Now that más clubes have the ability to create official icono & banner picks, I thought my link on the subject could use a little revision.

Why does it matter, tu ask? It's important to remember that fanpop is a community, and should do things as a group. Randomly starting a encuesta for a new icon, banner o background is rude to other club members. Making iconos and banners takes time, and the first options (likely made por the person who started the poll) are dado the unfair advantage of being there the longest. Early voters aren't likely to check back in every día to see if new options have been added. Following these steps will help ensure that everyone has a fair chance to participate and that all options are dado the same amount of consideration. (It'll also keep tu from getting yelled at.)

Step 1: Alert the Fans!
If tu want a change, the first thing tu need to do is let everyone else know. I like to start with a pick, like this:



These options give me an idea of how many people will be contributing, and if people even want a change.

Step 2: Make a Forum!
In the pick's comentario section, I like to link to the foros that will hold everyone's icono and banner suggestions. Adding a real link to the club works too.



Feel free to copy and paste my icon/banner guidelines into a foros of your own:

-Icons need to be square and at least 100x100 px.
-Banners need to be 800x100 px o a size that scales down to that.
-Mind the club title, which will cover up whatever's in the right bottom corner of your banner.

If it's a small o inactive club, I usually leave the foros open for one week. Bigger clubes with lots of active fans should probably be open longer, as there will probably be más participants.

Why not just skip straight to the foros step? Because foros don't mostrar up in updates. When tu create a forum, people will only see it if they're browsing in that club. If the club has seen no activity in the last year, tu can pretty much bet that nobody is going to see your forum. If it's a small o inactive club, o you're somehow opposed to picks, even a link will do. Just make sure something shows up in everyone's updates.

Step 3: Pick time!
If everyone's contributions are in on Deadline Day, it's time to make the picks. (You might want to check on the foros a few days before the dealdine and make sure nobody has asked for más time.) The pick buttons are located on the club's homepage.

If there are a lot of options, I like to make the banner pick first, then proceed with the icono pick after a winner is determined. The one-pick-at-a-time method also gives fans a chance to make a new icon, o tweak an existing one, to match the winning banner. Icon/banner clashes are bad for the soul. And the eyes.

Once the picks are up, you're pretty much done, because fanpop will take care of the rest.