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How to Build an Engaging Discord Community

discord community app on cell phone

Building an engaging and active Discord community is a daunting task. Discord is an amazing platform for connecting with people and building a community. While it was typically native to video gamers, the web3 and NFT space has taken it to another level. In this article, we’ll discuss the best practices for creating and managing a successful Discord community. We’ll cover setting up the server, creating rules, and engaging with members. Let’s dive in!

What is Discord?

Discord is a free chat and voice platform that allows users to communicate with each other in real-time. Pretty simple. If you’re a millenial like me (1984, wooo!) then Discord feels like a mixture of early chat rooms and forums. It has threads and live conversation. Very Reddit-ish-ish. It is a great platform for gamers, streamers, and any other online communities. In order to build momentum around projects and communities, the web3/NFT culture embraced Discord early on, because it is easy to use and allows users to create their own servers, which is a gift and a curse. Discord also has a variety of features, such as voice chat, text chat, and file sharing, that make it a great platform for building that connection between folks.

Benefits of a Discord Community

Discord communities offer a number of benefits that you’ll want to learn about. First, it is a great way to connect with like-minded people and build relationships. Boom, friendship building. Discord also allows users to create their own rules and regulations, which can keep the community safe and organized. Each server gets to create its own credentials essentially. Hell, many of them strive for the same things, just people being civil to one another! The rules created are an opt-in process for each individual joining and can be executed and monitored by moderators and controllers of the server. Rules, while not sexy by any means, are important to keeping a vibe and when it comes to NFTland and Discord, vibes are key.

Beyond just setting the stage with rules and regs, Discord communities can be used to host events, such as tournaments, trivia nights, watch parties, games, or just hang outs. Discord communities can be used to promote content, such as streaming or gaming videos, and to provide support for users. People connecting with people. It’s a beautiful thing.

Starting your own server is pretty dang easy… Simply clicking the “Create Server” button on the Discord homepage will get it going. That’s not to say there isn’t a ton of nuance and complexity in what you can do thereafter (a ton ton), but it is very easy to get things rolling.. Once the server is created, you can customize it with a name, description, and avatar. You can also set up rules and regulations for the server, which you should. Curate your flow. Then, you’ll add channels for different topics and assign roles to members. Roles are a huge opportunity to create heirarchy, authority, access, and fellowship.

Engaging with Members

Once the server is set up, it is important to engage with members with frequency. Now, that doesn’t mean it has to be all day, every day. In fact, some people don’t enjoy Discord servers like that. The key is finding the sweet spot that your community enjoys. Look at some of the most successful email newsletters and how they have varying length and content. It’s all about the audience. If you get to know your audience, you can figure out what they are looking to see. Do they want daily announcements to stay up-to-date, or more of a weekly flow for pings. What’s a ping, you ask? Well, in Discord servers, owners can essentially call to members and send a notification. This happens for tons of functions, like announcements, creating polls, hosting events, and responding to messages. Some users love it, others hate it. Finding the balance is the sweet spot.

Custom roles and rewards for members who are active and engaged is a massive opportunity to promote engagement. The game isn’t just posting updates, responding to messages, and hosting events, it’s fostering a communication energy that perpetuates on its own amongst the involved individuals. That is when a community is formed.

woman in bed with laptop on discord community call

Invite People to Your Server

Ya gotta invite people to join the community. You can do this by sharing the server link with friends and family, or by advertising the server on social media or email. Many people join other Discord servers and invite members to join their server, but please know that many find this spammy as hell. You can also use Discord bots to help manage the server and invite people to join, but again, can be perceived as unnatural and unwelcome. I’m not saying its bad, just that some people don’t like it.

Remember:  Keep the server safe and secure. Invest in security technology and guidance from a Discord server architect. Most people even help for free, but if you’re launching an actual community towards growth and success, security is key. This can be done by setting up moderation tools, such as automated moderation bots, and by monitoring messages and user activity. Unfortunately, you must respond to reports of inappropriate behavior and take action if necessary. Don’t forget to keep the server up-to-date with the latest features and security updates! It’s like maintenance, an oil change!

How can I keep my Discord community safe and secure?

Keeping your Discord community safe and secure should be top priority. Here are some ways to make it happen:

1. Set up two-factor authentication for your server. This will help protect your server from unwanted intruders.

2. Establish clear rules and guidelines for your server. This will help keep your community safe and secure by setting expectations for how people should behave.

3. Set up a moderation team to monitor the server and enforce the rules. This will help keep your community safe and secure by having people who are dedicated to keeping it that way.

4. Make sure to keep your server up-to-date with the latest security patches. This will help keep your server safe and secure by preventing any potential vulnerabilities.

Create Contests

Contests are a great way to engage members and keep them coming back. You can create custom contests, such as trivia or scavenger hunts, to keep people in the server having fun. Additionally, you can use Discord bots to help manage and host contests. Finally, you can use Discord bots to reward members for participating in contests. This can be done by giving out points or rewards for completing tasks. By creating contests, you can engage members and keep them coming back for more.

Use Bots

By using Discord bots, you can ensure that your server is running smoothly and that your members are getting easy access to information and tools. Discord bots can help with moderation, such as automatically removing inappropriate messages, and can also help with tasks such as creating polls and hosting events. Additionally, you can use Discord bots to help manage and host contests and reward members for participating. By using Discord bots, you can ensure that your server is running smoothly and that everyone can benefit at the same time.

What are some of the most popular Discord communities?

If you’re looking for popular Discord communities, you’ve come to the right place! From gaming to music to tech, there’s something for everyone on Discord. Here are some of the most popular communities on the platform:

1. r/Discord: This subreddit is the go-to place for all things related to Discord. It’s a great place to find new servers, ask questions, and get help from other users.

2. Gaming: Whether you’re a fan of first-person shooters, strategy games, or something else entirely, there’s a Discord server for you. Check out popular gaming communities like the Official Discord Server for Fortnite, the League of Legends Discord, and the Rocket League Discord.

3. Music: If you’re into music, you’ll find plenty of servers dedicated to your favorite genres. From EDM to hip-hop to metal, there’s something for everyone.

4. Tech: If you’re a tech enthusiast, you’ll love the tech-focused Discord servers. From coding and programming to hardware and software, there’s a server for you.

Some great Discord servers to check out:

Proof of Friendship

VesselVerse

Lil Nouns

Discord Keyboard Shortcuts

Now that you’ve learned a ton about Discord communities, use these keyboard shortcuts to maximize your experience.

Discord has a variety of keyboard shortcuts that can help you navigate the platform quickly and easily. Here are some of the most useful ones:

1. Ctrl + K: This shortcut will open the server list.

2. Ctrl + Shift + I: This shortcut will open the user list.

3. Ctrl + Shift + U: This shortcut will open the user settings menu.

4. Ctrl + Shift + M: This shortcut will open the message box.

5. Ctrl + Shift + R: This shortcut will open the reaction menu.

6. Ctrl + Shift + P: This shortcut will open the profile menu.

7. Ctrl + Shift + S: This shortcut will open the server settings menu.

8. Ctrl + Shift + N: This shortcut will open the notifications menu.

9. Ctrl + Shift + H: This shortcut will open the help menu.

10. Ctrl + Shift + E: This shortcut will open the emoji menu.

Final Thoughts

Discord has a learning curve, plain and simple. In a nutshell, it is like early-internet chat rooms, forums, Reddit, and Twitter rolled into one annoying package. It is very effective for communicating and collaborating across the world, though, so until something better comes out, think about spending some time on Discord!

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