Building community

From Second Life Wiki
Jump to navigation Jump to search
This article or section is missing vital information. You can help the SL Wiki by editing it.

This page is a prototype and has yet to "gel".


"If you rez it, they will come."

Or something that like — sure, you may've made a community building, but are you building community?

This page is all about best practices to optimize your Second Life locations with compelling content so they attract, sustain, and grow visitors. This is important whether you're running a business (like a club or store) or non-commercial venue. As Soft Linden aptly put it: "... building places, not spaces."

Note: Mentions of products & services are not necessarily endorsement, simply real examples of what's been accomplished.

General tips

  • DON'T SPAM! - What's true on the rest of the Internet is true in SL too. Don't hammer visitors with popup messages and ads when they arrive — it's overwhelming and utterly disgusting.
  • Use Second Life's unique strengths - We're an interactive 3D world. Don't sell a T-shirt with your logo and expect that to be the end. To be forthright: at best, you won't stand out. At worst, you'll be derided by existing Residents, then feel like blaming SL for your lack of success — when infact, you haven't used the tools at your disposal (this page is about making those tools more obvious). For instance, if you're a watch company looking to promote, don't just put a flat texture on a wall: partner with a skilled content creator who can make an impressive -looking and -working watch. Or do something physically impractical, like an island made of a giant watch. If you look at the most successful Second Life marketing campaigns, they consistently use our unique strengths.
  • Don't give away embarrassing freebies - Reinforces the above. Yes, schwag can be fun, but you also want it to represent your pride. Avoid 2 of the worst freebie clichés:
    1. A box full of jumbled stuff with no apparent purpose (useless because it's confusing and time-consuming) and
    2. A T-shirt w/logo. These are hardly ever suitable. Again, go beyond physical constraints. Be creative.
  • Learn from real-life "third places - Ever notice how Starbucks and Chapters have cozy seating? They facilitate conversation and hanging out. If you want in-depth wisdom on the matter, read The Great Good Place.
  • Make it clear how to contact you - Do you prefer IMs? Email? A webform? Make your expectations absolutely clear in your profile so you don't miss out on key correspondence. Expect that some people won't take the time to read and will contact you in undesired ways.
    • Edit menu > Profile and fill out all the details. Filled-out profiles are more "professional" and intriguing.
    • A popular message for busy shopkeepers is, "My IMs get capped. Send me a notecard instead." Or alternatively with hired help, "IM so-and-so for support."
  • Identify specific needs you have, then search for tools to fill them - If you're already familiar with shopping on the web, Xstreet SL is a quick way to get started. You can browse for goods, then have them delivered to your avatar inworld.

Types of tools

Group inviter -

The human touch

Advice on social interaction and how to be well-liked.

  • Learn about SLetiquette - MUST-read. Be acquainted with Second Life's manners & customs before doing business or otherwise reaching out inworld.

Optimizing navigation

Everyone was new once. If you've been in SL for awhile, recall your awkward first experiences, then make your build a joy to explore for newcomers and veterans alike. A build that's hard to navigate will deter people from spending time on your land. Here are some tips:

  • Make ceilings high and "phantom" whenever appropriate - The Second Life camera can be very difficult to use: low ceilings can obstruct someone's view. Generally, build broader areas instead of claustrophobic, camera-unfriendly rooms. Also, unless there's a good reason otherwise, make your top ceiling "phantom", which means it can be flown through. This takes some guesswork out of entering and leaving — buildings that "box you in" are frustrating.
    • Right-click an object to edit it, click Object tab, then click Phantom.
  • Also make windows phantom - It's usually pointless to make windows impassable. Remember that our avatars can fly and never die, so flying into a building through a window is far more accessible than entering through a door on the bottom floor, then having to fly up.
  • Consider whether you really need stairs and doors - Really beautiful stairs can add aesthetic value, but too many flights of stairs are inefficient to getting around. The same goes for doors which aren't obvious to open (optimally, both bumping into and clicking the door should open it, if it's not altogether phantom). This is obviously context-specific: if you're creating a Renaissance adventure and you've set the land to no-fly, your architecture should be realistic.

Usability tips

  • Use click actions - "Click actions" allow you to use (e.g, buy or sit on) objects with a single-left click, instead of right-clicking and selecting an item from the pie menu. That may not seem like a big deal, but there's a big difference, especially since right-clicking is relatively undiscoverable, and over the long run, gets tedious. Here's a video tutorial:
  • Brand your stuff - Consider using a short, identifiable tag for your items. A good brand makes you more valuable and easier for a customer to sort your stuff in inventory. Here's a video tutorial:
  • Include a landmark/notecard in every package you give away/sell - Helps someone find you after they've made a purchase or gotten a freebie.
    • To create a landmark, move your avatar to the desired location, then World menu > Create Landmark.
    • To create a notecard for text info, in Inventory window, Create menu: New Note.
  • Use SLURLs - SLURLs are like landmarks in that they point to a given location in SL. The difference is format: they're in the form of standard web addresses, which means they can be shared on any website, including a blog or Twitter.

RPG

Roleplaying always comes up, dude.

Related resources

Retrieved from "https://wiki.secondlife.com/w/index.php?title=Building_community&oldid=243873"