As if the hustle and bustle of real life weren't enough, the booming popularity of Linden Labs's online virtual world phenomenon, Second Life has provided yet another way to put off that big project just a few more hours.
Second Life isn't just about wasting time, however, nor are its "residents" exclusively teens hunkered down in their parents' basements with Hot Pockets and Red Bulls - there may be real marketing potential for both for-profit and nonprofit organizations.
John Breyault and Kevin Reid from Issue Dynamics Inc. (IDI), a DC-based public affairs firm, invited us to attend an excellent presentation and guided tour of Second Life, providing an overview, debunking myths, and even offering some innovative strategies for nonprofits to tap into the 8.3 million total (500,000 active monthly) residents of Second Life.
Below are some important takeaways from the presentation. You can also use our our Social Netoworks ROI calculator to decide if your organization should make the investment in social networks at this time. You can download IDI's Second Life PowerPoint presentation here.
Who's on Second Life?
Second Life users are about 57% male, almost all have completed some form of higher education, and 38% are between the ages of 25-34. It's estimated that about 65 for profits companies and 32 nonprofits have a presence in the Second Life world.
Why could Second Life Matter?*
- Online communities are becoming increasingly more important to their users. About 43% of users say they "feel as strongly" about their online life as their offline.
- Internet users are beginning to migrate to virtual worlds - 80% of users and Fortune 500 enterprises will have a "second life" in the next five years.
- Studies show that about 20% of online community members take actions offline at least once a year that involve their online life. Also, about 65% of online community members who participate in social causes were new to them when they began participating on the Internet, and 43% of members participate more in social activism since they joined online communities (like Care2).
- Major funders are interested in Second Life. The MacArthur Foundation has donated $550,000 to the Center on Public Diplomacy of the University of Southern California for events in Second Life.
- TechSoup's Nonprofit Commons is really cool and helps nonprofits get started on their forays into Second Life.
Debuking the Myths Surrounding Second Life?
- Second Life is huge - or small: There are 8.3 million registered users and around 500,000 of them log into their accounts on a monthly basis.
- Second Life is full of mature content: only 18% of the Second Life world has been designated as "mature." There's a "Teen Grid" that eliminates this completely.
- Vandalism is rampant - Most sabotage is impermanent and can be prevented using land regulation controls.
- Second Life is easy to pick up: There is a significant learning curve and significant technical requirements (fast computer, broadband connection).
- Second life is expensive - or cheap: The cost depends largely on your goals. It can range anywhere from a free account that allows you just to create and join groups or $100 million that IBM spent to create an entire customer support island.
How Can Nonprofits Use Second Life?*
- Education: Second Life can enhance online and offline issue education platforms you already have in place with its unique interactive features.
- Recruitment: You can connect with sympathetic residents in Second Life to help raise your organization's online presence and build support for your campaigns
- Mobilization: Use the efforts of both the prior strategies to generate action in support of your organizational goals.
IDI hosts guided tours of the Second Life. E-mail or call for details.
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