You have come up with a terrific idea for a new club... now what? Many researchers are puzzled as to how to get the word out to the population at large that they have a club lying about that the people want to be a part of. There are several very simple things a club's owner can do to get the word out...

Your Homepage

Putting an ad on your homepage describing your club is the simplest thing you can do, and should be the first. Visitors come to your homepage to see what sort of person you are, and are probably already curious enough to check out your club, if you give them a reason to. SInce your space on your homepage is unlimited, and you can control what is said there, feel free to be as simple or as elaborate as you wish.

Your Nickname

When you carry an ad with you on your nickname, people see it wherever you go. You could have started a club about aquarium fish, but be talking in a forum about politics, and someone who shares your interest in fish can see your ad from that politics forum. It is probably the most effective advertising tool in your arsenal. You're probably not going to want to be elaborate with this one... the name of your club and the Axxxxx location of its page should be sufficient to draw attention to it.

The Guide to H2G2 Clubs

The Overwhelmingly Huge Guide to H2G2 Clubs is beginning to live up to its grandiose name. The benefit to having an ad on that page is that it is permanently available, and it is one of the links provided to new researchers by the ACE team, so your ad is being seen by newbies who would not have been reached by your previous advertising methods. In order to be effective, though, you need to exercise some creativity. If your ad is uninspiring or uninteresting, people will assume your club is, as well. Remember, you write the ad for that page, and, aside from occasional grammatical corrections or possible editing due to excessive length, ads go up the same way they are written. This is a public service I provide to the community, but even my dedication has its limits.

Another handy community directory is the Quick Reference Guide. You can have your club displayed there, and you don't even have to bother with an ad.

Conversations

Nobody likes a random spammer, so posting a description of your club in random forums is a good way to turn people off. However, if you are starting a club for aquarium fish, and you happen upon a conversation about those silly diving toys found in aquariums, then you've found a related forum that probably involves the kind of people who would join your club. It would be perfectly appropriate to mention your club there. Another good tip is to look for Edited Guide entries on related subjects, and announce yourself in the forums attached.

Write for the Post

The H2G2 Post accepts content from any H2G2 researcher on any subject, and although they reserve the right to discretion on what gets published there, they seldom, if ever, exercise it. By producing a well-written article discussing your new club, why you created it, its purpose, etc., you can reach a large portion of the community for the week of its publishing. It's a good way to attract a solid base in a short time.

Word of Mouth

During my forays as an Ace, it has been my pleasure on occasions to come across the page of a brand new researcher who has posted something of a rant against organized religion as one of their first acts on H2G2. As the manager of the Freedom From Faith Foundation, I can see that this is an issue that the new researcher feels strongly about, and it is the sharing of this kind of sentiment that the Foundation was designed to support. In a case like this, I like to leave them a link to the Foundation, and if they peruse it and find it to their liking, they join. I personally executed few of the tips I offer in this article for attracting members, so the majority of my membership has grown through word of mouth, either by myself, or by other members.

So, back to the example of the aquarium fish... have you found a journal entry where the researcher is complaining about how dirty his aquarium is? You've found a potential member. You know that article about bottom feeders... have you contacted the author? Now, I'm not saying you should scour the site for anyone and everyone who might be remotely interested, but in the normal course of your H2G2 experience you are likely to encounter individuals who might like to join your club, but don't know a thing about it. Let them know in a friendly manner, and they are going to check it out.