Discord is an incredible tool that anyone can use to build and curate relationships their local community. You can use it for customer service, marketing, and even for running events. Since we are esports center consultants and operators ourselves, we’ve used it as way to coordinate with staff and customers, to enable discussion about the gaming scene using voice, video and text communication, and more. You can even have your staff on the server and show them in the list of users as a way to create customer service visibility.

Quite often we receive the question as to how to build a new Discord server. Once your Discord server is set up and configured according to how you want to organize it, the next challenge becomes how to grow the member base. Here are ten things you can do to boost your Discord traffic, membership and engagement:

Leverage Popular Gaming Channels/Platforms

Our first suggestion is to reach out to popular gaming streamers on Twitch, content creators on YouTube, as well as podcasters in the local area. Ask if they are willing to promote the server on their channels. Whenever working with partners, influencers, or companies, keep these points in mind:

  1. Offer them an incentive for promoting your server, such as a commission for each new member they bring to the server, exposure on your social media or live stream, in-store promotion, or a gift card to your gaming center.
  2. Follow up with the creators if you do not hear back from them. It may take some time for them to respond, as they may be busy with other commitments.
  3. If you are able to secure a partnership with a popular gaming streamer, YouTuber, or podcaster, be sure to follow through on your promised incentives and maintain a good relationship with them. This can help ensure that they continue to promote your server and help build your community.

Here are the steps involved:

  1. Identify the popular influencers in your local area. You can use tools like Social Blade or YouTube analytics to find popular channels in your area.
  2. Research the content and style of each channel to make sure they align with your gaming center’s values and goals.
  3. Reach out to the creators through their social media or contact information listed on their channel or website.
  4. Introduce yourself and your gaming center, and explain that you are looking to build a community on Discord and would like to see if they would be interested in promoting your server on their channel.

Target Local Gamers on Social Media

Use hashtags related to gaming to target gamers in the local area who might be interested in joining your server:

  1. Identify the popular social media platforms that local gamers in your area use, such as Twitter, Instagram, or Facebook.
  2. Create a social media account for your gaming center and make sure to include relevant information about your gaming center, such as the types of games you offer, your location, and any events or promotions you have coming up.
  3. Use hashtags related to gaming and your local area when posting about your gaming center on social media. This will help make your posts more visible to local gamers who are searching for content related to gaming in your area.
  4. Engage with local gamers on social media by commenting on their posts, liking their content, and following them. This can help build relationships and make it more likely that they will consider joining your Discord server.
  5. Share information about your Discord server on social media, including the link to join and any incentives you are offering for new members.
  6. Consider running social media promotions or contests to attract local gamers to your Discord server. For example, you could offer a discount or prize for the first X number of new members who join your server.
  7. Monitor your social media accounts and respond to any questions or comments from local gamers about your Discord server. This can help build trust and make it more likely that they will join your server.

Create a Referral System

Encourage existing members to refer their friends to join the server and offer rewards to them for inviting others. One bot that can help you create a referral system on your Discord server is the Discord Referral Bot. This bot allows you to set up referral rewards for users who invite their friends to join your server.

To implement and use the Discord Referral Bot on your Discord server:

  1. Invite the Discord Referral Bot to your server using the provided link: https://discord.com/oauth2/authorize?client_id=757934748673617972&permissions=8&scope=bot
  2. Set up the referral rewards you want to offer using the !referral set command. You can specify the reward type (such as a role or a custom emote), the reward amount, and the referral limit (the number of referrals required to receive the reward).
  3. Use the !referral invite command to generate a referral link that users can share with their friends. This link will track the referrals and automatically apply the referral rewards when the referral limit is reached.
  4. Encourage users to share their referral links and invite their friends to join your server. You can do this by creating a channel on your server specifically for referral links, or by announcing the referral program in a general channel.
  5. Use the !referral leaderboard command to see which users have the most referrals and have earned the most rewards. This can help motivate users to continue inviting their friends to join your server.
  6. Monitor the referral program and respond to any questions or issues that users may have. You can also use the !referral help command to see a list of available commands and how to use them.

Create a Loyalty Program

The Tatsu bot is a Discord bot that allows you to create a loyalty program on your Discord server by assigning roles and rewards to users based on their activity and engagement. Here are some ways you can use the Tatsu bot to achieve a high degree of engagement on your Discord server:

  1. Set up the loyalty program by using the !tatsu setup command to specify the roles and rewards you want to offer, as well as the requirements for earning them. You can use the !tatsu addrole and !tatsu addreward commands to add new roles and rewards to the program.
  2. Use the !tatsu assign command to assign roles and rewards to users based on their activity on your server. You can specify the activity requirements and the reward that users will receive when they meet those requirements.
  3. Encourage users to participate in the loyalty program by announcing it in a general channel and reminding users about it regularly. You can also create a channel specifically for the loyalty program and use it to showcase the available roles and rewards.
  4. Use the !tatsu leaderboard command to see which users have earned the most roles and rewards and to motivate other users to participate in the loyalty program.
  5. Monitor the loyalty program and respond to any questions or issues that users may have. You can also use the !tatsu help command to see a list of available commands and how to use them.

By using the Tatsu bot to create a loyalty program on your Discord server, you can encourage users to engage more with your server and reward them for their activity and engagement.

Sponsor a Local Esports Team

Local gaming clubs or esports teams are a great way to connect with the community. Here are the steps and a strategy you can use to successfully get a local esports team to promote your Discord server:

  1. Research the local esports scene and identify teams that align with your gaming center’s values and goals. Be sure to look at their content and style to ensure compatibility with your brand.
  2. Find the contact information for the team’s management or ownership. This information may be available on the team’s website or through online directories.
  3. Reach out to the team’s management or ownership and introduce yourself and your gaming center.
  4. Explain that you are looking to build a community on Discord and would like to see if they would be interested in promoting your server as part of a sponsorship arrangement.
  5. Offer to sponsor the team in exchange for them promoting your Discord server. You could offer financial support, merchandise, or other incentives as part of the sponsorship.

A strategy you can use to increase the chances of success is to tailor your pitch to the specific needs and interests of the team. For example, you could emphasize the benefits that your Discord server can provide to the team, such as a dedicated space for communication and practice, or the opportunity to connect with fans. You could also offer additional support, such as hosting events or providing resources for the team’s training and development. When you negotiate the terms, ask if they would be willing to use the logo and link of your Discord server on their jerseys or other promotional materials.

Offer Giveaways

Leverage giveaways as a way to encourage people to join the Discord server.

  1. Determine what type of giveaway you want to offer on your Discord server. This could be a prize related to gaming, such as a new game or console, in-game currency to purchase skins or DLC, or a prize related to your gaming center, such as a gift card or free admission to an event.
  2. Decide on the rules for the giveaway, including how to enter, when the deadline is, and how the winner will be chosen.
  3. Announce the giveaway on your Discord server and on social media to encourage people to join your server and participate.
  4. Consider offering multiple entry methods for the giveaway, such as following your Discord server or social media accounts, sharing the giveaway on social media, or inviting friends to join the server. This can help increase the reach of the giveaway and attract more people to your server.
  5. Conversation is important to build engagement on your Discord server, so be sure to monitor the giveaway and respond to any questions or comments from participants. This can help build trust and build relationships, and make it more likely that they will continue to engage with your server.
  6. Choose a winner for the giveaway and announce it on your Discord server and social media. Be sure to follow through on your promised prize and contact the winner to arrange for them to receive it.
  7. Consider hosting regular giveaways on your Discord server to keep members engaged and encourage new people to join.

Host Tournaments and Challenges

Hosting tournaments and challenges on your Discord server can be a fun and engaging way to bring your community together and foster competition and teamwork. Here are some steps and strategies you can follow to host successful tournaments and challenges on your Discord server:

  1. Determine the purpose and goals of your tournament or challenge. This will help you decide on the format, rules, and prize structure for your event.
  2. Choose a game or activity for your tournament or challenge. This could be a video game, a board game, a trivia contest, or any other type of activity that your community enjoys.
  3. Set up your Discord server for the tournament or challenge. This might involve creating a separate channel for tournament-related communication, announcing the event to your community, and setting up any necessary roles or permissions.
  4. Establish clear rules and guidelines for your tournament or challenge. Make sure to include information about how participants can sign up, how matches or rounds will be conducted, and any other important details.
  5. Promote your tournament or challenge to your community. This might involve making announcements in your Discord server, posting about the event on social media, or inviting other Discord servers to participate.
  6. Run the tournament or challenge. This might involve organizing and conducting matches or rounds, keeping track of scores and results, and communicating with participants.
  7. Celebrate the winners and reward them with prizes. This could be in-game items, gift cards, or any other type of prize that you feel is appropriate.

By following these steps and strategies, you can host successful tournaments and challenges on your Discord server and bring your community together through friendly competition.

 

Utilize Influencer Marketing

Find influencers within the gaming community that have an audience and reach out to them to promote the server.

  1. Your gaming center probably offers and specializes in certain titles that are popular within your local community. Try to find influencers who are also engaged in the same titles. This will help you narrow down the search for influencers who are relevant to your gaming center.
  2. Use social media platforms like Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube to search for influencers who create content related to the games that your gaming center specializes in or that are popular within your local community.
  3. Look for influencers who have a large following and engagement on their social media accounts or channels. This will help ensure that they have a strong reach within the gaming community.
  4. Research the content and style of each influencer to make sure they align with your gaming center’s values and goals.
  5. Reach out to the influencers through their social media or contact information listed on their channel or website.
  6. Introduce yourself and your gaming center, and explain that you are looking to build a community on Discord and would like to see if they would be interested in promoting your server on their channel.

Partner with gaming organizations or events

Partner with local gaming organizations or events and offer to promote the server at the event or on their website.

  1. Identify gaming events or organizations in your local area that align with your gaming center’s values and goals.
  2. Research the content and style of each event or organization to make sure they align with your gaming center’s values and goals.
  3. Find the contact information for the organizers of the event or the website administrator of the gaming organization. This information may be available on their website or through online directories.
  4. Reach out to the organizers or website administrator through the provided contact information and introduce yourself and your gaming center.
  5. Explain that you are looking to build a community on Discord and would like to see if they would be interested in promoting your server at their event or on their website.

Advertise in Game Lobbies

This is a bit of a long shot and shouldn’t be prioritized over the other items on the list, but you can try to reach out to online game manufacturers and ask if they are willing to allow you to advertise your server in their lobbies or on their servers.

  1. Identify the popular online games that your gaming center specialized in or that are popular within your local community.
  2. Research the content and style of each game to make sure they align with your gaming center’s values and goals.
  3. Find the contact information for the developers or publishers of the games. This information may be available on the game’s website or through online directories.
  4. Reach out to the developers or publishers through the provided contact information and introduce yourself and your gaming center.
  5. Explain that you are looking to build a community on Discord and would like to see if they would be willing to allow you to advertise your server in their lobbies or on their servers.

Reach Out to Gaming Media Websites

Reach out to websites that are dedicated to gaming (ideally in the local area, if they exist) and ask if they would be willing to promote your server. Here are 20 websites that are dedicated to gaming that serve as a starting point. While they are bigger publications and don’t generally work with smaller Discord servers, you may want to use this as a guide to determine the type of publications that this could potentially be effective for you:

  1. Kotaku
  2. IGN
  3. GameSpot
  4. PC Gamer
  5. Polygon
  6. Game Informer
  7. Eurogamer
  8. GameRant
  9. The Escapist
  10. GamesRadar+
  11. Rock, Paper, Shotgun
  12. GameRevolution
  13. GameZone
  14. Gamasutra
  15. Gamereactor
  16. GameCrate
  17. GameWatcher
  18. Gameranx
  19. GameSpew
  20. GamesMaster

Here is a list of steps and a strategy you can use to approach gaming websites, with the goal of getting them to promote your Discord server:

  1. Research the content and style of each website to make sure they align with your gaming center’s values and goals.
  2. Find the contact information for the website’s editorial team or submission guidelines. This information may be available on the website or through online directories.
  3. Reach out to the editorial team or follow the submission guidelines to pitch your Discord server and explain why it would be of interest to their audience.
  4. Provide information about your gaming center, including the types of games you offer and any events or promotions you have coming up.
  5. Offer to provide additional materials, such as images or video, to help promote your Discord server.

 

Conclusion

As you can see, there are quite a few ways to build membership, engagement and activity on your esports center’s Discord server. Working with streamers and influencers, incentivizing and rewarding members, and hosting tournaments and challenges to attract gamers to join and stay active in the server will likely be some of your best bets to grow your community.If you have any additional tips, feel free to leave them in the comments below.

Lastly, to end this article, here’s a fun poem:

An esports gaming center, welcome all who enter
Rows of TVs and consoles all lined up in neat
Friends come to play together and for a friendly competition
The air crackles with energy, a healthy addiction

Tournament and giveaways, an open invitation
A chance to prove themselves, the gamers admiration
Cheers from the audience, tense atmosphere in the room
The gamers don’t take their eyes off the screen, no time for gloom

Teams of players face off, faces determined and intently
Fingers twitching on the controllers, ready to make their moves carefully
Sudden yells erupt, someone claiming a victory
The time spent here, is truly a necessity

FREE CONSULTATION!

[email protected]
+1 (858) 522-9434
CALL OR TEXT

Want to contribute to our blog? Contact us!