How to grow your Minecraft Server

Hello! my name is Liam C. I am the Department Co-Head of Media, I have experience in running successful Minecraft Servers such as Project Together, a SMP-Roleplay server that reached 30K+ followers on TikTok & 10K+ Discord Members for the server alone. Here is my personal views on how to make a successful Minecraft Server!

Keep in mind, this is how I found success, depending on your server you may find there is other ways to make your server successful.

Tips from the author:
Focus on your brand and the audience you want to reach. Adhere to that audience and post only things you'd want to see if you were discovering your community for the first time!
If you're the owner of your community, think of it as a business. The more effort you put into growing, the more success you'll find.
Focus on your infrastructure. Are you sure you can take a large influx of members?



Leverage Social Media and TikTok (Best way)

Utilize platforms like TikTok, Instagram, and Twitter to share engaging content related to your server. You can showcase epic builds, exciting in-game events, or funny moments.
Consider creating a dedicated account for your server to build a cohesive brand presence.

Branding your community is important if you're looking to grow a Minecraft Community, this allows people to know your name and assists in overall generating a idea of "you're the real thing!" to the public.

Helpful tips for creating content

Show yourself off! Showcase information/cool additions about your server, it's also helpful if your server is different from others.. So show that!
Correct video settings! If you're posting on TikTok, Instagram Reels or YouTube Shorts, Record in 30 FPS 1080x1920 (Portrait).
Voice or no voice! Keep in mind you don't have to have your voice in these videos. AI generated text-to-speech works well.
Quality over quantity! Make sure you're posting quality videos that people will relate to.
Algorithm! Research your niche via hashtags or other communities. Use current trending videos (Regardless if it's Minecraft related) and put your own spin on it.

Make sure your infrastructure (Server performance, server world, Discord server, etc.) is presentable on a level that is user friendly, you want to make sure everything is cohesively working together and that no one struggles trying to onboard in your community.

Things to consider

Discord Server: Make sure your Discord server (Or whatever platform you're using to centralize your community) is tidy, professional & setup so that users can learn easily and stick around.
Engagement: It is crucial that you gain the retention of your players, a successful example is creating a story within your community that players can partake in (If applicable!)
Community: Insure that you have the right people in place to moderate and look after your community.




Develop a website

Establish an online presence by creating a website for your server. Include essential information like server rules, gameplay features, and a forum for players to connect.
Regularly update the website with news, events, and player-generated content. You can also gain SEO Authority over having a website which will in general boost your audience.

With a website, you can host a forum for your community with XenForo or a cPanel supplied forum application. Alternatively you can just host a one-page information hub that links your store, social media & Discord.

Not experienced with HTML/CSS Development? you can find plenty of "Minecraft Server Website Templates". If you're looking for affordable Website Hosting, click here!

Website checklist

Branding: Make sure your domain for your website is branded correctly with your community! Do not confuse your players!
Security: Purchase a SSL certificate for your website, security matters!
Study your capabilities: Study what you can use your website for, whether it be for a forum or just a go-to website to portray more information about your community.




Engage with Reddit and Forums

Reddit and Minecraft-related forums can be effective for reaching potential players. Share updates, host AMAs (Ask Me Anything), and actively participate in discussions.
Be aware that these platforms can attract trolls, so ensure you have active moderators to maintain a positive environment.

Reddit & Forums

Introduce your community: Give the people on that forum an idea of what your community is like. Give them a reason to join up!
Respect the forum: You're there to advertise your community and show them what you're about, don't leave a bad impression!

People don't normally find a lot of luck in this as the audiences are already saturated.




List on Minecraft Server Directories

Submit your server to popular Minecraft server listings like Planet Minecraft and Minecraft Server List. This will increase your server's visibility to players actively seeking new servers to join.
Make sure to add accurate information that explains what your server is, what version it is on and even consider investing your time into creating a banner for those listings that portray what your server/community is about.

Onboarding: You've seen onboarding everywhere? Well, there's good reason for that! Onboarding will gain the retention you need from newcomers. Make it easier for newcomers!
Show off: With listings, it's "Most appealing wins". Put a spotlight on yourself and put time into perfecting your presence.
Paid spotlight: Most if not all Minecraft Server Listings offer you to wager against other communities for a top spotlight on their listing. If you have money to spend, utilize this!

This strategy can give a temporary boost to your server's population as your server will show up in the "Recently Listed" tab of a website, it is crucial that you have a server that is easy for new users to onboard and enough content to keep them around!




Leverage Customer Generated Content (CGC)

Reach out to both small and large Minecraft influencers on platforms like YouTube, Twitch & TikTok.
Encourage your existing player community to share their experiences and content on their social platforms, using a dedicated server hashtag or tag.

Creators: Find a creator that is comfortable with playing on your server & is willing to post content about/on your server.
Events: Make an event/competition for users to create content on, this helps them get fun and enticing content to post while also helping you out.
Ask a friend: In this day and age there is a large chance people you know are keen to start making videos, ask a friend if they are willing to help you out!

If this is something you're not comfortable with, find friends that are willing to help you create content on your behalf or with you.

Questions I've been asked & helpful tips

Who did you use to host?
Ironically, SparkedHost. SparkedHost's support, staff & executive team allowed me to expand my community on a corporate level. Giving me the infrastructure I needed to support such a large community

What did you post on social media?
I posted primarily the cool additions I added/had on my server, I appealed to a specific audience and stuck to it!

What if I'm not experienced enough?
When I first started off, I knew nothing about web development, plugin configuration or even running a business. But you learn overtime!

I've struck gold and I'm getting a lot of members, but I didn't plan for this?!
Don't stress, if people are passionate about what you've shown them they will definitely wait around for you to grow!
Example: When I went viral on TikTok, I had 150+ players in queue for a full 48 hours, Prepare for an influx and purchase hardware that can handle an influx!

SparkedHost offers Dedicated Servers, Not sure what you'll need? Open a ticket and express your use case.


Created by: Liam C.

Updated on: 19/12/2023