Submitting a post to Reddit is exciting. When a post does well on Reddit, it is evident to the subreddit where it was posted. It is often shared with other subreddits. It generates both positive and negative feedback, leading to other opportunities both on and off Reddit.
The effects of a Reddit post are amplified exponentially as it is upvoted higher and higher, which is why you should always take your time to plan and execute each submission carefully. Before you make your first submission to Reddit, let’s look at the top posts in your chosen subreddit to see what we can learn about the community and the content they value.
Analyzing the Top Posts in a Subreddit
It is important to learn what your subreddit wants. The details change for each subreddit, but in general, subreddits upvote content on the topic, delivered in a certain range of formats, and spoken in the community’s voice. To determine what your chosen subreddit community likes, a good place to start is the “Top” posts in the subreddit.
You can access the top posts by going to your subreddit front page and clicking on the “top” tab near the header area. After the “top” tab loads, you’ll see a “links from:” option in the top left corner. This determines the time period of the top posts (e.g., past year), and we will use this option in the next Assignment to look at top posts from different time periods.
Things you should pay attention to when looking at the top posts in a subreddit
- Are there any particular content types that are most commonly used? How many images, videos, links to articles, and text posts do you see?
- Where is the content hosted? Are there any specific websites or types of websites that are commonly linked to?
- Do you see any similarities among the titles? Do the titles give you an objective description of the content, or do they feature clickbait tactics (teasing, editorial, hyperbole)?
- What types of stories are being told? For example, one subreddit might like stories about injustice while another subreddit likes stories about success or redemption.
- By taking a critical look at the top posts of the subreddit, you learn how to tailor your posts to match the community’s preferences. The top posts can also inspire new ideas for content that will perform well in the subreddit.
Assignment 6.1 – Analyze the top posts in your chosen subreddit
Navigate to the “top” tab of your subreddit (https://www.reddit.com/r/your_subreddit/top/)and filter the top posts by “past month.” Review the top posts listed and ask yourself the questions listed in the previous section. Then repeat the process looking at the top posts from the “past year”.
After reviewing the top posts, write down any general conclusions you can make about your subreddit’s top content. Identify any patterns in the language used, the content types, and the types of stories being told. Save your notes for the next assignment.
To complete this assignment: review and take notes on the top content in your chosen subreddit. Save these notes so you can use them for the next assignment.
