Strategy
Reddit comments vs posts: which one brings more customers?
· 4 min read
When people think about marketing on Reddit, they picture a post. A title, some text, maybe an image, sitting at the top of a community. But a lot of the real work happens in the comments. Which one should you focus on?
It depends on your goal. Let’s look at what each does well.
What a post does
A post starts a new conversation. You choose the topic and the framing, and everyone sees it in the feed.
Good at:
- Sharing a story, a lesson or an experiment.
- Asking a question you actually want answered.
- Getting broad attention if it lands well.
- Showing what you know in more depth.
Not so good at:
- Reaching people at the moment they need something. They must be scrolling at the right time.
- Surviving strict rules. Posts are watched more closely than comments.
- Working when your account is new. Many communities block posts from new accounts.
And a post can fail quietly. If it doesn’t get early votes, it simply sinks.
What a comment does
A comment joins a conversation that’s already happening. Someone asked a question, and you answer.
Good at:
- Reaching people who are actively looking for help.
- Building trust, one answer at a time.
- Staying useful for a long time, when the thread ranks in search.
- Fitting in with the rules, since helping is what communities want.
Not so good at:
- Starting a topic on your own terms.
- Getting broad reach in a single go.
- Telling a long story, although a long comment is allowed.
Why comments often win for businesses
Think about who reads a thread titled “What do you use for X?”. Someone who needs X. They read the answers carefully, because they’re about to spend money.
A good comment on that thread is read by exactly the right person, at exactly the right time. A post, in contrast, goes out to everyone who happens to be browsing.
There’s also a long tail. Threads that rank on Google can send readers for years. A comment on such a thread keeps working long after you wrote it. We explain this in why Reddit threads rank on Google.
Where posts shine
Posts are better for a few things.
- Your own story. A post about how you solved a problem, with real details, can earn lots of trust.
- Research and data. If you ran a test or gathered numbers, a post is the right format.
- Feedback. If you really want opinions on something, ask.
- Showing your craft. For makers and creators, visuals work well.
A good post can also bring more people to your profile, where they see your comments.
A simple way to split your time
For most small businesses:
| Comments | Posts | |
|---|---|---|
| Share of effort | About 80 percent | About 20 percent |
| Goal | Be the helpful answer | Share something worth reading |
| Best time to start | Day one | After a few weeks of comments |
If you’re new, begin with comments only. Build your history. Then add the occasional post once you know how the community behaves.
How to write a comment that does the job
Good comments follow a shape.
- Answer the question. Right away, in the first sentence.
- Give a reason. Why this answer, in what situation.
- Add a detail. Something that shows you’ve done it.
- Say what you don’t know. Admitting limits builds trust.
- Mention yourself only if it fits, with a note about your connection.
And keep it at a sensible length. Short is fine when the answer is short.
How to find the right threads to comment on
- Search for the questions your buyers ask. See our guide on finding the questions your customers ask.
- Sort communities by New and reply early.
- Look for threads that already rank in search and are still open.
- Skip threads that already have a perfect answer.
What to measure
Don’t count upvotes alone.
- For comments: replies, saves, follow-up questions, visits to your profile or site.
- For posts: views, comments, and visits that come after.
Posts are easier to count, which is why they get more credit than they deserve. But a few good comments can bring in more customers than a post that gets a lot of votes.
The short answer
If you can only do one thing, write helpful comments. If you can do two, add a good post now and then.
Need help writing both? Talk to us, or read how to write a Reddit post that doesn’t read like an ad to start.
Keep reading
- Brand account or founder account: which should post on Reddit?Should your company have its own Reddit account, or should a real person speak for it? The trade-offs, and a simple way to choose.
- How to find the right subreddits for your productA repeatable method for mapping, scoring and shortlisting the subreddits where your buyers actually are, with a scoring sheet and real search patterns.
- Reddit marketing vs Google Ads: which one should you start with?Both can bring you customers, but they work very differently. Here is how they compare on cost, speed, trust and effort, and how to choose.