Why is Discord popular?
Changing attitudes in gen Z and gen alpha, particularly
- Half of Discord’s users are under 24
- Clearly, they’re looking for more private online spaces compared to the big, public platforms like Facebook and Twitter
- In recent years, this discourse has centered the rise of TikTok & shortform video. This is only half of the story – the other half can be found on Discord
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Changes in views on content moderation
- As those in the tech industry often note, content moderation is hard. It’s especially hard on unified global platforms like Instagram and TikTok, where platforms have to set one set of rules for everyone
- Discord has global rules to prevent the worst kinds of behavior, but leaves smaller decisions up to individual communities. Additionally, the customisation features of Discord allow moderators to create helpful custom moderation tools
- Users have a better experience in communities where moderation feels like it’s aligned to their sensibilities!
Social that works for you, not vice versa
- Make It Yours: Since the death of MySpace, every feed and page on every social app feels the same! With Discord, you can add prebuilt tools or code your own to design a space that matches what your community needs
- The most popular Discord server ever is Midjourney. In 2022, they realised that by using the developer tools on Discord, they could use their community as the frontend for their AI image generation startup
- There’s more to their story than that, but it’s one example of how effective it can be to put your service in the same place as your community
Key Takeaway
Discord isn’t just another social network. It’s somewhere between a social network and a development platform. It gives you both community features AND the flexibility to create something truly unique.
If you make something meaningful, people will sign up just to use it! In our most recent promotional campaign, around 25% of our signups joined Discord just to visit our community. If you build it, they will come!
Users experience less friction joining a Discord server than a custom web community, but that doesn’t mean you can just coast by. A successful Discord strategy still needs strong community builders who understand the platform.
A few of the Discord servers I visit most.
What kind of stuff is on there?
- Elgato: Community & support community for the biggest streaming hardware manufacturer
- Daily Dose of Internet: A community for the most broadly appealing YouTube channel on planet earth. If you ever need to entertain three generations at the same time, this is how
- RØDE: Hey, that’s us!
- OBS: A support server for the most popular livestreaming software
- HealthyGamer: A hub for the most exciting youth mental health service on the planet. Check them out, if you haven’t already
- Odd Lots: The official community for Bloomberg media’s most popular podcast
- Australian Smash: For Aussie Smash Bros. players to organise tournaments, matches, and more
- Flipper Zero: support server for a nifty wireless gadget for developers
RØDE’s initial aims on Discord
Boost brand power Create a space where people connect with RØDE on a deeper level, fostering brand loyalty and enthusiasm.
Meet users on their turf Expand our reach by engaging in a space where creators and audio enthusiasts are already spending time.
Elevate user experience Build a community where users get answers quickly, troubleshoot collectively, and feel empowered to make the most of their gear.
What did we learn from making this all work?
🏠 What I Learned Building the RØDE Community
Community structure:
💜 Community Strategy (Respect helpers, give them tools)
Community content strategy:
🎓 Community Content Strategy (Learn from audience misconceptions)
Using community data:
😎 Using Community Knowledge (Yep, another guy making chatbots)
Creating custom solutions:
🗺️ Creating a Meaningful Community UX (with Discord)
Service design:
🪄 Service Design (Brands compete on user experiences)
Proving it:
📈 Proving It (Result- chart line go up!)
Misc.
🌐 Why Discord? ❔ Further questions for discussion 📜 Footnotes 👋 Meet the team- one other guy