Ideas for Marketing and Promotion to Help Us Grow

[Trebor Warcliffe]

Per Sudane's wonderful suggestion of all of us working together to come up with ideas for marketing and promotion to help the CDS grow I have begun this thread. I don't want to limit the possibilities but let's make a plan to come up with 3 to 5 ideas for the month of January that will help market and promote the CDS and let us all do our best to implement these ideas.

I will bring up two of my campaign platforms that I feel will assist us in this area.

1. Encouragement of use of public buildings – Have a group of volunteers reach out to the various educators and not-for-profits to introduce them to the CDS and make available to them the use of our public facilities for their activities. Use can be granted by having one member become a citizen either through ownership of a CDS parcel or through our sponsorship program which allows citizenship for the low fee of L$ 250

2. Land Sales Office/Welcome Center - this would be similar to the info center in NFS but more up to date with Hippo vendors for land sales and appropriate CDS information. I feel the NFS Info Center should be left untouched and should retain all the contents in the building and the actual build itself due to its historical significance in the CDS and because I feel it’s such a cool place to explore just the way it is.

4. Advertising and Marketing – explore other alternatives for grid wide advertising possibly rotating options on a monthly basis instead of allotting most of our advertising budget on only one option. Also actively market the CDS on the SL Marketplace, Classifieds and Events Calendar.

For the first one I say do away with the last sentence, don't charge anyone to use our wonderful public facilities. The goal is to get them to set foot in the CDS, hopefully fall in love with the sims and the idea of what we're doing here and join us. We have some great public facilities such as the Kirche, the NFS School, the Praetorum, the Rathaus, the amphitheatre, that would make wonderful venues for education, charity events, hosting current event talks, religious events, speeches, discussions and other uses I'm sure some of you can come up with.

The second one I've already laid the groundwork for and now I'm just waiting on feedback from the citizens. The post can be found here http://forums.slcds.info/viewtopic.php?f=8&t=3694

It is my hope that this topic garners pages upon pages of responses. This is a positive, team building, all for the benefit of the CDS discussion, something I feel we could use right now.

Thank you and Happy Holidays to all my fellow citizens of the CDS
Trebor Warcliffe

[Sudane Erato]

Thank you Trebor. This is what we SHOULD be spending our "excess" money on.

The core of my feeling about marketing the CDS is first the identification of who we are, and second the appointing of resources to tell the story of who we are to the larger SL world... and indeed, to the RL world.

We are one of the oldest and most alive communities in SL. We have a unique definition, in that we really are (within the constraints of SL mechanics) democratic. While the experience of CDS community life is in many ways exhausting, it is also of great interest to students of culture, law and sociology. We usually think of ourselves entirely internally... we get so involved in the passion of our arguments, that we fail to see our outside identity... as a very significant organization.

We are hidden... few know about us. The reason is that we have rarely thought beyond our own boundaries. The idea for us of "marketing" means enlisting volunteer citizens spending time where visitors arrive and telling them about us. Admirable in itself, sure, but in our RL culture today... not what we really could achieve.

For 25 years I worked in commercial media in New York City, in a studio who's clients were ad agencies and marketing firms. People, there ARE individuals and companies in SL who do marketing professionally. I don't know who they are, but I know they exist, because the larger organizations and events in SL are not promoted by amateurs. To my eye that is overwhelmingly obvious.

Now despite the endless hair-pulling about a reserve fund that is too large, and tier that is too high... we are not rich. We are 5 small sims full of argumentative people, with less that US$10,000 in the bank. That's not a lot in the world of professional marketing. But it's a good bit in the world of SL, and coupled with the fact of our incredible uniqueness, its very clear to me that we could easily attract a professional marketing firm who could get the word out to the larger SL and RL world and expand awareness of us 100-fold. People... let's spend money on ourselves... tell the world who we are... sure, pay a little more in tier perhaps, but use that money to express our pride in ourselves and make the CDS an incredibly desirable place. And... perish the thought... create increasing demand for land, citizenship and shops.

I've felt this way a long time. Despite there being a strong paranoia in the community today about spending our money, I really strongly urge people to take a step into the modern world and hire promotion the way its done in the modern world... by hiring professionals.

Sudane............................

[Shep]

1. Encouragement of use of public buildings – Have a group of volunteers reach out to the various educators and not-for-profits to introduce them to the CDS and make available to them the use of our public facilities for their activities. Use can be granted by having one member become a citizen either through ownership of a CDS parcel or through our sponsorship program which allows citizenship for the low fee of L$ 250

2. Land Sales Office/Welcome Center - this would be similar to the info center in NFS but more up to date with Hippo vendors for land sales and appropriate CDS information. I feel the NFS Info Center should be left untouched and should retain all the contents in the building and the actual build itself due to its historical significance in the CDS and because I feel it’s such a cool place to explore just the way it is.

Trebor .. I agree with both points .. plus your suggestion that we allow use of our public facilities without the need for citizenship... if we can get people to come to our sims and feel at home then these people will want to become involved.... I also feel that we need to put back community into our community... maybe by having regular get togethers.. both the Ball and Gaius' Saturnalia were well attended and we should invite any outside connections we make to these events.

Also we should consider seasonal activities we could advertise... We have a frozen lake atm .. why are there no skating pose balls on it? We are covered in lovely snow .. why no winter fair? We should allow weddings in Monastary, have an easter egg hunt in the mountains and so much more... we should come together more, as much as is possible at least... our first step is to make us vibrant again ..

Sudane, I'm sorry I think the idea of having us professionally marketed is not a thing I could support ... firstly we are almost full atm .. so why spend money for no advantage ... and before we are marketed, we need to make ourselves marketable .. and increasing tier and depleting reserves would'nt help that ....

[Bells Semyorka]

I like the ice skating idea you thought of shep. I have some Mesh skates I have been working on for my store and would be happy to create a custom pair for CDS, if the community desired. I also have a couple of pose balls that I have purchased which are great for photos and would be willing to place out.(they are not animated, but static).

We might want to contact a well known designer and ask for perhaps some type of deal to be made where they set up a display of winter gear for our community; either to purchase at a reduced cost or to have donated.

I agree that we need to invest in making CDS more marketable by providing quality events, Items and helping to show SL that CDS is infact a wonderful place to live.

[Trebor Warcliffe]

Shep and Bells,

I also love the ice skating idea. We could set it up for use by the CDS citizens as well as host an event or two for Second Life. If anyone would like to research some skating animations out on the grid and give me a landmark for thier location I would have no problem with the government purchasing them for the CDS. This type of purchase would fall under my Sim Maintenance & Minor Improvement budget allowance. Animations such as single person skate, couples skate, maybe even animations that actually put on a performance would be pretty cool. Please don't make these purchases on your own unless the items are transferable. I'd like to have any and all purchases made for the CDS to be owned by a CDS avatar. I have to get together with our Content Archivist to work out the details for this.

Thank you,
Trebor Warcliffe

[Beathan]

Trebor --

I think that this proposal is a very good blueprint for a set of actions to improve the CDS. I applaud your efforts and look forward to assisting you.

Beathan

[Cindy Ecksol]

Well, ok, skating. Good fun and all. But what is uniquely CDS about skating? Shouldn't we be looking for things that are uniquely attractive here that other sims can't do nearly as well?

Just a for instance, several years ago we talked about hosting building classes because we have some spectacular builders here and the dissemination of skills would be helpful each time we develop a new sim. Scripting classes would be interesting too.

What about hosting regularly scheduled discussions on topics of interest? I'll be every one of us is an expert on something that others would like to hear about.

Cindy

[Trebor Warcliffe]

Cindy,
Thank you for another wonderful idea and you are correct we have some awesomely talented individuals within our ranks and I would love to give them a platform to share their knowledge. Building, scripting, photography, clothes design and manufacturing are just a few of the many classes we could host. We could do other topics such as a how-to on being a live musician in Second Life, or other types of entertainers. The possibilities are endless.

Thank you,
Trebor Warcliffe

[Beathan]

Well, ok, skating. Good fun and all. But what is uniquely CDS about skating? Shouldn't we be looking for things that are uniquely attractive here that other sims can't do nearly as well?

Just a for instance, several years ago we talked about hosting building classes because we have some spectacular builders here and the dissemination of skills would be helpful each time we develop a new sim. Scripting classes would be interesting too.

What about hosting regularly scheduled discussions on topics of interest? I'll be every one of us is an expert on something that others would like to hear about.

Cindy

Cindy,

Several days ago, Trebor approached me about putting together just such a series of events -- and I think it is a great idea. However, I think that the CDS should not stifle itself by trying to be unique in everything it does. Skating might not be unique, but it is fun -- and could be a good community building event (unique in that it is us skating, even if skating is not unique).

Beathan

[Bagheera]

Little things to get us started:

1. Events people can find. To be able to list an event in the Linden calendar at www.secondlife.com, a person either needs to have special powers granted by the group to Host Events on Group Land (something that requires a lot of administrative oversight) OR, more simply, the parcel needs to be designated a Hangout (meaning anyone can hold an event there). A Hangout also involves paying the $30L weekly fee for it to be shown in search as such - so it would need to be put in the budget. I believe CDS should have at least one parcel-location designated a Hangout - perhaps the little outdoor plaza by the river near the center of Locus Amoenus at 117, 161,24 -a lovely little public space that doesn't have a formal use assigned to it.

Hangouts are a mixed blessing since they do attract everyone (which means where griefers think they have a potential audience, they will follow). Typically hangouts have a small sandbox/rezzing space adjoining witha brief span until objects are returned - however, in my opinion, I would hold off on allowing that because that seems to be what attracts troublemakers the most - the power to rez and/or object entry from nearby. I'd start with making the Hangout first and find out from the people using it if they need powers granted or altered. This is just MY thought/opinion on all this.

2. Skating. I put two boxes that give skates out by the frozen lake, up on the pier outside the building, one each for men and women. I advised Trebor of this immediately, and now everyone here in the forums, so people can inspect at them and decide if they are okay (I don't want to arbitrarily clutter up the land with prims) and/or try them out.

This is not to discourage Bells or anyone creating something more elaborate. This is just a simple "something" to get the energy moving. Just wear the skates. There is just a simple animation in the skates that has you skating when you move and stops when you stand still.

[Rosie Gray]

A few of us have already had some fun skating along the river when it was first frozen over. Please don't put out poseballs - they are so ugly and really a deprecated way of animation in SL now. (Try taking a photo of the lovely landscape while getting the angle just right so those silly poseballs aren't ruining the shot.) Much better to have the animations in a hud, which is what most people do. Anyone who wants to have a static pose can use the ones they have in their own inventory for a photo op, or use their own poseball and then take it back up again.

[Shep]

A few of us have already had some fun skating along the river when it was first frozen over. Please don't put out poseballs - they are so ugly and really a deprecated way of animation in SL now. (Try taking a photo of the lovely landscape while getting the angle just right so those silly poseballs aren't ruining the shot.) Much better to have the animations in a hud, which is what most people do. Anyone who wants to have a static pose can use the ones they have in their own inventory for a photo op, or use their own poseball and then take it back up again.

Rosie .. I agree that a lot of poseballs looks naff ... but the idea is to have fun things for visitors to do so they remember CDS when moving home ... or even having sooo much fun that it makes them WANT to move home I would think, (if there is someone around who knows how) the best option would be an intan .. that way you only have that on permanent view, and the dances/skating loaded into that ...

[Sonja Strom]

If the CDS would like to have an embassy, consulate or information office in Arosa SL, I would be happy to work toward making that happen.

[Rosie Gray]

A few of us have already had some fun skating along the river when it was first frozen over. Please don't put out poseballs - they are so ugly and really a deprecated way of animation in SL now. (Try taking a photo of the lovely landscape while getting the angle just right so those silly poseballs aren't ruining the shot.) Much better to have the animations in a hud, which is what most people do. Anyone who wants to have a static pose can use the ones they have in their own inventory for a photo op, or use their own poseball and then take it back up again.

Rosie .. I agree that a lot of poseballs looks naff ... but the idea is to have fun things for visitors to do so they remember CDS when moving home ... or even having sooo much fun that it makes them WANT to move home I would think, (if there is someone around who knows how) the best option would be an intan .. that way you only have that on permanent view, and the dances/skating loaded into that ...

I quite agree about the idea of making the CDS fun, just pointing out that dropping poseballs around isn't the best way to handle it. Putting a box out that has skates and a skating hud for people to take them however is a fantastic idea.

For anyone who hasn't seen it, I have a canoe rezzer on my land beside the river that anyone can take a canoe and paddle from - it even takes up to 3 people in one canoe. It's a nice way to tour the water part of the sims, and when you stand up out of the canoe it de-rezzes so it doesn't clutter the place up.

[Rosie Gray]

If the CDS would like to have an embassy, consulate or information office in Arosa SL, I would be happy to work toward making that happen.

Sonja, I think an embassy or consulate at Arosa would be wonderful. I have a small one out at the SL Left Unity Network group's land where it has been for months now. It's free, however I do give that group a donation towards their tier now and then (that is from my own money btw, for those of you wondering).