Something all clans need, and so few are any good at. Attracting members can be a bit difficult, especially at first. With so many options in the clanning world today, you have to ask yourself what seperates your clan from any other. Put yourself in the shoes of a gamer wishing to join a clan, and compare yourselves with the competition in your game of choice. Does yours stand out? Do you appear organized? Professional? Identify the type of member you want to reach, be it casual gamer, hardcore gamers, or even a mix of the two. Through experience, a few ways I have learned to attract members have been:
1 – Have a well designed web page
Having a well designed web page in today’s gaming world is a strong asset to any clan. A webpage (especially a well designed one.) makes any clan instantly appear more organized and professional. Keep your news updated with the clans latest activity so potential members can easily tell that the website is updated regularly and that the clan is indeed still active.
2 – Join Topsites and forums
Join any sort of gaming topsite or promotion forum and let the world know that your clan exists. Ask your members to vote. Remember, no one can join your clan if they don’t know where to find you.
3 – ALWAYS keep your channel/server active
Potential clan members join clans for one main reason; to game. It doesn’t look good if half the time when they enter the channel/server it is unpopulated and barren. If you have to, throw a few bots up in your channel and at least make everyone feel like the channel is buzzing with activity. As a leader, even when your not gaming it is a good idea to just sit in the channel and say hello to those who enter and leave. Strike up conversation, make them feel welcome.
4 – Whenever you game, ask people to join
It’s that simple. You don’t necessarily have to go on long recruiting campaigns to meet potential members. If, during your game you run into a person who you feel would be suitable for your clan, just ask them. Tell them a few small details about your clan and see what they say. If it’s a no, its no big deal because you were just playing as you normally would. No time lost.
