1. Picking a Niche
To first start a Discord Server you need to pick a Niche. For example, if you make a server that has anime, gaming, art, music, and millions of other topics in it then it will be extremely hard to market as it’s all over the place. To effectively market a Discord server you need to be firm on 1 topic. If you’re enthusiastic about Music, then you can make a Music Discord Server! You should generally choose a niche that you’re enthusiastic about, if you’re not knowledgeable in the niche that you’ve chosen I’d advise doing research on the given niche.
2. Finding a Unique Theme
What is theming, and how does it apply to Discord? Theming is a way to brighten up your Discord community. If you’re serious about growing your server, then the best way to stand out from the crowd is by having a unique theme! For example, if you own a gaming community, what stops people from choosing the best and biggest one out there? From standing out of course! If they see this really unique and cool community that has a space theme, and they’re really interested in space, then they’d be more likely to join your community when browsing hundreds of other servers. Now, this doesn’t mean you have to choose a space cyborg pirate theme, keep it short and sweet! You’d be surprised by how well this works. Once you have your theme picked out, start naming your channels around that theme. For example, if you chose a space theme then you could name your general voice chat the Docking Bay. Start making fun space puns, and really drive home the fact that you want to stand out from the crowd!
3. Picking a Name
Picking a cool & unique name for your Discord can be infuriating, really infuriating. That’s why I’d recommend keeping it to something short & sweet. I’d recommend basing the name of your Discord Server off of your Niche & Theme as it would relate more to your given audience. If you’re having a hard time thinking of a name, you can try to brainstorm ideas for the name around your theme. For example, if your theme is space you can maybe choose a name like “Spacecord” or “Supernova”. You don’t need to spend hours on hours finding the most unique name that no one has ever used before.
4. Formatting
The one thing that people really love to see in a community is formatting, what’s formatting you ask? Formatting is when you arrange your Discord server’s channels and voice chats to have a flow to them. The one thing that people hate to see in Discord communities is dysfunctionality or it seems like there was no effort put into it at all. The best way to format your Discord server is by having categories for example you can use something like the following: General Chats, Introductions, Staff, Events, and Server Info. Try to be unique with it as well, one way to do this is by including emoticons in the categories and channels! Another way to gain ideas for formatting your server is by joining other communities and see what’s trending, get some ideas and aspirations from what other big communities are doing.
5. Giveaways & Events
A fun way to grow your Discord Community, and passively make it active at the same time is by hosting Giveaways & Events. This is because people on Discord love Discord Nitro giveaways & being a part of events like Scribblio, Cards Against Humanity, and The Jackbox Party Pack. This will immensely help grow your community if you have a somewhat active member base. This is because people currently in your Discord will invite their friends to also take part in the Giveaway or event. You can also post the giveaway or event on Social Media to gain further awareness.
6. Social Media Marketing
I cannot express enough how vital this step is to grow your community. The by far best way for member growth is by marketing to your niche via social media. Social media is the strongest way to grow your community because it gives your community a face outside of Discord. If you’re only advertising to people via Discord it will only get you so far. You can advertise your Discord on all social media platforms and here’s the icing on the cake… it’s all free! Social media is a gold mine when wanting to grow your Discord community. You don’t even need to be an expert to do it as well, there are hundreds, even thousands of videos on YouTube on how to become a social media pro.
7. Making a Website
Making a website for your Discord Server is one of the best ways to look like a professional community. If you’re serious about growing your Discord Server, then the best way to show this would be to have a website dedicated to all of the information about your Discord Server. For example, you can include Rules, FAQ, Applications, Blogs, Social Media, and more! Another reason why having a website dedicated to your Discord is such a strong tool to have is because people will share your website link to their friends, especially if your website is easy to remember!
8. Creating a Patreon
Creating a Patreon for your Discord Server is extremely beneficial especially if you plan on having a website for your Discord or hosting Discord Nitro giveaways, or even if you want to commission your own custom bot. If you want your Discord Server to have all of the premium and unique features like other Discord Servers have, then the best way to do this would be with Patreon! What’s Patreon you ask? Patreon is a membership platform that will allow your Discord members to subscribe to your Discord Server in exchange for custom rewards. Here are a few rewards that you can give your Discord Members: Custom Roles, Shoutouts and Custom Channels.