Crochetgal has some good advice!
Bringing on leaders to help you gets those members invested in the success of the team while freeing up some of your valuable time. Win-win! Ask other team members to do specific things - is someone really good at starting interesting threads? Is someone an expert in certain techniques in your field that they could share with the team? The point is to identify potential members who could help the team by starting threads or monitoring & commenting on existing threads. You could ask specific members to do specific jobs or post on specific topics.
Lots of captains & leaders struggle with engagement & get discouraged when members aren't posting in the team. Do not discount those on your team who check the threads but don't post. We call them lurkers! Keep in mind that measuring success by counting the number of responses is only a small part of the pie. There are many members who may be benefitting simply by reading what you post.
Join the Captain's Quarters! It's an Admin-run Etsy team for Captains & Leaders. We talk about challenges just like this - many teams name member engagement as a hurdle. Come join us & learn more about getting members involved.
https://www.etsy.com/teams/6/captains-quartersLastly! Consider the Team Fellowship Program, particularly the Getting Organized Package which is specifically designed to help you become a better leader & create a more engaging team. Q4 2014 Fellowships are happening now, but soon you will be able to apply for Q1 2015. Stay tuned to this page, where you can find more information on the program & where the application will go live later this year:
https://www.etsy.com/teams/fellowshipsThe Etsy Teams community is a strong part of the fiber of the site. There are great resources & support here. Thanks for being a part of it!
