Many brand initiatives in Second Life focus on the brand itself and not the consumer (see rule four on page three). Yet, creating social experiences will make your investment sustainable and keep people coming back. If you prompt consumers to engage with each other in addition to your brand, you will create a richer experience. By opening a forum for conversation you may also glean useful consumer insights.

Joseph Jaffe and his band of Crayonistas -- as they are called in Second Life -- are all products (and leaders) of the social media revolution. This is apparent in that Crayon produces a blog and a podcast from within Crayonville, their island in Second Life. While these tools are not indigenous to Second Life, Crayon is doing many conversation-based activities there, including:

• A CGC (consumer-generated content) theater has been built (although it is not yet launched) that supposedly will house consumers' creations.

• On December 14, 2006, Crayon held a Casecamp, where avatars were invited to share ideas.

By housing consumer content and holding an ongoing forum through events, Crayonville will certainly become a haven for forward-thinking marketers and advertisers. On a personal note, I have already made substantial business connections at Crayonville.

Don’t forget to foster and be a part of the conversation. Your brand will thank you for it!