Probably the most vital part of having a successful server is proper development. Just as you would not want to play on a server that’s poorly made nor will others want to. It is very important that you truly take the time. To both build/develop your Minecraft server before you release it to the public.
There are many different routes you can take in developing your server. All of them can bring different types of communities and different numbers of players. If you are going for a server such as Hypixel or Mineplex, you will be wanting to create a Bungeecord network with mini-games. There are also game types that are good for a single server with a decent number of players such as Factions, Survival, Towny, McMMO, and much more.
Creating a popular Minecraft Server is a dream of most server owners out there. Anyone has the potential to create a popular server as long as they know what they are doing. If all of these points from this guide are covered when you decide to create your server, it can truly become a popular server. Don’t forget that being a server owner comes with many responsibilities and is not something that can be rushed if you want success.
Staff Members:
Hiring staff is important if you want to keep your server afloat. Eventually as your server starts to get more popular, you won't be able to manage it on your own. Managing the chat, keeping hackers away, and having all the rules be followed will help your server because it will make people want to stay in a community like yours, where everything is balanced.
Hiring Staff:
You can post announcements about staff volunteer opportunities on your discord server and site. This will notify players that positions are open, and they can apply. Obviously, you will need to pay some of your staff, like admins, developers and builders, because they are the staff that keep your server running. It also really helps if you know anyone that has previous staff expirience, and would be a good staff member on your server. Of course its not a requirement, but it helps.
It is very important for a successful server to have a discord server for reasons ranging from player communication, to announcements, and to staff communication.
Player Communication:
Having a discord server will help players interact and make new friends with each other, which can also cause your server to get more popular.
Announcements:
Having a discord server will help to keep players informed about future updates, server plans, events, staff, etc.