What is Discord
Since its launch in 2015, Discord has become one of the most popular digital group communication platforms, with over 560 million registered users. So what is Discord and how is it beneficial in the world of gaming?
What is Discord?
Discord is a free digital platform where users can communicate through voice, video, and text chat. Users can create their own servers, with the option to keep them private for invited friends only, or open them up to the general public and allow others to join. There are even game dedicated servers, designed to foster communities by offering game updates, news, customer support, and more, such as the official Elden Ring server – made by yours truly.
Discord can be run while in-game to chat with other players and friends, and even stream your game. It's also a place where game developers often share information and gaming goodies with their players.
Who uses Discord?
According to Statista, as of January 2023, Discord reached approximately 154 million monthly active users and hosts around 19 million active servers per week. While Discord is primarily known for its use in the gaming community, the platform can also be used for casual communication purposes. The global COVID-19 pandemic pushed us to stay connected virtually and generated more internet users looking for ways to engage in community environments.
Discord has been notably popular among Gen-Z users, who have grown up in an ever-expanding digital world. It's no shock that during the pandemic, these audiences in particular flocked to platforms like Discord to join communities for all kinds of niches, as a safe place to connect, learn, and express their individuality.
In a study from 2022 by Impero, 65% of a Gen-Z audience said they felt more confident online when using community-focused social apps like Discord or Twitch over feed-based apps like Instagram or Twitter. In addition to this, younger audiences are now less interested in simply buying what a brand is selling. Instead of simply seeing something and acquiring it, they prefer to be a part of the process.
Why is Discord beneficial?
In terms of gaming, this means developers and publishers have the fantastic opportunity to get their audiences involved in several different ways. As previously mentioned, servers can be created by game developers to share information about upcoming games, updates, and even access to early versions of games.
If you're looking for direct and personal feedback on your game from beta testers, Discord is the perfect place to make that happen. Not only that, but you can also host live Stages -- streams where you can answer user's questions, run giveaways, and reward active users with gifts.
Everything about your server can be tailored to your brand's needs and guidelines, and you can even utilize custom emojis and server icons to match. Discord bots are used for a variety of reasons, such as helping you moderate your server, welcome newcomers, generate events, and serve as reminders for upcoming events or fun minigames.
How can we help?
We're here to help you create a space for your most passionate fans who are looking to get deeper into the fandom, as well as a space for potential new fans who want to find out more.
We will take on the management of your Discord server, making recommendations about what is and what isn't working where appropriate, and suggesting solutions. We'll also take a deep dive into the data and insights to offer information that might benefit your strategy.
Your Discord server should be a safe environment for all, and we will make sure of that through careful community management. If there's ever an issue, we'll be there to sort it.
