How to Go Viral on Reddit

Reddit is one of the top most visited websites in the US with over 430 million active monthly users worldwide. It is a social news aggregator, web content rating, and discussion website, where users share links and post content regularly.

Reddit's mass appeal among Internet users makes it fertile ground for shrewd marketers to go viral, bringing tremendous amounts of traffic to their content.

You can help your posts achieve Reddit fame by using the following tips. 

5 Tips for Getting a Viral Post on Reddit

1. Choose Your Subreddit Wisely

Reddit currently has over 130,000 active niche forums or subreddits denoted by "/r/".  Whatever your niche is, chances are, it's got a "sub."

To get started, make sure you're posting in communities relevant to your niche. The users there will likely show more interest in your content than if you posted elsewhere.

For example, say that a health guru creates a low-carb bread recipe. Besides subs like r/cooking or r/baking, they could also go to subs such as r/keto, r/recipes, r/nutrition, or r/healthyfood. 

However, picking the biggest related subs won't always guarantee success. The more subscribers and posts on the sub, the higher your post's chances of getting swamped by other content. What you'll want to do is find niche subreddits that have large and active enough followings to help you go viral but small enough that your post won't go unnoticed. 

Reddit's search engine can help look for related subreddits. But you can also use sites like Redditlist, Subbed, or Metrics for Reddit, which feature the platform's more active subreddits.

They also categorize subreddits into interests like music, lifestyle, or technology, though you can also type in specific terms in the search bar to narrow your options. 

2. Make Your Post Valuable

Just like when you're marketing anywhere else, you'll want to make sure you're posting quality content on Reddit. Something funny, informative, or just purely interesting will typically garner more upvotes and comments from users.

Check out other posts that have gone viral in your niche subreddit or subs.

What are some of the sub's popular topics at the moment? 

It would be difficult to go viral if people aren't likely to be interested in your subject. 

Though it can depend on your niche, a post can also become famous if you relate it to current events.

For instance, popular Reddit topics in 2020 included coronavirus lockdowns. To help other people exercise while stuck indoors, a fitness influencer created a home workout routine that went viral in his community. 

3. Pick a Time for Posting

The first few hours after posting is critical to going viral on Reddit. If the post doesn't get that much traction during this period, it won't have a good chance of becoming popular.

However, you can give your post the best chance at success by posting right before or during the sub's peak hours. The more active people there are, the more likely your post will get noticed and upvoted.

Subreddits display the total follower count and the people currently active regardless of whether they're subscribed or not. You can study these first before posting anything.

If you're using web browsers, you can find the sub's peak hours by checking the "About Community" part of the webpage. On the mobile app, the numbers appear right below the subreddit's title header.

Generally speaking, Reddit is most active on Mondays and weekend mornings. But keep in mind that subreddits can still have different peak hours. If you plan on posting in multiple subreddits, you may have to do so at various times of the day. 

4. Be An Active Redditor

The more comments and upvotes your post has, the closer it gets to the subreddit's front page. The posts with the most engagements can get featured on a Redditor's home feed.

You'll want to make sure that your post is constantly active, and one way to do this is by responding to the comments you get. Doing so can lead to further discussions in the comments section, thus generating even more upvotes. 

However, do still be careful with your voice on Reddit. Redditors value authenticity, which means that they'll prefer if you talk to them as a fellow human, not as a business.

If someone complains about an issue with your product or service, show that you sympathize with them and honestly say that you'll work on a solution. Using terms like "The team and I" can make you appear more approachable since you're talking to Redditors on a personal level. 

Furthermore, being active on Reddit before making viral posts can help bring success.

Your Reddit profile shows how much karma you have, which indicates how much value you've given back to the community.

People can also usually view your post and comment history. Being on Reddit for a while and accumulating a considerable karma count can help people associate your name with viral, quality content.

5. Abide by the Content Rules

One key to going viral is not to get your posts removed. Besides Reddit's general content policy, subreddits also have their own posting rules. Moderators can take your posts down if they don't comply, and Redditors can report you for spamming, which then leads to banning. 

For instance, r/architecture lets you post content from your website or other affiliated sites but discourages you from doing this exclusively. Meanwhile, r/productivity only lets you share links from your blog or website if other Redditors ask for them.

Some subreddits outright forbid any self-promotional content. If you're unsure whether your post will count as spam, don't hesitate to clarify matters with the subreddit's moderators. 

Conclusion

Going viral on Reddit isn't just a matter of luck. It's also about creating something valuable, engaging with your audience, and picking a proper place and time to post. But even with these pointers in mind, marketing to Redditors can still be challenging. If you have problems with promoting your brand on Reddit, a digital marketing consultant can help plan and roll out an optimal strategy.