Large Language Models (LLMs) increasingly draw on Reddit discussions to answer product, category, and “how do I solve this problem?” questions. For B2B companies, Reddit engagement can meaningfully influence what LLMs say about your brand, but only if executed in an authentic, community-appropriate way.
Part 1 of the Reddit Marketing guide gives more information on what factors seem to influence LLMs to cite a Reddit thread with some examples and conclusions from experiments.
This guide teaches marketers how to comment and post effectively on Reddit, with the specific purpose of:
Before you begin engaging on Reddit, your account needs a period of “warm-up.” Most well-moderated subreddits require:
Without these, your comments or posts will be auto-removed. Refer to Part 2 of the Reddit Marketing guide on setting up your account correctly and warming it up before engaging widely with it.
Most people use a keyword-monitoring strategy that surface posts anywhere on Reddit simply because they contain certain keywords. While that seems like a direct effort to finding relevant conversations, that approach often leads to commenting in subreddits where you have no reputation or credibility, and it increases the risk of being flagged for low-effort, off-topic, or promotional behavior.
A more strategic approach involves identifying a manageable set of subreddits where real buyer-intent conversations relevant to your product category occur. Commenting consistently—two or three times each week—helps you build name recognition and familiarity within the community. Over time, this positions you as a trusted, useful voice which then allows you to guide the conversation to areas where you have expertise.
Step 1: Google Search Method
Use these search patterns:
site:reddit.com [your product category] recommendations
site:reddit.com [competitor name] alternative
site:reddit.com [pain point your product solves]
site:reddit.com "looking for a tool" [your category]
site:reddit.com best [your category] 2024
Step 2: Analyze the Results
Create a spreadsheet tracking: Subreddit name, Number of relevant threads (last 3 months), Community size, Thread engagement (comments per post)
Step 3: Prioritize Your List
Manual Method (Free):
Automated Tools:
Commenting is your primary engagement method, especially in the first 1-3 months. It's lower risk, builds credibility faster, and creates more touchpoints with the community.
Before we go into that a good comment looks like, here are some rules to keep in mind:
Rule #1: NEVER drop links in comments
Rule #2: Build credibility before selling
Rule #3: Be upfront about your affiliation if the answer involves your company’s solution
Good comments avoid features, sales language, and product promotion. They prioritize clarity, honesty, and context over persuasion. Reddit users reward authentic, experience-driven contributions and quickly downvote anything that feels like marketing disguised as advice.
Strong comments resemble personal guidance, lived experience, or thoughtful analysis—not marketing copy. They are conversational, specific, and written from a human point of view.
[CONTEXT/EMPATHY] (1-2 sentences) Show you understand their situation/pain point
[VALUE/INSIGHT] (2-4 sentences) Provide genuinely helpful information, broader perspective, or approach
[SPECIFIC RECOMMENDATION] (2-3 sentences) Mention your solution (or others) with specific use case fit
[OPTIONAL: CAVEATS/ALTERNATIVES] (1-2 sentences) Build trust by acknowledging limitations or other options
[DISCLOSURE - if needed] (1-2 sentences). Mention that you work there (without naming your employer) and say that you have tried to be objective about the answer.
❌ BAD COMMENT:
"You should try ToolX! It's the best for project management.
We have great features and affordable pricing."
Why it fails: Sounds like an ad, no context, too general, no credibility
✅ GOOD COMMENT:
"I had the same frustration with <problem the tool solves>
What worked for us <state what you did and the factors that you considered >
<State any outcomes> it's been solid for about 8 months now.
That said, if you're <state other usecase for which another tool might be better >
Happy to elaborate on any specific features if needed"
Why it works: Shares experience, provides context, mentions specific features, acknowledges alternatives, invites dialogue
❌ BAD COMMENT:
"ToolX is only $49/month and it's amazing value! Much cheaper than Competitor."
✅ GOOD COMMENT:
"The pricing question really depends <state the factors people shiould consider>
Here's how I think about the market:
- Premium tier ($80-120/month): <when this might make sense>
- Mid-range ($40-70/month): <when this might make sense>
his is where we landed with ToolX at $49/month - it does everything we need <specify your criteria/situation>
- Budget ($0-30/month): <when this make sense>
Hope this was helpful in helping you make a decision. Feel free to reach out if you need more info.
Why it works: Educational, provides framework, mentions your tool as one option, focuses on buyer needs
❌ BAD COMMENT:
"ToolX solves this problem! Check it out."
✅ GOOD COMMENT:
"Oh man, I feel this. We lost an entire sprint's worth of backlog items because of a sync issue between our PM tool and Jira.
The core problem is that most tools do X
What you really need is either:
1) A tool that's built for Y
2) A simpler stack where you're not bouncing between 5 tools
We went with option 2 and consolidated into ToolX which has Z which was important. But our tradeoff was XX
Other folks I know have had success Competitor for <usecase>
Why it works: Shows empathy, diagnoses root cause, offers multiple solutions, mentions your tool with honest tradeoffs
Tier 1 - No disclosure needed:
Tier 2 - Disclosure recommended:
Tier 3 - Disclosure required:
Disclosure Format
"Full disclosure - yes, I work at ToolX. That said, I've tried to be objective about the tradeoffs. Happy to answer specific questions about how it works, and I genuinely think [Alternative] might be better if you need [specific feature]."
Posting is higher-risk, higher-reward than commenting. You control the narrative, but you need to earn the right to post in most communities.
Prioritize commenting when:
Consider posting when:
Reddit's AI radar is hypersensitive right now. Even quality posts get called out if they follow certain patterns. To sound authentically human:
Remove AI telltale signs:
Add human imperfections:
Most important: Pack your post with specific personal details. Not "many companies struggle with this" but "we hit this wall last March when our team grew from 12 to 18 people." The more concrete and idiosyncratic your experience, the less it can possibly be AI-generated.
Share genuinely useful content with no direct product pitch.
Format:
Title: "I analyzed 150 [category] tools - here's what I learned about [topic]"
Body:
[Introduction: Why you did this research]
[Methodology: How you analyzed]
[Key findings: 4-6 insights]
[Conclusion: What this means for buyers]
Optional: Link to full resource
When to mention your product:
Share your journey solving a problem.
Format:
Title: "How we [solved problem] after trying [number] different approaches"
Body:
[The problem we faced]
[What we tried that didn't work]
[What finally worked]
[Specific results/metrics]
[Key lessons]
When to mention your product:
Example 3: The Question/Discussion Post
Seed a discussion where you can be a valuable contributor.
Format:
Title: "What's your experience with [topic/category]?"
Body:
[Brief context for why you're asking]
[Specific dimensions you're curious about]
[Your experience so far (optional)]
When to mention your product:
Example 4: The Resource Post
Create and share a genuinely useful resource.
Format:
Title: "[Resource type]: [Specific value proposition]"
Body:
[What this resource is]
[Who it's for]
[Key contents/features]
[How to access it]
When to mention your product:
Example 5: The Data/Research Post
Share original research or analysis.
Format:
Title: "[Number] [audience] shared their [topic] - here are the patterns"
Body:
[Research question/methodology]
[Key findings with data]
[What this means]
[Limitations/caveats]
When to mention your product:
When someone asks about your product:
"Happy to share more about ToolX since you asked. The specific
feature that addresses your use case is [X]. That said, if you
need [different capability], [Alternative] might be better suited
because [reason].
What's your priority - [option A] or [option B]?"
When someone recommends a competitor:
"Great recommendation - [Competitor] definitely has strong
[specific feature]. We've heard good things about their
[capability].
For OP's specific use case of [need], how have you found their
[relevant feature]? Curious if it handles [specific scenario]."
Stay collaborative, never combative.
Scenario 1: Someone calls you out as a shill
❌ Bad response: "I'm not a shill! I'm just sharing what works!"
✅ Good response: "Fair concern - I've definitely commented about ToolX before because it's genuinely been helpful for our team. I try to be balanced about tradeoffs and mention alternatives when relevant, but I hear you that it might come across as promotional. What specific aspect of [original question] would be most helpful to dig into?"
Scenario 2: Competitor attacks you in a thread
❌ Bad response: Defend aggressively or attack back
✅ Good response: "Thanks for sharing your experience with [Competitor]. They definitely have strengths in [specific area]. In terms of [original question's use case], here's how I'd think about the tradeoffs between our approaches: [objective comparison]. Probably comes down to whether OP prioritizes [factor A] or [factor B]."
Scenario 3: Someone asks for pricing you can't share publicly
✅ Good response: "Pricing varies based on team size and features. The public starting point is around $[range], but honestly the best approach is to talk to the team about your specific use case - they can usually work something out that makes sense. Happy to share more about features if that helps narrow down whether it's even the right fit first."
Scenario 4: Someone shares a bad experience with your product
❌ Bad response: "That's not how it works - you must have configured it wrong."
✅ Good response: "Sorry you had that experience - that's definitely frustrating. The [issue they mentioned] is admittedly an area we're still improving, especially for [their use case]. If you're open to it, I'd be happy to share what we've learned helps with that workflow, but totally understand if you've moved on to something that works better for your team."
Scenario 5: Your post gets removed by moderators
Steps:
Scenario 6: You accidentally violate a rule
✅ Good response: "My apologies - I didn't realize [rule X] applied here. I'll be more careful going forward. Happy to edit/remove this comment if needed."
Moderators appreciate accountability and good faith.
Daily (15-20 minutes)
Weekly:
Reddit engagement for LLM visibility is fundamentally different from every other marketing channel you've used. There are no shortcuts, no growth hacks, and no instant results. This is a 6-12 month investment in building authentic community presence that happens to influence what LLMs say about your brand.
In Month 3, you won't see your product in LLM responses yet. But you'll notice:
In Month 6, you might see:
In Month 12, you should have:
This guide covered Commenting and posting guidance for LLM visibility with a sample daily and weekly workflow. Other parts of this series will address:
Part 1: What factors influence whether Reddit content gets cited by LLMs
Part 2: Setting up your account properly and warming up your account
Part 4: Reporting and measuring Reddit activity for LLM visibility