Proving the concept of your Discord server is a great first step. Now, it’s time to learn how to advertise your Discord server and grow it beyond your wildest dreams.
The reach of the web is expansive, and there are millions of people out there who would love to join your movement. The only hard part is finding them and introducing yourself. The good news? We’re here to help.
At Whop, you can promote your Discord server and get it in front of your ideal audience with ease. No matter what your Discord server entails, it’s the best way to go about promoting Discord servers. Moreover, you can leverage the power of our Discord membership bot to automate the monetization side of things.
This is just one of the 10 ways we’re going to share with you today for how to advertise a Discord server. By the time you finish reading this guide, you’ll be well on your way to scaling your server to the moon and hosting a thriving community. But first, let’s talk about why this is worth all the work…
Why Learn How to Advertise Your Discord Server?
Learning how to advertise a Discord server is a worthwhile endeavor - because a larger community is much more than a vanity metric.
The more members you have, the greater possibilities you have for collaboration. A larger audience means other creators are more likely to want to work with you. There is no better form of social proof than hosting a large community of diehard members.
Chances are, you have a few dream collaborations in mind already. Are they willing to partner with you on an event, NFT, or some other project if you only have a few hundred members? It’s unlikely. But once your community spans a few thousand members - or a few hundred thousand members - new doors start to open up.
Let’s be honest, though - the main benefit that comes with promoting Discord servers is being able to grow your revenue. Whether you charge access to Discord or sell other offers within your server (like event tickets, online courses, etc.), more members mean more monetization. And if you're interested in earning money from your server one day by making it a paid-access server or start accepting donations, you’ll obviously earn a higher valuation with higher membership.
On top of these two key benefits, a larger Discord server is a better experience as it brings in fresh perspectives, innovative ideas, and a broader range of expertise. Encouraging this kind of inclusivity helps make your server a welcoming space for everyone.
All things considered, working to promote Discord servers is a no-brainer decision. But how exactly should you go about it? There are more ways than ever to grow your Discord server. To eliminate decision overwhelm and provide you with clear, actionable next steps, we’ve curated our 10 best tips for promoting Discord servers below.
How to Advertise Your Discord Server: Tips for Promoting Discord Servers
Ready to scale your server to the moon? Armed with our advice on how to advertise your Discord server, you’ll feel confident in the best path forward after reading through these 10 methods of Discord server promotion.
We’re going to start with what we believe to be the quickest and easiest way to promote a Discord server - while unlocking a suite of other benefits along the way…introducing Whop.
Promote Your Discord Server on Whop
Whop is a digital marketplace where creators can get discovered on autopilot after listing their server. We have a thriving community that is constantly looking for new servers to support - but the marketplace is just the beginning of how we can help you grow your server.
Whop has come to be known as the best Discord server bots for a wide array of purposes. You can use the Discord subscription bot to add Discord roles, content & guides, mint NFTs, surveys, feedback forums, and surveys.
But, you can also use it to monetize your community - with paid memberships and recurring subscriptions that accommodate crypto payments. You can even use the bot to manage your serger - with SSO, stats & insights, payment disputes, and enforcing the Discord rules you’ve created.
These are just a few of the reasons promoting Discord servers on Whop is a no-brainer use of time and resources for creators like yourself. With a powerful, easy-to-use API, you can get started in minutes too. If you want to build the best online community platform, you need the best tools in your arsenal - and there are non greater than Whop!
Implement Social Media Promotion Strategies (Paid and Free)
There’s no question that Whop is your greatest resource as you start promoting Discord servers. But, putting all your eggs in one basket is never a good idea.
Even after you’ve taken the time to list your community on Whop and leverage all the power that comes with its Discord bot, you should implement social media promotion strategies. That includes paid and free promotion tactics.
If you already have a following on other channels - like Instagram, Twitter, YouTube, or a Facebook group - then regular posts promoting your server are an excellent choice. These people are already loyal audience members - they like what you have to say, and it costs you nothing to put your server in front of them on the feed.
However, simply tweeting out a link to your server won’t cut it. Our advice is to create engaging, helpful content - similar to what you’d offer in your Discord server. Then, post it on your favorite platforms and mention that there is plenty more where that came from in your server. Organic social media promotion where you offer value upfront can be more powerful than most realize.
But, you can take things even a step further with paid social media advertising strategies. You can run targeted ads to your ideal customers and see an ROI if you charge access to Discord. And these days, you don’t need much experience in digital marketing to get a campaign up and running. Facebook, YouTube, and even Google ads are simple and straightforward. Use the power of the algorithm to your advantage, as it knows your ideal audience better than you do!
Collaborate With Other Discord Servers
So many creators make the mistake of thinking they’re in a war against other creators. If your server offers sports betting picks, you may be under the impression that other servers focused on gambling are your competition.
And to a certain extent, that may be true. But you can get really creative in how you collaborate with other Discord servers to grow your own. This can entail working together to host a larger event for both servers’ members. Or, maybe you exchange resources with each other. Perhaps you simply give each other a shoutout on your own servers.
The point is, teamwork makes the dream work - you don’t have to walk this path alone, there are so many other creators who would love to work with you if it's mutually beneficial!
Share Your Server on Other Online Community Platforms
We mentioned earlier that putting all your eggs in one basket is a poor idea - and we’re expanding on that here. You can share your server on other online community platforms too! This includes Reddit, Quora, other Facebook groups, etc.
Just think about which little pockets of the internet your ideal member may live in. Then, put yourself in front of them by answering questions in communities or providing valuable insights.
Think back to our sports betting community example above. You can find subreddits on sports betting picks and add your own. Or, you can answer questions about sports betting on Quora. By providing value upfront, you’ll be able to offer your server as a way for individuals to connect with you more intimately and gain more value.
Just be careful about spamming these platforms, as it’s easy to get booted by other admins. Engage in genuine conversations, be helpful, and then introduce your server when the time is right.
Other Paid Advertising Strategies Worth Trying
Beyond social media advertising, you can look to other paid advertising strategies to promote Discord servers. This piece of advice is primarily limited to creators who have monetization set up so they can justify the expense.
If that sounds like you, then try running some Google Ads for keywords related to your server. Using the sports betting server example, this could be phrases like “sports betting communities” or “sports betting picks”. You’ll have to think about what types of phrases your ideal members would be searching for and put some ad spend behind them.
Other ways to take advantage of paid advertising for your Discord server include sponsoring blog posts or buying ad space on a relevant website, or sponsoring events that your ideal membership may attend. Speaking of events…
Host Events or Giveaways
Your Discord server is a great way to engage in thought-provoking discussions, share ideas, and teach your audience in a digital setting. But why limit yourself to just the digital realm? You can host in-person events not only as a way to monetize your audience - but also to get in front of new potential members.
And, if you’re unable to justify an in-person event, even hosting a live webinar where you share your secrets of the trade or provide entertainment can work well to expand your reach while charging access to the event itself.
Beyond hosting events, you can host giveaways as a means of advertising your Discord server. Think about what types of physical or digital items your community members may be interested in. Then, create a giveaway where entries require sharing the event on social media. This is a great way to engage your existing audience and provide value while bringing fresh eyes to your server.
Invest in SEO/Blogging
Investing in SEO or blogging is like owning a piece of digital real estate. You pay upfront in time and resources, but you own that digital property forever. When done correctly, this approach to promoting Discord serves can open up the floodgates to new members.
The best part? After your initial investment, your costs remain the same regardless of how high you scale your membership! The ROI from SEO and blogging can be profound.
Of course, you’ll need to be prepared to put in the work or pay someone else to. This is a slow burn, and you won’t see results from SEO for a solid 6-12 months depending on where you’re starting and how competitive your niche is. From there, though, it’s a snowball effect of traction.
Buy your own domain and start creating helpful content. You can write blog posts on how to start sports betting, comparing different bookies, etc. Then, build links to those blog posts and watch your organic traffic - and your Discord membership - skyrocket.
Hire Guests to Make Appearances on Your Server
There’s no doubt that your Discord members come to your server to see/hear from you. But that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t bring guests on frequently.
Not only will this provide fresh perspectives and more expertise to your audience. But, your guests will likely promote their appearance to their own audiences - which in turn brings them your way.
As such, this is a two-for-one approach to how to advertise your Discord server. You provide a better experience to your community while introducing yourself to new potential members.
Incentivize Members for Referrals
This is a quick and easy win, especially if you charge access to your server. You can offer discounts to the membership for every new member an existing member refers. This will encourage your community to bring their friends and family to your server. Word of mouth can be incredibly powerful, so don't underestimate the value of incentivizing referrals.
Take Advantage of Discord’s Own Community Discovery Features
Last but certainly not least in our guide on how to advertise your Discord server is to take advantage of the platforms’ own discovery features.
There’s an entire section on Discord dedicated to helping members find new servers. If you aren’t setting yourself up to be discovered through these, you’re leaving so much potential for growth on the table!
This requires some simple optimization on your end. Your server must be viewable to the public, and you should think about what keywords a user might search to find your server. Incorporate those phrases throughout your listing and use the right tags. All of this takes just a few moments and you’ll have existing Discord users finding your server on autopilot!
Final Thoughts on How to Advertise a Discord Server
There you have it - our advice on how to advertise your Discord server. We’ve shared 10 actionable steps for promoting Discord servers and expanding your reach to new heights you never realized were possible.
If you want to learn more about maximizing your Discord servers’ potential, explore our blog. You’ll find helpful resources on topics like using Discord server banners, how to boost a Discord server, the key differences between Guilded vs Discord, and starting a Discord server in the first place.
We’re your trusted source for all things building an online community. And now that you know how to advertise a Discord server, what are you waiting for? Get listed on Whop, leverage organic/paid advertising channels, and explore new collaboration possibilities to promote your Discord server with ease.
