In this post we will explain what Reddit is, and go over how to use Reddit effectively.
We will discuss how Reddit can be a useful source of information, but in some cases, we need to take the information with a grain of salt!
What is Reddit?
Reddit is a Social News website that features user-based posts and content. Think of this as a forum for sharing messages and asking questions.
Reddit is compromised of “sub-reddits” of almost any topic one can imagine. There are several million sub-reddits, so it is easy to imagine that every kind of information is available. Hundreds of sub-reddits are devoted to humor, sports, or particular locations. There are sub-reddits about pets, plants and business topics. It is generally better to post in an existing and active sub-reddit, although you can start your own when needed.
A sub-reddit is represented by adding an r/ in front of the subject name. An example being a sub-reddit for classic cars would look like “r/classiccars.”
In many instances a subreddit can have posts by any user that has joined the group and wants to post something.
It is also possible that a moderator needs to approve your post before posting.
It is a great website to find like-minded people who are interested in the same topic.
How To Use Reddit Effectively To Gather Information
Reddit can be a great place to gather information on a topic that has little to no web presence.
The information being looked for might already be on Reddit. If there is a certain question that one can not initially find in a Google search, adding the word “reddit” to the end of the search might help.
Viewing those results will often yield the answers we are looking for.
Tips on Filtering Reddit Information
Because Reddit is open to everyone, the people posting can be anywhere from extremely knowledgable to utterly clueless. To gain confidence in the information that is found, it is important to filter what seems credible.
One way to evaluate posts is by looking at other Redditor’s up and down votes. Each post has upvotes on the left side of the post. The higher the number, the more people agreed with what the poster wrote.
A ton of upvotes might be a good indication the information is credible. It might also just mean that the post was particularly funny.
Another check if a post contains the information needed, would be to check the comments.
Here we can see what other users think and if they agree/disagree. It can also indicate if the post is simply not worth continuing to read.
Users can upvote the comments to a post as well. This can often indicate the best answer to the question of the poster.
Creating a Post
To create a Reddit post, we navigate to the specific sub-reddit we want to post in. To get the most and best responses, choose a sub-reddit that has many members who are active, and make sure that the post is on-topic for that group.
As seen in the classiccars subreddit image above, “create post” will be on the right side.
Press that button and the screen displayed below will appear.
From here we can designate what type of post it will be with the 5 tabs on the top.
Regardless of type, the post must be titled and can have text to accompany it.
Saving a draft will allow editing at a later time.
Some subs will require a flair, which is just a description of what the post is from a pre-defined list.
If you need more help, check out the Reddit Information Page.
If you would like help from us with this process, just call or email and we’ll be happy to assist you!
Additionally, if you have specific questions, or if our terminology isn’t clear, please use our contact form to send us a message. Thank you!