When it comes down to starting up and managing a Discord server, one of the things you wouldn’t want to see is server inactivity.
Having to experience inactivity in Discord can be very disheartening, with no sign of any activity making it worse than it seems.
However, there is no need to be easily discouraged and abandon your Discord server by creating a new one and possibly repeating the same mistake and repeating the cycle.
Here in this article, we will cover several ways on how to revive Discord servers which won’t only bring back activity in a server but will also be good tips you can try out to maintain server activity as well as promote server growth.
1. Revamp your server
One of the first steps you should take when trying to revive your Discord server is to revamp the server you already own.
This is better than abandoning it and creating a new one as you don’t lose your current members and shows how much you care by taking the first step to improve the server’s conditions.
For example, you can try to revamp your server is by improving the channel names by adding emojis and special characters.
In addition, websites such as CoolSymbol and SymbolCopy have a wide assortment of Discord compatible symbols you can use to add an extra spice to your server.
This makes your server more pleasing to browse as well as sets an aesthetic for it.
2. Have a scheduled weekly event
As a server owner or moderator, you want to encourage your members to interact and form relationships with one another.
A great practice you can start to revive your Discord server is to host scheduled events.
These events can follow either a strict or lax schedule, such as hosting weekly events.
The most important thing when you attempt this is to have consistency.
Being consistent with weekly events and activities will promote a flow of regular activities and interactions.
Here are several simple weekly events you can try hosting on your server:
- Trivia Night
- Movie Night
- Karaoke Night
- Game Night
- Contests
3. Add your Server to Listing Sites
If your server is mostly filled with offline users compared to the online ones, another way to revive a dead Discord server is to add new members. You can start this step by registering your server in Discord server listing sites such as top.gg, Disboard and Disforge
Listing your server in any one or all three of these sites will make it easier to promote your server to potential new members.
Through these sites, you’ll find it easy to have a steady stream of newcomers, and since they allow you to categorize and describe your server, making it easier for other people to find them.
4. Do some member pruning
With the previous entry, part of reviving a dead Discord server is having proper maintenance and cleaning done to it.
Pruning members who have been inactive for extended periods is a way to keep your server clean and less cluttered.
Although there is an appeal with keeping inactive accounts because of their contribution to your total membership count.
Most people don’t want to join a server with a high member count, but only a small number are active at a time.
Consider kicking out inactive accounts if they haven’t been interacting with the server or you haven’t seen them online in a while.
You can use Discord’s feature to prune members or have an announcement message asking active members to react to the message; otherwise, they’ll get kicked after the grace period is over.
5. Have rewards for being active in the server
One way to promote activity in your server is by adding incentives for being active and sending messages.
Popular bots such as MEE6 and Dyno have the feature built-in. The said feature is where members can gain experience when they send a message to the server.
This can make it easy to decide which members can receive a reward after reaching a milestone.
The reward themselves can be simple things such as server roles, access to other channels, or priority in events and giveaways.
The important thing about adding this feature is properly set it up where members can’t abuse it and just “farm” experience.
6. Host Giveaways
Similar to hosting events, having giveaways on your server is a quick way to revive a Discord server. You can do it manually or use Discord bots such as GiveawayBot or Prism.
Additionally, you can use giveaways in conjunction with being active in the server by setting requirements to participate in a giveaway.
This can be as simple as sending 50+ messages or having the giveaway hosted in a channel only accessible to people with the proper role.
You can also have free giveaways where anyone can join, making it fair for all the members if they haven’t yet reached the prerequisite requirements.
The prizes themselves can be simple things such as Discord Nitro or game keys.
7. Do Server Promotions
Promoting your server through social media such as YouTube or Twitter and even through online message boards such as Reddit is one way to get the ball rolling for reviving a Discord server.
You can also promote your server in other Discord servers as long as you are permitted to.
This is an important step to do when trying to revive a server as well as getting new members.
It makes your server more known by getting the word out about it and can reach a wider audience as other users who follow you can also spread the word.
8. Find a Niche and make it yours
As part of revamping your server, find a niche along with a unique selling point about your server.
A good point of reference to start with this process is looking at other servers in Discord server listing sites and seeing what they offer in comparison to what you are currently offering.
Finding a niche and making it your own by adding your unique approach might be enough to make your server distinguishable from the rest.
This makes it easier to find new members, which will promote more activity in the server.
Consider offering features and promotions that other top servers aren’t offering. Additionally, you can take tips from these servers on what to integrate into your server
9. Do Server Partnering/Collaboration
If you happen to come across anyone who owns a server, it might be a good idea to ask for a partnership/collaboration between your server and their server.
This will allow members from each server to join the other making it easy to get more members and activities.
You can also use this partnership to promote any events or giveaways going on in your server, which will open it up to more participants.
Part of what makes server partnerships a good idea is that it allows you to stick to your niche, as adding too many themes in a server can divide the community, which will prevent growth.
10. Set an Example to Other Members
Activity promotes activity. Setting an example to other members by being active in your server is key in reviving a Discord server.
You can do this by making an announcement to revive the server as well as interacting with any members with simple greetings and acknowledgments.
Additionally, you can also idle in a voice channel when you have nothing to do. From experience, just staying in a channel will encourage other people to join and interact with one another.
Being the server owner means setting an example for others as, without a leader a community would just fall or, in this case fall to inactivity.
11. Add some Fun Bots
Bots are a wonderful addition to any Discord server. While some bots can be used for utility and some QoL features in your server, other bots can be used to play games with other members.
Even though these might be simple games, this can add to activity between members as some of these games can be played with several people on a server.
Here are several bots you can add to your server:
- Epic RPG – a simple text-based RPG that can be played with several members
- Mudae – a bot that allows you to collect anime waifus/husbandos as well as trade them with other members
- Myuu – a bot that brings Pokemon to Discord. This bot brings the same experience that Pokemon is known for by allowing you to capture and battle wild Pokemon on top of being able to challenge other members.
12. Self-Promotion Channels
Whether you want to add one or not, adding a self-promotion channel is a good way to revive a Discord server.
This is because, for a public/community Discord server, several members would want to promote themselves to others whenever possible. This can be simple things such as following their social media for artwork or just starting a stream.
This benefits the member and you as you can give them a platform to share themselves with others while promoting activity in your server as a sort of hotspot for this.
This also prevents clutter and mess in your other text channels by placing all these types of posts in one channel that way, only people who want to see them will see them.
13. Take in Suggestions from you Server Members
If you happen to be in the process of building a server or if you see your server falling to inactivity, one of the best things you can do is to take suggestions from your members.
Never be afraid to look to others on how you can improve the situation. This will also give you a good insight into how you proceed and make your move as an entire community rather than as an individual.
This can not only save the situation but can also promote growth and interaction in the community.
This can also be ongoing, such as suggestions for new channels, emotes to be added, and even event ideas/details like a category for trivia night.
