How To Use Reddit Successfully? The Only Cheatsheet On The Internet

How to use Reddit? 

It’s a question we all have been asking – the problem? No clear answer on the internet. And I hate talking to AI about such problems. 

I mean, AI says pretty much what everyone else is saying on the internet, so there is still no transparency. 

So, it was plaguing me for months – and I was already on Reddit for four years. 

As an active member of Reddit for so many years, I decided to turn to Reddit and find out more about growing on the platform. 

Interestingly, there are so many Subreddits on using the platform that I was suddenly overwhelmed with too much information. I could have just listed my sources here for you to follow up, but will it help you guys? I don’t think so.

So here I am with my blog highlighting all the information you need at your disposal to start using Reddit successfully. 

Stay tuned. 

What Makes Reddit So Unique? 

As an ardent fan of Reddit, I can tell you it is unique and is responsible for:

1. Paving the way for successful crowdfunding approaches. 
2. Creating several popular memes. 
3. Shaping and contributing significantly to the present internet culture. 
4. Creating interview formats like the AMAs. 

As a marketer, my goal is to get my brand in front of my potential and actual customers, preferably with a compelling message that will make the audience remember my brand and even make a purchase if possible. 

Moreover, it’s even better if my potential target audience tells others (family and friends) about my brand. 

Reddit is super unique in this context, especially compared to other social media or community sites. 

For starters, it is the only social aggregation platform that has survived, grown, and stayed authentic. 

Moreover, people on Reddit are not interested in catching up with friends and posting about their morning coffee, unlike other social media platforms. 

Instead, people on Reddit are interested in reading, learning, discussing, and debating about anything and everything under the sun. 

In fact, 32% of all Americans use Reddit monthly, with more than 430 million visits and 30 billion screen views each month. 

Also, around 60% users are from the United States, and 82% speak English (source: Search Engine Journal). 

Moreover, Reddit has a balanced user base in terms of gender, with 78% of users 35 years old on average, having a college education, and a household income (on average) of $92,500 annually.

Also, Reddit’s audience is valuable, with many politicians, companies, celebrities, and influencers regularly participating in conversations, including famous names like Toyota, Snoop Dogg, and Bill Gates. 

However, to use Reddit successfully, you need a clear understanding of what makes a platform like Reddit different and unique, especially in comparison to social media platforms. 

How Does Reddit’s Algorithm Work?

Reddit combines downvotes and upvotes, scaled logarithmically, for determining a piece of content’s popularity on the site’s front page and within subreddits. 

So, if you aren’t familiar with how logarithms work, just look at it like this: your first 10 votes will have the same effect on a submission as the next 100 votes. 

Moreover, those 100 votes will also have the same effect as the next 1000 votes. 

What does this mean? The first 110 votes are crucial and will determine how well your submission will perform. 

Having said that, it is vital to understand that this does not really indicate that you should game the algorithm, forcing the initial votes.

Why? Reddit is really good at finding out such stuff and will probably end up banning your account. 

Additionally, Reddit values extra effort. 

So, ensure your description and title are of high quality and accurate. Also, good comments can really help you start your Reddit journey on a positive note. 

How To Use Reddit?

I know it sounds a lot like using common sense. But TBH, it takes time to become a successful Redditor. 

More importantly, you have to understand how to use Reddit – this includes information about the platform, its users, and most importantly, its features. 

Having said that, here’s my no-nonsense guide to using Reddit successfully:

1. Find Subreddits you actually care about for a better understanding of current conversations. Moreover, try to get familiar with the interlinking between Subreddits and the intricacies of each thread. Why? To understand and participate with authority in discussions and topics you already know well. 

2. Take your time to understand Reddit’s features clearly. This includes different sections of your account and settings. 

3. Get a grasp of Reddit’s lingo so that you can interact with other participants in different Subreddits – the point is to sound like someone who belongs. Also, there are several Reddit phrases and terms you need to know for learning how to use Reddit successfully. 

4. Additionally, it is super important to get familiar with Reddit’s rules – and not just for using Reddit itself, but also for specific Subreddits that you join. Also, this is applicable to the Subreddits you want to participate in. 

While these are important tips that you must consider, there are three crucial points in this context that I want to touch upon in detail:

1. Subreddits (And How Each Subreddit Has Its Own Rules):

Like I was just saying, there are some standard rules that everyone needs to follow on Reddit. 

However, these rules are mostly about focusing on things like:

1. Hacking the platform.
2. Posting personal details of people without their consent.
3. Breaking the law in some way. 

But what you really need to pay attention to is how each Subreddit has its own rules. So, if you are participating in a Subreddit, you need to stick to the rules of that particular thread.

This is easier said than done – because these rules are usually super specific and unique. 

For instance, you might be thinking about submitting an infographic to the ‘/r/dataisbeautiful,’ a popular Subreddit that has more than 13 million active subscribers. 

It seems like a normal thing to do – but guess what? This Subreddit has a rule that clearly states, ‘no infographics or other unautomated diagrams.’

As a result, it is crucial to review and understand the rules of each Subreddit you are interested in participating in. 

If you fail to follow the rules of each Subreddit, then it is possible that Reddit will ban you quickly. 

This is because Reddit has zero tolerance for anything that goes against the rules of its community. 

How To Find The Right Subreddits?

For starters, it is vital for you to join at least two to three Subreddits that you are passionate about. 

But once you do that, chances are you will look for Subreddits that can help you with marketing, advertising, and promoting. 

Initially, I relied on RedditMetrics and other open-source tools to identify the trending Subreddits in the niches I was interested in. 

Moreover, I made it a point to join Subreddits that were on the rise, rather than already established threads. 

Why? Because up-and-coming Subreddits are more welcoming about accepting content submissions. Plus, it also offers an opportunity for becoming a moderator. 

Also, knowing how to use Reddit successfully includes successful content submissions in Subreddits. 

In addition, don’t forget to go through the rules of each Subreddit you are planning to join. And you can easily check the different rules from the sidebar of each Subreddit. 

In this context, just remember that some Subreddits don’t allow URL submissions – and if you submit a URL under a Subreddit that doesn’t allow it, Reddit will likely ban your account.

2. Pseudonyms On Reddit (And Why Should You Use One):

Literally everyone who is on Reddit has a pseudonym – and that includes Reddit’s founders, admins, and moderators. 

FYI, moderators are people who run individual Subreddits, while admins are people who directly work for Reddit. 

So, unless you want to build a branded Reddit account to manage profiles, run ads, or create a branded Subreddit, it is best to have a pseudonym on the platform. And you can easily do this while creating your profile. 

Having said that, I would recommend creating another account on Reddit with a pseudonym to participate and interact in different communities, even if you are building a branded account. 

Also, don’t worry about creating multiple accounts on Reddit – the platform allows it, as long as you don’t end up using multiple accounts for manipulating Reddit’s voting algorithms. 

3. Your ‘Comment Game’ Can Make It Or Break It On Reddit:

Commenting is perhaps the most effective thing you can do to become successful on Reddit. Moreover, it has always been at the core of Reddit’s community-first approach – isn’t that the point of being on the platform? 

I can’t stress the importance of commenting on Reddit enough. In fact, if you don’t respond to comments or actively don’t comment, then Reddit might think you are a spammer. So, you need to be very careful about your comment game.

Also, it is best to take some time for commenting under threads in different Subreddits in your niche – trust me, the more you comment, the better. 

This is especially true for anyone who wants to make the most of commenting on the platform – and it’s best if you do this for threads that are gradually becoming popular. 

For Reddit, You Might Be Spamming If:

Unlike most social media platforms, Reddit has a very interesting approach to spammy submissions – rather, what makes a person a spammer? 

And chances are, it is not what you are thinking. 

As a result, I’ve tried my best to point out all the things that make you a spammer on Reddit:

1. Submitting your content is one of the primary things – I’ll tell you how. Reddit follows a 9:1 rule, under which only 10% of your total submissions can be your own content. Additionally, you can submit your own content either on your account or under Subreddits you control to avoid a penalty for breaking Reddit’s 9:1 ratio rule. 

2. Submitting the exact same content under multiple Subreddits and threads. 

3. If you fail to comment on submissions or respond to comments under your content submissions. 

4. Submitting content that is not related to the topic of any Subreddit. 

5. Submitting content that consistently gets downvotes. Also, this is especially true if you fail to make changes after getting downvoted continuously.

6. If you submit too much content under Subreddits, Reddit can consider it to be spammy. Moreover, even if all your submissions are of high quality, it is a problem.