Starting today, we're launching an ongoing initiative aimed at increasing community spirit by identifying deviants who are good at reaching out to others, and matching them with new deviants who might benefit from a kindred guide.
Joining a new community can sometimes feel daunting -- like you’re on the outside looking in. But we’re working on ways to make it easier for new deviants to meet others and get involved with the things that matter most to them.
If you're a deviant who often interacts with new deviants, you may receive a notification every so often. Currently, there isn't a way to opt-in to getting these notification, but you can increase your chances of receiving them by interacting with new deviants. The "New Deviants" section of the today page is a great place to start.
How It Works
We’ve selected a small group of deviants who’ve proven they’re community ambassadors and regularly welcome new deviants to the site.
These selected deviants will receive a notification prompting them to welcome specific new deviants.
If you’ve been chosen to participate, visit the profiles of your suggested deviants and introduce yourself! Give them a warm welcome! Share your interests and hobbies, learn about theirs, suggest groups to join, and how to best get started on DeviantArt. The aim is to form a kindred connection over time. (See below for more tips on welcoming.)
If you’d prefer not to participate, simply remove the message.
Reporting Spammers
In the event that one of your suggested deviants is a spammer, please rollover their username and select "Report Spammer."
TIPS ON WELCOMING NEW DEVIANTS
When making initial contact, introduce yourself and be friendly! Remember to be authentic and avoid using copy and pasted pre-written messages. Find out why they joined, ask them if they need any specific help, and find ways to connect with them!
Encourage Participation in the Community
Providing a few guidelines to getting involved in the community could help to keep that new deviant spark going. Here are a few suggestions:
Avoid copy and pasting the same message to each deviant. Instead, try to find shared interests to start a more meaningful discussion.
Favouriting artwork and other artists. Suggest things like Daily Deviations and Undiscovered to get them started. Encourage them to share a thumbnail of one they've found that they really like. Start a discussion!
Creating collections is the step up from favouriting a deviation. Encourage them to post a status update or journal that links to their newly created collection and be sure to comment on it yourself!
Find out why they joined DeviantArt and suggest some groups for them to join or watch.
If they’re an artist, encourage them to submit a deviation and consider commenting on it yourself when they do.
Great Community-Made Resources
Here’s a short list of community-made journals that are helpful resources for new deviants. Feel free to share them with your new friends.
The DAWelcomeWagon group goes out of their way to welcome new deviants on a daily basis. If you enjoy welcoming new deviants, consider getting involved with the group!
