Guide to affiliate marketing on Reddit

While affiliate marketing and social media is more commonly associated with Twitter, Facebook and Pinterest, affiliate marketing on Reddit is possible and ripe for real, authentic connections. Despite this, many people may not be aware of Reddit or its potential. Read on for our Reddit affiliate marketing guide and see how this comparatively small but mighty platform can help boost your reach.  

A bit about Reddit 

Reddit was founded in 2005 and follows a traditional internet forum layout. Users upload content and it can be up or downvoted, with the most upvoted making their way to the frontpage and (commonly) viral success. For many years, Reddit went by the slogan ‘The Frontpage of the Internet’ and it’s safe to say that the site still serves this purpose.  

A quick glimpse at Reddit’s homepage will show you a range of trending topics; not just links to actual news outlets with important recent events, but user generated content, memes, art and discussions, to name a few. In short, it’s clear Reddit is a buzzing online hub that covers just about every interest and niche, as well as one that rewards commitment to its online community. 

The Reddit difference 

Reddit isn’t quite the cornerstone of social media that is offered by Twitter and Facebook, but its uniqueness is what grants it its popularity. One of the reasons for this is the way users are presented. Unlike Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram, Reddit doesn’t concentrate its activity on each individual user profile page but within separate community hubs known as subreddits. Reddit currently hosts over two million individual subreddits, with the most popular having as many as 185 million followers.  These communities are moderated by the users themselves and can be created at any time to cover any interest. Essentially, each subreddit is your ready-made community for any possible affiliate marketing niche you want to pursue.  

There’s no need to upload a profile picture, share a real name or location. There is no pressure to live up to the aesthetics of Instagram, or create an online version of your real-life network like on LinkedIn. There’s no reason to even have a Reddit account if you want to browse the site, a practice known as ‘lurking.’ User credibility is shown in the form of ‘Karma,’ points awarded for upvoted content that they have uploaded or comments they leave, and which can be boosted by awards given from other users if their post or comment is considered particularly valuable. 

And while all this may go against modern standards for social media, it hasn’t stopped Reddit’s popularity. The platform has 50 million active daily users and while it’s not the levels of Facebook, it is ahead of Instagram as of 2022 in the list of top 10 most visited websites in the world.  

Who is the average Redditor? 

As with most online platforms, the majority (22%) of Reddit users are young; in Reddit’s case, aged between 18-29, followed closely by those aged between 30-49. Especially notable is the geographical location of users, Reddit is overwhelmingly American, with 222 million of them populating the site. The next most common location is Australia, but even in second place this only accounts for around 17 million users. As for the UK, the number shrinks again to around six million. There is a similar tale of imbalance with the gender divide which strongly favors male users, almost 64% compared to 36% of females.  

The importance of subreddits for affiliate marketing on Reddit 

While the average redditor may be a young American male, that doesn’t mean you can’t market to the precise opposite (or anyone in between) on Reddit. The female community, the older community, or country-based communities have all carved out their own niches within the platform. That means that while you may not be able to appeal to the average Reddit user, you could find a subreddit where you appeal to just about everyone who follows it.  

For example, a business with a focus in a certain location may be interested in state-centric communities such as r/NYC (687k followers), r/LosAngeles (623k followers) or r/Chicago (492k followers). Location-based subreddits can get even more niche with communities like r/ChicagoFood (44.4k followers) and r/ChicagoJobs (8.9k followers) allowing users to hone in on their interests and find exactly what they are looking for.  

This applies internationally too. While some larger subreddits are American by default such as r/Politics (8.3m followers), country-specific alternatives like r/AustralianPolitics (224k followers) and r/UKPolitics (463k followers) cover the same general topic while targeting a different userbase. Finding subreddits that closely align with your business and getting your brand in front of that audience is a very powerful marketing tool. 

The importance of Karma 

If you want people on Reddit to listen to you, they need to know you’re someone worth listening to. That’s where Karma is so important, but what is Reddit Karma? 

Karma is the way Reddit users rank content and comments through upvoting or downvoting. More upvotes means the comment or post will appear higher on a page. In the case of posts, it may even make the homepage. More Karma proves that you are an active user of the site, making valuable contributions to subreddits and generally being a valid member of the community. Some subreddits will even restrict users that don’t hit a certain Karma threshold from posting at all. This is especially true for subreddits that involve offline interactions like product swaps. Essentially, Karma directly equates to how trustworthy you are.  

But don’t make Karma the be-all and end-all of your plans for affiliate links, Reddit is well informed on those who attempt ‘Karma farming.’ If users or moderators (or mods) suspect you are only posting for Karma, you may be banned or downvoted. The key takeaway here? Post organically, comment often and upvote others. If you have knowledge or a passion for something, try contributing to the relevant subreddit to help boost your credibility through genuinely valuable posts.  

How much Karma do I need? 

Remember, this is a site with 50 million active daily users, so you’ll need to get a lot of Karma going to prove you’re a real Redditor. It’s recommended you accumulate around 1,000 comment Karma (worth more than post Karma) and around 100 post Karma before you start directing people towards your affiliate links as Reddit is something of a long game in that respect. Even with zero Karma though, you are allowed to link out to non-promotional sites like your personal blog, your videos or other channels. So, take this Karma-building period as an opportunity to establish yourself and your site.  

What are Reddit’s rules on affiliate marketing? 

When it comes to direct affiliate links, Reddit does not officially allow them. If you are found to be posting them (bearing in mind that any of your fellow users, not just mods, can report you) you will face a swift ban. Even the r/AffiliateMarketing subreddit doesn’t tolerate direct links. The community spirit of Reddit also means shameless self promotion is unlikely to go over well, so if you’re thinking of high ticket affiliate marketing, Reddit users will need to be ready to be lead away from the safety of their chosen subreddit.  

You can still use Reddit for affiliate marketing but it will take a very different approach and a lot of commitment to creating real, meaningful connections with your chosen community. While direct affiliate links on Reddit aren’t allowed, links to your personal blog are fine. Before any of that, though, figure out if Reddit is really the best place for what you’re looking to market.

How to get started with affiliate marketing on Reddit 

Firstly, if you want Redditors to listen to you, you must be a fellow Redditor. Community is all, so you must clearly be an invested member of the Reddit community.

1. Make a Reddit profile 

Your username is all people have to go off when it comes to your Reddit persona. Don’t choose anything that aligns you with a specific brand or gives away that you’re only here for marketing. For now, you are a normal Reddit user becoming entrenched in the online community and that means raking in some Karma.  

2. Find and follow subreddits that fit your niche 

Time to get active. It’s not hard to be pulled into Reddit, you’re sure to find subreddits and posts that keep you busy and get that Karma clocked up. Keep in mind that your post history is public, so don’t associate your account with anything you don’t want would-be customers to see. For example, if you’re pushing a vegan beauty brand, don’t post frequently in the barbeque subreddit.  

3. Gain a following back 

By being active in communities and offering valuable advice, you’ll gain your own following. It isn’t quite as easy as it is on Instagram where a few pretty images can result in dozens of new followers, but this is about quality over quantity. Unfortunately, you’re going to have to put the time in to benefit from a Reddit following. Comment often, aways ensure you’re saying something of value, and remember to slowly build that path to your affiliate links with drops of your personal blog here and there.  

4. Play the subreddit backlink game 

Reddit is all about links, just one glance of the front page shows a dozen links heading off elsewhere. And you can take advantage of this even if you don’t have massive Reddit popularity just yet. After you have a good amount of Karma, you can create your own subreddit. It may not gain too many followers, but what it does do is give you a little corner of the Reddit domain to drop your personal links. That doesn’t mean you can forget quality though; make sure your links are going somewhere worthwhile. It’s even recommended you disable any pop ups on your site as Redditors may take out their annoyance by hitting the report button on your account. Remember, every post needs to be Reddit-useful first and marketing-useful second. Reddit users are pretty good at sniffing out the difference, so while your own subreddit can be extremely convenient, it may also be shut down if any Redditor suspects it’s a self-serving backlink base.

5. Link to quality content 

Whether you make your own subreddit or not, make sure you’re always linking to valuable content. For example, if you’re trying to promote a hair product, you could link to relevant but not totally promotional videos or blog posts you make like “how to cut bangs at home” or “best no heat styles.” Make sure you’re always aligned with Reddit rules, including those of the individual subreddit you’re posting to.  

6. Put yourself in the spotlight with r/AskMeAnything 

This is an especially great option if you’re full of expert wisdom on a certain subject, be that creative writing or cooking, vegan beauty or video editing. You make a post, outline who you are and what you can help answer questions about, and wait for the user feedback to come in. It’s the easiest way to be prompted to create that all-important valuable comment and to have it reach someone who will upvote in appreciation. It’s a tactic used by Redditors big and small, including Bill Gates himself on the sister subreddit r/iAmA.

7. Keep it up and slowly direct traffic where you want

Comments, posts and being a fully-fledged Redditor is really all there is to organic affiliate marketing on the platform. And while this may be a long and time-consuming venture, it builds trust in a way other social media platforms don’t have. So, by the time you have an admirable Karma count, you should also have a steady trickle of traffic to your personal site and the direct promotional links you’ve included there. With more trust comes greater potential for those high ticket affiliate links that can really make it all worthwhile.

How Awin can help  

Awin can help you find the best brands to work with, so you can ensure your new Reddit following is perfectly aligned with any brand you promote. Our advertiser directory is an easy and efficient way to find businesses that fit your audience and your marketing strategy. Search by niche so you can find a brand that is a natural fit for your choice of subreddit, and make sure that all that effort you’ve put into your new Reddit persona is rewarded.