What is Discord?
Discord is a chat app with millions of users. This simple-to-use app can be accessed on any device. Discord also allows for voice and video chatting, which makes it perfect for gaming, streaming, or just general chatting with friends.
While Discord was initially created for gamers, it has since been adopted by a wide variety of users, including businesses (but also be sure to check out Discord alternatives), artists, and more.
Discord has become one of the best and popular group chat applications for everyone, especially gamers. In fact, this amazing platform is useful for some gamers that are part of guilds and require coordination between members. Some Discord servers have become so big that many server hosts wonder if there is a way to earn good money from the platform.
Discord Features
The platform was created in accordance with voice over internet protocol (VoIP), which offers all the capabilities required to carry out numerous tasks without the assistance of a different application. Discord offers the following features as a freemium service:
- Add contacts in a limitless number of ways.
- Use voice chat services to communicate with contacts.
- The program may be used on both a computer and a phone, and all sessions that are started will get updates and new communications.
- Our ability to customize alerts.
- Since it provides one of the greatest privacy-preserving services, many people who want to stay anonymous utilize it.
- The client-server connection is encrypted, offering a high level of security and defense against DDoS assaults, safeguarding the users’ IP addresses.
- It enables users who are proficient in programming to add bots to their servers and customize their functionality as desired. Today, we really have access to a wide variety of bots that developers have built for their servers.
- It has a low latency and consumes little CPU power.
- It offers a website called Discord StreamKit that has streamer-specific tools and integrations that may be added to the Discord server to maximize its functionality. Additionally, programs like Twitch, YouTube, Twinge, Nightbot, and Muxy can be added.
- It features a brand-new feature called Discord Rich Presence that enables quick and simple integration of its platform with video games that are being played. Players may view the game screens of their friends, sharing the games. You can also do a variety of other activities, such as inviting colleagues, creating several games in party mode, or simply watching them as an observer.
- There are several features, including private messaging, intelligent push alerts, game overlays, configurable hotkeys, contemporary text chat, and profile tab.
What Is So Unique About Discord?
Discord provides a vast range of sophisticated settings, in contrast to other online instant chat programs. Some of its most crucial components, via which you might make money, include:
1. Creation of channels and servers
The platform is based on servers, which are locations where people congregate for various reasons. The servers can have a broad range of themes that can be customized for each owner’s particular specialty.
On the other hand, channels are compact divisions that may be assigned distinct functions, unique material, and voice or text options in accordance with the preferences of each owner. In order to use the same strategy across many niches, it is feasible, for instance, to construct a server with the topic of series as its main focus and develop channels for various titles.
2. Invite friends and add them
Users who engage in conversation in the channels are crucial for the growth of a Discord server’s community. The site offers a number of options, including the ability to manually add friends to the platform, send them personal invites, or establish a link that anybody can use to join the community.
3. Add bots to your channels
All channels built on a Discord server have the option of using bots to supplement the features that enable richer user experiences. This is one of the most cherished features. It functions similarly to that of other programs like Telegram in that tools may be downloaded, configured as tools for particular tasks, or created using programming.
Any kind of bot can be included into the platform as long as it does not conflict with the terms and conditions. There are bots for a wide variety of functions, including: alerts regarding server activity, welcoming new players to the server, voice recording, real-time music delivery to users, moderators, and more.
4. Integration with other software
It enables quick and easy connection with other platforms like YouTube, Twitch, Xbox Live, Facebook, Reddit, or Steam, allowing users to easily broadcast or share content.
How Does It Operate?
Discord has provided an instant messaging service that allows us to communicate, have crystal-clear video calls, and have audio conversations since its establishment in 2015. Since it was created as a cross-platform program, it can be used on PCs, mobile devices, or the web to reach its 250 million users worldwide.
In addition to its all-encompassing features, Discord allows us to build channels and chat rooms where we may connect secretly or publicly with our friends’ groups, individuals who share our interests, or followers from social networks. Additionally, it enables the sending of various file types while engaging in other tasks, screen sharing, the attachment of users to servers or chat rooms through open links, or the formation of groups for invite-only access.
Despite the fact that the platform does not provide direct instruments for making money, it is nevertheless feasible to do so by utilizing its infrastructure to carry out several tasks. By utilizing the service’s characteristics, we may create various strategies for making money with a Discord server. Additionally, we have the benefit of the service’s expanding user base, which expands our opportunities to make money using Discord. As long as they abide by all of the terms and regulations of the platform, more and more people are setting up servers to distribute material they are passionate about and to monetize.
Discord, on the other hand, operates under a freemium model, allowing users to access premium features in exchange for a monthly membership fee. Discord differentiates itself from similar programs like Skype, Zoom, or TeamSpeak with all these capabilities, since they do not provide the same level of security or as many sophisticated, comprehensive, and useful tools.
If Discord allows one to use their server for commercial use, the following are some ways they can monetize their server:
- Get sponsorships from businesses
- Make private areas for Patreon supporters only
- Sign up with a Discord ad network
- Create a Bot with paid or free features or both (your choice)
- Accept donations from people who want to support you and your community
- Make the entire server for paid users only
- Run paid competitions
- Charge a premium for sponsoring other Discord servers on your server
- Direct your Discord’s server traffic to a website that has paid guides, tutorials, eBooks, etc.
All these ways are great for earning good via your Discord server. That is why this form of earning is gaining a huge popularity among all the available ways to make extra money online. However, it may be harder than it seems at first glance. Each method involves a particular strategy that you must follow to be effective. We have explained it all below.
1. Accept Donations from People Who Want To Support You or Your Community
If you have a large community or people who like what you do, allow them to give you back in terms of donations. Accepting donations on Discord is quite easy. You can either provide them a link to your PayPal account or make a Patreon account and ask them to send their donations here. Don’t worry, you don’t need to be NPO (a non-profit organization) to accept all kinds of donations. Just ensure that people who are donating know the money they are giving is not tax-deductible.
2. Make Private Areas for Patreon Supporters Only
If you think some of your members would appreciate having greater access to your knowledge, you can set up private areas within your Discord server. If any member donates a certain amount every week, month, or year, you can give them access to this special area where they can ask questions and get instant answers from you or any expert.
You can also cash out this opportunity by offering them more advanced tips, guides, or other valuable information that they won’t get elsewhere on your server. Don’t worry about your non-paying members not getting that extra information. You can keep on providing them with good information. Any reasonable person will understand that they have to pay a premium to get access to something important.
3. Make the Entire Server for Paid Users Only
Another excellent way to earn money on Discord is by making the entire server for paid users only. Don’t worry about your free server; let it be there. All you need to do is set up a new server but only for paid members with additional perks, features, and offers.
On the other hand, this is a better way than having both free and paid areas on the same server.
4. Sign Up with a Discord Ad Network
If you know how ads work on websites, you might also know its perks. Similarly, you can also sign up with a Discord ad network and allow them to run ads on your server. Discord Advertiser is the best option to go for. All you have to do is register with them, install their bot, configure your server, set your ad rates, and start earning.
There are several ways you can customize this service to work best with your server.
5. Create a Bot with Paid or Free Features
Bots are indeed an amazing feature that Discord provides to its users. You can earn good through these bots as well as assist your community through them. You can make a customize bot that serves the needs of people in your community and charge for the services it provides. In addition to that, you can also make a freemium bot with both free and paid features. It is an excellent way to let your members try your bot for free.
6. Get Sponsorships from Businesses
If you have a community of people belonging to a popular niche, several businesses will definitely be interested in having access to them. Therefore, instead of dealing with businesses that try to infiltrate your community for free, ask them to pay a premium in exchange for access.
There are many ways you can do this and create a win-win situation for you, your community, and the advertiser. You can also provide a small area on your server to promote their products, services and allow them to question/answer from your community. Moreover, you could also set up bots that automatically advertise your business partners at certain intervals you want.
7. Charge a Premium for Sponsoring Other Discord Servers on Your Server
Many Discord servers need a shout out, or your members may be interested in joining that aren’t your competitors. You can charge them an amount to advertise to your community. Think of other servers that you have also joined and may be of help to your community members. Contact those other Discord server owners and talk about advertising possibilities.
If they aren’t interested in paying for advertising, another great way is swap-advertising. All you need to do is advertise their server on yours while they advertise your server on theirs. This is an excellent and reliable way to build your community without spending any money on advertising.
8. Run Paid Competitions
Run a competition (maybe a gaming competition?), charge a small entrance fee (say $2), and let the winners get a percentage of the entrance fee as a reward. There may be hundreds or even thousands of people who will love competing to show off their skills and won’t mind paying a small fee. You can also reward the top 3 winners for making the participants feel that they have a better shot at winning at least something.
If you have trouble coming up with a good idea for a competition, you can ask for recommendations from your community members.
9. Affiliate Marketing
The people in your community may be interested in buying lots and lots of products, so why not offer them links to products and get a commission on them? However, you need to be straightforward and open with your community. Tell them that the products are affiliated, and you will get a small commission if anyone buys through the link.
Your loyal members, who already want to buy the product, will surely buy through your link, so you can also get to earn some. Another strategy is to make a resources area or a specific page on a website that you can link to your Discord server. For example, if you are a gamer, you can list some gaming equipment, DVDs, or other stuff that might help your members. Make an Amazon affiliate account and link these products to Amazon through their affiliate program.
Just remember to be honest here and give your community high-quality recommendations so you don’t lose their trust and can live up to their hopes. One more thing you can do is partner up with good vendors who are even willing to provide discounts to your community members.
10. Direct Your Discord Server’s Traffic to a Website that has Paid Services
If you find your Discord server to be a bit limiting, you can create a website and upload paid guides, tutorials, eBooks, etc. People who are seriously interested in getting more information and knowledge out of you will be happy to buy any of these paid products.
Nowadays, creating a website and a paid area for your members is not a big deal with plugins like Restrict Content Pro and MemberPass. Find out what your community members want, see if you can provide it, and then profit it is!
Ways to Monetize your Discord Server without Making Your Community Mad
If you are worried that adding ways to make money through a free community can get some people to go mad, don’t worry and just follow the below tips/ways:
1. Don’t Take Away Anything – Instead, Add Something Valuable
If you grabbed your audience at first because of providing free stuff, don’t just put it behind a paywall when you see an increase in your members. This will make your community go against you and even cause some to leave. Instead, leave the free valuable stuff aside and think of adding something extra for an extra (money). Give them an option to go to your website, and access paid guides, tutorials, eBooks, etc., for a premium. Just don’t force them as it may sound like you are there to only sell instead of help.
2. Reinvest in Your Server
If you are earning good money on Discord, don’t forget to add more value to your server. You can invest in some high-quality, premium bots to enhance your members’ experience. Or you can pay an expert to make you high-quality tutorials or guides. And, you can also build a helpful website for your members.
This is an excellent way to compete with your competitors that aren’t investing in their servers and providing anything fruitful to their community.
3. Ensure your Monetization Adds Value
Rather than bombarding your Discord community with irrelevant products and things that they don’t want, focus on adding something they would be willing to pay for. In all the ways, just make sure to offer things that actually benefit your community instead of making a hole in their pockets.
4. Tell Them Why You Are Charging
Everyone gets suspicious if you are trying to add ways to make money, where earlier, everything you offered was free of cost. But reasonable people understand that to get something premium, you have to pay a premium. Therefore, tell your community that you are offering these, say services or products, at a cost. If you plan to reinvest some of your earnings on your server, let your members know as well. This way, they’ll be more than happy to buy from you.