When nobody has signed up

You shared your Flote, and nothing happened. That is common, and it almost never means people do not care. Usually they are waiting to be told what would help, or assuming somebody closer to you already has it covered. A few small changes tend to get the first person to say yes.

Ask for something specific

"Let us know if you need anything" is hard to answer, and so is a Flote that only says "Errands." Give people something they can picture doing.

Each way to help on your Flote has an optional Note for visitors, and your circle sees it right under the name. Use it to say exactly what, when and where:

• Errands: "Pick up prescriptions at the Walgreens on Main, usually Thursdays."
• Meals: "Dinner for three, no shellfish. Mondays and Wednesdays are hardest."
• Rides: "Chemo is Tuesday mornings at 9. We need someone every other week."
• Calls and video chats: "She loves a 15 minute call after lunch."

A small, clear ask gets claimed faster than a big, vague one. Somebody who would never volunteer for "help around the house" will happily take one bag of groceries on Saturday.

Make sure there is something to claim

If your Flote has no ways to help on it yet, there is nothing for anyone to sign up for, however many people open the link. Open Ways to Help, select Edit, and choose at least one or two things. Add something you need help with walks through the editor, including adding your own request when nothing on the list fits.

You do not need the whole list on day one. Start with the two things that would take the most weight off this week, and add more as you find out what you need.

Send it to two or three people first

Before you share the link widely, send it yourself to two or three people you are fairly sure will say yes. Text them directly, and name the thing you are hoping they will take:

"I set up a page so I am not answering the same texts all day. Would you be up for the Thursday pharmacy run? You can sign up here."

When the next people open your Flote and see a few things already claimed, it reads as something people are actually using, and it is easier to join in. A link sent to fifty people at once tends to get fifty people each waiting for someone else.

To share your Flote, use Share Flote link on your dashboard, or invite people one by one, both covered in How do I invite people to my support circle?

Nudge without nagging

Resending the same link to everyone usually gets the same silence. These work better, and none of them means chasing anyone:

• Post an update that names one need. Updates go to everyone in your circle by email. Share how things are going, then add one line such as "The thing that would help most right now is a ride to Tuesday's appointment." See How do I post an update?
• Add something new. When an admin adds a new way to help and selects Save, everyone in the support circle gets one email listing what was added, unless they have turned that email off. Editing a note on something already there does not send one, so a new ask is a natural reason to reach out without you writing a word.
• Ask one person for one thing. A direct text to one person, about one specific need, gets an answer far more often than a message to the group.

Tip: You do not have to do the asking yourself. A close friend or family member who is an admin on your Flote can add ways to help and invite people for you. Roles and permissions shows what each role can do.