• Promoting the Guide
• Attracting and keeping new readers
• Attracting and keeping new researchers

Promoting the Guide

Because h2g2 has so many capabilities, even seasoned researchers have difficulty describing it. To avoid being dismissed as a fan site, future promotional efforts should firmly establish h2g2 as a writing site building a Guide to Life, the Universe and Everything.

• Search engine results.
• An optional setting on BBC's Weird and Wonderful widget.
• A tie-in with the Hitchhiker's Guide To The Galaxy online computer game.
• The h2g2 Editors promoting the Entry of the Day on Facebook.
• Researchers talking about h2g2 on Facebook, Twitter, and elsewhere.

Search engines are very popular among internet users. Most people select from among the top results, so a high search engine ranking is critical to visibility and credibility. Search engine algorithms are closely guarded industry secrets, but tend to assign higher rankings to results which have better content. On the one hand, h2g2 may get lower search engine rankings once it loses its BBC association; on the other hand, the Guide is rich with original content and meaningful links which should dramatically improve its rankings.

BBC's Weird and Wonderful widget can be replaced with a h2g2 widget or RSS feeds that provide the ability to subscribe to the Front Page, The Post, the Showcase, specific writers' Guide entries,
Guide entries in a specific category or with a specific geo-tag, and
specific conversations.

The cult classic Hitchhiker's Guide To The Galaxy online computer game allows players to save their place during the game if they have a h2g2 account. Some gamers stay on as h2g2 researchers after solving the game's diabolical puzzles. We don't know whether h2g2 will be able to keep this valuable promotional tool post-BBC.

The h2g2 Editors, The Post, and more recently, the h2g2 Community Consortium have been promoting entries on Facebook and Twitter. Individual researchers also promote h2g2 on social networking sites, blogs, and by posting relevant links on other forums. After transition h2g2 volunteers can take over promotional activities.

Many promotional suggestions fall in the category of making it easier for people to share h2g2 information with the rest of the Internet, such as adding buttons so both readers and researchers can indicate they like a h2g2 entry and promote it by email or on sites like Twitter, Facebook, Digg, Reddit, and StumbleUpon. h2g2 could also offer such a button for researchers to post outside information back to h2g2. Other promotional methods include promoting a Guide entry every day (even if it isn't a new entry), press releases, paid advertising, publishing showcase entries in a 'Best of' book, and selling h2g2 merchandise, such as t-shirts and towels, through a variety of stores that provide links back to h2g2.

Attracting and Keeping New Readers

Readers find h2g2 using search engines or following links their friends recommend. By promoting the site in various ways, and optimising tagging, categories and genres of entries to ensure search engine hits, we expect that new readers will find the site.

Once readers have discovered h2g2, they should be made welcome and experience satisfaction finding what they are looking for. Retaining new readers depends on the quality and spirit of the entries, as well as on the spirit of discussions on the site. An onsite search tool offering the ability to search for and browse through all published Guide entries may help keep a reader on h2g2. A downloadable Don't Panic button that searches h2g2 specifically might help encourage readers to return to h2g2.

Internet users appreciate being able to like, rate, or comment on an entry without needing to open another account. If h2g2 accepts OpenID, readers can comment on entries using existing OpenIDs, such as WordPress, Twitter, or Blogger.

A well-designed front page, clear navigation within the site, and search functionality will all aid in retaining h2g2 readers. Being able to subscribe to h2g2 through various technologies will nudge readers each time there is new content to enjoy.

Attracting and Keeping New Researchers

Once a reader has found h2g2, we hope many of them will feel encouraged to contribute to the Guide. All current researchers should understand the success of h2g2 depends on increasing the size of the active h2g2 community. If no new researchers arrive, the site will inevitably dwindle. So, a positive attitude to new people, support to new writers and constructive criticism are key.

• Hosting writing competitions, particularly among schools, colleges, and library and bookshop patrons.
• Hosting photography and video competitions.
• Coordinating an event with NaMoWriMo and other writing sites.
• Providing opportunities for open source programming.
• Holding flash fiction competitions.
• Deliberately using memes when discussing topics of common interest.
• Submitting press releases to periodicals.
• Hosting 'bring a friend' events, whether on h2g2 or in person.

We believe new researchers tend to stay once they have a stake in the h2g2 community, such as being a valued participant in a conversation, a club, or having an entry accepted for publication. We must go beyond providing a newbie with a lengthy reading list of links to the h2g2 help pages. Efforts should be made to get a new researcher involved in h2g2 as a writer, a photographer, an illustrator, or a conversationalist.

1. Immediately upon registration, send out an automated email giving basic information about the site, such as logging in, links to Community Central, Peer Review, etc. The personal space default message should contain a back-up version of the email.
2. Within one day, ACEs greet the new researcher. Freed from the obligation to regurgitate links supplied by automated email, ACEs can offer personalised support and guidance.
3. ACEs visit newbies within days to ensure that the newbie is getting on okay. If there has been no activity, check to ensure the original ACE welcome message is still there and then just leave it. If there has been activity, leave a message and check their conversation threads to ensure newbies are okay.

Because some newbies struggle with GuideML, one area of improvement could be simplifying the process of opening up a new researcher's personal space. Other suggestions include an automated guided tour or an Aviator presentation and having all new conversations to Approved Entries displayed so a new user's posts aren't ignored.

We intend to survey newbies one month or so after registration. Site statistics will help us measure the success of recruitment and retention efforts.

We intend to survey newbies one month or so after registration. Site statistics will help us measure the success of recruitment and retention efforts.

Conclusion

Post-BBC, site promotion will fall to the h2g2 community as a coordinated set of volunteer schemes. Regular reviews of site statistics will allow us to fine tune our approaches to promoting the site, engaging readers, and recruiting researchers.