Use case · Reddit
How to find customers on Reddit without getting banned
Reddit is full of people asking “what should I use for…” and “can anyone recommend…”, and those threads rank on Google for years. To turn them into customers, find them while they're fresh, answer the question properly, say you made the thing, and stay well inside each subreddit's self-promotion rules. Posting links into random threads is how accounts get shadowbanned.
Why most Reddit marketing gets you banned
Reddit's spam filters and moderators are tuned against exactly what marketers do: new accounts dropping links, the same comment in several subreddits, replies that don't answer the question. Many subreddits ban self-promotion outright, and a ban in one can follow you through the site-wide filter.
Doing it right means reading each subreddit's rules, catching threads in the first hours (before 50 answers bury yours) and writing a real answer every time. Searching Reddit by hand for your keywords every day gets old fast, and Reddit's own search is famously weak.
How it works with Larvabot
- 1Pick your watch keywordsLarvabot suggests phrases that sound like a person asking (“invoicing app for freelancers”, “alternative to Notion”), not bare product words. It also watches the newest posts in the subreddits your customers use.
- 2Reddit is checked several waysF5Bot alerts in real time (free), Reddit's public feeds and site-search fallbacks, so threads keep coming even when Reddit blocks requests from servers.
- 3Each thread is scoredFor how closely it asks for what you sell. Threads under 50 are dropped; every one that stays shows the exact words that made it a lead.
- 4The subreddit's rules come with itSelf-promotion rules for the subreddit sit next to the draft, and a pace box warns when you've posted more than about three Reddit replies in 24 hours.
- 5You post, from your accountCopy the draft, open the thread, post. The draft always discloses that you built the product, because hidden promotion is what gets accounts banned.
Example
A small invoicing app
The maker of an invoicing app for freelancers adds the site. The analysis suggests r/freelance, r/smallbusiness and r/Entrepreneur, and keywords like “invoicing app for freelancers” and “alternative to FreshBooks”.
- F5Bot emails an alert within minutes of a post in r/freelance: “Any invoicing tool that isn't $30 a month? I send 4 invoices a month.” Score 86, intent: wants an alternative.
- The draft names two free options honestly (including a spreadsheet template), then mentions the app with “I built this, so I'm biased”.
- The r/freelance rules shown alongside allow disclosed recommendations in answers but not standalone promo posts, so a reply is fine.
- The maker posts it and marks it as posted. With the tracking snippet on the site, Reports shows how many visits that thread sends.
An illustrative example of how the workflow runs, not a real result.
See it in Larvabot
“Any invoicing tool that isn't $30 a month? I only send about 4 invoices a month and FreshBooks feels like overkill.”
Why it's a lead: “Any invoicing tool that isn't $30 a month?”
Your reply (draft)
At 4 a month you honestly might not need a paid tool: Wave is free, and a Google Docs invoice template works fine until you need reminders. I built Tallybook for exactly this (free up to 5 invoices a month, so I'm biased), mainly because I wanted automatic payment reminders without the rest of the accounting suite.
What Larvabot won't do
Worth knowing before you start:
- Reddit throttles requests from servers, so Larvabot is most reliable with free F5Bot alerts connected. Without them, some threads arrive a few hours late.
- Larvabot doesn't post, vote or send DMs on Reddit, and won't. Anything automated like that breaks Reddit's rules.
- Subreddit rules change; the rules shown are a guide. Read the sidebar before you post somewhere new.
- New Reddit accounts with little karma get filtered by many subreddits no matter what you write.
Send the leads where you work
Send every scored thread to Slack, a Google Sheet or Airtable with the Zapier or Make app, so a teammate can pick up the replies, or you can track which threads turned into customers.
Questions people ask
Can you promote your business on Reddit?
In some subreddits, with disclosure, when it answers the question. Many subreddits ban self-promotion entirely, and Reddit's general guideline is that most of your activity shouldn't be about your own product. Answer first, mention yourself second, and say you made it.
How do I find Reddit threads about my product category?
Use phrases people ask with (“best app for…”, “alternative to…”) rather than product names, and watch the newest posts in a few relevant subreddits. Free alerts like F5Bot help; Larvabot combines them with scoring so you only see threads worth answering.
Do old Reddit threads still bring customers?
Often, yes. Reddit threads rank on Google for years, so a good answer in a thread from last year keeps getting read. Many subreddits archive threads after six months, which closes them to new comments, so the fresh ones matter most.
Will Reddit shadowban me for replying with my product?
It can, if you post the same link a lot, from a new account, or in subreddits that forbid it. Keep to a few replies a day, vary them, and disclose who you are.
Try it on your own business
Add your website and Larvabot works out who your customers are and how they ask for what you sell, then brings you the posts and businesses worth answering, with a draft for each. 14 days free, no card required.