Engaging with Tech Communities on Reddit

If you're thinking about marketing on Reddit, listen up. I've been a Redditor and marketer for over 10 years. Here's what nobody's going to tell you: 🛑 If you treat this like any other social media platform, you're going to fail. It's a sprawling universe of communities, each with its own quirks and subcultures. This isn't for show. There are no "influencers". Reddit is (for the most part) anonymous, and the users take their communities very, very seriously. ✅ Do -- Take the time to create your own personal account and join several subreddits in your industry. Don't post, just "lurk". See what they post, what the say, and how they interact. ❌ Don't -- Run in guns a blazin' from a branded account posting and commenting without context for the communities current conversation. 🧠 The Mind of a Reddit User 🧠 Redditors are not just passive consumers; they are active participants in the community. Embrace the art of conversation and build trust through meaningful interactions. Respond to comments, engage in discussions, and acknowledge different perspectives. A lot of Redditors don't use other social media apps—which means you can reach an audience you won't find anywhere else. According to Reddit's research, 23% of its users don't use Facebook, 47% don't use Instagram, and 69% don't use TikTok. ✅ Do -- Research case studies for both paid and organic marketing on reddit. Specifically, see what you can find for your industry. This is a game where you get one shot. Do your homework. ❌Don't -- Rely on playbooks and strategies you're already using on other platforms. It ain't happenin', folks. Do your homework. Reddit is a beast of its own. 🚨 The users are the algorithm 🚨 There are no "hacks" or "hooks" or "tricks" a guru can teach you. You're either organically genuine and authentic, or you lose. Engaging them means embracing the uniqueness of each subreddit and respecting their unwritten rules. There are moderators on each subreddit, and you *must* obey the guidelines each community has. If you don't, you're brand is donezo -- forever. 🔻 This should sufficiently terrify any marketer out there Check out r/cybsersecurity and search the word "marketing". (Yikes) 🚨🚨 Reddit users have an uncanny radar for inauthenticity. 🚨🚨 They can sniff out a blatant marketing ploy from a mile away. I have seen brands get ripped to shreds by redditors. Here are the worst: - r/OopsDidntMeanTo: If the marketer's post comes across as insincere or fake, they might find themselves on r/OopsDidntMeanTo, where users share cringeworthy content. - Doxxing: Publishing private or identifying information about (a particular individual) on the internet, typically with malicious intent. - DDoS Attacks: Yes, I'm very serious. ✅ Do -- Have a plan. Full stop. ❌ Don't -- Not have a plan. Full stop. Do your homework, engage meaningfully, and provide value. Easy. #marketing #demandgeneration #reddit #b2bmarketing

I've been a top 1% posted in multiple communities and built a 115k+ developer community of my own on Reddit. Reddit has one of the biggest communities of developers in the world, and it's also known as a very difficult place to get product exposure without getting called a "shill". Here are my top tips to get positive attention ✅ Provide actual value. No, linking to your website is not providing value. Example: "Here's why agents are hard to build: < blah blah blah >. Here's how you can solve those problems: < blah blah blah >." and then in the comments you can post something like "We ran into issue abc multiple times and that's why we built feature def in product xyz" ✅ Comment things that make sense. If you leave only a link to your project or website, you should just not. Example: Someone asks "How can I ensure that my agents are secure?" You can respond, "I've found that there are three options to ensure secure agents: deploy an open source LLM locally, use separation of concerns in your layer, or use a data masking protocol. We implemented < choice > in < product > because < reason >." ✅ Don't bury the lede. Saying "here's a tutorial to xyz" without providing the code is an easy way to get downvoted into oblivion and get your account reputation banned. Example: "Here's an example on how to build an Agent" and then followed up with code snippets. ❌ Pretend you're the main character. Someone literally just did this and looked so stupid. "Here's what an agent is: < proceeds to give a bad definition >" Remember that although it is anonymous, there are actual people behind the monitor and many of them are experienced engineers in their own right. ❌ Try to fake your advertising. I've seen this a lot, if you're going to show off your product, just be upfront about it and include reasons why, as shown in the tips above. Don't try to be sneaky, you'll be found out, and you'll be made fun of. ❌ Spam. I don't know about other subreddits, but I ban all spammers from r/AI_Agents after one violation, maybe I'm just mean, but no one wants spam on their forum. If you're building an LLM based product for devs and you want to stand out on r/AI_Agents, drop me a comment below.

Most brands have been ignoring Reddit. Big mistake. I’ve run HubSpot’s Reddit strategy for 2 years—here’s the playbook I wish I had when starting out. Why Reddit belongs in your marketing mix: 🤝 Growing engagement, trusted by communities 🔎 Google ranks Reddit threads highly 🤖 Answer engines (like ChatGPT) cite Reddit **In other words, investing in Reddit doesn’t just give you visibility on Reddit—it boosts discoverability in search and AI results, too. Here are my top 5 recommendations for building a Reddit strategy: 🧱 Create (or co-manage) a brand subreddit. Your first instinct might be to push people to your website—but that’s not how Reddit works. Instead, build a destination within the platform. - If a subreddit already exists for your brand, reach out to the moderator and see if they’d collaborate (that’s how HubSpot became co-moderators of r/HubSpot). - Running a subreddit takes commitment, but it’s the best way to shape your brand’s presence on Reddit over the long haul. ✅ Find the right subreddits for your brand. Reddit is a web of micro-communities. To find the ones that matter: - List 20–50 priority keywords (ex: “CRM software” for HubSpot). - Google each keyword—you’ll often see Reddit threads appear in results. - Document the subreddits those threads come from. After this exercise, you’ll know where your audience already gathers. From there, pick 3–5 subreddits to invest in. 🤓 Be authentic (or risk being banned). Every subreddit has its own rules and culture, enforced by moderators. The fastest way to fail is to show up self-promotional. My rule of thumb: - First 2–3 weeks → only engage (comment, upvote, be helpful). No brand mentions. - Weeks 3–5 → follow the 80/20 rule (80% value, 20% natural brand mentions). - Once you’re established → post new threads, always adding genuine value. 🫂 Invest in building relationships with others. Reddit is like a social gathering. Building relationships with others can go a long way. - Find who is most active in a subreddit and engage with their threads and/or comments. - When replying to a thread, consider tagging in the people you engage with for their opinion. This will help build your reputation with community members. 🗓️ Engage daily. Reddit rewards consistent participation. Try to be one of the first 5 voices in new conversations across your target subreddits. - This builds trust with communities. - It also increases the chance your response gets surfaced in Google or AI search when those threads eventually rank. New to Reddit? What’s the #1 question holding you back? Already active? What’s your biggest win—or mistake—you’ve seen brands make on Reddit?