Write a post that isn't an ad

Why ads fail on Reddit. People come to a community for the topic, not for products. A post that reads like a press release gets ignored, downvoted or reported, and mods remove it under the self-promotion rule. A post that teaches something, shares honest numbers or asks a good question often does better, and people click through to your project because they want to, not because you told them to.

Post types that tend to work:

• The honest story. What you built, why, and what happened. Include what went wrong, not just what went right.
• The lesson. One specific thing you learned that the community can use, with your project as the example.
• Real numbers. Visitors, sign-ups, what each channel brought in. Makers love numbers, and they're hard to fake.
• The genuine question. Ask for feedback on something specific (the onboarding, the pricing page, the name), not "what do you think?".
• The build-in-public update. Where you're up to, in communities made for that, kept regular and short.

Titles. Say what the post is about in plain words. Specific beats clever: "Week 2 of my side project: 400 visitors, 12 sign-ups, and what I'd change" tells people what they'll get. Avoid all caps, emoji strings and "Check out my app!".

The body.

• Open with the interesting part, not with "Hi everyone, I'm a solo maker and…".
• Keep it readable: short paragraphs, and a list if it helps (never a wall of text; no one reads those!).
• Mention your project once, naturally, where it fits the story.
• Put the link where the rules allow it (in the post, in a comment, or not at all; see chapter 4). If links aren't allowed, the post can still work: people who are interested will search for it or ask.
• End with a real question, so people have a reason to reply.

Before you post, read it as a stranger would. Would you upvote this if it wasn't yours? Does it give something even to people who never click the link? If not, rework it.

I've been following this exact approach and it just plain works, especially when you stay engaged with everyone who comments.