I can’t be the only one who thinks Discord is not getting the credit it deserves. The improvements and functionality of the platform leave unlimited opportunities for businesses to grow and interact with their community.
Discord has a lot of incredible features available and it just keeps getting better! If you don’t have your business on Discord, you are missing out on an incredible opportunity to build a community, especially if you are a digital creator. The app is completely customizable allowing you to create personalized experiences for your users from the second they click that join button.
So, what is Discord?
According to their website, Discord is a voice, video, and text chat app that’s used by tens of millions of people ages 13+ to talk and hang out with their communities and friends.¹
Discord’s Subscription-Based Services are Wallet Friendly.
One of my favorite features about Discord they care about their users. Unlike other social media platforms, Discord does not try to thicken their wallets like some of the other platforms out there. Instead of having to purchase each additional feature, they have a free plan and then 2 subscription plans available for a very reasonable cost. With their subscriptions, the Discord app remains 100% ad-free.
Their Basic Nitro subscription is available to purchase for $2.99 a month or at a discounted rate of $29.99 for one year. Their full subscription is available at only $9.99 per month or discounted to $99.99 when you purchase one year.
Other Ways They Monetize:
Without a subscription, most perks are still available but reduced so that users can still perform most tasks. For example, file upload size is 10MB for free users, 50 MB for basic subscribers, and 500 MB for Nitro subscribers. There are truly very few things that free users cannot do. In two years of using the platform, the biggest drawback was animated emojis and most users needed to crop photos before sending to be under 10 MB.
Additionally, they monetize using server boosts and profile customization options available for purchase. The video below shows their animated Halloween avatar decorations.
What is a server boost?
Server When you boost a server, it helps unlock perks for that server. There are three perk levels available when boosting a server. When you purchase their regular Nitro plan, you receive two free server boosts with your subscription. Or you can purchase additional server boosts for $2.99 per month (30% off for Nitro Subscribers.)
Boosted Server Perks:
Server boosts are a great way to drive user engagement by offering rewards, perks, or exclusives when boosting the server.
Create Custom Servers Tailored to Your Community.
Anyone who joins Discord, including free users, can create what they call a server. Servers are private communities that are made up of voice and text channels and can only be joined by receiving an invitation link. As a server owner, you can customize your server however you would like.
Each Discord server also has roles allowing you to create numerous different permission sets to assign to server joiners. This feature is great for keeping specific channels private or for verification and gate-keeping purposes.
Discord Community Servers
If you would like to make your server more public, you can mark it as a community server. These servers have features that private servers do not such as different channel types, event creation, analytics, and community onboarding. Recently, they even added server subscriptions and stores to allow content creators a way to monetize their servers. If you want to start a community server, there are some requirements and guidelines you will have to follow. You can find more information about community servers here.
Discord Bots
One last feature to mention is the use of Discord bots. You might be familiar already with chatbots, a tool used to create automated support for customers. Discord bots are similar to chatbots but are to help you with managing and interacting with your community.
Bots allow server owners to automate tasks and manage, communicate, or even have fun with their communities. I’m not going to dive too deep into Discord bots today. However, if you are considering starting a server you will love the endless opportunities bots provide. Plus, they are created by individual developers (not associated with Discord) and most have the majority of features available for free.
Discord: Endless Opportunities Await
If you are a small business or any form of content creator, I recommend jumping on the Discord bandwagon soon. With the new features, the customization, and the opportunities available with Discord, your community would benefit from a server.
Some individuals find that there is a bit of a learning curve with the app, which is why I will be working on a series consisting of some of the neat ways to use Discord and how to use specific features. Have a topic you want me to cover next? Let me know in the comments!
Don’t want to deal with the hassle of learning and building your server? Let me help. With 2 years of building and managing Discord Servers, I can build a server that meets and possibly exceeds your expectations. Email me and lets chat about your server needs!
Disclaimer: The content of this article is provided for informational purposes only. The author is not affiliated with Discord or any of the specific bots mentioned. Any views, opinions, or endorsements expressed in this article are solely those of the author and do not represent the views or opinions of Discord or the developers of the mentioned bots. Users are encouraged to conduct their own research and exercise discretion when using any third-party applications or services, including Discord and all Discord bots. The author disclaims any responsibility for the actions or experiences of individuals using Discord or the mentioned bots.
¹ Information sourced from Discord’s official website, accessed on October 29th, 2023.
