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Brooke Linden

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Blog Entries posted by Brooke Linden

  1. Brooke Linden
    Hi all,
    As  many of you know, the teen grid was shut down on Friday. This week, we  will be rolling out some changes in Marketplace to ensure Residents  under 18 will not be exposed to adult content. Here is a quick summary  of what changes will be occurring.
    Phase 1: 1/27 Release
    On  Thursday, the Marketplace will move to the General, Moderate, and Adult  content levels already in use in the Viewer. Just prior to this release  (starting on Wednesday), we will be running a process that will add a  content level to existing items. Once the release has been completed,  you will be able to review the ratings set on your Marketplace listings  by viewing your inventory: there will be a new column “Maturity” showing  what level the item falls into. Search will now support viewing general  or moderate/adult content. Please view the updated listing guidelines (link points to the current guidelines) on Thursday for more details.
    Note  that, in addition to automated process to migrate listings, it will  continue to be possible to flag listings. Please take some time after  the new guidelines are posted to review your listings and make sure they  comply. People will be able to start flagging listings based upon the  new guidelines on Thursday (though I do not expect that we will see much of this right away), so the sooner you can do this, the better!
    Phase 2: by 2/28/2011
    Before  the end of February, Marketplace will be updated to allow setting  maturity level preferences at a more granular level than is currently  supported, such as allowing Residents to view moderate content without  adult content included.
    Why was this done in 2 steps? Timing, pure and simple. We  wanted to ensure we had the proper controls in place as soon as  possible for the teens entering the main grid. Phase 2 will provide  further refinement.
    A quick update on Maturity is on the agenda for the Marketplace Office Hours on 1/26.
    Regards,
    Brooke
  2. Brooke Linden
    “Spring  Break” is the theme for our Marketplace promotions in March. If you  would like to boost traffic to your Spring Break-related items for sale  on the Marketplace, please add the keyword “beachbonanza” to your  relevant listings. We will be using embedded search on that keyword in  links in our outbound promotional channels—starting in the first week of  March. Please be sure to use the keyword with your relevant wares.
  3. Brooke Linden
    Everyone loves a great deal, right?

    So, we’re introducing a new test program called “Dash Deals.” During this test, we will be running one Dash Deal per week, for the next five weeks. Dash Deals will provide Second Life Marketplace shoppers with the opportunity to purchase a specific virtual item for 24 hours at a 50% discount or more. Hand-picked by the Linden team from Merchant submissions, these products highlight the creativity and variety of products available to Marketplace shoppers. We hope that you enjoy our selections and take advantage of the deals!

    And, if the test goes well, then you can expect to see more Dash Deals beyond the test period.

     
    Here’s How to Score a Dash Deal
    We’ll alert Second Life shoppers when the Dash Deal is available on Facebook, Twitter, and in a weekly email. Just click on the SL Marketplace link provided, take a look at the Dash Deal item, and snap it up while it’s still available.  

    Today’s Dash Deal is an alluring couture gown offered at L$440 (originally L$880). But hurry—this deal only lasts for 24 hours!

    Keep an eye out on Facebook and Twitter for the official “Dash Deal” badge—and you could score a deep discount on some of the best virtual goods on Marketplace. Happy shopping!
    Update (April 26, 2011)
    There have been some additional questions regarding the Dash Deal emails, and we wanted to take this opportunity to clarify a few points. Although Dash Deals last for a day, they will only happen once a week for the next 4 weeks. For those who don't want to receive weekly Dash Deal emails, just "unsubscribe" using the link in the email. However, this will mean that you are unsubscribing from all optional Second Life emails. I hope that this clarification is helpful and get ready for the next Dash Deal, scheduled for April 27, 2011.
    Update (May 6, 2011)
    We have decided to discontinue the Dash Deal program. This decision was not made lightly and is due to several factors, including technical limitations which made the management of the program inefficient. We expect to test other programs of this type in the future, once we have resolved these issues.


  4. Brooke Linden
    You all may have seen that, in preparation for the new Community Platform, Forums, Blogs and Answers will be in read-only mode starting Feb. 21, at 12:01 am PDT. During this time period, communication out for any urgent Marketplace updates will be occurring on my user page on the wiki, and tweeted from the @slmerchants twitter account.
    Please continuet to use the following communication channels for communication to us about Marketplace:
    JIRA: for defects and feature requests Customer Service: for help with refunds, maturity and flagging  questions/issues, other Marketplace issues that may not be defects Thank you for your patience while we work to improve our communication tools!
    Brooke
  5. Brooke Linden
    Hi all,
    I just wanted to let people know that the gifting updates have been released. Here is a summary of the changes:
    We have a new button: "Add To Cart As Gift" New Residents are giftable right away Giftee now visible in the order history There is also a link to the Merchant's store in the order and order history now. For more information, please see the wiki page on this update.
    Please let us know what you think of these changes. Happy gifting!
    Brooke
  6. Brooke Linden
    Hi all,
    In order to try accomodating different schedules, I'm having this week's user group (formerly called office hours) at 9am PST on Thursday, 2/3. Apologies for not getting this out be EOW last week. Friday was a bit of a busy day parsing feedback and identifying issues with the Maturity roll out.
    Please submit agenda items for this week's meeting. I plan to discuss the following:
    Maturity: I will be asking for pro-active feedback on what we can do in the future to make transitions like this a better experience for us all. I'll be starting with a list that those of us involved in the project on the Linden Lab side have come up with. We'll add suggestions/comments from you all and help that shape the practices of the Marketplace team going forward. I'd like to limit conversation on Maturity to 30 minutes maximum. User Group Update: Plans for user groups. Other topics? I'll be updating the wiki shortly. I'll also be sending out an update on the Maturity thread at EOD today--just haven't had time to write it up yet.
    Please try to submit agenda items by EOD Wednesday, 2/2.
    Thanks!
    Brooke
    Adding link to invitation: http://bit.ly/g2nPaj
     
    Message was edited by: Brooke Linden
  7. Brooke Linden
    The Marketplace team is happy to announce a new function today that should help SL merchants with two important tasks:
    ensuring the proper data is migrated from XStreetSL to the new Marketplace releasing new versions of their products via a faster and easier process Introducing the Edit Associated Object Function
    The new Edit Associated Object function allows merchants to change the underlying Marketplace inventory item associated with a product listing. This was previously accomplished via a clunky workaround. The new function will help us with our final migration of product reviews and historical sales data from XStreetSL to the new Marketplace. Going forward, it provides an easier way for merchants to update existing products and release new versions of a product.
    Some merchants will need to use this to be sure their data gets migrated correctly. Most Marketplace items have already had their data migrated. However, some merchants will have to manually verify that their Marketplace products are associated with the correct XStreetSL items. This applies to you if you have either:
    manually created any products on the new Marketplace that correspond to XStreetSL products, or renamed Marketplace inventory items in order to release new versions. If so, please verify that your Marketplace products have the correct XStreetSL ID specified before Tuesday, January 4. That date will be the final migration of data from XStreetSL. After migration is complete, we will remove the XStreetSL Product ID field from each product’s Edit Item Listing page.
    To use the new function, log into the Marketplace, and follow the steps below:
    1. Navigate to My Marketplace > Merchant Home 2. Click Manage Inventory 3. Click Edit for an active product listing 4. Under SL Object Name, click, Edit Associated Object 5. In the Change Related Inventory pop-up, search for the Marketplace inventory item you'd like to associate with the product listing, and click on it to select 6. On the main Edit Item Listing page, scroll to the bottom and click Update For more information, see our wiki:
    Updating a product during Marketplace migration Selling new versions of an existing item
  8. Brooke Linden
    Shoppers love a deal. And when it’s a deal with a deadline, it’s almost impossible to resist.

    Now we’re offering a new program to help Merchants deliver great deals on Marketplace in a way that’s quicker and easier for shoppers—and who doesn’t love that? The “Dash Deal” test program will enable Merchants to attract new customers and for shoppers to score deep discounts on one selected item from the best virtual goods on the Marketplace.

    Scheduled to launch in April, the “Dash Deal” test program aims to make good deals easier to find and boost visibility for our Marketplace Merchants. Marketplace Merchants interested in participating in the program should apply here.

    How does the program work?
    Starting in April, a single new “Dash Deal” will be selected one day of each week and promoted at a deep discount of at least 50% off and available for only 24 hours. Linden Lab will promote each Dash Deal to the general Resident population, increasing awareness of both the Merchant and Marketplace.

    How will Linden Lab promote the Dash Deal program?
    Linden Lab will be employing a complete marketing campaign to drive traffic to a single Dash Deal on Marketplace one time each week during the test period, including: direct email to active users, Twitter, and Facebook.

    How will giving a discount help Merchants’ business?
    By discounting your item for 24 hours, you will attract the attention of deal-minded shoppers who otherwise might never have noticed your store. It’s a great way to build brand recognition with new customers, giving them a chance to experience your high-quality items and encouraging some to come back for future purchases.

    What are the benefits of participating in the program?Marketing support from Linden Lab Boost in sales for the Dash Deal item Increased visibility for your Marketplace content Enhanced brand recognition for your store among shoppers Where are the program rules and requirements?
    More about the criteria, rules, deadlines, and legal fine print can be found here. Keep in mind that this is a test program, so these rules are subject to change—particularly if the test is successful, and we move forward with the program in the future. We will also be soliciting feedback through a survey after the test is complete, so you will have the opportunity to share your ideas with us.

    We look forward to promoting our Merchants through this test.
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