Just a few days ago, I was listening to a podcast, and by the end of it, the presenter invited everyone to join the Discord channel. Similar things happened with a crypto business where they had a Discord server joining option. Also, I was checking out a community handler job where Discord was mentioned as the primary channel.
Call me naive, but I always thought Discord was for online gamers for online communication.
I have been an accidental Discord user for almost 5 years now. One of my friends wanted to play “among us” during quarantine, so I joined their Discord server to stay connected. all thanks to a powerful internet like Xfinity Internet, I was able to stay connected to all my friends without any issues. Sometimes I think COVID would have been worse without the Internet.
There is no doubt it was a fun experience, and it was an excellent way to stay connected. In one of the most depressing phases of my life, Discord played a very important role. I still remember the time when Discord was our default communication channel. The first thing we would do after waking up was send messages to our discount server.
From telling everyone what we were about to eat to helping them learn and stay entrained, we have done almost everything possible.
However, after COVID, everyone stopped playing, and so it was the end of an era.
If your introduction to Discord was as brief as mine was, you might be curious about the evolution of Discord as a communication channel and now its role within the business sector.
What Is Discord?
Discord is one of the most loved and used modes of online communication among gamers. Within the gamers, sharing a Discord server is like making a relationship Insta official. This means if you share a Discord server with someone, they will be considered your good friend.
Discord boasts a population of around one billion users and is still growing. While it was mainly targeted towards teens and tweens, it is now becoming rapidly popular among the business community. Discord helps the user communicate via text, video chat, and voice chat and even helps with creating broadcast groups for group conversations.
Discord was launched mainly for gamers, so there were many free ad-ons to attract gamers. These add-ons included free PC games, elaborated cheat sheets, and many shortcuts.
How Does Discord Work?
Setting a Discord might seem quite a difficult task at first, but with some basic instructions, you can easily set it up.
Start by downloading your Discord app, create an account, and you will get to the home screen. Now, you can access your friends list from the main window. On the left, you will get the list of the servers you have joined. Just like the Twitter handle and Instagram handle, you will get your unique Discord tag as well.
This unique tag works as your ID number that you can use for adding your friend. Now, you can select the add friend option at the top of the home screen, and you will get to connect with anyone you want. Keep in mind that joining an open Discord channel is different from adding someone as a friend.
To add a friend, you need to wait until the other person accepts your request. On the contrary, you can join an open Discord server if you have a link. Once you successfully add someone as a “friend,” you can call them and send them a text or video call them anytime. Moreover, you can also add them to a group chat.
A Mini Guide to Using Discord
Now that you know the basics of Discord, its setup, and other details, you also need to know a little about setting up your server or joining a server. The process of creating the Discord server is quite easy, and it costs nothing.
You will see the servers listed on the left side. To join the Discord, you can click the “add server” button. This button will allow you to create your server with simple prompts and templates. After each step, you will be asked a few questions about the purpose of the server and its audience, and you can set the name.
You can further customize it with a few automation prompts, set the privacy protocols, and do a lot more. Now that you have your server, you can control everything. If you want to add anyone to your server, you can just click on the list of channels and then get to the Invite People button.
To share it with your friends, you can also create a link for your server so anyone can directly join your server. However, this is more suitable for business servers. For better understanding and easy navigation, it is better to separate channels so there is no interruption.
How to Customize Your Discord?
Discord has multiple customizing options, starting from basics like name, bio, and pictures all the way to fully personalizing the user experience on your server.
To make the most out of customization features on your Discord server, you should explore options like Display Name, Avatar, Pronouns, About Me, and Connected Accounts. To help your friend know if you are available you can set your status as well.
For your personal experience, you can set dark or light mode based on your preference. Moreover, you can use free templates to customize your experience and the experience of your friends.
Wrap up
Discord comes under the social media category, but unlike other social media sites, it has a very niche-based audience. You will mostly see gamers, business analysts, crypto gurus, and tech geeks on this platform. If you are looking for a way to enhance your business, Discord is a great platform. Moreover, you can easily land a job as a community manager for other businesses.
FAQ’s
How Much Does Discord Cost?
Discord is free for everyone. However, just like most of the things online, the free version has limited features. Some servers will cost you money, especially servers that offer educational stuff.
What Is A Server Template?
Server templates help you customize your server based on your aim. You can choose a template, and it will have options like topic, roles, permissions, and other default setting options.
Is Discord Used For Advertisement?
Discord is an ad-free platform, so you can use it for paid ads. However, most brands have their community on Discord where they interact with their customers.
