According to a 2022 survey of business-to-consumer (B2C) and business-to-business (B2B) marketers in the U.S. and around the world by Statista, the most popular digital marketing channel was social media.
While these marketers are successfully leveraging well-known platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and Linkedin, fewer are leveraging lesser-known platforms such as Discord.
Discord started as a social platform for gamers, but has since grown into a communication and social app that allows people interested in different topics to connect and build communities.
Let's take a look at the benefits of using Discord to power your social media marketing strategy and how you can start marketing with this platform.
How Discord can power your social media marketing
The majority of your customers have a profile on at least one of the obvious social media platforms listed above, so connecting with them there is a must.
But there's no denying how crowded these platforms are and how difficult it can be to connect with customers and grow a following.
Although Discord has grown to nearly 154 million monthly active users, it's still a newcomer and not as saturated as other well-known social media platforms. It's also one of the easiest platforms to connect intimately and deepen relationships with your viewers.
Keep reading to understand the benefits of Discord in your social media marketing strategy.
build a community
One of Discord's best features is the ability to create servers. Servers are essentially virtual communities or groups created around different interests, topics, or activities.
These servers foster community building and bring like-minded people together from around the world to talk, text, video chat, and collaborate. Creating a server for your business creates a sense of belonging among your customers, allowing them to form an emotional connection with your business, resulting in brand loyalty.
When you create a server for your business, you can also create different text and audio channels that correspond to specific topics and activities related to your brand.
For example, let's say your business sells software. You can have a how-to channel, a troubleshooting channel, and a channel for customers to share how they use your software.
Typically, you can use your server to connect with your customers and further build your community on channels that cater to the unique needs of your audience.
Engage with customers in real time
Many people compare Discord to messaging apps like Slack. This is because Discord offers a similar real-time communication experience.
Users can message, audio, or video chat with each other in community chatrooms, and also have the opportunity to communicate directly. Use these features to engage with your customers in real time.
For example, a customer might come to Discord and message you about an issue that prevents them from fully using your product. Discord will notify you of the message so you can immediately respond to your customers and guide them on how to resolve their issue.
You can establish channels for customer feedback and stay in touch with customers who leave that feedback. Keep them updated on how you are implementing their suggestions. This will make your relationship stronger.
These actions also strengthen your customer relationships and brand presence by making your customers feel special and intimately connected to your business.
Improving brand awareness
Social media marketing strategies are typically aimed at increasing brand awareness, and Discord is uniquely qualified to achieve this goal, especially through cross-promotion.
In addition to social media, your digital marketing strategy may include your website, email marketing, and other digital channels. Discord allows you to strategically drive traffic to other digital marketing channels, give people more ways to learn about your brand, and increase brand awareness.
For example, you can increase traffic to your business website by introducing a topic to your Discord community and dropping a link to a blog post that provides more information about that topic. Or you can create a channel whose purpose is to share information about what's happening in other marketing channels.
Your efforts on Discord will build brand awareness on their own, but cross-promotion on the platform can help you grow your brand even more.
Tips for getting started with Discord
The first thing you need to do to start using Discord is download it on your Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS, or Android device. Run the setup process and create a server for your business.
Whether you're marketing on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, or Discord, to ensure you reach your social media marketing goals, you need to create an actual strategy for what you'll do on the platform.
To run an effective campaign on Discord or any other platform, you need to:
- Determine overall goals and goals specific to individual campaigns.
- Research your target audience and what they respond to on your platform.
- Make sure your brand presence is strong and consistent.
- Experiment with different types of content and communication styles until you find what works for your audience on a particular platform.
- Interact with your audience regularly and build genuine relationships.
- Measure your performance on the platform and adjust your strategy based on the data.
- Stay up to date with trends and algorithms to stay relevant on the platform.
Once you have created a specific Discord marketing strategy, start executing it, be consistent and see results.
conclusion
When used with intention, Discord is a powerful tool that can help businesses enhance their social media marketing. Use the tips above to get started on the platform, build a loyal community, engage with customers in real-time, and take your brand awareness to the next level.
Indiana Lee, BOSS Contributor
