How to Get Players on your Minecraft Server
Starting a Minecraft server from scratch can be quite a lot of work; creating new game-modes, coding plugins, building extravagant maps, and more. But making the server is only half the battle. Someone can be talented enough to produce a unique server, yet not have a player-base to enjoy the games with. In this article, we will go over some of the best tips and tricks on how to advertise your server, so you can build up your community.
Server Lists
Server lists are a foolproof way to get the word out about your Minecraft server. Server lists are commonly used by players who are looking for a new server to join, so it is best to add your Minecraft server to as many sites as you can!
The servers that perform the best on these lists are often listed higher, so if you have some extra money, you can bid for a sponsored spot so your server is at the top of the list. If you don’t have the budget for that, you can ask your friends to vote for your Minecraft server, which helps raise it through the rankings. Remember to implement incentives for voting, such as crate keys or in-game currency, so players continue voting each day.
One example of a Minecraft server list website is https://minecraft-list.gg/ - the site you’re on right now! You can add your server to our list for free at this link: https://minecraft-list.gg/profile/add-server
Content Creators
Content creators have been utilized to advertise servers since the beginning of Minecraft, and it is one of the most successful ways to build a player-base. Large servers such as Hypixel and Mineplex have used this method in the past, with a lot of success. If you have a big budget, paying large content creators to play on your server will easily bring their fans to your server. If you aren’t planning on spending much money, offering Creator ranks and in-game privileges may incentivize smaller creators to make videos on your server.
Finding content creators is easy, there are plenty of creators on different Minecraft forums waiting for an opportunity. You can also search YouTube, Twitch, or TikTok yourself to find a creator you believe would be a good fit, and send them a message about being sponsored by your server.
Social Media
Speaking of content creators, another great way to make your Minecraft server known to the world is to give it a social media presence. Create accounts for your server on all of the mainstream social media sites, such as Instagram, YouTube, and TikTok. On these accounts, it’s a good idea to post a mix of entertaining posts to gain a following, and informative posts to let followers know about your server. A good mix of memes, server announcements, and engaging videos is a great way to manage your social media.
Minecraft forums can also be utilized to advertise your server. A few examples are BuiltByBit, Reddit, minecraftforum.net, and Planet Minecraft. All you have to do is come up with a catchy title to grab attention and post a thread describing all your server has to offer.
Engaging with the Community
It’s easy to get new players to log onto your Minecraft server, but getting them to keep coming back can be a struggle. Creating engaging activities and spaces for the community helps maintain player retention.
Make sure to create a space for players to interact with each other while they are not on the server. Playing Minecraft with friends is a lot more fun than playing alone, so making a place for your community to meet new people is essential. This can be through Discord, a website forum for the server, or even better- both! Not only can players meet new friends on Discord and a website, but they can also suggest changes and provide useful feedback on your server.
Hosting unique events is another great way to bring the community together. There are many different types of events that you can host, including contests, unique game-modes, trivia, and more. Offering prizes to the winners, like server ranks or Discord Nitro, will definitely bring in an audience.
When hosting events, be sure to post about the event ahead of time on social media platforms. Also invite content creators, specifically ones that stream instead of filming ahead of time, so their viewers can join in on the fun!
Conclusion
Overall, there are many different ways to build a community for your Minecraft server. Remember to provide a unique gaming experience, a place for the community to interact, and a reason for players to come back. Once that is finished, you should have players logging on in no time.