Multitude is wholeheartedly a community-first collective. I noticed this right away when I came aboard as the Community Manager. So, when I was asked to develop a Discord server for our growing flock of listeners, I knew authenticity, inclusion, and fun would be at the top of my priorities list.
For those new to Discord, it’s a handy, free-to-use program that harkens back to the days of early internet chat rooms. But, instead of a single room, it’s an entire chat HOUSE (called a ‘server’) with multiple rooms (called ‘channels’) for multiple conversations. You can make a Discord server for any reason, but we’ve got tips specifically for our fellow creators looking to build a unique space for your audience to hang out.
The goal of any Discord server is to maintain a delicate vibe: Structured but Casual. To achieve this, we have a detailed code of conduct, active moderation, and highly specified channel topics to accommodate a large and diverse user base. This robust regulation keeps things safe and easy to maintain. However, we also want folks to feel comfortable and free to be themselves. Over the last few months, here’s how we’ve been working to strike that balance.
DON’T SKIMP ON MODERATORS
Moderators make everything you want to do on Discord possible. This is especially true when you’re actively trying to grow your server as a community. There is no room for expansion without moderation, which is why the FIRST THING you need to do is invest in a solid team. Not after the server has gained some traction, and not after your existing team is already burning out. Moderators will ultimately man the frontlines of your server, so prioritize them as such.
The Multitude Moderation team is currently five mods strong (shoutout to Tanya, Brae, Sam, Sean, and Zach!). Why five? Because Multitude already has a large fanbase, and a free-to-join server tends to attract more users in general. More importantly, we wanted to bring in a diverse set of perspectives to build a more accessible space. Plus, our mods are longtime Multitude listeners with honest investment in the community they guide. When they’re there, they’re excited to be, and that inevitably trickles down to the users they serve.
FUN DISCORD FACT #1: Burnout among moderators, especially uncompensated ones, is REAL. Be sure you’re investing in the wellbeing of your mods with routine check-ins, honest feedback, and fair reimbursement (whether monetary or otherwise).
GET YOUR USERS INVOLVED
Once folks joined our server, we prioritized making it a great place to be. I mean, imagine a party with no music, conversation, or games. The room would clear out in a matter of minutes. So, in order to entertain folks, incentivize engagement, AND encourage them to invite their pals, having fun needs to be easy. Here’s what we’ve implemented so far to do that:
EXPAND THOSE CHANNELS
In the Multitude server, we have everything divided up into clear, specific sections. The nuts and bolts – important info, our Code of Conduct, and announcements – are right at the top. Then we get into the fun stuff: general chat topics, specific channels for Multitude Shows, channels for events hosted on Discord, and the MultiCrew, a locked category for our paid members. These categories house a PLETHORA of channels tailored to the needs and interests of our users. Take our general chat setup as an example:
That’s twenty-one text channels plus an open voice/video chat channel for folks to use. But it’s not excessive when users can find the specific thing they want to connect with in real time, minus the hassle of scrolling through miles of text. We actually get routine requests for additional channels as new things gain traction, so there’s no fear of doing “too much” or over-organizing on our end.
For your own server, focus less on a number and more on building channel spaces that amplify your community’s uniqueness. For instance, if people are looking for a place to discuss content creation, start up a creator’s chat channel. Or, raise the community’s serotonin levels with a pet pic parade channe!. I highly recommend a channel specifically for users to share their personal victories, big and small. It’s beyond wholesome and allows the entire community to celebrate together.
GET THEM TALKING
We’re a big fan of the Question of the Day bot. This is a straightforward Discord bot that’s simple to implement and customize to your server. We have it set to ask a random, open-ended question every day around 10 AM EST in the QOTD channel. Sometimes it’s silly fun, sometimes it’s an incredibly vulnerable and heartfelt experience shared by the community. Either way, it’s an awesome tool that sparks daily activity.
We also solicit submissions from our users that go into other Multitude communications. Fan art, listener photos, folks wearing their merch out in the real world, and show testimonials all go into our monthly newsletters, so we transparently solicit that material in Discord. So far, passing the mic to our users has made way for frequent, vibrant conversations that spread out into other parts of the server. Folks get excited to share what they love, and we get to amplify it with gratitude and action.
HELP THEM CONNECT
I cannot fully express the joy of meeting an internet friend IRL, especially when that friend loves all the same things (and podcasts) you do. Our users are the type to seek out that connection through meetups, so we have a channel set up to help them do it safely. We don’t organize the meetups ourselves, but we keep eyes on logistics and moderate for information privacy.
For those less eager to meet up in person, we recently started a MultiCrew-exclusive Pen Pal Exchange. It’s an at-will program our members can enroll in to be paired with a buddy based on interests, location, and taste in Multitude shows. In less than two months, we’ve paired sixty people up to explore the art of letter writing, both traditionally and through electronic means. The best part: we confidently launched this program after receiving overwhelmingly positive feedback about the idea in the Discord Server! Users told us what they wanted, we made it, and they’re happy!
INVEST IN EVENTS: BIG & SMALL
After pivoting hard to virtual-only events in 2020, it’s a reasonable assumption that folks are tired of looking at other people on screens. However, Discord events are the single most fun and engaging thing we’ve done in our server thus far. To plan them, we follow a couple of basic guidelines:
What is (reasonably) easy to put together?
What can be achieved in under two hours of event time?
What is engaging for an all-ages audience?
What’s fun or stressless for the talent involved?
For us, the answers are Jackbox streams, pub-style trivia, and a presentation party!. Not only has it been a total blast for us, but it’s given participants quality facetime (ear-time?) with our hosts outside of their individual shows. They also get to play along with us while building a relationship with our collective. It’s a win-win that often comes with belly laughs.
We also use Discord as a way to connect with our paid MultiCrew members on a bi-monthly basis. In true structured-but-casual style, we gather in a private voice channel, answer questions, share stories, and show our appreciation for their extra support. Sometimes this looks like a candid, unguided conversation. Sometimes it’s all of us holding our cats, dogs, and the occasional toddler up to the camera for all to enjoy. The important part is that our members enjoy hanging out with us, and that we’re able to facilitate these opportunities for them to do so.
FUN DISCORD FACT#2: We’re limited by Discord’s inability to host more than 25 voice-connected users if ANY video is involved, but we’re crossing our fingers for an update that’ll allow us to exceed that. In the meantime, voice chat is currently limitless when all user cameras are off. People don’t like being perceived all the time, so it’s occasionally a perk!
FUN DISCORD FACT #3: Once again, Moderators come in clutch to make this possible. By managing busy chats, flagging problematic behavior (if any), and feeding questions and comments to our hosts, our team is able to focus solely on being present and having fun.
BE ACTUALLY RECEPTIVE TO FEEDBACK
Look, we don’t have it all figured out. Nobody does. People contain Multitudes (GET IT?!) and tech never stops evolving. So, we’re always actively soliciting feedback from our users. Requests are usually small and pertain to something like server aesthetics, pronouns and identity markers, rule clarification, or self-promotion permissions. Simple stuff, yes, but it all goes a long way. And if they’re willing to ask for it, it must be meaningful.
It’s easy to say you’re open to feedback, but you have to be in the right headspace to receive it (and put it into action). I recommend thoroughly examining how available you are for it. Are you physically available to read messages outside of your regular hours? Do you have clear boundaries on that availability? How about on the mental health side? Are you able to hear what your users have to say without taking it personally? Without making judgements? It’s not easy! Believe me, being available is 75% of my job as a Community Manager, and that comes with real consequences when left unchecked.
At the end of the day, feedback is the best gift a thriving community can give you. I beseech you: take it! It’s almost always free!
I’ve outlined a lot here, but it all boils down to one thing: Discord exists for communities, so everything you do there should serve and foster yours.
Discord is an invaluable tool that connects people across the board. It’s a hub for friendships, movements, and joy. But it’s not inherently self-sustaining. The investments you make at the start of your server’s life will quickly decide on its success. So, get hands-on. Keep your eyes and ears open. Have a lot of fun. And remember, you can’t build a community without being part of it, otherwise you’ll never understand what it needs.
Community Manager, Multitude