Group Questioning (tiny bit rant)

You probably don't need or want to hear yet another rant from someone on deviantart and I would agree. But truly this isn't just some senseless rant or even a well thought out and warranted rant. This isn't really very ranty at all (though I'm sure there will be small times that it gets very close to that). This is more of a question really.
A journal about me.

Now, normally I'm totally fine. I'm happy and optimistic and encouraging and enthusiastic. Especially when it comes to my group; TheClansoftheValley.

Now, for anyone who doesn't know- that was my first ever rp group. I didn't originally make the group, someone else amazingly talented did that. But it was the first rp group I ever joined. I didn't even know HOW to rp back then, I had to ask fellow members to explain it to me and teach me. (Ha! Such a little noob I was.) But I loved the group even then.
I became an admin to help out; I did clan journals and adding new cats when people joined and added new cats.
Sadly though, the original founder had to leave. And left one of the co founders as the new founder. But the group was withering away. It wasn't summer anymore, people were going back to school and couldn't be on. And so quietly, slowly, the group pretty much died. The founder didn't want to keep it open anymore and asked if anyone cared if she closed it. I spoke up and said I'd take the group.
I tried to bring in more members and bring it back but I was still new. I didn't know how to run a group. I didn't really know much of anything. But I tried. But sadly I declared the group dead shortly after.
Eventually I reopened it (because I hadn't ever actually deleted the group. I would never do that. I had just closed it any new members and said anyone still alive coils stay). But anyway, I reopened it. I made reference sheets and had a huge activity check where anyone wanting to stay had to put their cats on the sheets.
Eventually I brought the group back. Made new friends, brought lots of new members in. I even bought the group the super group status with a bonus I got at my job.
(Wow that was much longer then I'd meant it to be sorry o3O )

Throughout all of this I was still hopeful, still thinking and wishing and trying to be positive. That the group would pick up and be as amazing as I knew it could be.

But.... There is a part of me that rears its ugly head sometimes and during those moments I get angry. Because I try so hard for that group. I put so much time and effort into it. And it's been around for years and I throw myself into working for that group it feels more like a job then my summer job does.
But it's not great.
I don't have people lining up for the openings like other groups.
We don't have hundreds of members.
And every activity check the numbers dwindle.

And it just makes me feel hopeless and sad and angry.
Becaus I see new groups open every day, new warrior groups that get so. Many. Members! They get loads of people lining up before the new group even opens who are dying to get in.
And, (I feel very petty for saying this) they get all the "popular" deviants to join who then attracts tons of others! And really I'm not trying to bash anyone or any group but it makes me sad. Because if someone popular joins a new group it feels like everyone wants to join that group.
And I look at the new (or not so new) groups that have tons and tens and hundreds of members... And, yes they look nice, but they don't look that much better then TcotV. They all look nice and everything but what about TcotV? We look nice too. It's all bright and colorful and I've tried to lay it everything as neat and pretty as I can.

And so, because really this isn't a rant, I truly want to know- why do those groups get So. Many. People? Why do some groups get hundreds of members? Why do they attract so many people? I really want to know. What makes them so appealing? What makes everyone want to join new warrior groups? Or older groups even? Groups like "the frozen lands" or "the clans of the north" or any of the others that have so many people?

And I'm not saying I hate how TcotV has been. Because I'm still so proud of it. I love that everyone who's joined as been so sweet and nice and understanding and like a family. It honestly makes me so happy to call myself the founder of the group. <3
But it does make me sad to look at the members list and see "15 members" on my group while others have "80, 90, 120" or more.

But really, if you know the answer to those questions please PLEASE tell me. Because I'd love to the secret.