Reddit is a forum site that covers all sorts of topics that one can imagine. From superheroes to clothing and more, people who come to Reddit are those looking for answers. They are looking for value.
Over the years, Reddit has earned a reputation as a place where you can get intelligent answers, troll answers, and funny answers. On Reddit, the saying that birds of the same feather flock together is true.
But how can you use it with dropshipping? From this article, you will learn how to use Reddit as a source of traffic, and how you can take advantage of it to make sales.
What is Reddit and how does it work?
Reddit is a forum site. People here ask questions, or post what is on their minds, and others comment. While Reddit is not strictly a website for serious stuff, it is still a place where people look for value. What this means is that Redditors hate marketers, and even actors like Morgan Freeman and Woody Harrelson got burned.
Both these two actors tried to promote their movies, and no one is even sure if they were the ones who created the account, much less if they really posted anything on Reddit.
Here is a sample Reddit thread:
Reddit has thousands of content. Most things that go viral in the internet come from here. From gossip to memes, people who submit answers or comments can gain a huge following, and their fellow Redditors share these answers on other social media platforms. And then it becomes viral.
This is the reason why Reddit called itself The Front Page of the Internet.
This is how it works:
- A person creates a forum thread or topic; this is called sub-Reddit, or a sub-topic. You can also call this a sub-niche
- People from all over the world make comments on this topic
- Other people will either upvote or downvote the comments
As you get more upvotes, your answer will rise up to the top of the thread. This can only happen if the people who read your answer think that you added value to their lives.
You cannot stay on top forever, and this is why Reddit is a challenging platform. There are many people who can create better comments than you do. And if you get reported, you can get banned for that sub-reddit.
Reddit has what it calls Karma points. You earn Karma points if you make comments or if people upvote your answer. The Karma point is the measurement of your trustworthiness in the community.
Once you signed up for an account, you automatically get one Karma point. It is now up to you to do the right things to increase this.
Tips to dropshippers to make money on Reddit
With over 300 million users worldwide, there surely is a huge market there. You can make money from Reddit if you can drive people from there to your website.
Remember, Redditors hate marketers, so you cannot spam the threads with your links.
Here are some tips to help you get started in using Reddit to drive traffic to your dropshipping store.
1. Build Trust
Reddit was created because the founders wanted an online community where people help one another. The key word here is “help”. If you are a marketer who just spams people by posting links, people will dislike you, downvote your answer, and report you to the moderators.
Do these things to build trust:
- Answer the questions thoughtfully
- Respond kindly to users
- Learn the short codes and languages that Redditors use; use them to make yourself an expert Redditor
- Join sub-reddits related to your niche, then provide helpful answers
- Upvote and downvote so you can contribute the quality of the community threads
- Provide useful answers; do not troll or insult people
As you do these things, you will be able to build a reputation. This reputation is what makes people go and check your profile. From your profile, they will see your links, what you do, and what you offer. And if people trust you, they will come to our website.
2. Contribute on your niche only
If you are a dropshipper of shoes, it does not make sense contributing to communities, or sub-reddits, about washing machines or appliances. You have to find the right sub-reddit for shoes, and then make comments there.
The trick here is to increase your Karma points by posting comments and getting upvotes, and you can only do this if you focus on the specific niche that is tied to your dropshipping store. If you have more than one dropshipping store, then it is alright to comment on different niches.
Why is this important? This is important because you want to make yourself an authority on this topic. In our example, it is shoes.
As a shoe expert, you can do the following things to make yourself credible:
- Start your own thread and be the moderator
- Give advice to people about shoes, like how to choose the right size, how to spot fake shoes, tips to buy online, and so much more
If you are starting out, never put promotional links on your posts. Redditors can spot marketers. They can smell you from miles away like bloodhounds do.
Once you have enough Karma points, you can start your promotional campaigns. You need to remember that you should never post promotional or traffic links unless you have been a member for a while.
At the very least, you should have been a member for at least three weeks, with 25 Karma points, before you create text posts. If you meet these requirements, you can move to the next step below.
3. Create Text Posts
A text post is a thread that you create. When you create a text post, you can submit your own blog content, and you can add a link to that blog. You can also use links to your YouTube videos.
Now, this is where a lot of people do it wrong. The trick here is to create text posts, and then post them on the right sub-reddit pages.
Here are some more tips to help you create posts that will link to your blog or You Tube channel.
- Create long form content – people love to learn from the Reddit thread itself, not just by clicking on your link
- Create a good title – nothing beats an attractive headline to catch attention
- Provide value – your post must deliver what the title promised
- Host AMAs – AMA means Ask Me Anything. This is one of the best ways to encourage Redditors to ask you anything about you, your business, or the niche you have chosen. In text posts like this, many Redditors do not mind that you promote your brand.
Always think of the value you provide to the community before you post. As mentioned earlier, Redditors hate marketers. However, they do not mind promotions and linking if you are providing valuable content.
How to post comments with links on Reddit
Before all this, you must first sign up for an account. It only takes minutes to do it. Once you have verified your email address, you can now start looking for sub-reddits or threads.
Step 1: Go to the home page and look for a topic in your niche.
In the screenshot below, you can see on the homepage that there is someone who posted about his problem. The problem is low conversion rate on his Shopify store. He needs constructive feedback, and he left a link to his store.
To respond to this post, you have to visit the site by clicking the Redittor’s Shopify store. Make an observation. Once you are ready, click on the COMMENTS link.
Step 2: Write your comments
As you can see on the screenshot below, you can provide your answer in the box. Below the box are the answers and comments of other Redditors.
To make a comment, just type your answer in the box. Make sure that you provide long and helpful content. If you just say, “Your website looks ok,” Redditors will downvote your answer, and you will lose Karma points.
In the example below, you can see where to click to and put a link in your answer. But again, do not put links to your answers unless you already have high Karma points and, and only if you have been in the system for a while.
The last step is to click on the COMMENT button on the right, then your post or answer will be published.
How to create posts on Reddit
Now, once you have high Karma points, and you are a trustworthy Redditor, you can start creating your own posts and drive traffic to your website.
You can do this in many ways. You can do a tutorial post, a daily or weekly lesson, a link to your You Tube channel, and many more.
If you create a post, just make sure that the post has value. What this means is that you post a tutorial on Reddit with complete information. If your post title said “Dropshipping for Beginners,” then the entire Reddit post must have that information.
If you do not follow this, you will get downvoted by the community because your post is nothing more than clickbait.
Here are the steps to create a post:
Step 1: Go to your home page.
On that page, just click on create post. If you do that, you will be taken to the screenshot below
Step 2: Write the post
Now, this is where you have to be careful and creative at the same time. You want to write a post that delivers what you promised, but you also want people come to your website.
The trick here is to write a post that will add value, and then insert some links in the middle of your post. Treat this post like as if you are writing on your own blog.
As you can see from the screen shot above, all the buttons you need are there. You can add images, videos, change fonts and colors, and so much more.
Once you are done with the post, choose a community at the top left. Make sure you post it on the right community, as you want to target traffic of people interested in your niche. You want people who are interested on what you have to say.
Click on the POST button and it will go live. Now, people can comment and provide you feedback. They can also downvote or upvote your posts. The more upvotes you get, the better it is for you.
How can I use Reddit with paid advertising?
Reddit offers paid advertising to its community, and the company also uses about 10% of its earnings to charities.
Here are the steps for advertising on Reddit.
Step 1: Go to your home page and click Advertise
To find this link, you have to go to your home page, and then scroll down. Focus on the right area until you find the Reddit menu. Click Advertise.
After that, Reddit will take you to the advertising page. Click on the Advertise in Reddit.
Step 2: Fill out the application form
The username on the ad field cannot be changed. This will show on the ads to let Redditors know that you are the advertiser. Fill out the form, choose and industry from the drop down, and then check the box that says “I’m not a Robot.”
Click Sign Up.
Step 3: Set up billing information
Once you get to your dashboard, there is going to be a warning notice at the top. Click on ADD BILLING.
After clicking that, you need to fill out the form for your credit card information. Provide what is needed and then click on SAVE at the bottom of the page.
Step 4: Create campaign
Once the billing information is accepted, go back to your dashboard and click on the drop down menu. Choose Create Campaign.
From there, choose your campaign goal, then click continue at the bottom. The payment for each campaign type is shown in these boxes.
Step 5: Create an ad group
An ad group is a set of the type of people you want to target. Reddit will show your ad to specific types of people that you choose in this section.
In this area, you have to name your ad group. In this case, we will name it as Dropshipping. Then, choose the countries where you want to show your ads. Next, choose the interests.
Once done, scroll down and then choose the other ad components.
Here, you will select communities or sub-reddits, you will also choose the placement. You can advertise on mobile only, desktop only, or both. The last step is to choose how much you are willing to spend on your advertisement.
For the daily budget, what it means is that Reddit will not spend more than your daily budget. You will also choose how long you want to run your ads.
For the Bid, this is the maximum amount of money you want to pay per click or per impression. What you pay for the bid depends on the kind of goal you selected earlier. If you chose Awareness, you will be paying a bid per impression, not clicks.
The last step is to choose how soon you want to run it. Then click on Continue.
Step 6: Create your ad
The last step is to create your ad by giving it a headline, choosing a post type, adding links and videos, thumbnails, and creating a call to action.
Once done, just click Review and then launch the ad.
Summary
Reddit may look like it is an old website. But do not be fooled with that. Reddit is a place where millions of people discuss things about anything under the sun. It is a place where you can build your own community and followers.
Reddit is a place for marketers, even if Redditors do not like marketers. The trick here is to add value. People in the Reddit community love those who educate them. Paid advertising is fine, as this is how Reddit earns money.
But if you so much as use your links in the free posts without helping people out, you will get downvoted and lose credibility. It takes time to see traffic coming from Reddit to your dropshipping store. But once you become trustworthy with high Karma points, you will be happy to see the results of your hard work.