Many forums are struggling with engagement and declining activity. But Discord and Reddit are thriving.
Forums are becoming stagnant because they ignore modernization and the evolution of the online community.
But forums don’t have to become Discord or Reddit to thrive. They just need to adapt and be ready to adapt further as everything continues to evolve. That will result in engagement and growth.
The interfaces are intuitive and modern where many forum interfaces are outdated.
The interaction is often in real time. On Discord, you can chat, do voice, and even do video with other members. On Reddit, real-time interaction occurs with visibility for upvoting.
There is a strong mobile experience on both apps.
There is a generational and cultural relevance present. Memes, trending topics, and instant participation is all present.
Both systems are gamified where activity results in rewards.
Use an up-voting system to add instant engagement features and to allow members to perform quality control on the content of the forum.
Continue to improve mobile functionality. Adopt a “mobile-first” attitude and mindset when choosing your theme and features.
Do more event-driven activities such as scheduled discussions, live features (chat or zoom), and challenges/competitions.
Gamify your forum using modern systems rather than focusing on vanity metrics like post counts and members.
Subreddits and Discord communities are often disposable. They burn out quickly in many cases. That is because those that burn out lack community development. Try to build a loyal community and avoid being disposable.
Don’t create subreddits on your forum. Group fragmentation really doesn’t result in anything good for an actual community being developed. It creates cliques. Forums do better with centralized discussion.
Forums often have a stronger identity because loyal communities are easier to create.
Forum owners have more control. Discord and Reddit are ultimately “rented space” and managers of those channels can lose them at any time.
2. Create some real-time experiences such as scheduled live chat and upvoting content.
3. Modernize gamification. Make rewards more of a personalized experience for members.
4. Market as anti-algorithm. Promote your forum as a place where trends and viral content is stopped at the door. Market your forum as a real community.
I’d love to hear from you. How do you feel about this idea? Can forums still beat Reddit and Discord? Why or why not?
Forums are becoming stagnant because they ignore modernization and the evolution of the online community.
But forums don’t have to become Discord or Reddit to thrive. They just need to adapt and be ready to adapt further as everything continues to evolve. That will result in engagement and growth.
Why Discord and Reddit are Winning
They’re easy to use. Registration and onboarding is simple. You can join with one-click instead of having to go through multiple pages.The interfaces are intuitive and modern where many forum interfaces are outdated.
The interaction is often in real time. On Discord, you can chat, do voice, and even do video with other members. On Reddit, real-time interaction occurs with visibility for upvoting.
There is a strong mobile experience on both apps.
There is a generational and cultural relevance present. Memes, trending topics, and instant participation is all present.
Both systems are gamified where activity results in rewards.
What Can Forums Borrow from this?
Forums can adopt better registration system. Make the process one-click and quicker. Get rid of email verification and integrate social logins.Use an up-voting system to add instant engagement features and to allow members to perform quality control on the content of the forum.
Continue to improve mobile functionality. Adopt a “mobile-first” attitude and mindset when choosing your theme and features.
Do more event-driven activities such as scheduled discussions, live features (chat or zoom), and challenges/competitions.
Gamify your forum using modern systems rather than focusing on vanity metrics like post counts and members.
What Forums Shouldn’t Copy
Stay away from the “algorithm over community” mindset. Don’t just chase trends. Focus on quality evergreen discussions that can remain alive for years to come.Subreddits and Discord communities are often disposable. They burn out quickly in many cases. That is because those that burn out lack community development. Try to build a loyal community and avoid being disposable.
Don’t create subreddits on your forum. Group fragmentation really doesn’t result in anything good for an actual community being developed. It creates cliques. Forums do better with centralized discussion.
What Reddit and Discord Doesn’t Have on Forums
Forums remain structured enough where the archive can easily be searched. Forums are great as long-term knowledge bases.Forums often have a stronger identity because loyal communities are easier to create.
Forum owners have more control. Discord and Reddit are ultimately “rented space” and managers of those channels can lose them at any time.
Action Plans for Forum Owners
1. Modernize the forum experience for users. Mobile-first. Clean design. Easy navigation.2. Create some real-time experiences such as scheduled live chat and upvoting content.
3. Modernize gamification. Make rewards more of a personalized experience for members.
4. Market as anti-algorithm. Promote your forum as a place where trends and viral content is stopped at the door. Market your forum as a real community.
Final Thoughts
Reddit and Discord are leading communities of modern times. Forums that don’t evolve will just get left behind. It’s time to change, But it’s also time for platform developers to change their strategies, as well.I’d love to hear from you. How do you feel about this idea? Can forums still beat Reddit and Discord? Why or why not?