Reply on Reddit Without Sounding Like an Ad
Why most replies read like ads
When someone posts "is there a tool that does X?", most replies from founders look the same: the product name, a superlative, and a link. Readers have seen it a thousand times, moderators remove it, and the person who asked learns nothing. A reply that gets read does the opposite.
Rule 1: Answer the question in the first line
Start with the answer. If the honest answer is "yes, and here is how", say that. If the honest answer is "not exactly, try this instead", say that too. The first line decides whether anyone reads the second.
Rule 2: Say what you tried, not what you sell
"I tried two of these and one broke on mobile" is useful. "Our best-in-class platform" is not. Specifics from your own experience make you sound like a person, because you are one.
Rule 3: Mention yours once, and only if it fits
If your product really is an answer, say so once, say you built it, and stop. Do not repeat it, do not bold it, and do not mention it when it does not fit the question.
Rule 4: No link unless they ask
A link in a first reply is what moderators and spam filters look for. If the person wants to see it, they will ask, and then it is a reply to a question rather than an advert.
The same reply, two ways
An example, with a made-up product:
- Reads like an ad: "Check out my app! Best invoicing tool ever. Sign up here."
- Reads like a person: "I'm a freelancer too. It sends invoices in one click and it's a flat nine dollars a month. Happy to show how I set it up if that helps."
The second one answers, says who is talking, mentions the product once, and carries no link.
Check the group first
Every group has its own rules and some ban self-promotion entirely. Read them before you reply. A friendly reply in a group that bans promotion still gets removed.
What FounderDive does here
FounderDive writes each reply from facts you stored about your product, so it cannot invent a claim, and throws away any draft that cannot cite one of those facts. Before a reply is offered it checks the habits above: the ratio of helpful to promotional replies, the gap since your last mention in the same group, and whether the same link went out elsewhere. It never posts for you. You read the reply and press send.
See who's already asking for what you built
No account, no card. Watch Prova hunt nine places live.
Scan your site free →