Comments on: The Soft Sell: Linden Lab Activates Affiliate Program to Attract New Users

By: Angel Smith

Angel Smith — Wed, 13 Jan 2010 07:21:33 +0000

With unlimited numbers of products to select from, we carry items ranging from pens, gift sets, cooler bags, drinkware, safety products.

By: Pierluigi Casolari

Pierluigi Casolari — Thu, 31 Dec 2009 19:31:03 +0000

We at Koinup applied for the affiliate program and we’re already running some display banners.

We’re also discussing with LL for having more banners and more sizes. They kindly told us that new series of banners are forthcoming.

Basically, I think that affiliate program make sense for websites that are about virtual worlds, but not specifically on Second Life. As Koinup, AvatarsUnited, Virtualworldsnews.com and many others

It also make sense for other websites based on specific vertical demographics: machinima, steampunk, architecture, etc….

If you have a SL blog, probably your readers are already all Second Lifers and its not by clicking trought the banner on your website that they’ll become premium. So it’s not for all service.

Regarding the results, I’ll tell you something in a few months. 5US$ for any Pro. It make sense and has good traction for website owners.

As affiliates, we ask LL a clear statement on what they’re planning for making premium membership more appealing to members and how they want to promote such features.

By: Dusan

Dusan — Thu, 31 Dec 2009 18:09:49 +0000

I agree, actually, this is ideal for a blog like Prok’s, Shopping Cart Disco, etc…but don’t you think that for it to REALLY work they need to get affiliates outside of the circle of SL and VW-related blogs? I see this as something for some kind of consumer game site or something. Whether they can attract affiliates in order to attract ‘new streams’ we’ll see – although maybe that’s what those youTube ads were all about (a test with more to come?)

Needless to say, it would be useful if the Lab actually told us. It’s frustrating to be guessing their intentions yet again.

By: Desmond Shang

Desmond Shang — Thu, 31 Dec 2009 17:54:22 +0000

If I understand the program, this may be exactly what they are trying to do?

I bet Prok’s blog alone would generate a fair number of happy Linden Home residents, regardless of the text next to the link. You know what they say in theatre about a bad review, but *with* a picture in the paper…

By: Dusan

Dusan — Thu, 31 Dec 2009 15:07:48 +0000

P.S. Are you saying the Lab should pay blogs regardless seeing as we’re one giant PR arm for them? hehe

By: Dusan

Dusan — Thu, 31 Dec 2009 15:07:21 +0000

Desmond – agreed. But I have to say, sending someone from this blog or Metanomics, say, to land in Help Island or whatever the heck counts as the new orientation experience isn’t my idea of doing a service to people. Maybe if it lands at the new ‘work’ hub or you could somehow have it specify a community gateway or in-world SLURL I’d be a lot happier to consider it. Mind you, the money won’t be much until premium accounts mean more than a new home and a little plot of land, but I have a feeling the Lab has more up their sleeves on that front.

By: Desmond Shang

Desmond Shang — Thu, 31 Dec 2009 06:53:31 +0000

I think everyone is missing the big, scary point right smack in front of all of us. Even the Lindens are missing it.

These blogs, forums, our personalities, you name it…*are* ostensibly the banner ads, even if we don’t intend it to be so.

Actually having a link to click on, just saves the effort of tracking down the ‘join now’ button, really. Maybe that’s important, maybe that’s not.

By: Prokofy Neva

Prokofy Neva — Wed, 30 Dec 2009 06:35:32 +0000

I saw this ad about 3 weeks ago, from some web ad somewhere, was it Facebook? I clicked through all the screens, and concluded I probably wouldn’t qualify because I don’t have Pollyanna content. I also just couldn’t get the registration on the link system to work, it kept telling me my browser wasn’t accepting cookies but of course it is set up to do that. I finally gave up.

But this *is* different than the refer-a-friend program which was simply quietly discontinued. For awhile, it went haywire, paying out over and over for the same referral. I kept filing a ticket about this, but there wasn’t a lot of interest. When it happened about 6 times, after about 6 tickets I got a cryptic reply that said when it was fixed, they would not tell me that it was fixed. Odd, eh? So the system was probably glitchy and shut down. There is no way to refer a friend now except through this new affiliate program.

And you’re right, it does cut right into the revenue stream of those community gateways, but hey, since when does Linden Lab worry about pitting one set of customers with perks against another set of customers with perks!

By: Dio Kuhr

Dio Kuhr — Tue, 29 Dec 2009 22:08:12 +0000

Hey Dusan,

yeah, I think in a lot of ways the preferable thing is go that route and not have ads at all–I will most likely stick with what I have now, which is just some Amazon widgets that I can fill up with books that are related to what I am writing about, sort of like your bookshelf element you have here

By: Dusan

Dusan — Tue, 29 Dec 2009 21:32:16 +0000

Dio – I really have this feeling that the program has been around for a while but has been spruced up with new images and a new page on the SL site. The shift, if it is a shift, or the launch, if it’s new, is represented, I guess, to its activation as a main button off the SL home page.

I agree with you on clause 2.2 – but I think the proof will be in the enforcement not the wording.

Also – I wonder, does the Lab itself approve affiliates do you think? Or LinkShare? I need to go back and read all the clauses or something, but who has the time LOL

Regardless, I personally won’t accept ads on this site…maybe Metanomics but we’re saving the banner slots for, um, Apple or someone.