Camping

True. It doesn't matter if the business on the signboard is a direct competitor to your business or not. If people are shopping in your store and one of these silly looking people walks in with a billboard advertising something or other that catches their eye, your customers are going to click on the sign and go bye-bye. Especially if they have ADHD or something. Even worse, your less-than-bright customers might think that YOU are the one sponsoring the signboard because it's in your shop, and that you WANT them to click on it and go whereever.

This illustrates a HUGE difference between a branded t-shirt and a walking signboard.

*Don't think I'm picking on people with ADHD or something. If you must know, I speak from experience.

I would point out that the original reference to advertising was this:

"It takes a lot of work to make up a t-shirt with your business's name on it, I admit--but it only costs 10L to upload the texture. Do that. Make it copy/mod/trans. Give a copy to Yadni's and one to LL for placement in the Help Islands newbie stores. If you've got a good t-shirt with a catchy design on it, you'll find newbies wandering around the world advertising your business for you."

Not scripted billboards.

I've never seen anyone wearing a scripted billboard, but I'll take your word for it that they exist. However, I think people posting above greatly overestimate the likelihood that anyone would actually click on such a thing, or that they would TP to a given landmark if they did.

Actually, originally the thread was about camping, but we've moved waaaay away from that.

You should try to find someone wearing one of these things - it's rather cute in a pitiful sort of way to see some blinged out Barbie doll covering up her hoochie outfit with a sandwich board. I actually feel a little sorry for them, resorting to that to make a buck. And really, they don't know any better - they're just doing what they're told, finding populated places to stand around and advertise.

As far as overestimating the likelihood that people click on the things - well, advertisers wouldn't use them if they didn't work to some extent. There was another thread from a little while back that discussed this in more detail.

If they do perhaps you need to look at the quality & pricing of your product. You sound like you are afraid they will find better for less money.
In reality it shouldn't matter if the shop next door sells similar product.
They could see a butterfly too and chase it instead of buying.
What if they look out your shops doorway and see another shop across the road selling cars, better block your doors & windows off just in case better off make your shop a cube in the sky. Just because they leave it doesn't mean they won't come back.

And maybe if people hired newbies as shop assistants, then these sort of things wouldn't be necessary.
It 's alright for some people to throw $200k into advertising them eject & ban newbies trying for 8 hours to scratch up enough money to buy a $100 item the hard way, well at least you never have to worry about them coming back to buy something or recommending your store to anyone else.
I really would like to see warning signs to this effect in shops with this attitude, so I can choose to shop elsewhere.

It would be nice if Malls could be run by employee's and not just the one owner, such as having Live Vendors, Cashiers, etc. It would create a HUGE job market that even I would work in for an hour a day or so.

Some malls used to do something similar, employing newbies. This mostly ended when a few unscrupulous scammers posed as store staff and offerred to replace stuff for a fee.

Iwon was this thing where you used there utlity and it supposively paid you for cruising the internet, it takes forever to even get the amount to cash out and its basically I think utilitiy to harvest information it was something I like when I first got home computer over 10 years ago.
Anyway I would work for my money if I could using my own creativity and skill but sometimes I just need few hundred or more without the hassles.
I spend every dime I have on land and tier and I live below poverty level in rl.
I can't spend another dime then I have and thats why I camp.
The camping dollars I use are for new uploads for textures, art images that no one buys from except few friends.
It also pays for shop space and advertising that never brings in any sales either.

Really?
I didnt think someone who is below the poverty level could even afford a computer let alone an internet connection, so fact you are even playing SL means you are well above the poverty line.

Also whats the point of paying for shops and advertising if they dont even work, youd be better off without them and you qouldnt nne dto camp.

Are you trying to sell your own art, or images you've grabbed from the net?

Vale

FD sells his own art.