Reddit, if you’re not familiar, is a forum-based social network where users participate in discussions around specific topics, known as subreddits.
Reddit has been around since 2006 and primarily has users from the US & Canada, with a growing user base in India.
In this blog, I share insights from an experiment I conducted to explore the potential of generating leads and real money on Reddit.
The Experiment
Objective
- Goal: Determine if it’s possible to generate sales and make real money on Reddit.
Hypothesis
- Reddit users are more active compared to other platforms.
- High-ticket businesses and influential decision-makers are present on Reddit.
- Engaging on Reddit is straightforward and quick, even for newcomers.
Methodology
I posted similar queries on different subreddits to test these hypotheses:
These posts allowed me to engage with over 50 individuals through comments and direct messages (DMs).
Findings: Strategies for Finding Customers
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Join Relevant Subreddits: Focus on subreddits where your or your product’s expertise is most applicable.
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Engage Actively: Contribute by answering questions and offering valuable insights.
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Build Reputation: Consistent engagement enhances recognition within the community.
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Leverage DMs for Business Opportunities: As your reputation grows, users may reach out via DMs for solutions, leading to potential business transactions.
Key Insight: The Value of Adding Value
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The most common success factor cited by those who made money on Reddit was simply adding value.
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Engaging with the right posts and building a reputation over time was crucial.
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Active participation also served as a form of SEO, generating leads from posts commented on years ago.
Monetary Results
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Earnings ranged from a minimum of $15 (from a subscription to an app) to a maximum of $20,000.
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Major brands are also starting to use Reddit as a customer growth channel.
Some references
cramblitt_w:“I’ve had pretty bad results on Reddit. However, I’m terrible at cold sales so I’m not sure, but I definitely see a stigma against selling on reddit.”
DKabashi:“You can get customers anywhere if you solve their problem. Even in potnhub.”
gauti1707:“Yes, I got my first client from Reddit for developing a MVP for their app, we developed it and now he got 500k$ funding and we got a retainer for his complete app.”
DigitMagnet:“Reddit can be a great place to find leads if your posts bring value to your audience. It’s about reaching the right people with the right message at the right time regardless of the platform.”
fennwix:“I think Reddit as a community is anti-sales, but pro-discussion. So if your product is solving a problem being discussed you could drop it in, but just blindly promoting to folks seems 1) usually not allowed in communities 2) likely ineffective.”
esean_keni:“I suppose reddit is the best place to get users for a reddit alternative.”
MedalofHonour15:“I get clients from Reddit and LinkedIn. I just answer questions on Reddit and post value. Don’t do Reddit and LinkedIn ads haha.”
codfishwb:“I run a software development company and have closed a few deals from engaging with people on Reddit. Didn’t happen overnight but the long term engagement paid off.”
ExpertBirdLawLawyer:“I sell sales automation software, so when I commented on how we built our platform to solve a problem that they posted about, they reached out directly in a few of them even signed up.”
bert1589:“I built a good bit of my initial user base off participating on relevant subreddits, providing valuable information when I could, and plugging the biz only when it made sense.”
burrfect_io:“We’re a niche B2C mobile SaaS that just launched recently, but we do our paid advertising exclusively on Reddit. It’s also where we met, did initial research, built our waiting list, etc.”
XIVMagnus:“Majority of my initial client acquisition happened on Reddit. I think it’s time I focus on Reddit again.”
ozacle_23:“I have made around 30+ posts on Reddit, and got one person to waitlist and start using the tool. I think it takes a lot of smart organic engagement with the subreddits or communities to get good results.”
bg_a90:“There are different ways that people try to get customers on Reddit, like paid ads. Some people make posts instead of paid ads that are essentially just ads in of themselves.”
wavinghandco:“Go to where your customers are, which means reddit is a good fit for a few industries (like online gaming) and it is random-at-best for most.”
adobehatergworl:“They saw my work and reached out to me, not the other way around.”