cool, place our vacation photo's up and then quickly like an item and when people see us all having fun and being better than they are....they will be jelous and totally want one! They can't be left behind! We can now enhance our jones status and get these suckers to buy our stuffs man! Yeah, free markets fo life yo! ROI or death!

Ok. the last paragraph is sort of a joke...but yeah, they are trying to help peole make money and all that is expected on facebook...so what better place for it then....I guess? I am sort of cunfused by it all and hope all are just having fun and are actually excaping the jones by coming here lol. The jones are just...to quick with thier shopping carts damn it! What do they know anyway?! Yeah, we can have fun here with 2 dollar flying thingies and animals that don't poop and get sick on us and so on...at least only virutally die....which is way more fun than real death! Hooray for virtual death, virtual destruction and virtual mayhem!

[Ciaran Laval]

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Brooke Linden wrote:

Hi all,

 

Today we released an additional social networking feature on the Marketplace: Facebook Like. You can still comment on Facebook (and other social networking applications) using our AddThis widget.

 

Please let us know if you see any issues or have other suggestions.

 

Thanks!

Brooke



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The Facebook like button is extremely intrusive and tracks people's activites whether they are Facebook users or not, whether they click it or not,  how about you at Linden Lab being upfront and honest about how it works.