How to build a Discord server that goes beyond technical support
If you are building developer tools, many users will need help with their questions, so it is natural to have a developer discord. However, in this blog, we will introduce the concept of learning-driven servers and show you additional ideas on how to convert from support to social-driven communities. If you are just thinking of building a developer discord but hasn't started yet, read this for all you need to know before building your server
A big portion of Discord communities fall into “the learning category” vs “entertaining category”. In learning driven discord servers, members passionately exchange tips, learn new skills, get the most up to date info for whichever area they are interested and support each other's growth. Some examples of learning driven servers are developer communities, career driven communities, or even gaming discord communities where they focus on teaching members to improve a specific part of their skill sets. Today, I'll walk you through the essence of these servers and highlight the best practices from Discord servers such as The Odin Project and Design Buddies.
The Core of Learning-Driven Discord Servers is Great Foundational Content.
The heart of any successful learning-driven server lies in its content. Take, for instance, The Odin Project. It's a powerhouse of knowledge with extensive libraries of projects and tutorials tailored for various programming languages at different skill levels. The magic of this content is not just in the reading material but in the practical projects and tasks that members have to code. While people are creating new projects based on the tutorial resources, they will have a lot of questions and maybe even require feedback on their code (especially if they are beginners). Naturally, they will join Discord and post their content so that more seasoned developers can give feedback. Remember, Evergreen content is your best way to get people into your Discord communities.
The Role of Live Events in Learning
Few projects have extensive foundational content. Nevertheless, you can still ask people to join your communities and learn by focusing on hosting events. Whether it's hackathons, in-person meetups, or online demo, these gatherings are crucial. Events also keep your Discord people engaged with fresh content and provide a platform for members to showcase their skills, receive instant feedback, and make friends with peers and industry leaders. It is much easier to connect with fellow developers given that there are a lot of common interest. Integrating both online and offline event creates a holistic environment conducive to learning and professional growth.
Use Discord to Nurture Support and Interaction
Now that you have content, time to integrate Discord. Support systems form the backbone of any community. Code support is such an important part of the developer server that founders should highlight it as a unique value proposition to get more people join early on.
This is a screenshot of the founder of the coding den pitching his Discord 8 years ago. In the note, he talked about how he took time to vet all the senior developers so that only the most qualified members could answer questions. Today, coding den is one of the most popular and more well respect developer servers on Discord.
If you see a lot of questions from your users, own it and leverage it. Make different channels or even categories to break down topics so that developers know where to post the right questions. Another benefit of categorizing support questions is that you can always pin the right roles. For example, @python for all the python questions.
Beyond Technical Support: Career Advancement
Learning is only one part of the equation. Many new people join these communities with a clear goal—career advancement and professional connection. Providing channels that offer resume reviews, career advice, and job alerts adds immense value.
A channel for career advice is great because it allows members to talk to each other in more personal matter. While not everyone might know the answer to a particular problem, lots of members love sharing their thoughts on Discord about personal choices.
In terms of helping members get jobs, imagine a "Job Alert" channel where members get DM message and alert about new opportunities. The best way to do this on Discord is first find career related RSS feeds, for example, there is a famous one for crypto job and then use Discord bots such as RSS Feeds to alert members automatically. A few communities focusing on web development started out by promoting their job alert to get new people join.
Finally, you can make inspirational channels such as How-I-Got-This, where your Discord members can show their job offers. Rather than making it a humble brag, the key is to ask the right questions to make it useful. For example, instruct users to write down the job application process (how long were you hunting for jobs), and/or share the educational background to inspire fellow members to continue to work on their crafts.
Leveraging the Power of Voice Chat
Voice chat is an underrated tool in virtual communities. It brings a personal touch to digital interactions, helping to mimic the dynamics of real-life conversations and meetings. When we talked to the founder of discord.gg/english, now with more than 760k members, he mentioned that during the early days, people left right after they joined the server because there were no activities. Things only started to improve when people started to join active voice chat rooms. Whether it's casual discussions or structured study groups, voice interactions can significantly enhance the community feel, help members make a real connection and get them something to do.
One of the most popular features leveraging Voice chat on Discord is study-together. You create a couple rooms with capacities ranging from 5 to 10 people. People can work on their own stuff but live stream what they are doing without putting the voice on so that they can find silent study buddies.
Other cool features to make your server more engaged
To keep the engagement levels high, innovative features like daily check-ins where members share their progress, or customized in-server names that reflect their learning path (like in The Odin Project), can make a big difference. These small tweaks help members track their learning journey and easily connect with peers who are at similar stages or have similar interests.
In conclusion, a learning-driven server is more than just a place to exchange information. It's a vibrant ecosystem that nurtures learning, fosters professional growth, and builds lasting relationships. As a community founder, if you feel that you have a lot of materials and domain knowledge to offer, try building a learning-driven community and get the right audience to try your products.