How to Build a Brand on Reddit (Without Looking Like a Brand)

Reddit is allergic to corporate marketing. Post like a brand and watch yourself get downvoted into oblivion. But some companies thrive on Reddit. What's their secret?

They don't act like brands. They act like helpful community members who happen to work at interesting companies.

Step 1: Find Your Communities

Identify 5-10 subreddits where your customers actually hang out. Not where you want to promote—where they actually have conversations.

Step 2: Become a Member First

Spend 4 weeks just participating. Answer questions. Share opinions. Build karma. Establish yourself as a real person, not a marketing account.

Step 3: Add Value, Not Promotion

When you finally post about your company, lead with value: case studies, data, lessons learned. Never lead with 'check out our product'.

Step 4: Use Founder Voice

Post from a personal account, not u/CompanyNameOfficial. 'I'm the founder of X, and here's what I learned' >> 'X is the leading solution for...'.

• Notion: Active employees answer questions in r/Notion—helpful, not salesy
• Stripe: Engineers pop up in dev subreddits with genuinely useful info
• Buffer: Transparent about their journey, numbers, and failures

1. Never post to more than 2 subs about the same thing
2. Engage 10x more than you promote
3. Admit when competitors are good at something
4. Be transparent about being affiliated with the company
5. Never, ever use marketing speak

Track these, not just upvotes:

• Organic mentions (people talking about you unprompted)
• Sentiment in comments (positive vs. skeptical)
• Referral traffic from Reddit to your site
• Support requests that start 'I saw on Reddit...'

Brand building takes months. MediaFast helps you stay consistent. Read the full marketing guide for more.