Getting people to join your neopets guild can be frustrating. Many players spend hours posting advertisements on the message boards with no results. There have to be other ways to recruit members for your guild that aren’t against neopets rules! Here are a few tips to increase your membership.
Signature Space
Every message you post on neopets message boards can have a signature attached. Why not use that space to promote your guild? Type your guild’s name and its URL as your signature. This way, you can reach members that might not read a normal guild advertisement.
To change your signature, hover over “Boards” on the bar at the top of the page, then click on “Preferences. Scroll down a bit to find the NeoSignature area. Fill it in and you have an instant ad!
Message Boards
You can spend hours on the ‘Guilds’ message board with no results. Many of the so-called “guildless” posters here are just kidding around. They have no intention of joining a guild, but enjoy seeing desperate guild owners begging for new members. This board can be a major time waster.
The trick is to go to other boards.
Never advertise on these off topic boards, as it’s against neopets rules. It’s also a highly annoying practice that only makes you and your guild look bad. Someone will report you for spamming, and rightly so. Curious people will click on your guild signature link without being prompted.
Instead, go to other boards and make yourself useful. Give good advice to newbies. Help others with Faerie Quests. Share tips on playing your favorite games. Never point out your signature or type the word ‘guild’ and you should be okay. Soon, you will get a reputation for being kind and helpful, which are good qualities for a guild leader to have.
Neofriend Only Auctions
This is a great way to provide a fun activity for your guild while recruiting at the same time.
Invite your guild members to be your neofriends, then hold ‘friends only’ auctions. Decent items, such as codestones or bottled faeries, create a nice buzz when they’re offered at a low cost with a 1 neopoint bid increment. You can use the guild neomail option to alert everyone to the auction. Compose your neomail, then go to the drop down box to select a neofriend to send the message to and you’ll see ‘my guild members’ there.
Now, the friend requests will start pouring in, but don’t accept them just yet. Send them a polite neomail explaining that you only accept friend requests from guild members in order to keep the 1np auctions affordable for your group. Then, let them know they are welcome to join your guild. An average of 1 in 9 will join. Most of them will stick around for a chance to bid on more cheap goodies.
Bargains
Another guild activity that brings in new members is offering a bargain sale. Ask your members to donate cheap or free items to the guild account, such as omelettes or Tombola prizes. Choose a date for your sale, such as the monthly anniversary of the guild’s founding, so everyone knows when the big day will be. Weekends work well for guild events, since the players are usually out of school or off from work.
Offer the donated items cheaply in your shop. You have already posted guild information on the shop’s blog, right? Also mention that the cheap items were donated as part of a guild activity. Every bargain shopper has a chance of seeing your link. They also know that your guild is active, and you help to feed the poor hungry pets of Neopia.
You can keep track of how many items you sell each time. Try to beat the total number of items sold each month, and keep your members posted. This keeps members motivated to continue donating their junk items. Use the neopoints earned to help fund the purchase of those ‘neofriends-only’ auction items, and watch your guild continue to grow!
