THE UNOFFICIAL GUIDE TO BUILDING YOUR BUSINESS IN THE SECOND LIFE® VIRTUAL WORLD

New AMACOM book shows readers how to market and sell your product, services, and brand in-world.

A virtual, three-dimensional “world” that exists on the Internet and is populated by tens of millions of people, Second Life® is an environment in which users—known as residents and represented by their own personal avatars—buy and barter in much the same way they do in real life. They network with others, buy and sell products and services using real currency…and are just as open to advertisements and marketing as they would be walking through a mall, down the street, or sitting in front of their televisions. A melding of computer programming, online entertainment, graphic arts and unleashed imagination, VentureBeat estimated that Second Life® exchanged over $360 million US dollars in virtual good and services in 2008, not to mention the real life products that were bought and sold there. And for savvy businesspeople, it represents a golden opportunity to market a brand, network, advertise products, and create a very real income stream.

THE UNOFFICIAL GUIDE TO BUILDING YOUR BUSINESS IN THE SECOND LIFE® VIRTUAL WORLD: Marketing and Selling Your Product, Services, and Brand In-World (AMACOM 2009) by Sue Martin Mahar and Jay Mahar is a comprehensive, in-depth guide to the wealth of opportunities in this exciting new marketplace.

“Second Life means different things to different people,” explain Sue and Jay. “For some the name suggests a detached cyber existence in which people leave the real world behind, trading their everyday interactions with virtual ones.” But that’s not true for most residents: “These people enjoy global interaction and this 3-D interactive virtual world is what you make of it, so the residents have chosen an open, inclusive lifestyle.”

And these residents are open to companies too! THE UNOFFICIAL GUIDE TO BUILDING YOUR BUSINESS IN THE SECOND LIFE® VIRTUAL WORLD shares relevant examples of well-known companies and individuals who have discovered the enormous potential of Second Life®, from IBM creating a collaborative virtual workspace, to Princeton University offering Second Life® classrooms, to Kraft foods creating a Second Life® supermarket featuring over 70 new foods and beverages. Readers will find out about publishers who have hosted author events "in-world," and companies that have gotten into the mix by purchasing land and building stores so they can interact with customers, unveil new products, and even provide customer support. And that's just the start.

THE UNOFFICIAL GUIDE TO BUILDING YOUR BUSINESS IN THE SECOND LIFE® VIRTUAL WORLD reveals the best ways to make money using the hottest virtual world.

About the Authors:

Sue Martin Mahar (SL Nasus Dumart) is a respected resident of Second Life® and a freelance writer. Jay Mahar (SL Apple MacKay) is an innovative technology expert with valuable skills in 3-D building and design, marketing, social networking, web infrastructure, and project management. Jay is often the person people turn to for business building advice in both real life and Second Life®. Jay and Sue Mahar live in West Orange, New Jersey. Visit Molaksey’s Pub (http://molaskeys-pub.com/) to learn more about Sue and Jay in Second Life®.