The Up-and-Coming Guild Leader by irvys_girl |  |
So you've been sitting around, thinking, "Hey, everyone else seems to belong
to a really cool guild.
But none of them are exactly right for me. Why don't I make one?" Wonderful!
Organising your own guild can be both rewarding and fun. Unfortunately, it can
also be frustrating, especially if you find you have trouble recruiting members
or encouraging participation. Here are some suggestions that I have found helpful
in building a successful Neopian guild.
Theme
The first thing most people look at in your guild is its theme. Obviously,
this should be something you enjoy a great deal! It can be something NeoPets
related, like a guild devoted to Chias or to Rainbow plushies, or it can be
themed on your favourite TV show or series of science fiction novels. The possibilities
for themes are virtually limitless. Keep in mind, however, that there are umpteen-million
wonderful "gurl guilds" out there already, as well as guilds with themes such
as Lord of the Rings or Pokemon. If you still want to make a guild on one of
these themes, that's okay, but be aware that you will need to work extra-hard
to make your guild unique and attractive to potential NeoPets members. You may
find it easier to avoid these more common themes entirely an create something
unusual of your own.
Layout
Contrary to popular belief, it is NOT necessary to be an HTML expert to run
a successful guild. The NeoPets HTML guide and various other guides found on
the World Wide Web are more than sufficient for tutoring even the most rank
amateur through what little HTML writing might be necessary to create an attractive
front page. The appearance of your guild, however, helps attract members. Among
the most important aspects in this area are relativity of the links and pictures,
and the ease of navigating the page. A few pictures of your favourite boy band
are great, but don't upload your entire collection! Also, be sure you link from
somewhere that the images will show. Most free Web site providers, like Angelfire,
won't allow you to link to another site, so you'll just end up with a lot of
boxes filled with red x's. Quality of your content is more important than quantity.
Most people can find their own way to the Tombola, Soup Kitchen, and other important
places in NeoPets. Instead, use your guild page to display information about
guild events, links to your guild shop and/or homepage (if you have one) and
other pertinent links and images. Good grammar and spelling is also helpful!
Legibility is really the most important aspect when designing a guild page.
Recruiting Members
There are several ways I've found to be helpful at recruiting members. One
way is direct word of mouth, inviting family members and friends. If your little
brother or best friend plays NeoPets, invite him or her to join your guild!
You can also pay to have an advertisement posted, although this is generally
quite expensive. Making up simple banners that your guild members can display
in their shops and other pages is also a good way to get your name around.
The most popular method that I have seen is the guilds chat board, which is
usually full of three or four trillion people advertising their guild. You may
or may have luck in there, depending mostly on whether your guild is of interest
to the general population.
A few points to keep in mind, however:
1.) Stay respectful. If someone posts a search for a particular kind
of guild, don't post yours anyhow, just in case. You can't expect to be the
right guild for everybody, and it's rude to make them sift through a dozen guilds
that they know they won't like to find one guild that might suit them.
2.) Re-posting your message every 10 lines or so is unnecessary, as
the population of the room doesn't change that quickly.
3.) If someone asks you to rate their guild (as someone will eventually
do), either do so honestly or disregard the message. Posting a link to your
guild is not what they requested.
4.) You can advertise the features your guild offers, but beware of
advertising things like newbie packages and open council positions. It's very
easy for someone to join your guild just long enough to obtain your free items
and leave. If you want to give free items upon joining, I suggest imposing an
amount of time and a requirement of some guild activity before they receive
their packages. I would also suggest awarding council positions based on activity,
rather than just joining. It's hard to judge a person's willingness to help
out just by their joining, and you run the risk of having a council of absentees.
Hopefully this has given some pointers to those of the Neopian community who
struggle in an ever-elusive attempt to create a healthy, happy guild. Keep in
mind that your growth may take time, but eventually you will accumulate a fairly
well-sized group of people who are actively involved in what your guild has
to offer. Happy guild building! |
