Running a Pack [a guide]

The Basic Necessities of Running a Pack
a guide for the new alpha

I thought I'd give out some pointers on how to run a pack, because there are just so many packs nowadays being made, which within a month are dead as door nails. We just don't need those. There's no system to remove dead/inactive packs in place, and they just create a big ugly pile of dead bodies mess. So before you decide you're ready to be an alpha, take a few things into consideration. After making a pack, realize what you’ll have to be putting in to make it successful, and not another rotting banner.

Before Creation

1. Is the account which is going to run this pack a high leveled one? Are you getting someone else to make this pack for you, or another account you own which is a high level? If you are, STOP RIGHT NOW. If you're not a high rank, it's unlikely you'll ever get any kind of respect from those you're trying to recruit. You just come off as looking inexperienced right from the start If you want high levels in your pack, you better be a high level too.
2. Do you have an idea what type of pack yours is to be? Is it role-playing? XP based? Just for chatting with friends? Or all of the above? Stick with what you start with, and don't jump around. The same thing applies with whether your pack is good, neutral or evil. We don't need anymore neutral packs that start with 'you are walking through a forest when blahblahblah'. If you want people to join your pack, it needs to be unique, and incite people to join.
3. Be prepared to spend more time on WH. If you're not going to be committed to your pack, don't damn well bother. We don't need more dead packs. Creating a successful pack is a TON of hard work and commitment. It doesn't happen overnight. Building a reputation takes a long time, and only comes to those who work at it.
4. If you can, have a partner in crime. A pack with two alphas is much easier to run. Even having a few 'second in commands' can make your life much easier.

Recruiting

1. People WILL NOT ask to join your pack right when it starts out, unless it's interesting. Don't expect a flood of requests to join, especially from any high level members.
2. If you're not willing to get down and dirty and send messages to people, it is unlikely that your member count or quality will increase. You're going to have to manually message people invites, telling them about your pack and why they should join. People are more likely to look at '1 New Message' than their pack invites page. ALWAYS CHECK TO SEE IF SOMEONE IS OPEN TO PACK REQUESTS FIRST. There is nothing more annoying than someone messaging you for something you have specified not to be asked about on your profile. If the person is actively looking for a pack, go for it! If they have nothing on their profile about packs, and don't presently have one, take a shot. They didn't mention it, and therefore have no reason to get angry about you for it. Realize that some people will still be extremely rude when it comes to invites, even if you're polite about it. Most often, people will ignore you completely. From time to time, you will get people who say yes though, and that's what matters.
3. Keep a list of people you send invites to, to avoid sending repeat invites to someone who has already declined.
4. Don't bother sending actual invites to people, most will just ignore them or not notice them. Message invites are the way to go, followed by an actual invite if accepted.
5. Be confident when you're messaging someone to join! Chances are, the person will be polite whether they want to join or not. Humor is a great way to get someone interested.
6. Always offer the chance to try out a pack; many people want a look at what they're getting into first.
7. Create a topic in the Recruitment Thread Not everyone is confident enough to directly message you, and posting in your topic might make it easier. You can also link possible members there for more information.

Role-Plays

1. This is an RP site, so your pack should offer a role-play of some kind. Set up a general role-play for your pack members, and create an interesting story line. People are likely to jump on board.
2. Make sure a few rules are in place for the role-play, to avoid any issues (ex. PG-13, two sentences per post, basic spelling, etc.)
3. Be willing to jump into the role-play yourself, you'll likely need to give the thing a shove from time to time. Having an actual alpha in a role-play can make it move much more smoothly.
4. Offering different styles of role-play is always a good idea. Try making different topics for advanced, anthro, or even human.

Profile

1. An organized profile is a great way to get people to join your pack. Supply all basic information here, recruitment, pack rules, ranks, etc. Make sure it's clear and easy to read. It doesn't have to be fancy, just well organized. Adding a couple little touches such as colour or a banner is always tasteful though.
2. Keep a saved copy of your profile. Pack profiles revert to HTML when saved, meaning when you edit it again, you're going to get a ton of code barf rather than actual information.
3. A tasteful banner is always a good idea. Make sure it fits the size 'limitations' of 400x75. Anything bigger and you'll be stretching pages, which just makes your pack look bad.
4. Provide quick links to things that might interest your pack, or possible members.

Current Members & Ranks

1. Keep up with who's active and who isn't. If someone is obviously inactive, remove them from the pack. It's like keeping a garden clean of weeds, and it makes your pack look nicer.
2. Having XP requirements for ranks can be a good way to incite people to level up. Offering perks for those at a higher level is also a good way to convince people to train.

Spending XP

1. Before spending XP in anyway, ask your members what they're most interested in having boosts in, XP, attack or defence. Then spend accordingly.
2. If you feel like ignoring the above completely, spend XP on XP boosts. >:U

Discussions

1. If you want people to remain loyal to your pack, you have to get them to like it. The best way is to become friends with your members. Chatting is a great way to do this. All packs should have a general discussion area for members to get together to get to know each other. This is a great way for friendships to form between members. And inside jokes.
2. An introduction board can be a good place for a shy member to first enter into pack discussions. Don't exclude people just because they're new, be quick to reply to what they say to make them feel welcome.
3. Be prepared to be the one posting most often. You're the alpha; you should be the one keeping the pack going,

Other Tips

1. Pack banners can be a great way to inspire pack pride.
2. Friendliness and humor can go a long way when it comes to recruiting and gaining loyalty.
3. Though leveling competitions may often seem a good idea, it's rare for them to be very successful. Try something simpler, like a writing contest, which everyone can easily enter.
4. Your pack isn't just your pack. It's your members pack as well. Be sure to keep us with their onions, and ask what they would like to see. Most likely, they have some pretty good ideas.

The Golden Rule

You have to be a member of your pack, before you can be an alpha.
You can't be the all mighty king whom is never seen except on rare occasions. You have to get as much into your pack as your members, whether it's through role-play or pack discussions. You're the one who has to push these two into being active. If you're not posting in them, then why should anyone else be? People act by example, and if you want your pack to succeed, you have to prove you're loyal to it, and your members.