Social media is experiencing another renaissance. Consumers used to rely on curated news feeds full of notifications from friends, family members, and influencer accounts. With more and more companies moving to PPC (pay-per-click) advertising on social media, these feeds have gotten bogged down in suggested posts and ads.
Many users are switching to curated online communities and direct messaging services to get away from traditional social media like Facebook or LinkedIn. One of the top leaders in this field of new-age platforms is Discord, which is opening surprising opportunities for marketing Australian NFPs to volunteers, donors, and other interested parties.
What is Discord?
Discord is a free communication platform founded in May of 2015. It has well over 614 million global users, ranging in topics from online gaming to local bird watching. This platform is known as a “community builder.” It functions by:
- Providing easy online communication like voice calls, video calls, and messaging.
- Creating virtual communities where users can join and share similar interests.
- Offers cross-platform support for various other platforms, browsers, and operating systems.
Users can share all kinds of media like images, emojis, gifs, videos, and more, making Discord highly adaptable to multi-generational communication trends – which is probably why it is so popular.
How Can Discord Help Your NFP?
Why would a community builder social media platform benefit an Australian NFP? The primary reason is cultivating a sense of belonging among your younger and more tech-savvy supporters.
Discord makes it easy for user-generated content (UGC) to be organically spread. Say you operate an NFP around re-housing lost pets and animals. Members of your Discord channels can help locate potential pet owners, houses, and even share tips on what to purchase from the most affordable nearby stores in preparation for the new family addition.
Coordination is another primary benefit. You can expand your reach and connect with supporters in a private channel, so if you need to build momentum around a public policy meeting or provide updates on a human rights rally in real time, everything is controlled inside the app.
Here are a few of the ways using Discord for your NFP makes sense:
- Using a dedicated volunteer channel so volunteers can connect with staff members about “back of house” operations that do not need to be visible to clients.
- Engaging with donors about upcoming galas, shareable insights, and progress towards goals in a segmented channel.
- Hosting virtual events like webinars, auctions, workshops, AMAs, and Q&A sessions without needing multiple apps or platforms.
- Providing real-time support for community members, like mental health advice or counselling, inside a privacy-restricted application.
- Building a stronger community aligned with your NFP’s mission and goals.
Pros and Cons of Using Discord
The primary benefit of Discord for your NFP will be the community-building aspect. This user-friendly application allows members to share and communicate without restriction about their NFP or topic of choice. In addition, Discord offers advantages like:
- A completely free-to-use application that is affordable for all nonprofits.
- Easy to use with a user-friendly interface and endless YouTube tutorials.
- Real-time communication ensures nonprofits can respond to community needs.
- Fully customisable interface for branding, operational guidelines, and visual elements.
- Easily integrated with other essential NFP software and tools like Trello, Google Calendar, and Zapier.
However, Discord is not without its growing pains. While onboarding this platform is great for most nonprofits, there will be a learning curve. It may seem challenging at first if you are completely unfamiliar with it or any other social media community builder.
There are some mild security concerns if you don’t manage your settings correctly. You need to go in with eyes wide open, so spamming, phishing, and online bullying are not possible.
Finally, remember that Discord is a “closed” platform. Only the users who have accounts and sign up for the service can view your information. That may not be a good marketing tool if you’re not already set up for such a community.
It helps if you have a set of “die-hard” fans and volunteers. Start small with a group of 10-20 people and get to know how the communication advantages integrate with your overall NFP operating style. Once that works out, you can bring in more users and scale as much as you want in a more controlled timespan.
Wrapping Up
Technology evolves rapidly, and most businesses of any niche struggle to keep up with it. NFPs must remain open and ready to integrate powerful tools that could unlock a lot of advantages with volunteers, clients, donors, and team members.
While Discord may seem something out of left field at first, there are many benefits. Advertising that you use Discord on your primary website is a great way to indicate what type of organisation you are for a younger audience.
Our team at Web 105 always includes social media icons and interactive elements that ensure your entire NFP online ecosystem is easy to navigate. Contact our team today and learn more about how our decades of experience developing healthcare, governmental, and NFP websites can best benefit your nonprofit. We ensure you get the mobile-responsive and clean website you need – including Discord integrations.
FAQs
Why is Discord not used for business?
Many business owners use it. Early development concerns about security have mostly been resolved, leading to rapid adoption today.
Is Discord good for community building?
Yes, Discord is 100% a powerful tool for building strong and involved communities around your NFP. You can segment these into different categories like volunteers, donors, staff, clients, and more.
How do Discord donations work?
Discord servers can be set up with donation tiers and rewards. This is an advanced program where you’ll need to establish a third-party donation platform – one that works on a small scale across the nonprofit industry.