Roleplay How do you deal with inactivity?

[Naome 9]

So lately, I've redone a site of mine and got some friends to join, but it's not really picking up. It sucks when people join and then sort of vanish when they say they will stick around, so that threw me off a bit because now the site is so quiet. 

It's not like I want a bunch of members, but it's always hard to even find a few active ones who can post every once or twice a week.

So my question is: what do you guys do and how do you go about handling advertising a site and bringing the right people in? Because I know sometimes it's hard to tell whether or not a person who joins will stick around.

[Guest Archaic Cyborg]

I have the same problem with just about all of my games, and I think it depends largely on a few  factors: the fandom/genre... and the activity. 

A lot of guests will judge a site to be dead, if there literally isn't a flood of IC posts every 15 minutes. Even if a c-box is ridiculously active, guests will still post 'so... I guess this site is dead?'. People don't read. People want to have their hand held by the staff and spoon-fed everything. If the game is a genre that currently isn't 'in', people avoid it. People will flock to it, if a fandom set in the same genre is currently popular, e.g Game of Thrones and GoT-inspired rpgs.

Schools are always popular, because of Harry Potter, and the younger crowd that fandom tends to attract. There's always someone to play canons, and to fill up OC roles.

What I do is just to keep on advertising, post on directories, add it to your signature; get someone to review your site, especially the lore side of things; the quicker someone can join and start rping, the more likely that people will join! Create a list of example characters, designs you'd accept in your game, but that doesn't mean add a 'do not want' list to balance it out. Get someone to review your ads, maybe ask someone to make you some new banners with key information that baits guests~.

[Red Star 6]

On Derelict, I made it adamantly clear that we're a laid back site.. So, I dont' mind if people take several weeks to respond, or what have you. And the particular plot of the board makes it very easy to take care of members who go completely inactive/poof entirely. The setting's on a ship and people start the RP waking up in a cryobed. So the peope who disappear from the site, their characters presumptively go back into cryosleep until such time as they feel like returning. 

As for getting active people... I just perservere, and continue to advertise. I don't mind if we have a high turnover. I have a couple members that I know are sticking around, though they aren't the most active, so even if everyone else poofs, I'm still happy with those two to help continue the story, tbh. 

And if I didn't have them.. I guess i'd just keep on trekkin'. Make sure the site is friendly, try and be on the cbox often, etc.

[Naome 9]

A lot of guests will judge a site to be dead, if there literally isn't a flood of IC posts every 15 minutes. Even if a c-box is ridiculously active, guests will still post 'so... I guess this site is dead?'. People don't read. People want to have their hand held by the staff and spoon-fed everything. If the game is a genre that currently isn't 'in', people avoid it. People will flock to it, if a fandom set in the same genre is currently popular, e.g Game of Thrones and GoT-inspired rpgs.

 Damn, you do certainly have a point there, and it's pretty sad. I hate that about people sometimes. Like... it's not that hard to use your brain to understand written word.

 

 I have a couple members that I know are sticking around, though they aren't the most active, so even if everyone else poofs, I'm still happy with those two to help continue the story, tbh. 

There are a couple like that on the site too, so that does make me feel better at least. So, I'm not actually desperate for super active members, as long as they stick around. I think I'm more worried because the place is brand new and I've known a couple people on an old site who I thought would stick around for awhile, but totally disappeared.  

And thank you, for all the thoughtful words!

For me, I think perseverance with advertising a ton and friendly members probably is a big thing, but sometimes my fuse starts to go out, ya know? 

 

[Red Star 6]

Don't burn yourself out with advertising. Focus on posting on directories, and the RP requests on places like DF here, RPG-D, Caution, etc. They're less frustrating than spamming the same ad on 50 sites, and sometimes more rewarding. I like advertising, but I only really do about 5-10 sites, three times a week. Most people have huge, lofty goals, and for me that's how you become completely bored with advertising, IMO. 

Try and pop onto your cbox as often as you can too, even if it's just a quick hello. So many people will drop in with that "Is this site active?" And if they don't get an answer within 5-10 minutes they disappear and never check back. c-c

[deliriums child 1]

Yeah... we hit inactive periods like a cycle. Summer? Oh, we die in summer. Finals/midterms? Sloooowwww. Most of the remainder of the year there are multiple posts a day by several players. And we have a rollover when it comes to newbies: some stay, a lot don't. But games a a niche market: you make a game for the sort of game you want to play and that is not going to line up with demands of certain other segments.
So I don't really worry about activity: as long as there's enough going on to amuse me and/or whoever is around at that moment, we're good.

As far as advertising: Definitely focusing on directories and on similar genre/fandom games. Mostly because of my marketing background I look at it the same way I would buying ad-space for a client: where are your target market likely to be? Go there.

[Naome 9]

Oh, I never did think about putting my focus on directories. I always thought advertising more on a lot of other sites worked better... but directories does seem logical.

I have started trying to post requests on the directories I've joined, and even put things up on our Tumblr page too. I think it is around midterm time now for myself and the current members, so I guess the silence of the site now is concerning to me, though it naturally happens during test time. @.@

[Red Star 6]

Yeah!

I actually put up a poll on my site asking how people found us.

 

So far, (granted only 5 people or so have voted), it has all been "I found you on RPGD" or "a friend brought me." None of my current members have found me via a site ad posted on another site.

I think advertising on other sites is still important, of course; that's how I've joined some of the sites I've been on in the past, after all. But a lot of people do come from directories, too!

And I actually know exactly how youf eel right now--the last two weeks, my site has been painfully quiet, just out of the blue. It's like everyone decided to stop posting, all at the same time. Wtffff. We're making a slow comeback though, or at least I'm determined! xD

Edited October 15, 2015 by Red Star

[Huskerdust 625]

My current site has always been slow. Well, that's not true. I do have a handful of members who really like to volley but unless they have something going on, the rest of us are slow. To be fair, most of us are busy. I'm the head admin and I'm the busiest (moving, classes, vets, horrible mouth pain, family time) so I haven't been posting a whole lot. I usually like to post at least once a day, if not more on a really good day but lately, it takes me a couple of weeks to finally squeeze something out. I'm not too happy about that.  

As for what to do about advertising and bringing people in... I used to start with friends I loved and trusted. I had a good core group of them too but over the years, we've separated and the one close RP friend I do still have doesn't like RPing in public RPs. We both joined a site together recently and ended up dropping it because we were more active than the admin. 

With that good core, I could withstand anything. Now I have a different core on my current site and I can count on all of them to hang around and reply to me eventually. Like I said, though, we're all super slow right now so it's probably the time of year (and the timing of poonado for me). It's definitely a matter of time and patience though.

Some people will always be slow no matter how excited or motivated they are. It might just be who they are or it could be a matter of making time for it. And others are quicker. Most people don't seem to be the type to post every single day but as long as they seem interested and invested, it should be all good.

[Naome 9]

Huh, that does make sense. I can see how people end up finding sites through directories more so than RP sites. Especially since a lot of times people aren't really interested in the advertisement board of a forum that's already RP. I think I might do something like that, just to see the most common way people who've joined found the site.

I probably do advertise on sites a little excessively. I'm planning on looking into which of the directories I know I haven't advertised on yet. 

Sudden slowness is always the scariest... like, whoa where did that come from? Guess it's a pretty quiet time for a lot of people though, since this is sorta midterm time.

 

Yeah, I understand that Zoz. That's actually what I started with first, inviting some of my older RP buddies. Sadly though, separation does happen often, and a lot of them I've lost contact with myself. :\  

Hopefully the site ends up having some good core members, it's too early for me to be certain about anyone yet. A part of it is probably my childish impatience right now, though I know the current members are busy with school and I am too. It's like I've become edgy and paranoid when it's barely started. I'm usually fairly patient, so it's kind of stupid.

[Joey 0]

Have you tried asking your friends to do certain roles? I.E

* Create x amount of new topics
* Post x amount of replies
* Consider taking on additional responsibilities (team member)
Etc

Find out what would interest you friends about your site, some people join with good intentions but then worry about posting. Ease it for them - yet to be blunt, some times it's because they're idle and need nagging. I would say something about a friend of mine, he needs me repeatedly 'managing' him and I don't understand why but it's unfair of me to say anything further.

The important thing is to set your site personal goals and share those milestones, create a buzz at achieving something together!

When the good feel factor takes over, you will find people will do things by themselves but it takes time.

[Space_Wolf 0]

On 03/11/2015 at 3:03 PM, Joey said:

Have you tried asking your friends to do certain roles? I.E

* Create x amount of new topics
* Post x amount of replies
* Consider taking on additional responsibilities (team member)
Etc

Find out what would interest you friends about your site, some people join with good intentions but then worry about posting. Ease it for them - yet to be blunt, some times it's because they're idle and need nagging. I would say something about a friend of mine, he needs me repeatedly 'managing' him and I don't understand why but it's unfair of me to say anything further.

The important thing is to set your site personal goals and share those milestones, create a buzz at achieving something together!

When the good feel factor takes over, you will find people will do things by themselves but it takes time.

 

I wouldn't expect people to post x amount of new topics, post x amount of replies, etc. There are two reasons for that, even though I can understand the reasoning behind it. Firstly, putting a target for people to meet might make them start thinking that it's a chore, and then they would be reluctant to do it. Posting has to be something they want to do, not something which they feel like they must do. Secondly, what if people can't think of anything to post, or if the topics they must reply to don't interested them? Pushing people can make people reluctant to do something in itself.

[Auroxtra 7]

Directories are definitely one of the best ways to go about advertising. I ask all of our new members how they found us, and it's always a directory. And honestly, I don't think there's a way to tell if someone will stick around. Its really a hit and miss.

 

The best thing you can really do is be patient. Keep up good advertising habits, post on directories, make more friends. And don't worry, I think all sites are pretty slow right now, either with midterms or the holiday season coming up. I think it will be difficult to gain new members until January hits, really, so I wouldn't stress out about anything until then!

[CovertSphinx 710]

I have itchy fingers, so one of the things I normally end up doing during really slow periods (aside a boost in various advertising mediums), is depending on how many characters I already have, normally I end up making one or two more.

 

*) A new character sometimes helps the muse juices flowing when the others get tied up in plots for me.

*) It allows me a little more variability when we DO get a new member; in types of characters for them to interact with.

*) There's been a couple of occasions where I've grabbed 2-3 other members and been like: "So, who's up for creating x-y-z related side plot in the meantime?"

[Cloud 0]

You have to be relentless and stubborn. 

 

You must push to keep activity levels high as much and as often as possible. Advertise everywhere you can and hit up forum directories like DF as much as you can when it's appropriate. Submit your site for reviews, enter contests and abuse social media. Active staff often generates often members. If you can solidify 10+ regulars who are on often (daily to every other day) then the rest is easy. 

Send out emails during lulls and make announcements about updates. Also, hosting for fun contests with rewards (I'm hosting a MS Paint contest. Draw a scene from a thread in MS Paint. It's intended for it to look terrible so that they're amusing). 

Anything to promote activity. I have had lulls on my site several times in it's 9 months of running and each time I combat it with creating activity with a handful of the regulars while advertising as much as possible. 

I have found that, maybe, 1 out of 10 people you tell the site about will actually register an account. If you're lucky, half of those people will actually post and half of those will become regulars. If 1 in 40 people become a regular then you just need to show 400 people the site to get 10 regulars and that's more than fine. 

 

TL:DR  Basically, you can't give up.