Why the drop in comments in the gallery?

[chainmaille]

We have moderators.
As far as contests go, if you look on the main page of the forum under outreach and promotion, we've had many different types of outreach. They all help and they all work to a point, it just takes someone to say, hey I'll run one.
I know I don't personally have time to run any promotions right now, and Kimberly hasn't had time either.
So we are really at the mercy of our members to come up with some ideas and run some promotions or contests or something.

[Larissa]

There have been some great contests here (especially the one I won that totally got me into sewing!), but it's gotten hard.  I was here practically 24/7, but especially in the spring, the bees and gardening and all that really take up so much time and attention.  I haven't even really been doing creative stuff other than face painting & painting hive boxes!

[trusk4u]

With all the changes on many of the social media places, it might be hard (or harder0 to run the rings like before. I'm not convinced that people really pay that much attention to them because they are bombarded with so much info already. Contests may be the way to go, but then we would need people willing to donate time and prizes. I guess I'm afraid it may end up being the same people over and over. I would welcome being proved wrong. I'll have to give this more thought.

[MsMartyD]

It is my feeling that summer is not a good time for most  folks....   Most of you have  kids at home which means  camp, shopping  and other  driving  responsibilities.  I would love to see  some contests in the Fall when  we are beginning to have to "hole  up"  indoors.  There are holiday occasions  which, if  it were run  for 3 or 4 months,  could be incorporated into a long running contest. 

[MsMartyD]

I love the evangelical attitude  that is developing about sharing the site....    We will take hold one day! 

[MakinTheBest]

I agree about summer not being the time to do contests since, just like everyone else, I tend to want to be out and about in the summer as well as chasing the kids from one thing to the next.  In the fall we can do a big contest with a kickin' prize and see if some new people want to jump in.

[designsoffaithandjoy]

 I believe the lack in comments from the vendors is due to no sales.    No sales after a long time of putting out effort is  very discouraging.     I know for sure I am not the only one who has had no sales but tons of views.  Bots searching?    It's a shame because to have a  shop here is so reasonable and the shops look good.  I like it here.      I promote myself but nothing happens.  I  could be wrong but I think that I am not the only one experiencing this.   I will be surprised if I get a comment on this except for maybe the administrators who are probably working hard to make this site great.   I will keep trying though.   Best of luck to everyone as promoting one self is not enough. 

[chainmaille]

Everyone needs to promote their self as well. Every person you bring to your shop, is one more person that knows about the site. The difference between us and etsy is we never took money from investors. Therefore we were able to keep the site pure. However we didn't have 25 million dollars like they did to promote the site, that is why our growth has been so slow. My goal is to keep plugging along and hope that little by little we will keep growing.

[designsoffaithandjoy]

Thanks for the response and all that y'all do.   I say its the  The little engine that could and tortoise and the hare.  I'll Keep plugging along promoting and perhaps a chain reaction will happen.  I know its hard.  This beats having your own website where everything is entirely up to the person who owns the shop and you are non existent.     This is a combined effort.     Have a safe and happy week

[Larissa]

I tell everyone I come in contact with, and if someone's looking for something specific and it exists here, I link them here any chance I get.  I care less if *I* get sales and more that the site grows and gets sales overall.