The last time we talked about marketing in Second Life (SL) I proposed some reasons why, despite the detractions, I think it’s important for companies to consider creating a virtual world presence. Since then, two major things have happened: First, Second Life has grown immensely. And second, the inevitable media backlash has begun. Neither has changed my mind about marketing in Second Life.

Let’s talk about the media backlash first. Time magazine recently named Second Life one of their “Five Worst Websites” for 2007. Other selections were eHarmony, MySpace (which, it might be noted, Time named one of the 50 coolest websites of 2006 – alas, ye fickle finger of modern media!), Meez and Evite. Even a cursory glance can determine what all these sites have in common: they’re all wildly popular and have had significant positive media attention in the past.

Time’s criticism is, essentially, a bit of journalistic petulance. SL is “slow to load,” creating an avatar is “tedious” and learning to move about in SL has a learning curve that’s “simply too steep.” Then there are the dangers: “And there are crazy people around every corner — disruptive types that spread graffiti and get in your way and throw you off your groove.” Perhaps it is the self-flagellating nature of old media reacting to what it perceives as complicity in these sites’ burgeoning popularity, but the fact remains that the article displays more ignorance than insight about SL.

Come back next Monday for Part 2 … and come see us in Second Life!