Post may contain affiliate links. Click to read Disclosure . Click to read Privacy Policy.
Reddit is a digital juggernaut known for being the “front page of the internet”. It started in 2005 as a social news aggregation, web content rating, and discussion website. With almost 1.7 billion visits in July 2019, it is arguably one of the biggest social platforms on the web today.
But did you know that there’s more to this website than meets the eye? Today, we’re going to talk about how to use Reddit to grow your blog. Let’s get started!
You Might Also Like: How To Grow Your Blog Fast
Reddit Fundamentals
In a nutshell, Reddit is a platform that allows people with shared interests to meet and talk with one another on the internet. It’s like hanging out with friends in the real world where you partake in witty banter and meaningful discussion about topics you love.
It is highly community-driven as it allows registered members (called Redditors) to submit content to the site such as links, text posts, and images. These are then voted up or down by other members using arrows found beside each post. This affects the visibility of posts and comments on the site.
There are also communities called subreddits where people contribute to practically any topic under the sun. You can contribute to any subreddit or create one yourself. Remember, however, to stick with community guidelines when joining an existing subreddit. If you violate their rules, you run the risk of being banned from it.
Now if you’re new to Reddit, its front page may look like it was taken from an early-2000s message board. It’s a far cry from the user interface of Facebook and Twitter. But don’t let this fool or overwhelm you. It shows top posts from various subreddits but you can also filter it to show what’s new or controversial for that day. There’s also a search box you can use to find posts and subreddits related to the keyword you used.
Quick Tip: include /r/ before a keyword to find subreddits.
How to Use Reddit for Your Blog
Reddit isn’t just a message board where you can hang out with like-minded people. If you’re a blogger, it’s a great platform that can help grow your blog in ways you never thought possible.
Start by searching for subreddits that are relevant to the kind of content on your blog. This could be anything from gardening to personal finance, to beauty. But don’t just haphazardly join subreddits and spam everyone with links to your blog.
Just like any other online community out there, you have to be respectful of their guidelines. Here are five of the best ways you can use Reddit to grow your blog effectively:
- Share Content from Other Websites
While it sounds counterproductive, sharing content from other websites is a great way to start participating in any subreddit. The truth is Redditors can be vicious to new-comers. Play your cards right by first sharing interesting topics from other sites and start building your karma and upvotes. Think of this as gaining other Redditors’ trust.
- Share Your Content But be Cautious About It
After about a week of sharing content from other websites, you can start sharing content from your blog. However, don’t fall into the trap of spamming subreddits with your content. Keep things balanced by still sharing valuable content from other sources.
- Strive to Get More Up-Votes Quickly
Reddit is an excellent source of traffic for your website whenever you share links to your blog. However, you can only make the most out of this benefit if you gain a certain number of up-votes quickly enough.
When working on how to use Reddit your goal should always strive to be the top post in a subreddit so you can then be featured on Reddit’s front page. To do this, you need to get your first ten upvotes fairly quickly. If you can get the first 100 upvotes in an hour, your post can reach the top spot much more easily.
Timing your submissions just right also plays a big part in getting the upvotes you need. Don’t post at a time when Redditors are inactive.
- Submit Relevant Links to the Right Subreddit
The simplest rule of them all is to post links only to subreddits that are relevant to your topic or blog. Find a specific subreddit that best fits your posts. Moreover, it’s also important to choose a subreddit that has enough users in it so you can get a high enough number of votes and potential traffic.
- Use Reddit for Topic Generation
Do you feel like you’re in a terrible slump sometimes when figuring out a topic to write about in your blog? If your answer is yes, don’t worry because Reddit is a fountain of ideas that can help you in sticky situations.
All you need is a relevant subreddit and a desire to answer people’s questions. First, go to a subreddit and start looking at questions in titles. From these questions, you can start generating topics that will be enough to fill your editorial calendar.
You Might Also Like: How to Use Flipboard For Your Blog
Alternatively, you can also find popular topics on a subreddit and add more value to the existing conversation by writing a blog post. Look for top posts and think about how you can improve the thread. Some ideas include making the discussion more in-depth, adding graphics, or creating videos or images to support it.
Reddit is an excellent source of traffic for any blog. With its practically endless supply of subreddits, you’ll be hard-pressed to find another platform that helps boost the traffic your blog receives every month. If you’re ready to start leveraging the millions of Redditors by leaning how to use Reddit to grow your blog, sign up for an account now!