Marketing your Second Life: For SL Businesses, Musicians and Managers.

Any business, big or small, regardless of location, target demographic or any other criteria, is IN business. Being in business simply translates to the fact that you have a product and/or service that you are offering for sale or some other form of trade.

In order to find those who are interested in your products or services, a business needs to publicize or do the necessary "marketing" to advertise what it is they are offering.

For Second Life businesses, the same facts hold true.

All businesses in SL, regardless of industry are similarly IN business. They are seeking to sell a product or service in exchange for money or other forms of trade merchandise.

Musicians in both real life and Second Life also have to run their business. They are in the business of providing both product and service. The service being their performances and their product may vary from CD's, clothing or other branded "stuff" and so on.

As a business owner for many years and as a Second Life performer, I understand that it can be a tricky undertaking for performers to get the word out about their offerings. Within SL, we are limited to Group Notices that can only house note cards, textures, or links. This was the underlying reason I created Second Friends. Personally, I wasn't satisfied with not being able to have proper marketing for my businesses in SL.

After creating Second Friends, I decided that it would be a great tool to help others in various businesses and industries within Second Life. I contacted musician friends first and then realized that other industries could also benefit from the great free marketing tools Second Friends offers.

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http://www.second-friends.com

Today we have blown passed the 2000 member mark. I wanted to take a few minutes to share this blog in case you might have missed the  marketing I've been sending to as many SL'ers as I can reach.

One of the most important things you can do for your business is get your brand in front of as many people as possible. Branding. It goes hand in hand with just about every single marketing campaign I've been a part of.

I think one of the most important features you will find on Second Friends is the ability to create your own "Group". This it not limited to musicians, just to be clear. Any business or industry can utilize and benefit from creating a SF Group.

When creating a SF Group, you are creating a mini website of sorts. I own a website/graphic design firm as one of my real life businesses so I'm very clear when I label it this way. What I mean to say is, when considering what a website is, basically it is a blank canvas that you can "decorate" however you like, but more importantly, with components that will express your vision for YOUR business.

Join Free at: http://www.second-friends.com

A SF Group is VERY similar in this regard as it too can house just about anything a website can. This reflects back to the limitations I mentioned above about Second Life Group notices. On your SF Group, you can post links, photos, text, Javascripts, etc. and yes, even video. If you use your SF Group right, it can be quite powerful. Contrarily, SL notices cannot do much more than include text, links and images (or other notecard containing the same limitations).

I'd like to invite all Second Life businesses, regardless of industry, to create your own SF Group. After you have, you are welcome to contact me and I will create a Second Friends banner that you can rez out at your SL business, shows, events, etc. whereby people can click on it and will direct them to your SF Group page.

For example, in the fashion business, there are many places to advertise among the fashion mags, blogs and so on. Second Friends is not a fashion magazine. It is comprised of many different people from many different industries. My point is, why advertise your dresses on a medium where many other designers are also advertising their dresses. What I mean is, why CREATE your own competition?!?!?!

Create a group on Second Friends. If you are serious minded, and although space is limited, you can contact me about placing a specialized Ad on Second Friends. I don't use the word "limited" lightly. I will not have Second Friends become over saturated with ads so yes, space is limited and more will likely not be added. I will gladly extend this invitation to performers as well and for that matter, any business in SL seeking to break free from the mundane that has become the norm.

Second Life business and artists can also create Events that show up right on the Second Friends Home Page. With 20,000+ page views per month and growing, many SL'ers are turning to Second Friends to get more detail about upcoming Events. Whether you are having a fashion show, new venue launch or a live performance or DJ event, SF Events are the place to list  them. Events can also include many web features like video, pictures, links, etc... once again, much more than SL notices or SL Event listings can offer you.

For now, Second Friends remains 100% free (other than paid Advertising) I created it and this is how it is!

I truly care about my SL friends and family and hope you'll take advantage of what could be a really helpful tool for you and your Second Life business endeavors.

Join Free at: http://www.second-friends.com

A Great Marketing Tool for Second Life Businesses

If you do any kind of business in Second Life, venue, content creator, performer, etc., take a few minutes to read this in its entirety.

Whether you are a Content Creator, Performer, Music Venue or Business Owner, no doubt marketing plays a big part in your business. These days, there is no faster and more effective way than to utilize social networking as a major part of your promotional campaigns. Using social networks can be a quick means of reaching a large number of friends and fans without doing any coding or hiring someone to do it for you.

But social networking doesn't stop with general social networks like Facebook and Twitter where only a fraction of a percent of their members are Second Life residents. What about a more specific Social Network, one created directly for Second Life, one that can really help grow your SL business and fan base?

Now at over 2000 members, Second Life is growing faster and faster and we need a Social Network that can meet the needs of its members, business owners, content creators and everyone who is in any way involved with doing business or just socializing  in SL. Meet Second Friends.

Second Friends has been called "Facebook for Second Life Members". As a member of Second Friends, from the moment you've joined, you automatically have some great tools at your fingertips. One in particular is the ability to create a Group, using whatever name suits your needs. As the creator of Second Friends, I'm always trying to come up with ways to help grow our community and help the members and of course businesses who are engaging the growing Second Friends community.

If you've already created your Group on SF (and there's over 200 already) head over to The Village and grab the free "Second Friends Square Banner" on the easel outside Brandy's Attic. This is a Full Perm Square Banner that you can set out at your shows, events, even inside your businesses to send people to your Second Friends Group.

When you get to Bandy's Attic, just click on the Second Friends banner on the easel out in front. There will be a very short and easy to follow notecard of instructions on how to simply change the URL ins a very short script to reflect your own Second Friends Group URL. We've made this as easy as peanuts and nothing more needs to be changed.

Click Here to Visit Second Friends: "Friends of Second Life Unite!"

Once your new members have joined, they can then interact with other group members and also receive valuable information and updates from you, the group Admin. For example if you're a clothing designer and want to share a new item you are making available, simply send out a quick Group Notice. on the Group page itself, you can post  pictures or even videos! Or you might want to just or update your group with a "Comment" that can contain also pictures, videos, a SLurl, or perhaps link to your website, blog or anywhere else. If you know some HTML, you can get VERY creative on your Group Page!

••••  Just follow this SLurl to get to Brandy's Attic, click the Second Friends Banner on the easel to grab it, read the one simple instruction, make the quick edit and set it out.

Click Here to Grab the Free Banner!

I think you'll be surprised how fast you can get a new stream of fans to your Second Friends group. There are of course other great tools on Second Friends including the ability to create your own unique profile, create events, upload photos, videos, music, public/private chat, free games and everything you see or post can be "Liked" and/or linked and added to your other major Social Networks like Facebook, Twitter, Myspace, etc. This is a great time saver when you hold a lot of events, like a performer for example or constantly release new clothing or other merchandise. Plus with unlimited photo uploads, you can always add fresh contact to keep engaging your audience.

If you haven't yet joined Second Friends, it's fast and it's FREE! Many big and small Second Life businesses, musicians, and Second Life residents are already making use of Second Friends for business, pleasure and Social Networking. Are you in?

"Friends of Second Life Unite!"

www.second-friends.com

If you have any questions or need any help, please feel free to email info@second-friends.com.