# Reddit Strategy > Creates Reddit engagement plans with subreddit targeting, value-first posting guidelines, and community building tactics. Use when leveraging Reddit for traffic, research, or brand visibility. - Skill: `reaperinvest/reddit-strategy` (Agent Skill) - Install (CLI): `npx skillmds@latest add reaperinvest/reddit-strategy` - Raw SKILL.md: https://api.skillmd.com/api/skills/reaperinvest/reddit-strategy/raw - Safety review: pending - Works with: Claude Code, Claude.ai, OpenAI Codex - Category: Research & Search - Author: reaperinvest (https://skillmd.com/u/reaperinvest) - Updated: 2026-09-22 - Page: https://skillmd.com/skills/reaperinvest/reddit-strategy --- # Reddit Strategy ## When to Use This Skill Use this skill when you need to: - Build a Reddit engagement strategy for traffic or brand visibility - Identify target subreddits where your audience is active - Create value-first posting guidelines that do not get flagged as spam - Use Reddit for market research and audience insights **DO NOT** use this skill for spam, vote manipulation, or disguised advertising. Reddit communities detect and punish inauthentic behavior immediately. --- ## Core Principle REDDIT REWARDS VALUE AND PUNISHES PROMOTION — EARN THE RIGHT TO SHARE YOUR WORK BY BEING A GENUINELY HELPFUL COMMUNITY MEMBER FIRST. --- ## Phase 1: Brief ### Required Inputs | Input | What to Ask | Default | |-------|------------|---------| | **Business / niche** | "What does your business do?" | No default — must be provided | | **Goal** | "What do you want from Reddit? Traffic, research, community, leads?" | Traffic and market research | | **Target audience** | "Who are you trying to reach?" | No default — must be provided | | **Content assets** | "Do you have blog posts, tools, or resources to share?" | Blog posts | | **Reddit experience** | "Have you used Reddit before? Do you have an account?" | New to Reddit | | **Time budget** | "How much time per week for Reddit?" | 3 hours | **GATE: Confirm brief before building strategy.** --- ## Phase 2: Outline ``` 1. Subreddit Research — finding the right communities 2. Account Building — establishing credibility before promoting 3. Content Strategy — what to post and comment 4. Self-Promotion Rules — how to share your content without getting banned 5. Market Research — using Reddit for audience insights 6. Growth Timeline — 90-day plan ``` **GATE: Approve outline before full strategy.** --- ## Phase 3: Write ### 1. Subreddit Research ``` ## Target Subreddits | Subreddit | Size | Relevance | Self-Promo Rules | Priority | |-----------|------|-----------|-----------------|----------| | r/[name] | [subscribers] | [High/Medium] | [Strict/Moderate/Lenient] | Primary | | r/[name] | [subscribers] | [Medium] | [Rules] | Secondary | ... ### Selection Criteria - Active community (posts get 10+ comments regularly) - Audience matches your target customer - Self-promotion rules allow occasional link sharing - Moderators are active but fair - Size: 10K-500K subscribers (large enough for reach, small enough to be noticed) ``` ### 2. Account Building (Weeks 1-4) ``` ## Building Credibility Before Promoting **Rule: Do NOT share any of your own content for the first 2-4 weeks.** ### Week 1-2: Lurk and Learn - Subscribe to 5-10 target subreddits - Read top posts from the past year — understand what gets upvoted - Note the community culture, inside jokes, and unwritten rules - Read the rules and wiki of every target subreddit ### Week 3-4: Start Contributing - Answer 3-5 questions per week in your area of expertise - Share detailed, helpful responses (not one-liners) - Comment on others' posts with genuine insights - Build karma through helpful contributions ### Karma target before self-promoting: 500+ comment karma ``` ### 3. Content Strategy ``` ## What to Post ### Text Posts (highest trust) - Ask genuine questions about your niche - Share detailed how-tos and breakdowns - Post case studies or results (without linking to your site) - Start discussions on industry trends ### Link Posts (use sparingly) - Share your content only when it genuinely answers a question - Follow the 90/10 rule: 90% non-promotional, 10% your content - Always add context — never just drop a link ### Comments (your primary tool) - Answer questions in detail - Share relevant experience and data - Be genuinely helpful without any agenda ## What NEVER to Post - "Check out my new blog post about..." - Links to your site with no context - The same link in multiple subreddits simultaneously - Comments that are thinly veiled pitches ``` ### 4. Self-Promotion Guidelines ``` ## The Reddit Self-Promotion Playbook **The 90/10 Rule:** For every 1 self-promotional post, you need 9 non-promotional contributions. **How to share your content without getting banned:** 1. Only share content that directly answers a question someone asked 2. Provide the key insight in the post itself — the link is supplementary 3. Disclose it is yours: "I wrote about this on my blog — here's the summary..." 4. Respond to every comment on your post 5. Never share the same link in more than 2 subreddits 6. If a moderator removes your post, respect the decision and adjust **Format for sharing your content:** "[Detailed text post with the key information]. I wrote a longer version with [specific additional value — templates, data, examples] here: [link]. Happy to answer any questions." ``` ### 5. Market Research ``` ## Using Reddit for Audience Insights - Search your niche keywords and read what people complain about - Note the exact language people use to describe their problems - Track recurring questions — these are content ideas - Monitor competitor mentions — what do people say about alternatives? - Use Reddit search for "[your topic] site:reddit.com" on Google ### Research Template | Question/Pain Point | Subreddit | Upvotes | Your Content Opportunity | |--------------------|-----------|---------|------------------------| | [Verbatim question] | r/[name] | [N] | [Content idea] | ``` --- ## Phase 4: Polish ### 1. Strategy Checklist ``` ## Reddit Strategy Checklist - [ ] 5-10 target subreddits identified with rules reviewed - [ ] Account building plan for weeks 1-4 (no self-promotion) - [ ] Content strategy defined (text posts, comments, link guidelines) - [ ] 90/10 rule understood and committed to - [ ] Self-promotion approach follows subreddit rules - [ ] Market research framework in place - [ ] Time budget allocated (recommended: 30-60 min/day) ``` ### 2. 90-Day Timeline ``` Month 1: Lurk, learn, and start contributing (zero self-promotion) Month 2: Increase contributions, share first piece of own content Month 3: Consistent value + occasional content sharing (90/10 ratio) ``` --- ## Example: Reddit Strategy for a SaaS Productivity Tool ``` Target subreddits: r/productivity, r/SaaS, r/Entrepreneur, r/smallbusiness Account building: 4 weeks of answering productivity questions Content approach: Share detailed productivity frameworks as text posts, link to tool only when directly relevant Market research: Track "what tool do you use for..." threads for competitive intelligence ``` --- ## Anti-Patterns - **Promoting on day one** — instant ban in most subreddits. Build credibility first. - **Dropping links without context** — Reddit hates naked links. Provide the value in the post itself. - **Ignoring subreddit rules** — every subreddit has different rules. Read them before posting. - **Using marketing language** — Reddit users can smell a marketer immediately. Write like a person, not a brand. - **Cross-posting the same link everywhere** — looks like spam and gets flagged. - **Arguing with critics** — Reddit piles on. If someone criticizes you, respond once calmly or not at all. --- ## Recovery - **Account got shadowbanned:** Create a new account and start fresh with a genuine contribution approach. Learn from the mistakes. - **Post got removed:** Message the moderators politely and ask what rule was violated. Adjust and try again. - **Zero traction on posts:** Improve post quality — Reddit rewards detailed, specific, and genuinely helpful content. Generic advice gets ignored. - **Taking too much time:** Focus on 2-3 subreddits only. Set a timer for 30 minutes per day. - **Getting negative responses:** Develop thicker skin. Reddit is blunt. Focus on the feedback that is constructive and ignore the noise.