The Community Column

Unlocking the power of brand integration in gaming

More than 3 billion people play video games, which means brands in any vertical have a huge opportunity. Here's how to tap into the nuances of the gaming audience.

How to build safe and social gaming communities

Discord communities act as an extension of that ‘safe space’ players find in gaming. Here’s how you can build safe and functional spaces for brands and fans to thrive in communities that grow harmoniously.

Levellr Raises $1.75M to Help Brands Build Thriving Discord Communities

Levellr empowers brands to unlock community value on Discord by transforming engagement into actionable insights, driving loyalty, and boosting customer lifetime value

How to use Levellr analytics to understand your Discord community

When you dive into Discord data analytics, you can measure the vibe of your community and turn those insights into actionable strategy. Here's how it works.

Build your own custom landing page to gather member data and marketing consent

This is how a custom landing page on Discord smashes the industry-standard marketing opt-in rate and drives value from the moment a fan signs up.

Turning community members into brand advocates: strategies for community-driven growth

Money can't buy word-of-mouth promotion from highly-engaged fans. These brand advocacy strategies develop priceless promotion among your Discord community.

Rising customer acquisition cost: How a Discord community is key to retention

In the face of endless distractions and the cookie phaseout, here's how a Discord community helps any brand find - and keep - customers.

Why measuring community engagement is crucial for video game publishers

Discord analytics and engagement metrics are game-changers for gaming brands who need to understand and drive ROI from their online community.

Best practices for running a successful online community

We asked leading community architects for their key tips, best practices and expert advice that will guide you in building and growing a value-driving Discord server.

How forum channels supercharge your Discord server

When you need to organise information or collect crucial feedback, a forum channel is the ideal way to do it. Here's everything you need to know about setting up and making the most of Discord's clever forum channels.

How to elevate your posts with Discord's powerful text formatting

Stop members skipping your important announcements with these crucial formatting tips. From bold to clickable spoilers and more, here's your guide to the Discord markdown you need to be using.

This is what success looks like: Key metrics for defining your Discord community

Discord is a treasure trove of data - but how do you measure an emotional relationship? These are the key metrics that help you define the success of your community.

What any brand can learn from how superstars connect with their community

Forward-thinking brands can learn from the music icons using Discord to connect with superfans, including Fred again.., Gorillaz, Grimes, Lil Nas X, Maisie Peters and the Weeknd.

How to connect your Discord server to your Levellr dashboard

Connecting your Discord community to Levellr unlocks powerful features and easy-to-use tools. This step-by-step guide shows you how easy it is to take the first step.

See how Levellr works for you in our handy video guides

See inside the top features that help you make the most of a Discord community with Levellr's handy video guides.

Why fan-driven pop culture is such a huge opportunity for your brand

YouTube's mindblowing data on fan culture reveals the huge opportunity for brands to drive value through fandom.

Everything you need to know about online community

From monetisation and marketing to growth and security, here's your handy guide to building a Discord community which smashes your brand goals.

How AI boosts your Discord server activity

Here's what you can learn from Discord's AI boom, harnessing this cutting-edge innovation to supercharge the experience for brands and fans.

Build unbreakable relationships with your users

These are the tools and stats that prove Discord is a must-have for smart brands.

How Discord is a crucial part of a multi-channel strategy

You don't need to drop social media to win with Discord. Drive huge value by combining your social and community tactics into a winning multi-channel marketing strategy.

Euro 2024 and you: How to turn your Discord community into an unmissable destination

Capitalise on real-world events like the World Cup, Super Bowl and Oscars with these strategies that turn your Discord community into the unmissable destination for superfans.

Monetise your Discord community: How tiers of revenue reach every fan

A Discord community is a great way to drive revenue. Here are some handy monetisation strategies that work for different types of fans.

Teaser campaigns: How to ignite buzz in your Discord community

Bands only need a fragment of a new song to drive their fans wild. Here's what your brand can learn about teaser campaigns that score maximum impact from manageable input.

How to solve (and prevent) conflicts in communities

When conflict appears, these are the tools and techniques that will help keep your community happy and healthy.

Managing massive growth in a Discord community

Sudden exponential growth can be tricky, but follow these strategies to welcome and retain new members while dodging the pitfalls of rapid expansion.

Why Discord's exponential growth is a huge opportunity for any brand

Discord has over 150 million monthly active users and is only going to grow, making it the perfect place for brands to build lasting, value-driving communities.

The 4 types of people in your community

Any brand should learn from the success of the gaming sector - and the key is a little thing called Bartle's Taxonomy.

How to use levelling and XP to keep your Discord community safe

Rewarding your Discord community while keeping them safe is a win-win when you use XP, bots and roles as a safeguarding measure.

Why you need to find your most (and least) engaged community members

There are different kinds of fans in every Discord community. Here's how to identify your most engaged superfans - and reach the least engaged members.

This is how the top 1% Discord servers achieve first week retention

The only guide you'll need to guarantee new members of your Discord community stick around.

Discord data and why it matters

These are the key data analytics insights you need to know to grow, engage and monetise your community of dedicated fans.

Rewarding fans with XP: How levelling bots work

Smart brands gamify their community. Here's how XP bots are your secret weapon to driving continual, self-sustaining engagement.

How to protect your Discord community and safeguard the value of superfans

Don’t let security fears stop your brand from gaining the tangible ROI of a Discord community. These tools and strategies will keep your community and your data safe.

How to solve challenges in your community

Every community faces challenges. Here are some proven solutions to common problems brands face in online community management.

Discord server vs Telegram group: Which is right for you?

Discord and Telegram are perfect for connecting with your community. Let’s explore the pros and cons of these two massive apps to see which suits your brand and drives revenue.

Is a Discord community worth it?

A Discord community taps directly into the most passionate fans, which is a huge opportunity for any brand.

Discord users are streaming over a billion tracks a year

Spotify and Discord are a great match. Let’s zoom in to see how artists and labels can access tangible insights into what their fans are listening to - and lead to even more streams!

Social media isn't social anymore

A renewed desire for community is leading a shift from social to messaging apps like Discord, WhatsApp and Telegram.

Levellr's predictions for community in 2024

Get ready for the 'cozy web': Levellr CEO Tom Gayner brings you the crucial trends you need to know.

Discord 101: Everything you need to know about the superfan app

From servers and channels to bots and boosts, this is your introduction to the popular messaging app where communities drive real results.

How to engage your Discord community

These simple but effective engagement strategies encourage your community members to keep the conversation going.

Starbucks case study: Why Discord is the perfect home for membership and loyalty programs

Brands like Starbucks are using Levellr's access control software to seamlessly turn Discord into a thriving home for their loyalty programs.

Why you need community managers

When you work with Levellr, you tap into a wealth of expertise and experience to build, manage and grow your community of superfans.

How Discord helped Fall Out Boy drive $2m ticket sales in under 24 hours

Discord helps community owners drive millions in revenue, but most importantly rewarding core superfans in the process.

‘Those fans bring in more fans’: Levellr CEO Tom Gayner on why community is crucial

Levellr CEO Tom Gayner explains how Levellr helps artists and brands from Fall Out Boy to Starbucks step up from social media and create healthy and happy communities.

Levellr's top 10 most used features

Your brand needs a community of superfans. But what tools make that easy and effective?

Levellr and Sports Loft team up to mobilise armies of sporting superfans

Levellr and Sports Loft share the goal of mobilising passionate audiences of superfans. Here's why we're the perfect match.

What's your speech flavour?

Fans connect emotionally with artists and brands when they vibe with their voice. Here's why speech flavour is key for brand engagement.

Fan love equals sales surge: 3 proven tactics for fan-driven success

Follow these three strategies to encourage community engagement that drives real results, from organic marketing to increased conversion rates.

Beyond fan clubs: How communities drive music business impact

A Discord community isn't just a nice-to-have for an artist or brand. It's an untapped army of superfans driving real results, from organic marketing to cold-hard sales and streams.

Exploring Fred again..'s journey: bridging the gap from Discord to real life

From URL to IRL, Fred again.. shows how artists and brands bring the magic of their community into live events - and vice versa.

Community-generated content: How today’s creators and brands access UGC

The future of user-generated content is community-generated content. Levellr are helping customers tap into 1500 pieces of CGC per month.

Levellr levels up with investment from Crush Ventures

“Levellr’s team deeply understands the power of harnessing fan communities, and their software solves a big pain point we’ve experienced firsthand trying to organize fans in messaging apps like Discord”, says the management group behind Green Day, Miley Cyrus, and many more leading artists.

Re: Members - Ólafur Arnalds' OPIA and the power of creative community

The award-winning Icelandic producer shows how to use Discord to unite a creative community in perfect harmony.

The power of superfans

Marketing teams have spent the past decade focused on user growth. Now they're thinking about the superfan.

From superfan to super mod: Why moderation matters

Moderation is crucial for online communities, and Levellr empowers mods to bring fans together and drive engagement in a healthy, happy community.

How brands mobilise loyal fans into social #StreetArmies

As fanbases move away from social platforms and into messaging apps, creators are being given an opportunity to move with them and build #StreetArmies of their own…

The power of using Discord for live music events

Share the Live and get sticky communities in return! How creators and community managers are embracing the power of Using Discord for Live Music Events.

Why Discord is better for hosting large communities than messaging apps (WhatsApp and Telegram)

Levellr's Head of Community gives insights on the advantages of using Discord for hosting large communities

11 rules to launch a buzzing messaging community on day one

It can be scary to launch a messaging community, but we‘ve done it before and we know the magic formula. Follow these 11 rules to make sure you launch a buzzing community on launch day.

Levellr's community predictions for 2023

The team at Levellr share their community predictions for 2023

Want to increase your podcast listeners? Put them at the heart of your content plan

The most effective strategy to increase podcast listeners is not by producing more content, but by following this simple but highly effective rule

Top 5 ways to monetise your podcast (and no, we’re not counting advertising)

Monetising podcasts can be tricky. Here are five proven methods to get you thinking and unlock revenue from your podcast.

Messaging: the secret ingredient to next level community engagement

Invite your fans into a messaging community to escape from the whim of the algorithms and supercharge engagement.

Fan interaction: why Patreon creators are setting up messaging communities

By setting up a messaging community for your Patreons, you can make fans happy without endless bonus content.

How (and why) to turn your community into a fully-fledged business

How to turn your community from a nice to have into a sustainable and profitable business

How sports podcasters are using Levellr to create messaging communities

By setting up a messaging community, sports podcasters and YouTubers can create new revenue streams and deliver deeper fan engagement in the process

2022 tech trend: Why podcasters are setting up messaging communities

Podcasters are turning to messaging apps like Telegram & Discord to launch communities with their listeners. We explain why this is turning from a trend into a must have for podcasters

The best way to build community

Not The Top 20 Podcast: “We’ve found that paid messaging groups are the best way to build a community - and we’re here to share what we’ve learnt”

Mo’ money, mo’ value: How the right revenue stream can add value to your community

The need to make money is real, and most content creators know that. So how do you do it?

Teach your online course your way

Learn how to run an online course, keep things flexible, stay in control, and get paid.

6 effective ways to monetise your fan community

Check out our 6 recommendations on how creators and community leaders can build a revenue stream direct from their fans without relying on ads.