Keep The "Social" In Social Media

"If you build it, they will come"

and then....

They will leave!

UNLESS....

You can keep them engaged.

The best way to create a buzz around you, your brand and your product is to make sure you stay social on the Social Web.

*Interact
*Provide
*Pay attention
* Be consistent

and more importantly...

Please leave the spam for a sandwich!

How To Brand Yourself As A DJ In Second Life

If you are trying to make it in Second Life as a DJ, I have some helpful hints and tips to get you going or keep you moving.


Hint #1: Make sure you have the proper equipment and have tested it all before you begin to consider branding yourself as a Second Life DJ
See Nexeus Fatale's post on what is needed to begin DJing in Second Life here

Hint #2: Yes you do need a logo and a textured ad if you want to be taken seriously
As I always stress, DO NOT COPY A LOGO OR IMAGES OFF OF THE WEB!

Hint #3: Do you have an in-world prim business card?
If not, consider doing this. Of course it is going to need to be bigger than a normal business card so that prospective club/venue owners can read the information written on the card. Simple take the same concept of a real world business card and work the magic of Second Life into it. You can stuff the card full of promotional goodies such as: T-shirt/tank tops with your DJ logo on it, maybe you can have someone create something truly unique like a set of headphones that when worn becomes a dance machine. There are so many possibilities out there, just be creative.
Also make sure on your business card you include your DJ logo/name, email address and then add a notecard that gives your rates and any dates that you may already be booked up.

Hint #4: Target event planners, wedding venues and club owners
Maybe you need to prove you are worth the chance by DJing for free here and there. remember you too need to build up a presence and name within Second Life.

Hint #5: Run a classified ad in your profile
Make sure you use these keywords (and any others you can think of)
club, music, DJ, DJing, party, hire, DJ for hire, venue, entertainment, dance, (your name) .........

Hint #6: Create a Google Calendar and share it with the world.
Don't just create it, use it!! Post where you will be on certain dates. This helps when people are trying to book you.

Hint #7: Do create a group in Second Life
This will be your fan base. Many venues want to hire DJs that can bring i good traffic and new faces.

Hint #8: Do you have a play list?
Create a blog and make a play list of all of the music you have and take suggestions from people as to what they would like you to have available. This will help potential clients know what music you are capable of playing.

Hint #9: See if you can get downloads of popular songs by Second Life musicians
There are so many of them out there, all you have to do is get out there and network it!

Hint #10: Make sure you talk less and play more!

Hint #11: Take advantage of the power of social networking. It's free and only takes time and dedication to make it work for you.

Hint #12: Advertise in Second Life magazines if you can afford to do so.

Hint #13: Team up with a club to host a premiere party every once in a while.

Hint #14: Even though you are a DJ you can still have contests and promotional events.
*Scavenger hunt
*photo contest
*Biggest fan contest
*Best venue
etc...


Lastly.... Have lots of fun doing it! If you enjoy what you do, people will notice and the vibe will be all the more positive!

I am Sadie Pippita in Second Life and no I am not a DJ, I just know a thing or two about the virtual world of Second Life.

Look me up if you have any questions!

Advertising Within Virtual Worlds

For almost two years I was a Brand Strategist within the Virtual World of Second Life. My main job was to stratagize the best possible way to integrate a companies brand within the game. I was lucky enough to work with real world companies as well as help striving Second Life companies turn a profit. Here is where I am going to share some secrets on how to make your brand stand out from the rest.

Hint #1: Do take advantage of creating a group. It costs 100L$ which is less than $1.00 US.
Groups are awesome for when you want to promote as event, sale, promotion or anything else to many many people at one time. You can attach a note card, object or a texture. When you are sending a notice or a message make sure it is worded so that it is catchy. You want people interested.

Hint #2: Traffic on your land or at your shop IS important, but not important enough to fake the traffic with bots.
Bots give false traffic and lag down an area.

Hint #3: If you can, have a monthly newsletter in the form of an in world magazine. Have guest writers, photographers, announce contests and winners. There is a lot that you can do with this. You just have to "Think outside the prim"

Hint #4: It is all about the quality!
If your product is below average, no one will buy.

Hint #5: Customer service is still a MUST!
You DO NOT know what is best for your customer, they do. Listen to them. Just like in the real world you will end up with people that only like to complain, but that's life unfortunately.

Hint #6: Have events!
Pump people up, have giveaways, scavenger hunts, contests. MAKE sure that you are unique doing this. Everyone is already having a best in black contest. Be creative. Let it flow!

Hint #7: You do need a classified ad, but you don't need to pay thousands of Linden dollars for it.
In your classified ad you will need a professional looking advertisement texture like you would see in a real life magazine or newspaper. Make sure you add keywords in as many languages as you can.
Example: You sell clothing both male and female so your keywords will be male, female, clothes, men, women, shirt, pants, skirt, blouse, dress, outfit, sweater, tank top..... and so on depending on what it is that you really sell. NEVER USE THE WORDS SECOND LIFE IN YOUR KEYWORDS AND DO NOT LIE ABOUT THEM!

Hint #8: You need a logo!
Do not rip one off of the Internet and do not rip one from another Second Life company. You can get in real life trouble if you decide to steal another companies logo and I know you don't want that.

Hint #9: Clean up your profile!
I should be able to open your profile and know exactly what you do and what your business is on the first tab.

Hint #10: Take advantage of real life sites for promotions!
Twitter, MySpace, Bebo, Multiply, FlickR, Hi5, Facebook etc... They all have one thing in common. Second Life residents use them! There are groups you can join on MySpace, Bebo, Multiply and FlickR that are Second Life related, go ahead and set up an entirely new account for your avatar. Twitter is an awesome way to meet fellow SLer's just search the key word Second Life, Tweet about what you are doing and make new connections.

Hint #11: Take advantage of Second Life catered Social Sites.
http://whoswhovirtual.ning.com
http://landmarkisland.ning.com
http://slscout.com
http://avatarsunited.com
http://mymetaverse.com
http://slprofiles.com
http://Koinup.com
There are many more sites that cater to Second Life. Just do a Google search for Second Life Networks.

Hint #12: Do send out Press Releases Online
Just like real life, you still need to send out a professional looking press release about a week in advance of any event you might be hosting.
Some sites to post them on:
Eventful.com (does cater to Second Life)
SLnewspaper.com
SLNN.com
SLenquirer.com
SL iReports on Cnn.com
and many more sites.
You can also place your press release in the blog section of your social networking profiles like MySpace.

Hint #13: Blog Blog Blog
You need a blog! If you don't like to blog find someone that does. It is very important that people can see what you are doing without logging into Second Life.

Hint #14: Do place your items on XStreetSL.com
Make sure you link back to your SLURL in Second Life and use proper keywords

On average, over 60,000 people are logged into Second Life at any given minute from all around the world. What better way to inexpensively advertise your products.
Anyone and any brand can effectively do it.
Is Second Life for you?
You can find me in Second Life by searching user profiles for my Second Life name, Sadie Pippita.