How I Find Leads on Reddit Without Dropping a Single Link

When I first tried using Reddit for leads, I did what every impatient founder does:
post links everywhere and hope magic happens.

Spoiler: it didn’t. I got flagged, ignored, and once, even roasted by a moderator. (Fun times.)

So I ditched the links. And weirdly enough… that’s when Reddit started working. Now I pull in warm leads almost daily—without posting a single link.

Here’s the playbook:

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1. Reddit = Google in Disguise

Everyone thinks Reddit is “social media.” Nope. It’s a giant Q&A machine. People literally type “best tool for X” or “alternatives to Y.”
That’s intent. Pure, beautiful, uncut intent. If you can answer those questions, you’re basically showing up at the exact moment someone’s ready to buy.

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2. The Magic Words

I don’t chase every post. I track the honey keywords: “best tool,” “alternatives to,” “recommend me,” “how do you…”
Those are signals that someone is actively shopping. Tools like ParseStream can catch them, but you could also hack it with manual searches if you’re scrappy.

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3. Help First, Hint Later

I never open with my product. I solve the problem. Share examples. Drop a tip or two.
Only after that do I slip in my brand name. No links. Just a name. And somehow that works better—people Google it themselves if they like your answer.

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4. Early Beats Perfect

Speed matters more than copywriting genius. The first reply gets visibility. A decent answer in 10 minutes > a polished essay an hour later.

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The Surprise Ending

This simple shift—stop spamming, start helping—turned Reddit into a daily lead channel for me.
No spam. No bans. No cringe. Just conversations that quietly convert.

Reddit isn’t about dropping links. It’s about dropping answers at the right time.

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👉 If you’re stuck on lead gen, run this experiment: search Reddit for “alternatives to [competitor]” today. Be the first to answer. Give value. Mention your brand name. Then close the tab and wait.