Reddit Marketing in 3 Hours/Week: From 0 Karma to Real Cred

Reddit marketing is delicate work.

Show up with a sales pitch — or just a little too much enthusiasm for your product — and they’ll shut you down quickly. Without mercy.

But that hostility is really standards in disguise.

Redditors care about their communities. They care about real conversations and keeping the place worth coming back to.

Meet those standards, and the mood turns.

They’ll start to trust you. Sometimes, they’ll even ask where they can buy your stuff.

That’s when you know you’ve earned the hard-to-win, harder-to-fake Reddit trust.

A kind of credibility so strong it travels far beyond Reddit. (More on that later.)

This guide shows you how.

Just three hours a week of Reddit marketing, and you’ll go from an awkward outsider to a trusted regular — even if you’ve never posted before.

Reddit Is No Longer Optional for Marketers

Reddit used to be just another “forum.”

But it has now become the gravity pulling the internet into its orbit.

Dramatic? Maybe. But the proof is everywhere.

Reddit Powers Search and AI

Reddit’s partnerships with Google and OpenAI have turned it from an internet hangout to an internet heavyweight.

Google is pulling Reddit threads directly into search results. And Reddit conversations are now feeding into ChatGPT’s answers.

Run a quick Google search, such as “best protein powder brands.”

You’ll usually see Reddit featured more than once on page one.

Same story with large language models (LLMs) like ChatGPT and Perplexity.

Their answers often cite Reddit as one of the sources.

And this isn’t just anecdotal.

A Detailed.com study shows Reddit dominates product-related search terms in Google’s new “Discussions and forums” feature.

Semrush research backs this up, saying Reddit is the most-cited domain in AI answers.

In short:

Reddit now sits at the heart of your customers’ decision-making.

From the first flicker of curiosity to the final purchase, chances are good they’ll hit Reddit along the way.

Reddit Influences Buyer Trust

People trust Reddit more than your polished marketing.

The open grievances and the unfiltered praise make Reddit feel real in a way your ad copy never can.

Be honest:

How often do you tack “reddit” onto a Google search? I do it all the time. And Semrush data proves I’m not alone.

That’s Reddit becoming the internet’s social proof engine.

As Rob Gaige, Reddit’s Global Head of Insights, says:

In other words, buyers don’t just take your word for it. They take Reddit’s.

Reddit Gives You an Edge Competitors Can’t Easily Copy

There’s no copy-paste trick when it comes to Reddit marketing.

Like you, your competitors have to put in the time to learn the culture and earn their keep.

That’s why the earlier you start, the stronger your position becomes. Every month you engage, you’re stacking credibility that shortcuts can’t match.

Yes, some try to game the system. And that might work briefly.

But eventually, Reddit’s algorithms, volunteer moderators, and the community’s BS detector flush them out.

(And with spam on the rise, the rules are only getting stricter.)

The Reddit Marketing System to Build Karma & Cred

Forget Reddit SEO “hacks,” like slipping links past moderators.

That’s short-sighted thinking.

Here’s the thing:

Reddit’s power isn’t clicks. It’s credibility and influence.

Earn it inside Reddit, AND it reverberates into search results and AI answers.

You don’t earn that trust with Reddit marketing tricks.

You earn it by contributing and becoming part of the community.

Here’s how.

(Shoutout to Ken Savage of Launch Club AI, a Reddit marketing agency, for sharing his insights from the trenches.)

Step 1: Build a Profile That Says “Redditor,” Not “Marketer”

The best way to optimize your Reddit profile? Do nothing.

A shiny, over-engineered profile from a Reddit newborn is a dead giveaway: You’re here to take, not give.

Sure, change your avatar if you like. But, resist the urge to polish.

Instead, keep it plain:

Leave the bio blank Don’t link to your site or socials Forget the “curated” look Let your engagement history do the talking

Take ItsWahl, a plumber’s profile. You don’t see business links or calls-to-action. But scroll through his comments and post history, and you instantly know what he does.

That’s the beauty of Reddit. Reputation builds itself.

The profile follows.

Step 2: Get Fluent in Reddit Before You Speak

In your first week (or two) of Reddit marketing, don’t post. Just watch.

Study the culture and pay attention to tone and the little quirks of how people interact.

Why?

Because that look-at-me energy that Instagram and LinkedIn reward is exactly what gets you mocked or banned on Reddit.

How The Reddit Community Operates

Your best starting point is Reddiquette.

It’s the platform’s general code of conduct, which includes:

Remembering the human behind the screen Using proper grammar and spelling Assuming good intent until proven otherwise Formatting posts and comments clearly

But here’s the twist:

Reddit isn’t one community.

It’s thousands of communities, called subreddits (subs), with their own rules and expectations.

What gets you praise in one can get you flagged in another.

For example, in r/Entrepreneur, you need 10 comment karma (Reddit points from helpful comments), and self-promotion is banned.

But in r/Pen_Swap, buying, selling, and trading is the whole point.

Think of it as two layers: global expectations and local rules.

Break either, and the community will remind you. Sometimes, not too gently.

So, before you comment or post, always check the subreddit’s rules. They’re pinned at the top or listed in the sidebar.

The Reddit Moderators (aka Mods) and Their Power

Moderators are the gatekeepers of subreddits.

They control how the community runs within Reddit’s sitewide rules.

You can see who moderates any subreddit by checking the sidebar and clicking “Moderators.”

And yes, they have powers. They can:

Remove posts or comments Issue warnings Ban users

Your mileage with mods will vary.

Most are fair and invested in building solid communities.

Others, less so.

As one Redditor put it, “picky and easily angered.”

What most people miss about moderators is this:

Many of them run communities with tens of thousands, sometimes millions, of members. Managing these subreddits takes an enormous amount of unpaid time and effort.

It’s really in your interest to make their jobs easier by:

Reading and following the rules Contributing genuine value Respecting their authority

Do that, and you’ll stay on their good side.

Ignore it, and you’ll learn just how much power they really have.

Reddit Language

Reddit speak is conversational and BS-free. Humor, sarcasm, and the occasional bit of self-deprecation are all part of the mix.

It’s also full of shorthand and in-jokes that longtime users expect you to know.

You don’t need to memorize them all, but it’s worth knowing the basics if you want your Reddit marketing to have legs.

Here are a few common ones.

OP: Original poster ELI5: Explain like I’m 5 TL;DR: Too long didn’t read TIL: Today I learned OC: Original content NSFW: Not safe for work IIRC: If I recall correctly FTFY: Fixed that for you AMA: Ask me anything

Most of these you’ll pick up through context.

But it’s worth bookmarking the full list for reference.

Karma & Voting

Karma is Reddit’s point system.

(Or, as Reddit’s “welcome” guide calls it: fake internet points.)

You’ll see your karma score in your profile sidebar, split into post karma and comment karma.

Here’s why these “fake” points matter:

Karma is the closest thing Reddit has to a reputation score. It affects where you can post and how you’re perceived.

You earn it through upvotes. If people find your post or comment useful, they tap the arrow pointing up.

But there’s a flip side to this democracy.

The down arrow — the downvote — takes karma away.

It’s the community’s way of saying “this doesn’t add value.”

The most-upvoted posts and comments rise to the top. Which means more people see them and more people engage.

(And the cycle reinforces itself.)

Those top comments also tend to spread beyond Reddit through shares or even showing up in search results.

Step 3: Choose Subreddits Strategically

The subreddits you join will decide how quickly (or how slowly) you earn Karma.

Aim for a mix of niche communities tied to your expertise, plus a sprinkling of subreddits on topics you genuinely enjoy.

The rookie mistake is jumping straight into the biggest subs, hoping for easy upvotes.

But big subs move very fast. Their rules are stricter, and mods are hyper-vigilant.

Take r/AskReddit, for example, which has over 57 million members.

To stand out in your Reddit marketing, you need perfect timing, luck, and genuinely compelling content.

Otherwise, your post just disappears.

So, it’s better to start with smaller subreddits. They move at a manageable pace and are often more forgiving while you learn the ropes.

How to Find Subreddits

My go-to method to find new communities is the Reddit search bar.

From the front page, type in your niche.

In the results, click “Communities,” and check two numbers:

Total members and currently online.

That ratio tells you how active a subreddit is.

For example, when I type “SEO” I see r/SEO with 421k members and 64 online, while r/seogrowth has 31k members with 16 online.

Even though r/SEO is bigger, I’d definitely consider also joining r/seogrowth as it’s more “alive.”

When you’re starting out, join 10–15 subreddits.

That’s enough range to test where you get traction. Over time, you’ll naturally narrow to 3–5 subs where you’re most active and recognized.

Getting the Lay of the Land

For your first 1–2 weeks, resist the urge to post. Just observe and absorb (aka lurking).

See which questions people ask repeatedly.

Go hang out in the comment sections. That’s where you’ll get a real feel for the community’s personality. You’ll pick up on how people joke, offer support, or tear bad ideas apart.

And above all: Read the rules.

They’re listed in the sidebar of every subreddit, and they can vary wildly.

For example, r/nutrition has a long list of guidelines to keep discussions science-based, while r/machinedpens has only three rules.

This is also the perfect time to gauge buyer sentiment about your brand or products.

I’ve used Reddit this way for years. And it’s helped me improve product page conversions, get better returns on Meta ads, and even given sales teams a clearer picture of buyer objections.

Take a hair supplement brand I worked with.

Their Meta ads had gone flat.

So, I spent hours in subreddits like r/haircare, r/hair, and r/hairloss scanning threads for brand sentiment and figuring out the deeper psychology behind purchase decisions.

Those insights fueled a creative refresh with new campaign angles, helping turn their Meta campaigns around.

Step 4: Join Conversations Without Being Annoying (The E.A.R.S. Reddit Marketing Framework)

Three hours a week of Reddit marketing is enough to make steady progress.

Here’s how to spend it using the E.A.R.S framework:

Explore: 5-10 minutes/day discovering threads Add insight: 10–20 minutes/day reading, upvoting, and commenting Respond: One 30-minute session/week writing and publishing Share: 5-10 minutes/day amplifying your posts and comments

And no, your weekends aren’t part of the deal.

Explore: Find the Right Threads (5–10 Minutes/Day)

“Explore” is your foundation for quality and time control.

Your goal is to find 4-7 threads worth engaging in every day.

Get disciplined. This shouldn’t take more than 10 minutes.

Here’s what to do:

Open a few of the subreddits you joined in the previous step.

Then, filter the threads by “Rising.”

This shows new posts starting to gain traction.

Get in early, and your comment is more likely to get noticed while the thread is still developing.

Next, cross-check with “Hot” to show the top posts.

As you scan both “Rising” and “Hot,” focus on threads where you can genuinely add value.

That means:

Answering a question with your knowledge Filling in missing context Clearing up a common misconception Sharing a story from experience Offering practical help to a “how-to” question

Add Insight: Write Comments That Get Upvotes (15–20 Minutes/Day)

“Add Insight” is the engine of your Reddit SEO strategy.

It’s your daily commenting session to build trust and visibility.

(And get those karma points climbing.)

Your goal is to leave 4-7 high-value comments a day. That’s it.

To leave comments, you have two options:

You can reply directly to the main post by clicking “Join the conversation.” Or you can reply within a thread by clicking “Reply” under someone else’s comment.

The catch is:

What you say is only half the battle. How you format your comment decides whether people will give it the time of day.

(Because even the smartest insight dies as a wall of text.)

So, formatting matters. If you want eyes (and upvotes):

Break paragraphs early and often (but don’t go full broetry — that one sentence per line LinkedIn thing) Use spacing to guide the eye Bold key ideas when the subreddit allows it

Like this:

You can do all this using Reddit’s built-in comment editor.

Click the “Aa” icon in the comment box, and it will expand to show formatting options similar to Google Docs.

Now, comment with a purpose.

You want upvotes, and Reddit doesn’t give those willy-nilly. You get them by making the conversation better.

There are a few ways to do that.

The Explainer Comment

This is perfect when answering direct questions like “How do I…?” or “What’s the best way to…?”

Just give a direct answer with a bit of reasoning and extra info to support your answer.

The Gap Filler Comment

Use this when replies are missing something important.

Acknowledge what’s already been said, then add the missing piece.

The Shared Experience Comment

When the question overlaps with something you’ve been through, comment by sharing what you tried, what happened, and the key lesson.

The Source Comment

This is great for when a thread is full of assumptions, but you’ve got credible info.

Share the source and summarize in everyday language.

And if you’re the source, by all means join in the conversation.

The Case Study/Lived Experience Comment

Best for when you have real-world results to share: yours or someone else’s. Great for “does this actually work” questions.

Simply outline the situation, what you did, and the outcome.

The Checklist Comment

Sometimes, a checklist is all you need to be helpful.

This can be a step-by-step guide, tips, or just a few boxes to tick.

The Brand Comment

If your brand comes up in a thread, that’s a perfect opportunity to be visible in conversations about your brand.

Identify yourself and answer plainly.

Keep it useful, not salesy. Show that you’re listening and willing to help.

Respond: Keep Threads Going (5–10 Minutes Daily)

“Respond” is what separates real contributors from drive-by posters.

It’s the follow-through in your Reddit marketing process: Circling back to reply to people engaging with you.

Do this, and you:

Build relationships by showing you’re not just using Reddit as a bulletin board Boost visibility, since every new reply bumps the thread back up the feed

Now, you might be thinking: “So…do I need to sit on Reddit all day?”

Nope. Two short check-ins are enough. One in the morning and one in the evening if you’ve got time.

That’s it. Everything else is extra.

To make it easier, you can follow your own comments.

Click the three dots under your reply and choose “Follow comment” to get notified.

So, what does good follow-through actually look like?

Like any good conversation, it’s about keeping the energy alive.

Here are a few ways to do that.

Follow-Up Questions

Great for when you need more detail to give a sharper, non-cookie-cutter answer.

For example, you can ask, “What’s your timeline? That changes the advice.”

Bonus Resources

Drop in a tool, guide, or reference that helps right away. This adds instant utility without forcing people to leave Reddit.

(Bonus: People often reply to tell you how they used it, and you usually get upvotes in return.)

Preface with something like “Here’s a free digital marketing template you can use.”

Connecting Commenters

This works great when multiple people share similar problems. Tag them with u/ and put in the username after the slash

You can say “u/username above had the same issue. Worth comparing notes.”

Acknowledge + Build

Highlight a good point from someone else, then add your own idea. It builds goodwill while boosting your credibility.

Say something like:

“Great point, I hadn’t considered that angle. For anyone reading, here’s why it matters:“

Think Before You Reply

Not every reply deserves your energy.

Here’s a quick response matrix to help you decide what’s worth engaging and what to ignore.

Share: Publish a Strategic Post (30 Minutes to 1 Hour/Week)

At some point, you’ll want to go beyond commenting and start your own threads.

There’s no magic karma number that unlocks this.

Each subreddit sets its own bar. Some require account age or karma, others don’t care at all.

The real question isn’t “Can I post?,” but “Should I?”

That depends on softer factors:

How well you know the community How much you understand its culture How much you’ve already contributed in comments

For context, I’ve posted with less than 50 karma when I had a genuine question.

That’s different from posting to build visibility or reputation, where the bar is much higher.

Ken Savage recommends getting a karma score of 500 before posting anything that mentions your brand:

Once you’re ready, focus on posts with weight.

That means content that has a real shot at earning upvotes and visibility. These topics often come from:

Your top-performing comments Recurring questions people ask you Threads where the same issues keep surfacing

Once you’ve got a promising topic, package it in a format Reddit loves.

Here are some of the best.

Case Studies

Great for credibility-building. Walk readers through a real experience: yours, your customers’, or someone else’s.

Set up the problem or situation, explain step by step what you did, and share the outcome. Close with a clear takeaway.

Lessons Learned & Common Mistakes

This format works when your goal is to teach.

These posts show where you went wrong and how you fixed it: the “what I wish I knew” or “what I learned” stories.

To make this work, frame the mistake or lesson clearly, share the story behind it, and then give a practical fix.

Keep it simple.

One mistake per point makes it more relatable and easier to apply.

For example, if you’re a financial advisor, your topic could be “the budgeting mistakes I see most in new families and quick fixes that help.”

Discussion Prompt

Discussion prompts flip the spotlight back to the community and get people talking.

(Exactly what you want to happen in your Reddit marketing playbook.)

They work best when you give people a chance to share their stories.

Keep the question short and specific, and follow up in the comments to keep the thread going.

Some examples include:

Teachers: What’s one low-cost classroom supply you can’t live without? What’s the best cleaning hack you’ve found for fur all over the house? What’s the most surprising product you’ve found through ecommerce AI search?

Checklists & Step-by-Step Tips

Checklists help people self-diagnose and improve.

They work best when Redditors in the community are often worried they’re “doing it wrong” and want a quick way to check.

For example, if you’re in the beauty niche, you can post a topic on “a 4-step test to see if your skincare routine is helping or hurting.”

Then, break the process into 3–7 simple checks and explain why each one matters.

Here’s a Redditor who nails this format.

Myth-Busting

Myth-busting posts are always welcome on Reddit, especially in spaces where misinformation spreads fast.

Lead with the myth people believe and then refute it with proof or experience.

For example, a good topic in personal finance could be “the 3 biggest myths about credit scores and what actually improves them.”

Behind-the-Scenes

These posts pull back the curtain and show how things work.

They get a lot of upvotes because people love insider knowledge, especially when it reveals details they wouldn’t otherwise see.

Set the context, share the surprising or little-known details, and close with why it matters.

If you’re launching a new product, for example, you could show how it’s made and the trade-offs you wrestled with.

Free Resource

Offer something the community can actually use.

Spreadsheets, calculators, templates, swipe files, SEO checklists, mini-guides, code snippets.

Basically, the stuff people would normally charge for, but you’re cool enough to give away.

A few things to keep in mind:

Experiment with timing to find the best time to post. Generally, early weekday mornings and early evenings outperform weekends, but test for your specific communities. Stick around after you post. Reply to comments and amplify good responses to help the thread grow. Repurpose smartly. If a post lands, adapt it for 2–3 related subreddits. Tweak the angle and tone for each community. Plus, space them a few days apart to avoid looking spammy. Also, always check the subreddit rules. Some subs ban cross-posting or set timing restrictions.

Reddit Best Practices: How to Talk About Your Brand Without Getting Banned

Big caveat up front:

Don’t even think about promoting your brand until you’ve built karma and credibility.

Jumping in too early is the fastest way to get downvoted.

Once you’ve established trust, here are three ways to bring your brand into the conversation.

The Profile Discovery Method

This method keeps your brand mentions off your comments and lets your profile do the “selling.”

Your comments are focused on helping, and you let curious readers click through if they want to know more.

The Expertise Sharing Method

This approach uses your role or business as context for why your perspective matters.

It signals credibility without sounding like a sales pitch.

The Direct Mention Method (Use Sparingly)

This Reddit marketing method involves naming your brand or product in comments. It’s a risky approach. So, make sure it adds to the conversation.

The key is balance:

Don’t make it an ad, and don’t act like your product is the only solution.

Ways You Can Lose Karma (& Trust)

Now, let’s talk about the fastest ways to torpedo your reputation and send your karma into free fall.

In short, things not to do.

Posting Like You’re on LinkedIn

Polished “thought leadership” and humblebrags are vomit-inducing on Reddit.

What’s modus operandi on LinkedIn reads as braggy here.

Keep it casual, conversational, and other-focused. Always.

Karma Farming

Yes, you can farm karma with memes and throwaway comments.

But that’s empty calories. It might get you numbers, but it won’t get you credibility.

And if you’re not building relationships and contributing to the community, you’re missing the whole point.

Link-Dumping for Quick Clicks

Dropping bare links or thinly disguised self-promo is Reddit’s oldest sin.

If your post exists just to drive clicks, expect downvotes.

Stop Marketing, Start Belonging

This Reddit marketing strategy isn’t about farming karma.

Sure, you’ll earn enough to look legit and stop tripping newbie filters.

But the real win is this: You’ll start thinking like a Redditor.

And you’ll shed the marketing reflexes that get you downvoted and booted off threads.

With that, you become a trusted Reddit local.

And that’s when the ripple effect kicks in. You get seen more on Google. And through LLM seeding — where AI models pull from sources they trust — you also influence AI answers.

Bottom line: Play Reddit right and you etch your brand in a positive light into the internet’s DNA.