Attracting Guild members to my guild. - Guild Wars Forums

brianiangoodman · Sep 25, 2011, 06:26 AM // 06:26

I have been using Guild Wars for about four years now. Three years ago, I created a guild in my account. I did not want to just start recruit people I was unsure about. I want to know that everyone I recruit in my guild has a common interest with me and shares the same hopes and goals. Unfortunately, I couldn't figure out anything else.

Recently, I read that most MMO guilds have their own webpage, so I created a group on Yahoo Groups for my guild. It is everything I need to find the right people. There is description of guild and its goals on the main page, It has a forum for posting messages, it has a calendar for play sessions and events, and it has a poll that can be used for voting in Guild Officials. Now i just need to attract guild members.

Do you know how I can advertise my guild group page so that my guild; which now at 0 members, will grow? I already posted a Guild description with a link to my Group page on Guild Wars Wiki. Does anyone have any other ideas?

I hope all this effort has not been for nothing, for if I do not get new members into my guild with in the next couple of weeks, I might need to shut the group page and the guild itself down, as well as delete the wiki entry. I cannot spend an ordinate amount of effort on something that won't work.

Calista Blackblood · Sep 25, 2011, 08:01 AM // 08:01

http://www.guildwarsguru.com/forum/g...ment-f265.html

Spiritz · Sep 25, 2011, 08:13 AM // 08:13

Yahoo groups - i dont think many will join ( could be wrong tho ) as most guilds these days use either free webhosting or paid webhosting and set up a forum/website.
There is only 2 real ways that i can think of that will help with recruiting -
1. you have to go into outposts and advertise your guild .
2. Advertise here on guru in the recruiting section.

Now recruiting isnt going to be easy and most players will agree that if advertising in an outpost - dont spam the ad as that puts most players off ( eg every few secs you spam the message ).
You need to to do something like this example -
GURU - recruiting , lux , full gh , we do fow/uw/sc/blah blah blah ... you get the general idea.
You have to also be truthfull - advertising something wrong will make most times any recruits leave when they see its untrue - like member counts or things you do.

Recruiting sadly will take an effort - and often you can waste a few hrs with no recruits or just 1 or 2.

Some of us guild leaders dont always advertise - we sometimes see players looking for guilds in outposts and we try and recruit them but that way its a bit slow but its fine if you`re trying to get members slowly.
There is a lot more but i dont want to make a huge wall of text but what ive said so far is gd as a starting block to work on.

Malafra · Sep 25, 2011, 01:42 PM // 13:42

Just like Spiritz said other guilds don't use Yahoo groups but some other paid or free website,and if you want to recruit go to Kamadan or a large place,make an advertisement what you're willing to do with the guild and as Spiritz said if people see you aren't doing something you advertised they will feel upset and eventually leave,but ye you get the point.
Recruit Loyal officers that you know in game/or in real life that are good players that can easily help out and make some sort of speed clears for the guild or title hunting/vanquishing or such.Then when you see you have active and friendly members start doing things daily

.But recruiting is boring,believe me.....My record was 8 in 1 day

.But I hope you understood all this and i wish you luck with your guild.

Bristlebane · Sep 25, 2011, 01:51 PM // 13:51

The hardest part of starting a guild is getting the first 10-20 stable members. Before that people will most likely join and leave in days or hours. You must convince the newcomers that if they join, they should at least try stay for a week while others join.

Next part is to quickly start getting active, and that's where the nishe of your guild comes in. PvP? Get active in PvP. PvE? Start doing dungeons, vanquishes, zbounties, zmissions etc. Doing things together with guild members will bond them and make the guild more stable.

brianiangoodman · Sep 25, 2011, 04:14 PM // 16:14

I am sorry I did not mention any of this before.

I use yahoo groups for many reasons.
1. Yahoo groups provide a message board that people can use to develop friendships out of game. When someone sends a message to another, it goes to their email, so people can communicate privately with others.
2. People create a member profile, stating the name of their character, the towns the spend the most time in, and the days of the week they will available to meet other people in game. They can also add details abut themselves and put in a photo of their in-game character's.
3. There is a calendar for the group to use. I can use the calendar to post upcoming events and recruitment times and place
4. I can use the messages system to send monthy newsletters about the things I am pllanning for group the next month, and the lasted group news.
5. Yahoo groups allows me to use a group poll so that ask the group questions pertaining to the guild.
6. Yahoo groups also has an RSVP option that lets people planning play sessions with other members can determine who is going to be there.
7. Yahoo groups allows me to create a Group Moderator officer position to help me moderate the group so that I can focus more of my time in-game running the guild and my out-of-game responsibilities.

I don't know of any website that will allow me to do the above things.

Furthermore, I want to people to find my group page first and join the group before I meet them in-game to recruit them into the guild. I will also give a pass code so that when I do meet then in-game, I will know they are from this group. The group page also allow me to send group-wide messages which I will want when I start looking for officers. I will tell the group what officer positions I am looking for, and allow them to send me messages like job cover letter telling me why they want the position, what skills they bring to the position, and what they can add to the guild

This is not going to be a hard-core guild, it is a guild for casual gamers who want to meet other players to explore the game world, and with time, can develop friendships that last, It is a guild for exploring the world and completing missions first and foremost. Guild events like Guild Battles, Alliance Battles and others like them are just for extra flavor. Guild Events will only be held once a week, or once every two weeks. The group is a place where people can organize group sessions with other members and learn about upcoming events.

Brian Ian Goodman

Bristlebane · Sep 25, 2011, 04:37 PM // 16:37

Perhaps an easier solution is to try make friends with 5-6 people online you often play with, and convince them to join up under a common guild tag.

I previously explored the idea of having a pseudo-guild, which basically acts as a guild with forums, friends and activities while not actually being under the same guild tag. This would require a good website with a clear overview of communications, signups, events, and a clear agenda on what you guys want to do together. The advantage is people can join up even if they're already in a guild (which probably most people are), and it helps build friendship which might be the glue needed when forming a real guild later (say if someone gets guildless along the way, they might join up with friends or feel content just being in the pseudo-guild)

Mig Coconut · Sep 25, 2011, 04:46 PM // 16:46

From experience, only a minor portion of guildies will be active on forums; putting a lot of time into it has marginal effect. More effective is just use the guild announcements to schedule runs. Instead of forums, I'd focus on getting a ventrilo or teamspeak server. People can talk during runs and just chat when hanging out in guild hall. This is great for building up relationships.

In terms of recruiting, it's really hard when it's just yourself and you're inviting random people in Kamadan. I'd recommend joining some other established guild, gathering some friends within it and throughout their alliance, then splitting off and forming your own guild. Without 10-15 trusted people to start with, it is very difficult to attract and hold members.

Essence Snow · Sep 25, 2011, 05:06 PM // 17:06

^^ agree

plus idk bout ya'll but I already have enough passwords to remember...one for a site that i'll barely use is more of a pain than its worth.

like the others have said u need to get a core group of players/friends....thats the base on which to grow

doing things with those ppl and then random here and there...those randoms are going to be your best recruits most times

RegnorVex · Sep 25, 2011, 05:11 PM // 17:11

You've asked for advice and the community has responded that Yahoo groups is not an optimal venue for recruiting interest in s GW guild. You can try and explain all the advantages of using Yahoo but if Yahoo isn't part of the typical GW player's experience and expectations it won't matter how good it is, no one will come. There are several ready made guild hosting sites that already exist and provide all of the infrastructure you need, there is really no need for you to reinvent that wheel.

I don't have a major GW guild, I'm new to the game, but I've created and led many guilds on many servers in other games and I can tell you that the burden of leadership will significantly affect your ability to enjoy the game at times, so you should think long and hard about whether you are willing to continue to maintain the high level of commitment required before going down this path, because nothing will kill a guild like failed leadership.

Marketing a guild is like selling anything else, you need to articulate a unique value proposition. With thousands of established guilds that can provide many benefits to unguided players, why would someone choose to join *your* guild? You need to be able to answer that question. Maybe your guild is made up of new players who don't want handouts or spoilers and are looking to explore the world together. Maybe you are an experienced PvP player with a unique idea for an elite PvP squad, and so on. Somehow you need to communicate why players should choose *your* guild, how yours is unique.

Guild infrastrucure is important, but a unifying vision and player base is more important. New players will be more patient waiting for the infrastructure to be built up if they are excited about the guild vision and membership and will prefer that over having a ready-made infrastructure with questions about the vision and membership.

Guilds are inherently a community creature and very difficult to construct (let alone maintain) alone. Find some kindred spirits who can help *before* spending any more time on infrastructure and that alone will address many of the above issues.

Good luck!

AngelWJedi · Sep 26, 2011, 04:35 AM // 04:35

i find keep guild members harder then attracking them. ive been in many guilds where people tend to last a day or less. you should try making friends first and trying to get them into your guild.

Sep 25, 2011, 06:26 AM // 06:26	#1
brianiangoodman Pre-Searing Cadet Join Date: Sep 2011 Guild: Dariad Adventure Club Profession: R/E	Attracting Guild members to my guild. I have been using Guild Wars for about four years now. Three years ago, I created a guild in my account. I did not want to just start recruit people I was unsure about. I want to know that everyone I recruit in my guild has a common interest with me and shares the same hopes and goals. Unfortunately, I couldn't figure out anything else. Recently, I read that most MMO guilds have their own webpage, so I created a group on Yahoo Groups for my guild. It is everything I need to find the right people. There is description of guild and its goals on the main page, It has a forum for posting messages, it has a calendar for play sessions and events, and it has a poll that can be used for voting in Guild Officials. Now i just need to attract guild members. Do you know how I can advertise my guild group page so that my guild; which now at 0 members, will grow? I already posted a Guild description with a link to my Group page on Guild Wars Wiki. Does anyone have any other ideas? I hope all this effort has not been for nothing, for if I do not get new members into my guild with in the next couple of weeks, I might need to shut the group page and the guild itself down, as well as delete the wiki entry. I cannot spend an ordinate amount of effort on something that won't work.

Sep 25, 2011, 08:01 AM // 08:01	#2
Calista Blackblood Permanently Banned Join Date: Oct 2007 Location: Northern Ireland Guild: Nowhere To Run Nowhere To [Hide] Profession: N/	http://www.guildwarsguru.com/forum/g...ment-f265.html __________________ *The best goodbyes are like a knife in the dark: short, simple and to the point*

Sep 25, 2011, 04:14 PM // 16:14	#6
brianiangoodman Pre-Searing Cadet Join Date: Sep 2011 Guild: Dariad Adventure Club Profession: R/E	I have my reasons for using yahoo groups I am sorry I did not mention any of this before. I use yahoo groups for many reasons. 1. Yahoo groups provide a message board that people can use to develop friendships out of game. When someone sends a message to another, it goes to their email, so people can communicate privately with others. 2. People create a member profile, stating the name of their character, the towns the spend the most time in, and the days of the week they will available to meet other people in game. They can also add details abut themselves and put in a photo of their in-game character's. 3. There is a calendar for the group to use. I can use the calendar to post upcoming events and recruitment times and place 4. I can use the messages system to send monthy newsletters about the things I am pllanning for group the next month, and the lasted group news. 5. Yahoo groups allows me to use a group poll so that ask the group questions pertaining to the guild. 6. Yahoo groups also has an RSVP option that lets people planning play sessions with other members can determine who is going to be there. 7. Yahoo groups allows me to create a Group Moderator officer position to help me moderate the group so that I can focus more of my time in-game running the guild and my out-of-game responsibilities. I don't know of any website that will allow me to do the above things. Furthermore, I want to people to find my group page first and join the group before I meet them in-game to recruit them into the guild. I will also give a pass code so that when I do meet then in-game, I will know they are from this group. The group page also allow me to send group-wide messages which I will want when I start looking for officers. I will tell the group what officer positions I am looking for, and allow them to send me messages like job cover letter telling me why they want the position, what skills they bring to the position, and what they can add to the guild This is not going to be a hard-core guild, it is a guild for casual gamers who want to meet other players to explore the game world, and with time, can develop friendships that last, It is a guild for exploring the world and completing missions first and foremost. Guild events like Guild Battles, Alliance Battles and others like them are just for extra flavor. Guild Events will only be held once a week, or once every two weeks. The group is a place where people can organize group sessions with other members and learn about upcoming events. Brian Ian Goodman

Sep 25, 2011, 05:06 PM // 17:06	#9
Essence Snow Unbridled Enthusiasm! Join Date: Nov 2009 Location: EST Guild: DPR	^^ agree plus idk bout ya'll but I already have enough passwords to remember...one for a site that i'll barely use is more of a pain than its worth. like the others have said u need to get a core group of players/friends....thats the base on which to grow doing things with those ppl and then random here and there...those randoms are going to be your best recruits most times __________________ ~"Serenity now.... Insanity later"~

Sep 25, 2011, 08:13 AM // 08:13	#3
Spiritz Forge Runner Join Date: Apr 2007 Guild: DMFC	Yahoo groups - i dont think many will join ( could be wrong tho ) as most guilds these days use either free webhosting or paid webhosting and set up a forum/website. There is only 2 real ways that i can think of that will help with recruiting - 1. you have to go into outposts and advertise your guild . 2. Advertise here on guru in the recruiting section. Now recruiting isnt going to be easy and most players will agree that if advertising in an outpost - dont spam the ad as that puts most players off ( eg every few secs you spam the message ). You need to to do something like this example - GURU - recruiting , lux , full gh , we do fow/uw/sc/blah blah blah ... you get the general idea. You have to also be truthfull - advertising something wrong will make most times any recruits leave when they see its untrue - like member counts or things you do. Recruiting sadly will take an effort - and often you can waste a few hrs with no recruits or just 1 or 2. Some of us guild leaders dont always advertise - we sometimes see players looking for guilds in outposts and we try and recruit them but that way its a bit slow but its fine if you`re trying to get members slowly. There is a lot more but i dont want to make a huge wall of text but what ive said so far is gd as a starting block to work on.

Sep 25, 2011, 01:42 PM // 13:42	#4
Malafra Ascalonian Squire Join Date: Sep 2011 Location: ExYu Guild: WeGe Profession: Mo/A	Just like Spiritz said other guilds don't use Yahoo groups but some other paid or free website,and if you want to recruit go to Kamadan or a large place,make an advertisement what you're willing to do with the guild and as Spiritz said if people see you aren't doing something you advertised they will feel upset and eventually leave,but ye you get the point. Recruit Loyal officers that you know in game/or in real life that are good players that can easily help out and make some sort of speed clears for the guild or title hunting/vanquishing or such.Then when you see you have active and friendly members start doing things daily .But recruiting is boring,believe me.....My record was 8 in 1 day .But I hope you understood all this and i wish you luck with your guild.

Sep 25, 2011, 01:51 PM // 13:51	#5
Bristlebane Desert Nomad Join Date: Jan 2008 Profession: Mo/	The hardest part of starting a guild is getting the first 10-20 stable members. Before that people will most likely join and leave in days or hours. You must convince the newcomers that if they join, they should at least try stay for a week while others join. Next part is to quickly start getting active, and that's where the nishe of your guild comes in. PvP? Get active in PvP. PvE? Start doing dungeons, vanquishes, zbounties, zmissions etc. Doing things together with guild members will bond them and make the guild more stable.

Sep 25, 2011, 04:37 PM // 16:37	#7
Bristlebane Desert Nomad Join Date: Jan 2008 Profession: Mo/	Perhaps an easier solution is to try make friends with 5-6 people online you often play with, and convince them to join up under a common guild tag. I previously explored the idea of having a pseudo-guild, which basically acts as a guild with forums, friends and activities while not actually being under the same guild tag. This would require a good website with a clear overview of communications, signups, events, and a clear agenda on what you guys want to do together. The advantage is people can join up even if they're already in a guild (which probably most people are), and it helps build friendship which might be the glue needed when forming a real guild later (say if someone gets guildless along the way, they might join up with friends or feel content just being in the pseudo-guild)

Sep 25, 2011, 04:46 PM // 16:46	#8
Mig Coconut Krytan Explorer Join Date: Apr 2009 Guild: Gulfstream Owners Profession: R/	From experience, only a minor portion of guildies will be active on forums; putting a lot of time into it has marginal effect. More effective is just use the guild announcements to schedule runs. Instead of forums, I'd focus on getting a ventrilo or teamspeak server. People can talk during runs and just chat when hanging out in guild hall. This is great for building up relationships. In terms of recruiting, it's really hard when it's just yourself and you're inviting random people in Kamadan. I'd recommend joining some other established guild, gathering some friends within it and throughout their alliance, then splitting off and forming your own guild. Without 10-15 trusted people to start with, it is very difficult to attract and hold members.

Sep 25, 2011, 05:11 PM // 17:11	#10
RegnorVex Ascalonian Squire Join Date: Sep 2011	You've asked for advice and the community has responded that Yahoo groups is not an optimal venue for recruiting interest in s GW guild. You can try and explain all the advantages of using Yahoo but if Yahoo isn't part of the typical GW player's experience and expectations it won't matter how good it is, no one will come. There are several ready made guild hosting sites that already exist and provide all of the infrastructure you need, there is really no need for you to reinvent that wheel. I don't have a major GW guild, I'm new to the game, but I've created and led many guilds on many servers in other games and I can tell you that the burden of leadership will significantly affect your ability to enjoy the game at times, so you should think long and hard about whether you are willing to continue to maintain the high level of commitment required before going down this path, because nothing will kill a guild like failed leadership. Marketing a guild is like selling anything else, you need to articulate a unique value proposition. With thousands of established guilds that can provide many benefits to unguided players, why would someone choose to join your guild? You need to be able to answer that question. Maybe your guild is made up of new players who don't want handouts or spoilers and are looking to explore the world together. Maybe you are an experienced PvP player with a unique idea for an elite PvP squad, and so on. Somehow you need to communicate why players should choose your guild, how yours is unique. Guild infrastrucure is important, but a unifying vision and player base is more important. New players will be more patient waiting for the infrastructure to be built up if they are excited about the guild vision and membership and will prefer that over having a ready-made infrastructure with questions about the vision and membership. Guilds are inherently a community creature and very difficult to construct (let alone maintain) alone. Find some kindred spirits who can help before spending any more time on infrastructure and that alone will address many of the above issues. Good luck!

Sep 26, 2011, 04:35 AM // 04:35	#11
AngelWJedi Furnace Stoker Join Date: Sep 2008 Location: orlando,florida Guild: Society of Souls [Argh] Profession: Rt/E	i find keep guild members harder then attracking them. ive been in many guilds where people tend to last a day or less. you should try making friends first and trying to get them into your guild.