SIU PRSSA Southern Illinois University Public Relations Student Society of America
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When people think of social media, most will think of popular platforms like Instagram, Twitter and TikTok. Public relations professionals utilize these platforms, and many others, every day to promote events, address crises and build relationships with their clients’ public. Community engagement is central to Public Relations – it is in the name. A newer venue for community engagement is through Discord.
In 2015, founders Jason Citron and Stan Vishnevskiy created Discord for gamers to connect virtually with one another. Discord has “150 million monthly active users, 19 million active servers per week and 4 billion server conservation minutes daily,” according to its website. Jason and Stan wanted Discord to be a place for gamers to build virtual communities. The platform now hosts different kinds of communities – from college students to hikers.
This platform is a fantastic way for public relations professionals to reach out to their clients’ audience. They can gauge public perception in a casual environment. This accomplishes two crucial goals of Public Relations: campaign research and solidifies brand loyalty.
Discord is a useful research tool for public relations specialists. They can get quick and accessible first-hand feedback from their client’s followers.
Campaign research is often time-consuming, whether that is recruiting relevant demographics for a focus group or publishing a survey. Discord is teeming with well-established, active communities that are only a few clicks away from Public Relations professionals.
Discord is free to download, but does have a subscription service called Discord Nitro. This paid version allows for larger file uploads and HD video. Companies and organizations can share their latest news and host virtual events directly with their audience. Companies can livestream Q&A’s, upload newsletters, or share exclusive announcements to a Discord server. This kind of outreach can improve brand loyalty because it shows that the company cares what their community thinks.
Social media has fostered unique, ever-growing communities. These groups are ripe with opportunity for public relations specialists and their clients. Whether it is for research or outreach, Discord has established demographics perfect for public relations work.
