Should Reddit allow Startups on it's Platform?

[rentzed]

Creating an account dedicated to a startup will get the startup banned from Reddit. I know this because I've tried. I didn't realize this was a rule and tried sharing my startup (RentZed) with InternetIsBeautiful Subreddit. It is a website where users can post and view rent prices, like a Glassdoor for Rents. The post got a lot of traction with 200k views and 1.5k upvotes within 8 hours and lots of comments asking questions about it and some saying how helpful this could be. I then got banned for having an account dedicated to my startup because I made 3 other posts about it in other subreddits.

I've tried using other social media platforms to share the site but haven't had much success. It seems pretty difficult to navigate other social media algorithms starting from 0 compared to Reddit.

As a user of Reddit, I really don't care if a startup makes a post or comment on Reddit. In fact, I'd like to see startups do this so it's easier for me to learn about their services in case I ever want to utilize them.

I'm curious if anyone else even knows about this rule and what they think of it.

[codingdave]

So lets be honest about what really occurred - you spammed. You got banned from a subreddit. Your tried to get around the ban. You got banned for real.

This is not "Reddit doesn't allow startups." -- This is "Reddit doesn't allow spam."

If you want to advertise to a community, first you need to actually participate in that community. If it makes you feel any better about it, you probably aren't missing out on much. My experience is that reddit gives you traffic, but not customers.

[logicalmonster]

> So lets be honest about what really occurred - you spammed.

Is that really the case?

I view reasonable and fully disclosed self-promotion as qualitatively different than spam and something that should be treated differently. Even HN makes this distinction by having a show section where self-promotion is allowed, but still blocking random spam.

Here's an example of self-promotion: "Hi, I'm Joe, the founder of Flextape. Watch me saw this oil tanker in half. Environmental disaster? No, we have flextape. Bam, good as new! Ask me anything."

Here's an example of spam: "These viagra pills are the best. Cheapest price! Send $69 they send you big box today!"

Now, I can understand that some communities don't want to allow self-promotion and might block self-promotional posts. But I'm not sure that treating an honest entrepreneur the same as a viagra spammer with a site-wide ban is the right approach for Reddit.

[codingdave]

Spam is about repeatedly sending the same content when it adds no value to the audience. It doesn't matter how well you phrase it, or whether the product itself is decent. It is about respecting your audience. When you get banned for your content that is a clear message that the audience in not interested in your content. When you then work around the bans to keep re-posting that content, as OP did, that is absolutely spam.

So you are correct - Show HNs are content for which HN has an appetite. OPs content might be received just fine as a 'Show HN'. But on reddit, with the way they approached it, it is spam.

[logicalmonster]

> Spam is about repeatedly sending the same content

Is one self-promotional post on Reddit ok by your standards?

If one is ok, is 2 ok? How about 3? Where should we draw the line? Is it ok to make 1 self-promotional post every year? Every 6 months? Every month? Every week?

What if subreddit rules allow self-promotional content? Would posting there be ok?

> when it adds no value to the audience.

If only Reddit had a system for rating content.....(see the following)

> The post got a lot of traction with 200k views and 1.5k upvotes within 8 hours and lots of comments asking questions about it and some saying how helpful this could be.

[satvikpendem]

Reddit has a ten percent rule for self promotion versus not, so there's your answer.

[speedgoose]

It’s a rule that spamming your startup is not appreciated by many communities. Especially once is has been removed, do not insist. Some Reddit communities are about startups, and will enjoy your posts. Though you will unlikely convert these users into customers.

You can read the Reddiquette:

> Feel free to post links to your own content (within reason). But if that's all you ever post, or it always seems to get voted down, take a good hard look in the mirror — you just might be a spammer. A widely used rule of thumb is the 9:1 ratio, i.e. only 1 out of every 10 of your submissions should be your own content.

https://reddit.zendesk.com/hc/en-us/articles/205926439-Reddi...

[tornato7]

- Reddit has ads, and they want companies to buy ads on the platform instead of posting them for free. - Reddit has a rule that max 10% of your posts can be self-promotion; i.e. they want people to contribute back to the community. - There is some hypocrisy in the fact that you'll get banned if you admit that you're the creator, but if you pose as a real person who liked the website it's not against the rules.

[satvikpendem]

It does allow startups, for example I link my stuff over there all the time. However, I'm not blatant about it and I have plenty of other content that is not startup related. You got banned because you didn't understand the rules of Reddit, it's the same as if you got banned from HN because you didn't understand the rules of HN.

[joshxyz]

honestly reddit is a shit place to promote anything for business purposes, unless you get a precise and accurate feel of what the community will find helpful and appropiate. it is a tightrope walk good lord.

even simple projects get banned or deleted for self promotion.

im talking about free posting not paid promotion.

[maxilevi]

Paid promotion might be even worse

[KomoD]

You're a spammer, simple as that.

[dotcoma]

on its platform, that is.

[zhangruinan]

permanent ban?

[rentzed]

I got permabanned from the subreddit and then I tried a second time on my main account in the hopes of getting a second chance and that got both accounts banned for a few days, then I tried going to some other subreddits and sharing the site on a few other alt accounts and they caught me and I am now permabanned from Reddit, Lol. I'm pretty sure they have my IP and stuff on a blacklist at this point.

[satvikpendem]

So, you spammed and are surprised you got banned?

[replwoacause]

You spammed