Guild Advertising Advice

First, let's start off simple. Advertising, as it stands, is the act of putting your guild in the limelight, summarizing every aspect of your guild and why to join with a unique message or messages in an attempt to gain a certain quantity of members.

That seems simple enough, doesn't it? A few words, symbols, and links posted on the guild board in order to get people to join, thus meeting your member quota and probably getting you a nice promotion or recognition at your guild.

But (and Rhinolab would like everyone to know that he is not in any way involved with my articles anymore), what good does that really do?

Today, my neo friends, my fellow Neopians and my fellow board advertisers, I shall reveal to you my personal secrets for getting people to join a guild. They are tested and proven to work, and, as such, listening to them and taking them into consideration is a very good idea.

The first tip I have for you is so important, so very essential to your advertising that if you don't read ANY other part of my article, read this. NEVER GET RUDE.

Rudeness is the absolute worst quality to demonstrate while advertising. No Neopian deserves to be senselessly or unfairly bashed as they search for a guild home. We are all family (Moneybagsreturns slapped his tail excitedly when I said that), and, as a family, we are all responsible for the well being and safety of each other. As such, when advertising, be sure to be fair, honest, kind, and polite.

My second tip is something that should be done out of common courtesy and common sense. Stay and chat on the person's board.

If you just tell someone to "join my guild!" and leave, why would they really want to? The player probably wants to get to know a little more about your guild and you as a person (as you are a member and can clearly indicate what type of membership the guild has) and sometimes you offend people by not staying and chatting. Also, on top of getting to know that person and seeing if they are what you would like for your guild, you get to meet more people who stay and chat, and eventually it turns into a big Neofriend fest. Who doesn't like meeting new Neofriends? Your pets will love you for it and you will either get a new member or make a TON of new friends.

The third and final tip on my list of suggestions is the most sincere and compassionate. Help them find the guild that is right for THEM. Moneybagsreturns says this is what keeps him happy with me, so I shall share it with you.

After you come to a board WITHOUT copying and pasting, after you stay and chat and make new friends, there comes the time when the person is deciding which of the many guild will suit his or her needs, as well as the needs of his or her pets. If you're lucky, the player will pick your guild to join, and you, as a good member and good new friends, will introduce he or she to everyone and make them feel at home. But, and this has to happen as there as so many guilds in Neopia, sometimes the player will not pick your guild. Sure, it's a bummer, and you may feel discouraged. But never make discouragement anger, it is not a good policy at all and it only puts a bad image on you, your guild, and your pets.

What I suggest you do is help them find a new guild. Help them search Neopia for the guild you think will best help them and suit their wants and desires, and do whatever it takes to get them in if requirements are necessary. Not only will that person then be an even better friend to you, but when the chatting at the boards stops, when all is said and done and you and your pets are on your way back to the guild after a long day of advertising, you will feel good about yourself, happy, accomplished, and nice. Everything will look different to you because you will look different to everything. When users and pets and petpets say your name on boards, it will only be good words. They will say how nice you are, and how much they're glad they met you, and how much you mean to Neopia. It is truly, truly a great feeling to help anyone out in any situation, especially during the Month of Celebrating.

In a way, advertising on the guild boards has now become about copy and paste ads, boards with massive amounts of the same post. And while this may be effective in spreading the word about your guild, it can be topped by getting personal with the Neopian you wish to refer.

Advertising truly is, you see, is finding a guild board, checking to see if you meet the requirements that member seeks, and then holding a good, decent conversation with the person and anyone else who stays. When the board gets loud and hyped with the messages of users and the sound of their pets making conversation, the time will come for the person to decide who to join, and if it's you, great, and if it's not, helping them find another guild is the best policy.

My friend Dany and I call this method "Chat-A-Tising." Copy and paste is acceptable and decent and, at times, very effective, yes, but follow up with a good conversation. :)

I wish everyone good luck with their advertising and good luck meeting new friends. (All of my pets are extremely happy that I am done with this article. They claim that I stay up too late scratching my thoughts down with my Neopian Times Quill.)