Building a Successful eBay Group
by Maeve
eBay Staff Member

"Problems are only opportunities in work clothes." - Henry J. Kaiser

eBay Groups provide our members with a myriad of opportunities to connect with other members who share similar interests. eBay members with diverse interests and lifestyles have found other people with similar interests on eBay Groups. In this month's column, I want to share some suggestions from some of our Group leaders about creating and growing eBay Groups.

Before I do that, let me give you a bit more detail about eBay Groups.

Whether you are a SAHM (Stay At Home Mom) or are fascinated by antiques or other collectibles, chances are that you'll find an eBay Group where you can talk about your unique interests. Members have put eBay Groups to a creative array of uses – for example, to seek and share advice about their eBay businesses, to meet other eBay members in their local communities, or to share knowledge about collectible categories they are interested in.

eBay Groups has hundreds of choices to appeal to your interests. Here are a few examples:

• Collectors Clubs – Members come together in these groups to discuss pottery, trading cards, antiques, sports stamps, and many more collecting interests.
• Mentoring Groups – Members in these groups learn tips and tricks of buying, selling, or other aspects of doing business on eBay from more experienced members.
• News & Events – The groups in this category help you stay abreast of eBay happenings, the latest announcements, upcoming workshops, and even inform you when a new edition of The Chatter newsletter is published.
• Regional Groups – These groups provide ways for you to interact with people in your area.
• Seller Groups – Here's where you can get together with successful eBay sellers to get insights into tools and strategies to make your business grow.
• Special Interest Groups – You'll probably find a group of people who share your own unique interests.

If you can't find an eBay Group with a theme that you are looking for, consider starting your own specialized group. Remember, to start your own group, you only need a feedback score of 50 or more and need to have been a registered eBay member for at least 90 days.

While it's easy to create your own Group, it's important to keep the momentum going by jump-starting it for active participation. A few of our enthusiastic group leaders shared their ideas about starting a new group, increasing participation, and keeping the flow of ideas going.

“Every group needs something that is diverse in interesting topics. What appeals to you may not appeal enough to someone else in the group that they post a response to it. Find some interesting topics, like some quizzes to post, or do riddles, have a game or two, or have a contest winner be the group moderator for a day. Or give a prize. Sharing stories about your pet is usually always a hit. Favorite recipes are also another hit among some groups. It really doesn't matter what you have going, as long as it is interesting enough to enough members. Send out a group email to let people know what you are doing.

“In my group, it helps to have a variety of threads. For example our different threads, Good Morning, The Gazebo (where we chat), Funnies, Trivia Questions, Night Owls, Gif Station (park your gif's here or snag one) will get you started on a variety of topics. Putting out a welcome thread is good too. Just get creative in what you would want to discuss, or what you think would be of interest to others. As new members appear, your discussions may change. I delete old out-of-date discussions. It is just a way of keeping things tidy.”
1lilbirdy2

“We need to remember that it is not the numbers that really matter. It is what we are inside that counts. It doesn't matter how big the group is, but quality of the interaction. If you concentrate your zeal on relating with all your heart to the members already there, instead of your imagined 'Group of the Future‘, you'll be building on a firmer foundation! Group size does not bring true success. But being appreciative of the new friends who were brought into the group, who allowed you to get to know them, does.”
rsvp!

“I think all groups have their ups and downs. Times when people are more active and times when they're less active. Seasons, holidays, deaths, births, family occasions, troubles, are some of the reasons for these ups and downs. I think that the group will grow as long as the leader tries to keep things fresh and gets help from some moderators with fresh ideas. One thing I am doing consistently is a brief monthly newsletter.”
celticwoman53

“The positive thought that is posted every day on the front page of this group is nice. One of the members stepped up to the plate to start this thread in our group. Another lady stepped up to do inspirational thoughts. So now we are feeding minds and spirits with good things. Another one volunteered to do eBay Store tips three times a week. Another one does 'Good Morning!' and starts us off with something cheerful like donuts and coffee. By encouraging 'ownership of a topic,' I am encouraging the ladies to invest themselves in the group. The more that participate and care, the better the balance will be.”
mellfan

“Over the years I have hosted and managed many forums, discussions, groups, etc. It was a never-ending battle trying to draw out the members to participate. I think, in the long run, it's better not to worry about it. As leaders, we can only do our best by welcoming new members, creating interesting discussions, encouraging members to start discussions and try to keep the flow going. And all of this can be managed a lot easier if you have good moderators to help out.”
craftingpeg

To encourage more participation, I posted photo albums of my own collectibles (and items I have for sale), as a starting point to get others to do the same.”
tamara719

“I inherited a small group, ‘Antics For Artists.' We have around 40 members. The idea behind it was to have a sort of 'playtime' group for artists and artisans, where you could take five or ten minutes off for a game, puzzle, contest, joke, etc and 'recharge‘, so to speak. Anything that could help us create more art to sell on eBay. (Hey, come by if you'd like to play Scrabble with us! I'm setting up a tourney now).”
veruka_salt

“Well, a lot of us were involved in other art groups, several actually, and we thought it would be fun to just have a place for the girls to go and be chatty! Something that the non-female members in another group had complained about. I wanted to start a laid back group where you didn't have to feel compelled to constantly talk about selling art or the business dealings on eBay! (Although this is fully encouraged). We are still artists trying to make a living at our craft. If you wanted to start a thread about some new shoes you just bought at the mall, or the latest episode of Survivor or how cute you think Johnny Depp is....great!!! Also, a couple of us have jealous husbands who didn't like all the time we were spending talking to other men online, so I thought I would start an all girls group. It's been a blast!”
pera_verde

“I created a group for Super Nintendo Video Game Collectors. I have 22 members so far. It is easy to find members to invite, all I have to do is invite those who sometimes spend insane amounts of money on Super Nintendo video games and systems.”
v1rich

“I started a group called Art, Coffee & Chitter Chatter. It is for artists, craftspeople, doll makers, sculptors, etc. Or just for people who like to be around creative thinking people. We are a super relaxed, friendly, eclectic group full of energetic, inspirational, and motivational members.

“Once a week we do a thing called 'Share Your Endeavor.' I mainly started that to get members who wish some day to sell their own art and crafts to get over the fear of sharing and tell us about their work. It isn't a contest; it is purely for fun and for getting to know each other through what we decide to share with others.”
ravenhawke_02

“A group of us from the Hobbies & Crafts Board created Crafters' Cafe in November 2003. It is going really strong with some great moderators and members. I love interacting with everyone. We have every type of discussion you can imagine – games, help threads, vent threads, etc. I just happen to be the leader. I log in three or four times a day to see what is happening and what approvals are needed.”
don_mae

“I started a group recently in the hobby category: ‘1/43 Handbuilt Builders and Collectors.' So far it's a small group, about 30 members. I'm new at running a group, but I already know most of the members since I've dealt with them as either a seller, or buyer. I want the group to be a place where folks with the same interests could stop by when browsing and catch up with news and maybe get some help with a project they're working on.”
bobbuildone

We'd like to thank all our contributors and other eBay members for their generous contributions of time and expertise in helping others succeed on eBay.