Reddit is an online forum that’s part search engine, part social network.
Millions of people use it to swap advice, review products, and argue about virtually every topic under the sun. It all happens inside niche communities called subreddits.
All this makes it a powerful place for Reddit marketing. As long as you know how to play by its rules, that is.
The No. 1 rule? You can’t treat Reddit like another broadcast channel. Users hate obvious self-promotion and call out spam instantly. They reward brands that show up to add value, so just popping in and dropping links won’t cut it.
The upside? If you’re useful and authentic, the reward is real trust and traffic you won’t get anywhere else.
In this guide, we’ll walk you through how to market on Reddit the right way, including both organic and paid strategies. We’ll also toss in some tips on etiquette to keep you from getting buried (or banned).
Reddit is massive and growing fast. Recent estimates put it at around 100 million daily active users and hundreds of millions of monthly users, spread across more than 100,000 active subreddits.
It’s basically a giant ecosystem of niche communities where people compare products, troubleshoot problems, and share unfiltered opinions.
What makes Reddit especially relevant today is how often its content shows up outside Reddit. Google’s “Discussions and forums” search feature appears on millions of queries and is heavily dominated by Reddit threads, especially for product reviews and how-to topics.
Check out the “Discussions and forums” results for “best VPN for travel.” Reddit grabs the top spot above Facebook groups, which tells you two things: Google trusts Reddit threads for experience-based queries, and real travelers would rather hear from other travelers than from brand pages.
When someone searches “running shoes for bad knees,” for example, a Reddit discussion appears on page one.
“Google, specifically, is prioritizing the platform because it highlights true first-hand experiences,” says Becky McManus, senior SEO strategist at NP Digital.
Reddit’s also a growing force in AI search. It has data-licensing deals with Google and OpenAI, which use Reddit posts to train and power their large language models. In some analyses, Reddit is one of the most commonly cited domains in AI-generated answers.
So, when you show up on Reddit, you’re not just reaching users on one platform. You’re influencing search results, AI-generated summaries, and the conversations that shape buyer decisions.
Maybe the most fundamental thing to know about Reddit is that it isn’t one big audience. It’s a web of niche communities (subreddits). Each has its own rules and culture. And not all of them have a high tolerance for brands.
“Reddit is a different kind of digital marketing space,” McManus says. “It’s all about being real and adding value to the conversation, not just pushing promotions, which you can do more of on standard social media platforms.”
That’s what makes Reddit marketing powerful. It’s also what makes it easy to screw up.
Start with the basics by reading Reddit’s page about self-promotion and what’s allowed and what isn’t. Once you’ve read that, look at the “Reddiquette” page so you can see Reddit’s main rules.
The list includes:
Next, zoom in on each subreddit.
Read the sidebar and pinned posts. Some communities allow links only on certain days. Others ban surveys, coupon codes, or branded content of any kind. Moderators (mods) enforce those rules, and they won’t hesitate to remove posts or ban accounts.
Take a look at how the r/digitalmarketing subreddit clearly spells out its rules.
Your job is to show up as a helpful user first and a marketer second. Answer questions, share experiences, post useful resources, and only occasionally mention your product when it genuinely fits the thread.
If you’re unsure whether something crosses the line, message the mods and ask.
Organic participation is the name of the game with Reddit marketing.
Ads can help, but many brands win by showing up as real users first. That means answering questions and sharing useful resources, which helps build karma over time.
Done right, this also feeds into your Reddit SEO strategy before you ever touch paid campaigns.
If you’re going to do anything promotional on Reddit, start with a branded account. Redditors care a lot about transparency, and a handle that clearly represents your company or team builds more trust than a random personal username that secretly belongs to “Marketing.”
Create an account that signals who you are (for example, BrandName_Official or FirstNameAtBrand). Add a short bio that explains your role and what people can expect from you, such as support or product questions.
Here’s an example profile from Cleveland.com, whose parent company, Advance Local, has had success with organic Reddit marketing strategies.
From there, resist the urge to start dropping links. Instead, comment, answer questions, and join existing threads. That way, your profile doesn’t look like it was created only to push content. If teammates also use personal accounts, have them be open about their affiliation when it’s relevant.
An honest business presence boosts the credibility of every future promo. It also looks less like spam.
Reddit rewards accounts that make threads better. If your first instinct is “Where can I post my link?”, you’re already in trouble.
Focus on being useful long before you mention your brand.
Look for questions you can answer in detail. Share things like:
You can also add value by recapping good resources, explaining trade-offs between options, or sharing honest pros and cons from your experience. Link sparingly and only when it clearly adds context.
Over time, that kind of participation builds karma, name recognition, and trust. Then, when you occasionally share something from your own site, it feels like a contribution, not an intrusion.
AMAs can be useful, even if you’re not a household name. The key is to find a clear, interesting angle that fits the subreddit.
Instead of “I’m a founder; ask me anything,” pitch something specific to the mods first:
For example, this AMA works because it leads with a high-stakes, personal hook: someone risking their life savings on a mobile game. People want to hear the story and ask what happened next.
Most subreddits require proof and mod approval, so follow their instructions closely. During the AMA, focus on being candid and helpful. Share stories, mistakes, and lessons. Avoid turning every answer into a soft pitch.
If people like you, they’ll click through to your profile and brand on their own. The AMA’s job is to build credibility, not to read like a live ad.
Starting your own subreddit is more of a “phase two or three” move than a starting point. If you don’t already have people talking about you on Reddit, a brand-new sub will sit empty and make you look inactive.
Once there’s clear interest—mentions in other subs, recurring questions, or an existing community elsewhere—you can launch a subreddit as a hub. Think of it as a place for support, feature requests, user wins, and deeper discussions around your niche, not just announcements.
Set clear rules, pin a simple “Start here” post, and seed the sub with genuinely useful threads: FAQs, guides, templates, product walkthroughs, or office-hours posts. Commit to moderating and replying.
When you promote the subreddit, invite people in for the value (“Come ask questions and see real use cases”), not just to “follow” your brand.
Organic participation is the foundation of your Reddit marketing efforts, but paid ads are how you scale once you know what resonates.
Reddit now reaches a massive, mostly younger audience across thousands of active communities, and a lot of those users are actively researching products (not just scrolling).
The big advantage for marketers is context.
You can target by subreddit, interest, keyword, location, and device, so your ads show up inside conversations that already match your offer. Formats range from promoted posts and video ads to conversation placements and takeovers, with newer options like dynamic product ads for e-commerce.
If your creative matches the culture of the communities you’re in, Reddit ads can drive serious awareness and consideration.
Reddit’s ad policies are strict because ads sit right next to user posts. If your campaigns feel spammy or misleading, you’d better believe they’ll get rejected fast. Even when they’re approved, users will downvote them into oblivion.
Ads should look and sound professional. Make sure your audio and visuals are clear and text is readable.
Also be sure your video is relevant to the audience you’re targeting and correctly labeled if it includes mature themes. Anything graphic or heavily profane needs the proper rating and warnings, and strobing or flashing effects are off limits.
Style and Copy Standards
Reddit expects clean, honest copy. So, check your spelling and grammar, keep emojis and symbols to a minimum, avoid shouty all-caps, and don’t stuff personal data into your ad unless regulations require it. And be sure that your images are high quality and match what you’re promoting.
Accuracy and Transparency
Your ad has to reflect the real product or service. That means no clickbait headlines or no bait-and-switch offers. And don’t promote specific Reddit comments or posts unless you’re using approved formats.
URLs and Landing Pages
Your landing page should clearly feature the product you advertised. You’ll also want it to load reliably and stick to Reddit’s content rules. Keep the language consistent with your ad and avoid aggressive pop-ups or spammy tactics.
When in doubt, review Reddit’s full advertising policy before you launch. It’s easier to fix issues in draft than after a denial.
Reddit’s ad formats are designed to feel like part of the feed, not banner clutter. Here’s how the main options break down in Reddit’s own language:
Most of these are available in the self-serve ads manager, so you can test formats quickly and double down on what your audience actually engages with.
Before diving and creating your own Reddit ad, let’s look at a few examples.
This ad works because it feels like a Reddit post, not a banner. The headline clearly promises the benefit (“transform your words into works of art”), and the creative shows the product in action—a funny, hyper-specific dog portrait that fits Reddit’s meme-y culture.
The user interface screenshot makes it obvious how ChatGPT is used, so there’s no learning curve. The copy is light, the visual does the selling, and the single “Sign Up” call to action (CTA) keeps the next step simple.
All in all, it’s fun, clear, and native to the feed.
This ad works because it leans into Reddit’s strengths: story and specificity.
The headline (“I’m a massive savings nerd… stupidest money mistakes…”) sounds like a real thread you’d click, not brand copy. The post leads with concrete value—numbers, personal savings, and clear next steps—before it ever feels promotional.
It’s written in plain language, framed as advice from a fellow user, and backed by strong engagement (upvotes, comments), which signals social proof right in the feed.
Reddit doesn’t reward brands that rush in with a big ad budget. It rewards the ones that show up and learn the culture first.
That’s why it helps to think about Reddit marketing in stages instead of “launching a campaign” overnight.
Start with low-risk actions that teach you how each community works. Then layer on more visible content and light promotion. Once you know what lands, you can treat Reddit like a full channel.
In the sections below, we’ll walk through a practical Crawl → Walk → Run model you can use to move from basic participation to a scalable Reddit program that drives traffic and revenue (and not just karma).
In the Crawl stage, your main job is to learn the ropes of Reddit and show up like a real user. You’ve set up a branded account, know the Reddiquette, and have your eyes on the subreddits where your audience already hangs out.
From here, keep it simple:
Use Reddit search and “site:reddit.com” Google searches around your main topics to find the discussions that matter most to your buyers.
This screenshot shows the Crawl stage in action using a site search to see which subreddits and threads already rank for “gravel bikes.” It includes threads on clarifying the definition of a gravel bike and calls for product recommendations.
As you explore, pay attention to the phrases people use and the problems they describe. Also take note of the kind of answers they upvote.
Crawl is about listening and learning. You’re gathering intel on which communities are worth investing in. That way, you don’t sound like a marketer who just discovered Reddit yesterday.
In the Walk phase, you’re moving beyond “lurking” and turning your Reddit presence into a repeatable habit. Now, you’re showing up in a handful of high-value subreddits on purpose. You’re not just scrolling anymore.
Start by narrowing your focus. Pick three to five communities where your audience already hangs out and where you can add real expertise. Look for threads that match your core topics and keywords.
Your job at this stage is to:
Think of Walk as your calibration stage. You’re learning the language and formats that work in each subreddit. You’re also starting to spot patterns you can later turn into content pillars, SEO topics, and even product ideas.
You’re not trying to dominate Reddit yet. You’re trying to become a familiar, helpful name in the spaces that matter.
“It’s all about trust,” says Becky McManus, the senior SEO strategist at NP Digital.
“Teams should expect to earn trust gradually by engaging authentically and consistently within the communities that genuinely care about what they offer.”
Run is where Reddit becomes a proper channel, not just a side experiment.
By this point, you know:
Now you can scale intentionally. This may include launching and actively moderating a branded subreddit as a hub for FAQs, feedback, updates, and success stories. You might also keep a presence in adjacent communities and jump into high-impact threads quickly.
From there, you can coordinate with your SEO and content teams to help keep responses and resources consistent.
Reddit becomes:
At this stage, you can also layer in paid campaigns, but be sure to promote angles you already know resonate organically. That way, you’re not just guessing with ad dollars.
A good example of Reddit done right is NP Digital’s work with TurboTax.
From January to April 2025, TurboTax-branded profiles joined relevant tax and personal finance threads, adding 159 thoughtful comments and starting targeted conversations during filing season.
The impact showed up well beyond Reddit. Several of those threads were pulled into Google’s “What people are saying” for searches like “quarterly tax deadlines” and “turbotax early refund,” and one comment was cited in AI-generated Reddit answers within days.
Brand mentions hit 5,404 (up 10 percent year over year), and positive mentions nudged up even in the middle of tough conversations about pricing and early refunds.
We also paired that Reddit work with SEO. A refreshed “Ways to File for Free” guide captured the featured snippet for “is turbotax free,” helping outrank older negative Reddit threads and giving TurboTax more control over how the brand shows up in search.
Act like a helpful user, not a billboard: join relevant subreddits, add value in threads, then layer in carefully targeted information that can be tied back to your brand.
Yes, but only within strict limits. Reddit and most subreddits take a hard line on spammy self-promotion. If most of your activity is just dropping your own links, you’ll get downvoted or banned. Read Reddit’s self-promotion and Reddiquette guidelines and participate in conversations, but make sure any link you share is genuinely helpful and clearly relevant to the thread.
Start with your goal (awareness, traffic, leads, or support), then map the subreddits your audience already uses. Create a branded account, learn each community’s rules, and spend time commenting before you post anything promotional. From there, plan a mix of organic participation (answers, explainers, AMAs, resource threads) and small paid tests once you know what resonates.
Read the FAQs, Reddiquette, and each subreddit’s rules before you start posting anything. And be sure to contribute more than you promote: answer questions, share experiences, and only link to your own content when it clearly adds value.
Reddit ads run on an auction model, so prices vary widely. It sets its rates at $5 a day minimum, and costs vary from $1.50 to $10 per 1,000 impressions (or more for premium placements).
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Reddit is a unique platform with millions of active users. It might seem like the ideal place to promote your business, but you could get banned (or ridiculed) if you aren’t careful.
Although Reddit is tougher on self-promotion on other platforms, that doesn’t mean marketers should steer clear of it altogether. Provided you stick to the rules and don’t stray into spamming or being “salesy,” you have the opportunity to grow a keen, engaged following.
Reddit can become one of your most valuable channels if you do it right. You can build trust inside niche communities, earn traffic from threads that rank in search, and even shape how your brand shows up in AI summaries.
With thousands of subreddits, there’s almost always a corner of Reddit where your audience is already talking. Show up to listen and answer questions as you learn the ropes.
Promotion comes later, after you’ve proven you’re there to add value, not just to cash in.
