I know the advertising topic has been done to death and I'm not entirely sure this is any different, but I'd like to ask what you, as potential members for a site (new or not) look for in an ad.

My site is an original fantasy. There's no plot; we have regular events and the odd quest here and there, but there's no overall storyline. People come, create characters, and get on with it. It's a bit like real life, in that respect, I guess.

Because there's no overall storyline, however, I've always struggled to come up with appealing ads. I'm never sure what aspects of the site to focus on when advertising, which bits are the most appealing. I don't know how to explain what we're about because the scope of the game and the setting seems so massive to me.

But a member recently admitted our current ad doesn't give the impression I want to give about my site. It's history-oriented and more about the creation of the world than about the current setting, so obviously I need to rewrite it. Except, rather than just blindly go forth and multiply, I'd like to have a better idea of the kinds of things that appeal to potential members, and what turns them/you off.

So... What do you look for in an RPG ad? What appeals to you the most, and the least? And... well, any other advice you can give about writing RPG ads, really. :D

Thanks in advance. <3

I think one thing you could do is ask your existing members what they would tell their friends if they were talking about your site; that should help some. I hate writing ads, myself, and I'm not sure I do them that well, but that's what comes to mind.

I just want it to get to the point. You see these ads that are a page of waffle about the plot of the site, and frankly, I can't be bothered reading that. I want to know setting, characters, era, powers, and if there's a plot I want it summed up in two sentences.

Personally, I don't enjoy reading through long RPG ads. Especially the ones with endless formatting and stuff... I mean, what's the point? Yes, it makes it look pretty, but I think extremely detailed ads can drive future members away, as they usually shout, "ELITE, ELITE!" So, I would recommend keeping your ad short and sweet. You only have to include necessary info, details can be cumbersome to read.

Well, hope I helped. Buena suerte! ^_^

I agree with the 'short & sweet' posters. I also check ads for spelling, grammar, and punctuation errors. One or two is okay, but an ad that's littered with them? No way.

And, by all that's holy, don't shrink it down to some teeny-weeny font size.

Yeah, i agree, my site also has "No plot" so i had the same problem but what i did was do some research, look at all the really popular sites and their ads, and look at what they have in common then make your own. I also think its vital to make your advert look "Professional" By making it pretty =] I normally put the header to the site at the top and then put the info below in short and sweet sections xD

My ad's pretty to the point, I think. People have suggested that it should be changed, but I don't think so, to be honest. It has a setting and a brief history. I didn't want to be too fancy with it. The only graphic I used was the header of the board, and I like the way it looks.

I like it short and sweet. I don't like to read through endless lyrics, because at the end of the day - the lyrics have no real place in the board. One or two relevant lines (total!) is great, and can add to an advertisement... entire songs just gets tiring.

I don't like changed colours and fonts made smaller. Changed colours can be okay, it depends on whether the advertiser has made sure that the colours suit the board. If you plan to do that, brilliant! Change away! If you're just going to slap your advertisement on a thousand boards without bothering to check... keep the colours out of it.

I like proper coding. It says you care enough to preview.

I also had a similar problem with Tally, as our plots are generally incidental and character/member created. Because I update Tally's ad frequently, I generally give an overview of what is happening on the board at the time. A few vague sentences, the current theme is oppression from the ministry and a little bit of murder.

Find what makes your board unique. Find what your members like, and find the parts you're most proud of. Find a twist that's happening on the board somewhere, and focus on those points. For Tally:

HP + non-canon + Australia + public school + ministry drama + two years old = advertisement.

Hope that helps!

Wow, thanks guys. *luffles* This all really helps! ^__^ I guess now the next step is to talk to the members and figure out what the appealing points of the site are. :D

I really appreciate the advice! ^__^

ETA: Ooh and Mousie, EF's two years old as well! (today in fact =D) Cheers! :lol:

I personally dislike it when the plot layout is so abstract that I have to actually visit the site and hunt around to find the actual plot. Maybe it's just me wanting everything clear as crystal, but if the ad itself is too complicated, I won't bother checking out the site. All I need to know is who, what, when, where, and why. Not how, because of, who's involved, the evil bad guy, the main rules of the site, the scenery, the climate, the culture...I can read all that in the forum itself.

This is so helpful XD I just revamped my own Advertisement by following this...

At the risk of sounding like a broken record, I, too, like things short and sweet. I have seen some advertisements doing "features" -- things that attract a lot of members and such... And I think that's a good idea. No Plot/Member Freedom is a good thing to put in the features, I think, because a lot of people like to roam around without restrictions on what they're doing. If it's a "No Plot" board, i think "Subplots" should be featured/emphasized as well for those people who like the idea but need/want a little more guidance in their roleplay.

:3 I hope this helps even more~

I like to see a banner over the plot. That just really grabs my attention, and no, I do not say this because I really love graphics :p It is eye catching, even if the maker isn't spectacular at Photoshop. Normally, one can get a sense of what the ad will read when they see the graphic, because normally the graphic will have the name of the forum in it & an image(s) that show what the forum is about. I do not depend on this when looking for forums to join, but it does grab my attention!

The format of the text is unique. You can almost tell what forums are real life by the way the ad looks. You know, the georgia font, the big heading at the top, little text for the plot, all lowercase, and centered. If I see something that isn't ordinary, even if it is very simple, I am more apt to check out the site.

I also like it when forums don't 1. Copy everything in their plot and slap it into an ad 2. Put the whole entire plot in the ad (sorry, this bugs me, I like summaries) & 3. have the link in the last line of the plot. GOSH, people, that takes forever to find! Anywho.

Simplicity - that's my game :D

XD I'm glad somebody else is getting help from this thread too!

Ooh, what do you mean by "features"? I think I might know what you mean but you never know. xD

Ah, I'm glad you posted. I was just about to create an ad like that (georgia, centred, etc) but from what you've said, that wouldn't suit a fantasy board like ours?

I wasn't going to have a graphic anymore, but I may have to rethink that now. ¬_¬

Thank you! ^_^

Well, it isn't that it's a bad thing, it just isn't unique. Seems like that's the big trend. Sure, do the georgia, center, etc. etc. Just bring something new to the table :)

I actually look for a lot of things in an ad. I guess I'm a bit picky, but I don't consider these too difficult to manage.

* I look for the ad to be grammatically correct, with proper spelling (or close to it, I'm not perfect, I don't expect everybody to be^^) and good writing. If the ad's writing isn't good, it's a good indication the site's writing won't be. Thats a seller.
* Pretty graphics are nice, but if they are huge and flashy and over power the actual description, thats a turnoff.
* The plot/description: it doesn't have to be a novel. If it's summarized into two/three well written and enticing paragraphs, most likely I'm going to be visiting the site. A lot of people feel that way. However, I love reading so even if it's long, if the writing looks good I'll read it and probably visit it. XD
* No freaky colors/movement/fonts. Just.. no. It's not necessary. Let the site's ideas speak for itself. It makes me curious why people feel the need to have neon writing and comic sans fonts. Not that theres anything bad with that font, but I like default fonts better.. they are easier to read and more aesthetically pleasing, in my mind.

Be wary of using Georgia for paragraphs of text. It can be very difficult to read. Example:

It's good for headings, but for block-text it can be a little wearing on the eyes. Optima and Book Antiqua (which I use) are much easier to read in big chunks.