How to Save a Dying Kinship

Earlier this evening, a fellow Evernight Kinship Leader sent me this /tell concerning the activity of her kin.

Anonymous* tells you, 'I know you're the leader of Stormborn but from one kin leader to another (this is a new alt for me)... I'm having a hard time to keep the conversation/and activeness up recently in my own kin. We have about 40 active members right now... could you give me any advice on that I'm at a loss at this point?'
*name has been edited.

If all you have is NPC cats for company, read on.

Cats don't count as kinsmen, folks!

With a small server population comes the inevitability of dying kinships. Fewer members log in, the officers haven't recruited to compensate, and so the members who are left feel disenchanted with no motivation to visit a once thriving atmosphere in Middle Earth.

How do the remaining members not give up hope? Their kin was once a beacon of hope, now looking back on the good ol' days. Make sure your old memories of your kinship does not interfere with building it back up again. Every kinship has had its arguments, fall outs, people leaving and general "bad times". But that is no reason to quit on a kinship.

My biggest regret in the past 4 years of playing Lord of the Rings Online was disbanding my first kinship.

"Equus Ferus Caballus, no kinship as fabulous!"

If you are a member, officer or kin leader, this advice should help you regardless of position. I wish I had known this information when I was younger.

First of all, look at why the kin became inactive. Was it inactivity of the leader? Maybe kinship drama split up the team. Sometimes it is a slow process that goes unnoticed. The important thing now is that you are aware of the problem and want to rebuild to your former selves. Write down why you became inactive.

"No Gimli, I don't see any of my kinsfolk either..."

Secondly, create a website. If you already have one, change its themes and designs so it feels new. You want to work on a side project that helps build your kin. Add kinship news to it when appropriate. Make sure your kinsfolk use it.

Thirdly, get Skype or TeamSpeak. Just use some method of clear, vocal communication. Kinships are all about socialising, and the more confident you are over the mic, the more you can really understand your fellow kinsfolk.

Lastly, recruit like mad. Recruit like you have never recruited before. Recruit like your homework is due in 15 minutes and you're drinking your fifth energy drink. RECRUIT!

Yes that's RedBoar. Like RedBull but Middle Earth appropriate.

Methods of recruiting:

Adverts
-As stated in my previous article you will need to use the OOC and World Chat channels to your advantage.
-Make your adverts stand out from your competitors. This means being unique, funny and witty.
-Use the social panel to look at unkinned players. The lower the level, the better.
-Use your knowledge of the game. Eg: Beorning class has just opened. I made an advert purely by writing in growling and grring, and we had 10 new Beornings join us within half an hour. Be clever.
-Plugins are good. Don't over use them. ChatEdit (colour changer) is handy but make it unspammy as possible.

Individual Messages
-See unkinned players running around? Speak to them! Compliment their outfits and steeds!
-ALWAYS say their name when sending them a tell. Eg: Hello Hannihr!
-Be polite and always thank them for their time when they say they do not want to join. That shows you actually cared for their answer more than just for getting them to join.

Fresh meat!

Keeping Them In
The newer the player is in the kin, the more likely they are to leave for any reason. This means keeping them in the kin by making them feel committed. Do this by:
-Sending them a mail, welcoming them into the kin. This will do wonders.
-Ensure you welcome them as soon as they join. This means they will welcome other players when they join, too.
-Invite them to join your website immediately. This will make them feel like they are committing to something.
-Set up a weekly timetable. It keeps things regular.

What to Avoid
-To quote a rather witty, British politician of the 1940s, "Never, never, never give up".
-New members who cause drama, kick 'em quick.
-Confrontation. Keep it out of the kin.
-Going offline for too long. Keep up to date with your kinnies!

I hope that this article helps you. If you have any questions, comment below.

See you in game!