The hack
Post full versions of your content on Reddit as long-form posts instead of links.
Why it works
Reddit is the same as any other social network. It wants you to stay there as long as possible, so they get their fair share of ad revenue. It doesn't like posts with just a link that leads people away from the platform.
Redditors themselves don't like link posts very much either. People are now posting links to everything they ever made in hopes that people will find it.
When you look at subreddits with more active audiences like EntrepreneurRideAlong and wallstreetbets they have almost no link posts and almost exclusively long-form posts.
Those long-forms scream exclusive content. It feels like original work, from a random Redditor, written just to be shared there.
If it's good, people will read it, like it, and comment on it. Giving you eyeballs or even an email (if you let them subscribe) for free.
How to do it
The requirement for this is a quality post. Reddit is a mean place and mediocre content won't work, the opposite. It can actually decrease your Karma (your profile ranking) and make it harder to post in the future.
Focus on sharing something interesting. Generic posts like listicles, with your tool at the top, won't work. Instead, talk about something related to what you do. The less it feels like you're marketing to the readers the better.
Pick the right subreddit
Once you have the post ready, you need to find the right subreddit. It's better to pick a niche one that has an active audience than go after one like wallstreetbets. Or go for a large one, that doesn’t have a lot of people posting there.
The best ones are like AdPorn, they have 450k members, but only a post a day or so. This means little competition, but a large reach if you get trending.
Add a killer call to action
Once you post, add a killer call to action at the end and/or in the comments. Simple copy like this works just fine: “ If you enjoyed this post, go ahead and subscribe”.
Getting upvotes
Once you post it try getting as many upvotes as possible. Asking friends or using multiple Reddit accounts is the easiest way to get it done.
You can also try commenting something controversial under your post from a different account. If you're talking about a thing people generally like, comment that you think it's crap. This gets people's attention and they'll comment on it.
The more people comment, the more will Reddit push it, and the more eyeballs for you.
Measuring success
Measure the organic traffic coming from Reddit and email signups. Read → Making the perfect landing page (when you have <100 customers) and focus on the part about building an email list.
Bonus 1: Successful examples from the past
Marketing Examples The key to self promotion on Reddit
Bonus 2: Pat's Starter Story posting hack
Pat Walls from Starter Story shares how he mastered his Reddit posting setup.
