[FAQ]

Hey,
My podcast has been growing steadily, and I’m getting more listener feedback, which is great! I want to create a central hub for my listeners to hang out, discuss episodes, and talk to each other.

I’m really torn between starting a Facebook Group or a Discord server. The Facebook Group seems easier because so many people are already on the platform, but Discord looks so much more organized with all its different channels. I’m just not sure if my audience (mostly 30-45-year-olds) will want to join a new platform like Discord.

What have you all found to be the pros and cons of each for building a podcast community? Any advice would be appreciated.

Thanks.

[Jeff Bullas]

This is a key strategic decision.

Short Answer: The choice depends on your desired community format: Facebook Groups are a ‘lean-back’ broadcast format, while Discord is a ‘lean-in’ real-time conversational format.

The platform you choose will fundamentally dictate the type of community you are able to build.

A Facebook Group is structured as a single-feed, asynchronous discussion format, which is excellent for a host to make announcements and post text or video content for the community to consume and comment on over time. A Discord server, by contrast, is a multi-channel synchronous chat format, designed for immediate, real-time conversations where members talk to each other directly in different text and audio channels. This format allows for a much deeper and more organised set of interactions, but it also requires a higher level of commitment from your listeners to join and participate. A common mistake is choosing a platform based on where your audience is, rather than what kind of community format you actually want to build and are prepared to manage.

Cheers,
Jeff

[Author]

Posts