Marketing Strageties

Discord: How the Team Revolutionized Online Communication for Gamers and Beyond!

Company profile

Discord
https://discord.com
Description:
Discord is a communication platform designed primarily for gamers, allowing them to create communities and engage in voice, video, and text chat. It solves the problem of fragmented communication in gaming by providing a centralized space for players to connect and collaborate. By focusing on user feedback and iterating on their product, Discord has evolved into a versatile tool for various communities beyond gaming, fostering social interaction and collaboration.
Category:
Niche & Miscellaneous / Dating & Social Networking
Product type:
webapp
Founding year:
2015
Number of founders:
3
Country:
United States

Company business details

Motivation to build the product

The founders were motivated by the need for a better communication tool for gamers, as existing options were often fragmented and inadequate for the needs of gaming communities. They aimed to create a platform that would enhance the gaming experience by facilitating seamless communication among players.

Problem that their product solves

Discord addresses the problem of fragmented communication tools in the gaming community and beyond. The end users include gamers, developers, creators, and various interest groups who need a reliable platform for voice, video, and text communication. Solving this problem is important as it fosters community building and enhances collaboration among users with shared interests.

Their unfair advantage

Discord's unfair advantage lies in its user-friendly interface, extensive customization options for servers, and a strong focus on community engagement, which sets it apart from other communication platforms.

Strategies

Launch Stage

Community Engagement through Reddit

To gain initial traction for Discord, the team leveraged the Final Fantasy 14 subreddit. They invited users to provide feedback on their new Voiceover IP app, which was a precursor to Discord. A friend made a post on the subreddit asking for opinions on the app, and the founders engaged directly with users in the comments. This interaction led to 50 users joining their server on the first day, which snowballed into 100 the next day, marking the beginning of Discord's growth.

Community Engagement through Events

During the launch stage of Discord, the team focused on engaging with their community by hosting events and panels, such as the Hall of Fame day at the Orlando Health Fortress. This allowed them to connect with users, gather feedback, and create a sense of belonging among their audience. By actively participating in discussions and showcasing their product, they fostered a strong community around Discord, which contributed to its growth and user retention.

Community Engagement through Reddit (Duplicate)

During the launch of Discord, the team leveraged the power of community engagement by reaching out to a member of the Final Fantasy community. They asked him to post about his experience with Discord on Reddit, which he did while the founder was asleep. Upon waking up, the founder found the post with no replies, but he quickly jumped in to engage with users, explaining the product and its features. This interaction led to a surge of interest, with the post eventually reaching the top of the subreddit, resulting in hundreds of new users joining Discord. This grassroots approach to marketing showcased the importance of community in driving user adoption and engagement.

Community-Centric Development

Discord's co-founder Jason Citron emphasized the importance of community feedback in shaping the platform's features. Initially, Discord was designed primarily for gamers, but as users began utilizing it for public communities, the team responded by increasing the server capacity and enhancing moderation tools. This included the introduction of AutoMod, which was developed in response to the needs of communities that had grown larger than anticipated. By actively listening to user feedback and adapting the platform accordingly, Discord was able to evolve from a gaming-focused tool to a broader communication platform.

Growth Stage

Iterative Product Development

During the early months after launching Discord, the team focused on refining their product based on user feedback. They rebuilt the voice chat engine three times to ensure it met user needs. This iterative approach allowed them to quickly adapt and improve the product, leading to a rapid increase in user engagement and satisfaction.

21 more strategies for this company are available to our premium members.The database now has 5.8+K strategies from over 330 companies—and growing.

Learn more about Discord

Jason Citron, Co-Founder/CEO @Discord: The Untold Story Behind Scaling to 200M Users | E1230

Jason Citron is the Co-Founder and CEO of Discord, a voice, video and text platform for friends playing games. Jason has raised $1BN for the company and was able to scale it to 200M users.
YouTube

Fireside Chat with Discord Co-Founder & CEO Jason Citron | Full Sail University

In this one-on-one conversation, Hall of Fame inductee Jason Citron will discuss what makes Discord unique, both as a product and as a company.- Dr.
YouTube

#192 CTO and Co-Founder Discord, Stanislav Vishnevskiy

For many years, the conventional wisdom was the gaming was not social because it was something you usually did at home. “But people who play games are often the most social,” says Discord CTO Stanislav Vishnevskiy.
YouTube

Discord CEO Jason Citron makes the case for a smaller, more private internet

In this interview, Discord co-founder Jason Citron discusses the evolution of Discord from a gaming-focused voice chat app to a platform for intimate online social interactions, emphasizing the importance of privacy and community in the future of the internet.
Read