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Can't keep members, could use some advice


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My site has been open for the better part of a year now. We've consistently been getting members since we opened but 95% of them have ghosted on us within a month including all the staff I've tried to hire. Currently there's only one active member besides myself. It's honestly getting really, really depressing and discouraging that we can't keep anyone and I'm basically the only person posting. I want to keep the site open because I love the plot and characters I write. But it's hard for me to keep up my spirits and momentum for the site when it's basically just been a revolving door of new members since we opened with no forward momentum. 

 

I've had many site reviews done since we've opened and I frequently ask my members for feedback. Very few problems have been mentioned and I've corrected all of them. Multiple people, including the majority of my members, have complimented the site (nice skin, easy to read documents, concise rules and plot) and my behavior (friendly, welcoming, active). The few people that haven't ghosted told me they were leaving because of real life issues and were sad to go because the site was amazing and I was a good admin. I've never had this problem before with my former sites which has me stumped as to what's going on. 

 

I've constantly advertised since we opened. I've engaged all my members OOC and actively reached out to plot with all of them once they have characters made. I write starters for them and reply quickly to the threads we have. According to literally every person I've talked to, every piece of advice I've read, and all my experience: I'm doing great and doing everything I can. And the members that I've gotten have responded positively to it all, but they haven't stayed. I don't want to close but it's incredibly frustrating to be incapable of keeping new members or having plot progression. 

 

I feel like I'm too close to the situation to figure out what to do next on my own, so I ended up coming here to half vent and half ask for advice. What should I do? 

Anonymous poster hash: bf1df...303

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I can only really say what @Arceus has already expressed. It doesn't always have to be your game specifically that is the problem. Most players currently are adults with jobs and some of them have families, there is school and any number of RL varieties that could be pulling them away.

 

Unfortunately, on top of that, there is the natural flake. Sometimes if there is a problem with a game it's simpler for someone to ghost than it is to express to a staff member the problem to get it resolved, normally because at the end of the day it either can't be resolved or its a problem directly with a staff member.

 

I was once a site that the problem was a staff member that was just, in general, a dick to everyone and the other staff member was fine but you don't tell the nice admin that their co-admin is a dick in the end it causes undo recourse on either admin's side, especially if the admins are good friends or trust one another. Normally, in that situation its easier to just walk away and disappear. I'm not saying that this is your particular situation but sometimes its just easier to walk away.

 

Best course of action, since you have really positive feedback, is truck along for as long as you feel you're interested in the site and just keep going. The right people will stick and will come.

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Profile set made by myself and original Artwork by Fae Merriman, my daughter.

 

 

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If I see that certain people are members of a site I just leave.  Some past issues can’t be resolved and it’s easier to just avoid each other. 

Anonymous poster hash: 60b57...812

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Keep in mind that mid-terms are fast approaching for a lot of college students or they've recently come out of their mid-terms and need time to decompress before December, when finals hit. This time of year is incredibly stressful for students and I know a lot majority of my members are currently in college. On top of that, don't worry about member count. If it is just you and one other person for now, that's totally fine. My site, at the moment, looks completely dead because I have moms, newly weds, and people on vacation. If they don't come back, I'll handle it when I find out. But I'm giving everyone time to deal with their RL situations. Site can be revitalized even if they seem dead. You just need to keep pushing forward, so long as you still enjoy your plot and characters. 

 

You can always try switching up ad images and messages as well. Post updates when you bump ads. Spread want ads on resource sites. 

Edited by PixieMegs
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I've experienced similar issues. There's a handful of members that post on a semi-regular basis. We continue to add members here and there, only to have most of them leave shortly after or even before having a character accepted. Then there's always that one that sticks around and slowly the site grows. Additionally, you can always reach out to those you've RP'd with in the past. Inviting old friends is a great first step. And once you have a solid core of committed members, things tend to evolve on their own.

 

That said, RL will always be there. Ultimately, this is something that should be fun not just for the members but for you as well. It's already been said, but it sounds like you're doing a fine job. Just keep trying and either your site will grow or you'll lose interest. Perhaps it's just bad luck, you haven't been able to build that core group yet. But if you build it, they will come.

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