Reddit and communities

The concept, explained in full: Social media marketing.

Do it

The steps from the launch plan that belong to this topic, in plan order.

Plays

Reusable patterns that explain how: backed by read sources first, then practitioner advice, then our own ideas.

• Be the migration guide when a tool in your space shuts downBacked · 2 sources

  A tool shutdown orphans users who are actively searching for what to use next. Publish a genuinely fair migration guide — the shutdown facts, every real alternative including competitors, who each suits — and share it, disclosed, in the threads where refugees are asking. Fairness is the growth mechanic: one-sided guides get called out; honest ones get pinned.

• Run a 90/10 contribution ledgerBacked · 2 sources

  Keep an actual ledger of community contributions and hold a 9-to-1 ratio of genuine help to self-promotion — banked in advance, not promised after. The discipline compounds twice: the answers themselves surface your expertise where buyers already look, and the account’s platform trust score rises, which is what decides whether future posts render at all.

• Ask the moderators before you postBacked · 1 source

  Message the moderators with your draft before posting anything self-referential: a two-line modmail asking whether it fits the community’s rules. Most mods answer, many suggest a better framing, and a pre-cleared post cannot be removed as rule-breaking. The ask costs a day; a removal costs the account’s standing everywhere on the platform.

• Build-in-public origin story in a niche subredditPractitioner · 1 source

  Post your product’s honest build-in-public origin story in the single subreddit where your buyers already gather. Open with the problem and what you learned, not a pitch. Mention the product only when a commenter asks. Genuinely useful, transparent founder posts earn upvotes, comments, and durable referral traffic without tripping self-promotion rules.

• "I analyzed 100 [things] — here’s what I found"Practitioner · 1 source

  Analyze a pile of public things your community cares about — 100 landing pages, 50 pricing models, a year of job posts — and share the findings with charts as a native text post. Original analysis is the most reliably upvoted self-made content on Reddit; mention your product only when commenters ask.

• Answer every "is there a tool that…?" thread in your nichePractitioner · 1 source

  Monitor your niche’s communities for "is there a tool that…" and "looking for an app" threads, then answer fast and honestly: recommend genuine options including competitors, disclose your affiliation, and explain the fit. These threads are purchase intent in plain text, and they keep converting from search for years.

• Drop a finished resource with no strings attachedPractitioner · 1 source

  Share a genuinely finished resource — template pack, dataset, checklist, small tool — with zero gate: no email, no signup, hosted openly. Reddit rewards unconditional usefulness and punishes bait; the goodwill, profile visits, and "what else have you made?" comments convert later, on the community’s terms.

• The disclosure-first founder answerPractitioner · 1 source

  Open with the bias disclosure, then write the best answer in the thread — including when a competitor is the right pick. Disclosure converts skepticism into credibility: readers upvote founders who show their hand, and moderators leave disclosed expertise standing. Concealment is the pattern platform trust-scoring exists to catch; candor is the loophole that is also the rule.

• Promote only in the designated promo threadsPractitioner · 1 source

  Most large subreddits run designated promotion threads — the one surface where pitching is explicitly welcome. Inventory the recurring threads in your niche, show up every cycle with a tight pitch and a real update, and never promote outside them. The restraint itself builds the account trust that later makes your ordinary posts survive moderation.

• Write the canonical answer to the sub’s weekly questionOur idea

  Identify the question your target subreddit asks every week, then write the definitive answer as a structured text post — thorough, current, and free of links to you. Recurring questions guarantee recurring traffic; the canonical answer gets bookmarked, linked by regulars, and quietly makes its author the recognized expert.

What the evidence says

Sources

• Reddiquette

Founder questions

Asked in public, and answered from the thread:

• How do you handle marketing as a solo technical founder?
• Founders, what was the major sourcing channel for your first 100 users?

Related topics

• Getting your first ten customers
• Founder brand, press and talks

Where it sits in the plan

• 2.2.3Show up where they already arein First 10 paying customers