If you have ever heard of Discord, you might have heard it is for gamers. That used to be the case, but not anymore. Discord has evolved to become a full-fledged social media platform and a solid base for different communities, hobbyists, influencers, and businesses. Discord stands out because it is not one of the main social media platforms (Meta, Twitter, etc.), which makes it perfect for marketers looking for an alternative to these platforms. For marketers who have been looking for an alternative marketing channel, Discord is for you and this article will tell you everything you need to know about marketing on the platforms.
Discord: An Overview
Discord is primarily a Voice Over Internet Protocol (VoIP) service that allows users to communicate through text, voice, and video. Initially, it was created to allow gamers to communicate when playing games together. Today, it is a versatile platform offering many features that gamers, businesses, and marketers alike love. The strength of Discord is in its communities, and this is something we will explore in-depth later as it is a crucial element for marketers.
Features
Before you can explore the features of Discord, you need to download the software. This is a trivial matter because it is available on all platforms, and you only have to visit their website or the appropriate app store to download it. The app will launch after installing it on your computer, but you have to click it on a phone to get started. The main features are functions behind the buttons on the left. The first is voice chat which allows you to start a voice or video chat with another member.
The second is communities. There are five main community categories which include education, science and technology, music, education, and entertainment. Going through the different ideas should help you start to form a marketing strategy.
One of the most important features of Discord is servers. You can start or join a server by clicking on a button that has a plus sign on it at the bottom of the left-side menu. If you already have an invitation, you can join a server here. When starting a server, you can choose between gaming, study group, friends, club and community, or me and my friends. You can then customize the server by adding a name and profile picture.
Discord Channels
You can also start a channel that works as a forum within your large channel. These channels help you organize different topics on your server, and you can create either text or voice channels. Just pick the option when creating a channel.
Other Features
Other features include roles where you can make someone an admin and integration. The integration option lets you add apps and bots to your server, follow channels and create webhooks.
Using Discord as a Business
While it may seem like Discord has limited features for businesses, numerous businesses use it in various ways depending on their needs. Businesses use Discord to first encourage engagement. When doing this, you want your customers to know you better to foster trust and loyalty.
Encouraging engagement also helps create a better brand and customer experience for your audience. Businesses can also encourage their audiences to provide feedback and insights they can use to improve their brand’s products and services.
Businesses can engage with their audience and customers through the various channels available on their servers. They can also talk directly to their audience and customers, which can be incredibly powerful.
Data Collection
Data is crucial as a business is trying to understand and market to its customers. Discord recently added an insights feature that allows businesses to understand where the members on their servers are from, attention numbers, and engagement with members and channels. This data is aggregated monthly, weekly, or daily as well as exported for further analysis.
Marketing Your Business Through Communities
To build a space where you engage numerous people, you’ll need to build a community. To do this, scroll to the bottom of the left-hand menu and click on “Enable Community”. Once here, you will need to complete a security check, set up basic details about your community, and add the finishing touches.
Once you have a community, you can engage your members through the different options available there. To help ensure the success of your marketing efforts on Discord, there are a few things you have to keep in mind.
First, you need to understand the audience you find on Discord. Most of the people on Discord are teens and younger adults. This demographic has different needs and wants, and needs to be communicated with and marketed to differently from older audiences. Remember, Discord is very casual and so your messaging will be different from the one on other, more serious platforms like LinkedIn.
Second, consider becoming a partner. Joining the Discord partner program comes with some perks that can come in handy for your business and brand. For example, you get the ability to personalize your servers, so they are better aligned with your brand image. Being a partner also makes it easier for people to find you on the discovery page.
This program is for communities that are both engaged and active and the application process is lengthy.
Third, you can encourage your audience to create user-generated content. This works in almost the same way as influencer marketing, but it does not have to be a commercial thing. Customers can create servers and communities talking about your special offers, promotions, and brands. The people who get this message are likely to be more receptive to it because it will be coming from a trusted source.
Lastly, use your server and channels to reward your members with exclusive discounts. Doing so is a great way to get people talking about your brand on their servers and communities.
Discord might not be as big as other platforms, but it remains an important one for businesses and brands, especially those targeting teens and young adults. Discord provides businesses and brands with several ways to build a community and market themselves. The personalization, communication channels, and promotional options available can be incredibly powerful for businesses that take full advantage of them.
