Reddit is a social news, web content, and discussion website with hundreds of millions of active monthly users. These users power over a million communities known as subreddits.
Due to the sheer number of its user base, it is easily one of the best places to market your business.
However, Reddit’s interface may overwhelm new users. Don’t worry – you’re in the right place as this guide will help you get started in no time!
Before we begin…
It’s best to know the basics before jumping into the world of Reddit. That being said, let’s get familiar with the following:
What exactly is a Subreddit?
Subreddits are simply specific categories to specific topics. Users can choose to subscribe to a subreddit that interests them or even create one from scratch. When people with the same interest join a subreddit, it creates a community.
There’s literally a subreddit for everything nowadays so it’s not going to be easy coming up with a unique name in case you were thinking about actually creating your own subreddit!
Subreddit examples:
Like horror stories? Check the nosleep subreddit
Interested in ridiculous or funny topics? Check out the WouldYouRather subreddit or Funny and Jokes subreddits. You can also check out our blog on crazy would you rather questions.
You can search for subreddits using the search box or find top growing communities on the top right of the home page.
Using the Search function:
Today’s Top Growing Communities:
How to post on Reddit
Reading on Reddit is very much enjoyable that it could very well be addicting. However, the real fun begins when you actually start participating by posting or commenting.
There are two main types of Reddit posts:
1.Sharing a link, photo or video to content outside of Reddit.
2. Written content for fellow Redditors to read.
It’s not uncommon to come across posts that simply link to content outside of Reddit. (e.g YouTube videos) What’s interesting though is that users can actually comment on that post and talk about it on Reddit. To do so, just click on “comments” instead of the link.
Without further delay, below is an idiot’s guide on how to post on Reddit.
1. Open Reddit
I can almost hear your big “duh!” from here. Go to https://www.reddit.com/ and log in or sign up if you haven’t yet.
2. Click on “CREATE POST”
You can only see this option once you are logged in. Note: Create Community means creating a new subreddit.
Once you click on “Create Post”, you will see the editor below.
3. Choose a community
Select a Subreddit you are subscribed to or simply type it in and you will get search results to choose from.
Note: You’re only allowed to choose one subreddit.
4. Select a post type
You should see three post types to choose from.
- Post – Allows you to make a text-only post.
- Image & Video – Allows you to upload video clips or photos directly from your computer.
- Link – Allows you to share links from an external source.
Note: Depending on the subreddit, you either have all post options available while some options are automatically disabled in others. (e.g You are only allowed to share links on the r/videos subreddit.)
5. Enter a title and create your post
- Write the title of your post on the “Title” text box. Don’t be vague and make sure the title is related to the actual content.
- Create your body text or attach the web address on the “URL” box. When writing long posts, make sure that you hit the save draft button from time to time.
6. Submit your post
Click “POST” at the bottom. This will upload your post to Reddit allowing other users to see it.
Before posting any content, it’s a good practice to always check the subreddit’s posting guidelines just to be on the safe side.
Voting on Reddit
Redditors can choose to either upvote or downvote posts. In other words, this feature allows the community to decide which content deserves the top spot.
In reality though, it all boils down to how many Redditors within the community agree with your post. If more agree than disagree, then your post is likely to receive more upvotes.
Reddit karma and its uses
Karma is simply a point system given by Reddit to its users. As you receive upvotes or downvotes, you earn or lose Karma points. Just go to your profile page to see how much Karma your account has.
Although Reddit Karma can serve as somewhat of a user score to gauge other users you are interacting with, I don’t focus on it too much. I would rather focus on the quality of whatever I post rather than think of the numbers I would get as a result.
Don’t get me wrong, some communities have a certain Karma point requirement before you are allowed to share links or post comments.
As long as you make sure that your posts make sense and that you think more about being helpful not just because of the rewards, then Karma naturally follows.
Reddiquette
Reddiquette simply means being a good person in Reddit by virtue of common sense.
While the list of Reddiquettes is quite long, here are a few important points that Reddit wants us to focus on:
1.Remember the human – Communicate with other Redditors as if you were talking to them face to face.
2. Behave like you would in real life – Same point as above. Maintaining this kind behavior is great in keeping a discussion civilized.
3. Look for the original source of content – It’s obviously not good to take credit for something you didn’t actually do or make. When you submit a post and referenced to someone else’s, make sure you link the original creator’s post as reference.
4. Search for duplicates before posting – Moderators would likely close duplicate posts anyway, so it would save you some time to use the search bar and make sure your post is not redundant.
5. Read the community’s rules – These rules are usually found along the sidebar.
For more information on Reddiquette, click Here.
So what’s next?
By now, I’m sure you are aware of the potential opportunities that Reddit has in store for you and your business. Because of this, it is essential for you to take some time in learning the ropes.
Don’t rush into forcing yourself to meet goals as quickly as possible. Take the time to explore Reddit and know the different features at your disposal.
Join a Reddit community and share purposeful information with one another. Only then you will be able to unlock its full potential for your long term success.
Schedule a call with us if you want to succeed and create a community on Reddit.