How To Use Reddit Properly (With KeyMentions)

How To Use Reddit Properly with KeyMentions in 2024 (and More)

Reddit is a multi-purpose American web platform that combines the thread structure of a typical online forum with a social media approach based on content rating. To put it simply, it’s a place for engaging with other people while accessing interesting content that was ranked based on user evaluations.

Reddit was founded in 2005 by two college roommates and the late Aaron Swartz, and it has since employed more than 2,000 people and hit more than 73 million active members. Known by many as “the front page of the Internet,” the platform is also extensively used by marketers trying to promote their products and services.

You have likely heard about Reddit before, but do you know how to use it? As Gen Z takes on Reddit as their new Google, knowing how to use the platform is more vital than ever, especially if you’re trying to reach out to young demographics. In this complete guide, you can learn everything about how to use Reddit properly, engage with other members, and get the attention of your target audience.

Up next, you can also see how KeyMentions’ features can be leveraged to identify potentially viral threads from the get-go and make an instant impact on Reddit, both as an everyday user and as a marketer. It’s a bonafide game-changer, especially if used wisely.

How Does Reddit Work?

Reddit is mainly about two things: engagement and hierarchy. When you create an account on Reddit, you’re expected to subscribe to at least some threads (known on the platform as Subreddits). Based on the Subreddits you have subscribed to, Reddit creates a homepage feed with the news and threads you are likely to find the most interesting. If that sounds a lot like an RSS Feed to you, then you’re right: after all, Reddit co-founder Swartz was the creator of the RSS system.

But Reddit is more than a feed-based platform. What truly sets it apart from similar online services is its take on Karma, a score that represents how much a user has contributed to the Reddit community. Here’s how Reddit Karma works:

• Users upvote or downvote threads and comments posted by other users to boost their Karma.
• Other users upvote or downvote your own threads and comments to influence your Karma.
• Karma score is calculated according to the number of upvotes vs. downvotes that a user has at any given moment.
• Your Karma score can influence your activity on Reddit and, in cases of extremely bad Karma, lead to a Reddit ban.

There are other ways of rewarding and being rewarded by others on Reddit, but Karma is the fundamental one, especially after the discontinuation of Reddit’s Gold Awards system. But what’s exactly the point of keeping score with Karma?

For Reddit, Karma is a way of letting the community know the value of a user instantly. It’s also an extremely useful system for identifying which members are using Reddit just for promotional reasons, and which members are using it for actually adding value to the platform. Without it, Reddit wouldn’t be Reddit.

How Does KeyMentions Work?

KeyMentions is an external web tool for Reddit that’s designed to assist both ambitious Reddit users and online marketers. Its main role is to let you search which Subreddits are having the most impact and act timely and accordingly.

Imagine, for example, that you’re trying to let your fellow Redditors know all about an exciting new cleaning product. Normally, you would search for “cleaning products” on Reddit and browse through hundreds or even thousands of Subreddits, most of which would be outdated or inactive.

With KeyMentions, however, you can filter your Reddit searches based on metrics such as the number of upvotes and comments. Moreover, you can ask KeyMentions to notify you if a specific Subreddit hits X upvotes in the last X minutes. This way, you can rest assured knowing that, if a great opportunity shows up, you will be immediately notified.

By getting the timing on your threads and comments right every single time, you can maximize your Reddit activity and promote your products on the platform much more efficiently.

Tips For Using Reddit Properly in 2024

Reddit is serious business. It went from being a meme-centric platform for niche Internet aficionados, but it’s now one of the Internet’s most popular websites, and it has even gone public. That’s a lot of power and opportunity for you to snub, don’t you think so?

To make the most of Reddit, surely one of the ultimate online resources for promoting products and services, you’re expected to:

1. Have a decent Karma score or access to Reddit accounts with a good Karma score;
2. Promote your products and services in a way that fits into the specifics of Reddit’s community.

That’s easier said than done, but the tips we have for you next can surely help you find the path to Reddit success.

Value Community Over Your Own Interests

Reddit is about community, not about yourself. If you think making negative comments or promoting yourself selflessly on the platform is going to bring you results, then you’re wrong. Whether you’re simply trying to get good Karma or looking to sell your products online, valuing the Reddit community over your own interests is the way to go.

In Reddit, there’s even an unspoken rule for identifying spammers: the 9:1 ratio rule. This rule states that, for every 1 selfish thread or comment (like when you’re promoting your own business), you should make at least 9 useful threads or comments. By following this guideline, you can convince Reddit that you’re not a spammer—even if your goal on Reddit is just to promote your products and services.

Understand Reddiquette

The term “Reddiquette” is a combination of the words “Reddit” and “etiquette,” and it shouldn’t be too hard for you to guess what it is all about. Just like the 9:1 ratio, Reddiquette is the set of rules that apply to Reddit in a non-official manner. Understanding this set of rules is vital to navigating the platform in an effective, productive, and polite fashion.

These are the fundamentals of Reddiquette:

• Don’t repost content—Reddit hates duplicated threads, and so do most of its members.
• Don’t downvote comments just because you don’t agree with them. Reddit is a forum-like website where all opinions are respected if backed up by facts, sheer logic, or well-made arguments.
• Don’t ask other users for upvotes (it makes you look bad).
• Don’t share anyone’s personal information, be rude, or leave worthless comments like “Nice!” or “I agree.”

In sum, treat other Redditors like you would like other Redditors to treat you, and you won’t probably have any trouble following Reddiquette’s unwritten guidelines.

Make Your First Votes Count

To master any social media platform, one’s expected to know at least a little bit something about how its algorithm works. But in Reddit, the key concept is not the algorithm, but rather the logarithm used to scale the significance of upvotes and downvotes. Just like our childhood memories impact us the most, so do our first Reddit votes.

While an algorithm is a sequence of steps designed to solve a problem, a logarithm is a mathematical function designed to find the exponent needed to produce a given number. It sounds complicated, but it’s note! Reddit’s logarithmic approach simply means that your initial upvotes and downvotes will weigh more on your Karma and feed than the following upvotes and downvotes.

It works like this:

1. Your first 10 votes have the same impact as your next 100 votes;
2. Your first 100 votes have the same impact as your next 1,000 votes;
3. And so forth ad infinitum.

By understanding Reddit’s unique logarithm, you can determine your first 10, 100, and 1,000 upvotes and downvotes strategically and position yourself exactly where you want to be. Be smart with your votes, especially if you’re just getting started on the platform.

Get Your Timing Right Every Time With KeyMentions

Timing is everything. Commenting on Reddit at the right time can be the difference between having an impact or being utterly ignored. But how can Redditors do that? Constant thread monitoring is one of the possibilities, but not much of an option if you don’t have that much free time. The other alternative is using KeyMentions, the perfect Reddit engagement tool.

With KeyMentions, you can ask to be notified when promising Subreddits reach a certain amount of comments and act before they become viral. KeyMentions does the heavy lifting for you by filtering threads based on pre-defined engagement metrics and letting you know when they’re ready for your well-timed post.

While KeyMentions can be used in many ways, its main strength is the ability to identify relevant viral threads before they go viral. With this valuable information, you can get on the wagon at the right time and promote your products and services in high-visibility threads. This way, you’re not just catching up to Reddit trends, but actually predicting and pioneering them.

Search For Competitors

Are you trying to promote your business on Reddit? You’re probably not alone! Your competitors have surely heard about the untapped potential of the front page of the Internet, and there’s a good chance they’re hitting the same threads you’re interested in. This is when competitive analysis comes into play.

There are many ways of analyzing competitors, but applying the concept to Reddit doesn’t have to be complicated. The simplest way to know what your competitors are up to on Reddit is to search their website using the command “site:name of the site.” 

Here’s how:

1. Identify your main competitor. For illustrative purposes, let’s assume that your main competitor is a fictional cleaning company called CleanCompany.com.
2. Search for the competitor’s website on Reddit using the proper command. In this case, just write “site:cleancompany.com” in the search bar.
3. See which Subreddits mention your main competitor and start looking for ways you can promote your products in those same Subreddits. In a thread asking What’s the best cleaning company?, for example, you should make sure that your cleaning company is mentioned as a superior alternative to your main competitor.

When paired with KeyMentions and other Reddit marketing strategies, searching for competitors on Reddit is the best way to promote your products or services online better—or at least as well—as your main competitors.

How To Use Reddit in 2024: The Bottom Line

• Understand how Reddit works and what makes your Reddit Karma good or bad.
• Leverage external tools such as KeyMentions to make the most of your Reddit activity.
• Follow community guidelines and the unwritten rules of Reddiquette.
• Structure your initial 10 and 100 Reddit votes and comments in a way that makes sense with the Reddit profile you’re trying to build. If your business is cleaning services, don’t waste your first votes on memes and Marvel movies—even if you like them a lot!
• Search for competitors on Reddit to see what they’re up to and find ways of getting ahead.

How To Use Reddit Properly (FAQ)