A Customer's View of Merchant Promotions

Sounds like the overall consensus is to keep promo note cards simple, to the point, and include only a few items at a time.

Unless I thinks of a better word, I'll continue using INSTRUCTIONS - PLEASE READ for the products I offer that need such. (I appreciate the tip on the no-mod thing. I never used to set permissions on note cards, then read in a thread awhile back to ALWAYS set no-mod on cards, so I assumed that was the way to go.)

I did discover something tonight while continuing the note card weeding process (and probably something you all already know ) - let's say there are 10 items on a card, but I'm only interested to go check out one of them. (This is assuming it's not a special and/or I'm going there immediately.) With full perm note cards I can just delete everything but the item I want to check back on. I was so excited to discover that.

"instructions for Product X, please read" pretty please? Especially if it's the kind that gets handed over by a script and ends up in generic notecard folder?

I use a sort of home-made notecard giver, in conjunction with the lists generated by JVA Bot.. the system is Opt-In/Opt-Out.. so they have to click a sign and request to be added to the list.. and they can also click the same sign and request to be removed later.

The notecards I send out are ususally 1-2 products at a time.. and I limit myself to 1 per week, maximum. That's not too hard, because I rarely release more than one product per week.



Here's an example:


Sometimes I vary a bit from this format, but generally I try to stick to it. It's a pretty reliable format.. and useful too! I can take the text from these notes, and paste it into the Xstreet Listing, then copy-paste the instructions notecard.. and bang.. instant listing!

OH! and for instructions.. in fact for all "top level" elements of the product, I use the following:

ER Product Name [Image] <- Vendor image
ER Product Name [Package] <- The "Boxed" item.
ER Product Name [Rezzer] <- If the product (like a house) comes in a multi-part rezzer
ER Product Name [Instructions] <- The instruction notecard
ER Product Name [Affiliate Vendor] <- Affiliate Vendor for a single product

I rarely look at notecards when I get them, but I don't delete them either. I will go back and look at them when I have time, and I soooo wish people would date them.

I date mine in the name, so folks know when it was a new release announcement.

I used to do just one to a card, then did a few, then one, now back to a few, I guess it just works out to what I am releasing that day LOL.

I don't put all the colors, just one color then name in the text the other available colors, if I have any of them on special I will put that in the card too (and the price).

I am not fond of the ones that tell a story, or have those silly ways of spelling things, I prefer the notecards to be easy to read and understand, with pictures and the facts.

(recently I tried the "do more than just the facts" and it did not feel right to me

winter I like this part
"
You are receiving this notice because you clicked the "Join our Mailing List" sign at Eclectic Randomness. To manage you subscription to this mailing list, simply teleport to our shop using the included landmark, and click the sign again."

I might start doing that to mine as well, just in case folks want out of the group but not sure how to get out... (I do not want to make anyone feel like they have to stay in the group, the group is for those who want updates)

I can also put in there (since I use hippo groups) the website where they can manage all hippo groups they joined

I tend to name single notecards after the product they describe, with the word help tacked on the end, but if it comes as part of a boxed set then it makes perfect sense to just name it "help" or "instructions", and it's your own damn fault for not leaving it in the folder/box with a copy of everything else =P


actually there IS a very good reason for making them no mod... prevents people from redistributing them with altered text and your name as creator.... and I know a few vendors that use the creator data for secure items to prevent tampering. it's a good system if someone sticks to it.

Not a merchant, but as a customer it would help me to have the product name in the title as well. Something like CZARI WHATCHAMACALLIT GADGET - INSTRUCTIONS. That's especially true if it's a notecard the item gives out rather than one in the folder with the item. I'd like to be organized enough always to stick the notecard in with the item at the time I get it, but realistically I don't and then I'm stuck with it in the generic notecard folder.

I understand why a merchant would want to make a notecard no-mod, but I sure wish there were ways to rename a no-mod item in inventory. The best I can do is make a folder with the name I need (like the item I have labeled something like Fish #67, which is actually a table lamp I got in a fishing game...) and then I have a gajillion folders with one item each.

Thanks, Viktoria All my products on XStreet are boxed, thus the instruction card is in the same box as the product. For store items, some may be purchased "from the floor" as it were, but for anything that requires special instructions, I put a boxed version next to it with info to please purchase from the box (that has the instruction card).

But, I like using the name of what the instructions are for. Can't be too careful.

YES!!! With the flurry of cards I receive daily vs. when I get around to actually reading them...it could be anywhere from a day to 2 weeks.

/me makes a note to begin dating my cards

Hi, Nic. I mentioned above that all my note cards are actually in the box with the product, but since this is the second time someone has asked that the name of the product *plus* INSTRUCTIONS be used, I'm going with that. Thank you for the feedback.

As for the no mod cards, another poster above mentioned you can copy/paste the info to another card itself so you don't need a folder. In my inventory, I tend to group like items together on one card to keep my inventory small, ie. for landmarks, I have *one* card per lm category such as Dance Clubs, Jewelry, Schools, etc. Then I drag the lm onto its appropriate card and often make a brief note underneath to jog my memory. That has saved TONS of inventory space.

Heya Czari

I know you mentioned that your notecards are in the box with the product, I was kind of thinking out loud about notecards in general, because Viktoria's and Katheryne's comments jogged my mind and made me think about it. How you name your notecards is really up to you, name of product would be optimal for me but it's not a big huge issue, especially in the case of cards boxed with items.

It just occurred to me that adding an instructions notecard to the item's contents would be a good way to ensure that it stays available if the customer deletes it - I think that was mentioned recently, but not sure if it was in this thread.

Copy/paste and rename is a great idea for those no-mod notecards, and I think I knew it could be done but usually don't think to do it. (Unfortunately, it doesn't work for objects, which I know isn't the subject of your post, just something the unfolding thread made me think of.) And if the notecard was instructions for the object then there'd be two things in the folder and so it would make sense to have a folder and I wouldn't really have to change the notecard name...

You've mentioned pasting LMs into notecards in past inventory organization threads, and I have to say I am both awed and slightly envious of the way you keep up with your inventory. I've gone through recently and deleted scads of LMs either of places that no longer existed or places I no longer go, but I could stand to delete a bunch more. I started sorting the keepers into folders, but I need to follow up and do the rest. (On a side note, I'm finding I very rarely use LMs - I usually search places or creators and TP directly - but now I am really getting off-topic... sorry.)

On promo notecards, I tend to agree with what seems to be the general consensus - 3 to 5 new items, tops. If there are pictures of every single color, I'll open one or two but not all. Dates are A Good Thing, especially for sales or special promotions. I like hearing the 'fluff' about what inspired a new product, but can only take so much of it - if it's too long I'll skim or close the card 'to read later' which frequently turns out not to happen.

Anyways, I've gone on way too long. I hope some of this is helpful, just ignore anything that isn't or doesn't apply...

I just right click and check Properties, which will tell me the date that I acquired it.


I can handle No-Mod notecards cuz I can paste what I want into another notecard. What I absolutely hate is a No-Mod Landmark because then I cannot rename it and I cannot see any reason at all for an LM to be No-Mod.

Honestly, I don't either. The places that I go to regularly are in my Mystitool Landmarks so they are always ready to go. Places that I know who they are owned by (for example, just about everyone in the Advice on Sales Thread), I just pull up their profiles to go to their locations.

The lm's I keep on my note cards are places that I've visited and thought "I want to remember this in case I want to come again." Someplace I won't be going to weekly or even monthly, but I don't want to forget. It's amazing how even those types of places tend to add up...lol. But then when someone asks, "Do you know a good place for...(category)?" I can give them an entire card of lm's.

Brilliant! Thanks




Totally agree...what's up with that?