Ways You Can Help

[Mike]

It's inevitable, especially when starting a new site, that folks will want to know how they can help. While I'm hopeful that there will be a lot of opportunities to add moderators to the site later on, it's just not something that's needed starting out.

That said, there are plenty of ways folks can help the site, all of which can help bring in more members. The most important, though, is to just have fun with the site! No drama, no arguing...just a good time trading, collecting, and chatting about sports cards.

Be active!​

This is a great way in which y'all can help, especially while we're new.

• Makes some trades! This is the primary reason this site exists, is to add cards to our own collections, and help others add cards to theirs! Start up a thread, let folks know what you're looking for. Check out others' trade threads. Maybe you have something that can add to their collection.
• Start up some new threads for discussions. This site is much more likely to flourish if there is a healthy community of folks who just enjoy talking with one another. It doesn't even have to be hobby related. We also have forums for entertainment news, and for general sports talk. I think we can all talk sports, right?
• Join other member's discussions. New members are more likely to join us if there are engaging topics for them to reply to and a thread isn't very engaging if it's just the first post and no replies.
• Answer member's questions! This is a big one. If a new member (or veteran member for that matter) asks a question, and you know the answer, take the time to answer it. New members are more likely to come back if they find the answer to the question the first time they visit.
• Be friendly! Let's not be the site full of jerks. I'm really wanting this site to have a family-friendly, community first, atmosphere.
• Share your hobby experience! Show off your collection in the hobby showcase, tell us about your personal box breaks, or single pack pulls. Let us know about new cards you're getting in the mail for your collection.

Be mindful of search engines​

Sites like this, like it or not, really rely on search engines (especially Google) for traffic.

• Use good, descriptive, thread titles. The thread title, in most cases, is the first thing folks will see when they're searching on sites like Google. You're also more likely to get folks here on the site reading your thread if you use good titles. Using a thread title such as "Looking for 2024 Allen and Ginter" rather than "LOOKING TO TRADE".
• Especially when you're asking a question, think about what someone might type into a search engine, and use that as your title. Something like "How long to Panini redemptions take" is much better than just "Panini redemptions".

Spread the word​

There are so many different ways to do this, but here are some of the easiest.

• Tell your friends! Without a doubt, word of mouth is the best way to get the word out about a site you enjoy.
• Link to us from your blog, or website. I know a lot of members have trade sites, or personal blogs. Adding a link to use from there is a great way to spread the word to potential new members, but it's also great for the search engines too.
• Mention the site in your eBay profile or in your YouTube video descriptions. Basically, if post any kind of sports card related content, mention the site. The more folks who know about the site, the more likely we are to find folks who would like to join.
• Share our pages! Almost every page on the site has a "Share" block, where you can share that particular page on Facebook, X, Reddit, WhatsApp, and more!
• Share our business cards! Add our business cards to outgoing sale/trade packages, or give them to your friends. Ask your LCS if you can add a few to their counter, or bulletin board. Pass them out to folks you meet at card shows. If you would like some business cards sent to you, please send me a DM and I'll get some headed your way.

 

[Mike]

For those of you with a blog and/or website that has a sidebar, or side navigation, here's a banner that you can add to your site to help SCA get a few more visitors.

If anyone else is willing to help out and you need a different size, please let me know. I can also create some with light colored background, if needed. I'll do whatever I can do to help you help us!

 

[Mike]

I recently got a batch of business cards, and will be sending them out to folks who have asked for some. If you would like some to pass around at card shows, your local card shop, to friends, or even to throw in with your trades, DM me with your address and I'll get some headed your way.

 

[Mike]

Just wanted to reiterate a few things from this thread today.

First of all, I beg y'all to please not change the title of your threads to something such as simply "sold" or "delete" or "closed". The thread title is also used as the title in search results, and is one of the main keys used for searching. If you list something for sale, then eventually it sales, I'd recommend, or request actually, that you (please) leave the main thread title intact, and simply add "SOLD" to the end. If you're worried about future replies to the thread, by all means, report that thread and request that a moderator close it for you. There are plenty of us that someone should be able to get the thread locked for you pretty quickly.

If you want a thread deleted, please don't edit the thread to say so. First of all, it could takes days, weeks, or months before anyone notices that you've changed the thread title to "delete". Worse, it's possible that it's never noticed and that thread sits on the site forever. If search engines come across a page titled "delete", with zero content within that thread, it could actually harm the site's reputation with search engines, preventing us from potential traffic. Instead, simply report that thread and we can lock it for you instead. In my opinion, there are very few real reasons to delete a thread and, who knows, that thread (if it's not deleted) could some day be the one that someone found in a search result, bringing them to SCA, and potentially leading to a new member.

Please check out the following section in the first post: https://sportscardarena.com/threads/ways-you-can-help.112/#-be-mindful-of-search-engines

Also, this week I sent out the first round of business cards to everyone who asked. I still have quite a few more if anyone else would like to help pass them out. You can hand them over to friends. Add them to non-SCA trades, or sales, you make across the hobby. Ask your local card shop if you can leave some on their counter. Pass them out to folks you interact with at card shows. Whether you want a stack of 50-100, or even if you just want 1-2 to pass out, drop me a DM and let me know and I'll get some headed your way.

 

[Calsp3]

I will typically edit my thread title from WTTF/WTT during my set build to simply WTT when I am now just offering in trade. Is that okay?

 

[Mike]

I will typically edit my thread title from WTTF/WTT during my set build to simply WTT when I am now just offering in trade. Is that okay?

Yeah, of course. I mean, none of what I'm talking about is a requirement. It's just helpful to the site. Simply changing a few letters here and there won't effect much. It's more when a thread title goes from "Tony Parker cards for trade" to "delete" where there could be negative effects.