Don’t ignore Discord when it comes to digital marketing

When you start thinking about social media marketing, you probably imagine a few posts on Instagram once or twice a week and a LinkedIn newsletter.

But getting your brand noticed on social media means spreading content across all corners of the internet – whether that's TikTok, Threads, Instagram or Twitter. And we’re adding another one to that ever-growing list – Discord.

What is Discord?

Discord is a messaging and voice-over IP app where users can join multiple groups (or servers) depending on their interests. While it initially gained popularity among gaming communities, to say that it's stayed that way would be a massive understatement.

As of 2022, Discord had over 150 million monthly active users and an estimated 196 million in 2023 – a nearly 20% increase year on year. It’s worth noting that the app only had 10 million active users back in 2017, so it's popularity skyrocketed in just 5 short years (largely fueled by the pandemic).

What kind of content is shared on Discord?

Gaming content is still top dog on Discord. Minecraft stands as the largest server on the platform, with well over 1 million members, while Fortnite comes in at a close second. But the size of these servers doesn’t represent the majority of users currently on the platform, as 78% now report using Discord for non-gaming purposes (or equally for gaming and non-gaming conversations alike).

The growth of non-gaming content comes after a push from Discord’s marketing and community team to broaden the platform’s horizons. Now, you can find a range of content, from the world’s biggest brands advertising their products, to smaller servers for students preparing for exams or friends sharing hobbies.

Is Discord right for your business?

The rise in varied content is the exact reason why Discord is such a versatile space for digital marketing. That said, there are a few things to consider before jumping on the bandwagon…

To B2B or not to B2B?

While Discord might seem like an obvious choice for B2C brands, deciding whether it’s right for your B2B company is another thing entirely. The platform’s greatest asset is its ability to engage communities, which is so important if you’re looking to create a memorable personality around your brand (think Aldi on Twitter).

But if you’re a B2B firm specialising in selling office spaces to companies, you probably won’t see a lot of value in creating your own Discord server. But hosting a thriving B2B community isn’t impossible – just look at Notion for an example.

Strict content regulations

We may have painted Discord as an untapped haven of potential content opportunities for marketers, but things aren’t always rosy on the platform.

One of the biggest downfalls is its tight content regulations, which let moderators “remove and permanently delete your content from the service with or without notice for any reason or no reason”. So if the type of content you typically post online is a bit cheeky, you may need to rethink.

How about a moderator?

Discord communities work best when they’re actively engaged with – by both users and moderators. It’s all well and good inviting people to join your Discord server to learn about knitting. But if you don’t provide them with regular knitting workshops, top stitching tips, and online meet-ups, they’re not going to see much value from it and might drop off.

Decide if your team has enough capacity to moderate your Discord community – because if not, you may need to put this strategy on hold.

The verdict

Discord gives you a great opportunity to get your brand seen by hundreds of millions of potential customers, using the power of community marketing to grow brand awareness. And with the type of content the platform supports beyond gamer chat, now could be the perfect time to get on board. Though don’t jump straight into the deep end without being ready for a few waves.

Ready to get started?

So if you're feeling inspired to create your own Discord community, the good news is we're is here to make the process easy.

Get your own VPS with Fasthosts so you can join in on all the fun! Or why not add a Discord bot to keep things running 24/7?

Got questions? Our support team is here to help with anything you need. Just give us a call on 0333 0142 700 or message us via live chat.