After getting banned from Reddit 6 times trying to promote my product, I stopped guessing and started tracking.
Built a Google Sheet. 143 rows. Each row was a Reddit post (mine or others). Logged: subreddit, survived/removed, account age, karma, time posted, comment frequency, days between posts.
After 4 months, clear patterns emerged that contradict most Reddit marketing advice.
What the data showed:
Subreddit size inversely correlated with survival rate. r/Entrepreneur (3M members) removed ~90% of product posts I tracked. r/SideProject (180K members) allowed most through.
Time of day mattered, but not how expected. Posts made 2-5pm ET had higher removal rates (likely when mods are most active). 9pm-1am posts survived review longer.
Account age was the strongest predictor. Under 30 days = automatic scrutiny regardless of karma. 45+ days with gradual karma building had 3x survival rate.
Comment frequency triggered filters at 3+ per hour, even when comments were legitimately helpful. Algorithm can't distinguish intent, only patterns.
Posting frequency killed accounts faster than content quality. Pattern that worked: Post Monday → rest Tuesday → comment Wednesday/Thursday → rest Friday → post different subreddit Saturday. Pattern that failed: Post Monday → post Tuesday → post Wednesday.
The bans:
Account 1: Commented on 8 posts in one afternoon. Banned day 3.
Account 2: Built karma 2 weeks, posted once. Banned day 7.
Account 3: Only commented for a month, then mentioned product. Banned.
Account 4: Hired someone on Upwork (different IP, older account). Banned faster.
Account 5: Built to 500 karma over a month. Posted in "show HN" equivalent. Shadowbanned.
Account 6: Breaking point.
Account 7: Followed the data. Still alive 11 months later.
What I built:
Turned the spreadsheet into MediaFast. Takes a niche, analyzes which subreddits actually allow product mentions (based on historical data, not rules), builds 30-day roadmap with pacing that avoids spam detection patterns.
Launched Feb 2024. Currently $5.4K MRR, 185 users at $29/month, ~25% trial conversion.
Growth is mostly organic (SEO for "Reddit marketing without bans" + sharing on X). Near-zero churn because people get actual results.
Mistakes that cost months:
Not tracking from ban 1 (started after ban 6, wasted 3 months)
Chasing large subreddits instead of focused smaller ones
Posting same content cross-subreddit same day (banned in 4 subs simultaneously)
Ignoring rest periods (thought daily activity showed consistency, actually flagged as spam)
Key insight:
Reddit doesn't ban promotional content. It bans patterns that look like spam. The content quality is almost irrelevant if your posting rhythm triggers automated detection.
Tech stack:
Next.js, Supabase, Reddit API (carefully rate-limited), custom scraping for historical post analysis.
1 comment
[ 0.31 ms ] story [ 13.2 ms ] threadBuilt a Google Sheet. 143 rows. Each row was a Reddit post (mine or others). Logged: subreddit, survived/removed, account age, karma, time posted, comment frequency, days between posts. After 4 months, clear patterns emerged that contradict most Reddit marketing advice.
What the data showed: Subreddit size inversely correlated with survival rate. r/Entrepreneur (3M members) removed ~90% of product posts I tracked. r/SideProject (180K members) allowed most through. Time of day mattered, but not how expected. Posts made 2-5pm ET had higher removal rates (likely when mods are most active). 9pm-1am posts survived review longer.
Account age was the strongest predictor. Under 30 days = automatic scrutiny regardless of karma. 45+ days with gradual karma building had 3x survival rate. Comment frequency triggered filters at 3+ per hour, even when comments were legitimately helpful. Algorithm can't distinguish intent, only patterns. Posting frequency killed accounts faster than content quality. Pattern that worked: Post Monday → rest Tuesday → comment Wednesday/Thursday → rest Friday → post different subreddit Saturday. Pattern that failed: Post Monday → post Tuesday → post Wednesday.
The bans: Account 1: Commented on 8 posts in one afternoon. Banned day 3. Account 2: Built karma 2 weeks, posted once. Banned day 7. Account 3: Only commented for a month, then mentioned product. Banned. Account 4: Hired someone on Upwork (different IP, older account). Banned faster. Account 5: Built to 500 karma over a month. Posted in "show HN" equivalent. Shadowbanned. Account 6: Breaking point. Account 7: Followed the data. Still alive 11 months later.
What I built: Turned the spreadsheet into MediaFast. Takes a niche, analyzes which subreddits actually allow product mentions (based on historical data, not rules), builds 30-day roadmap with pacing that avoids spam detection patterns. Launched Feb 2024. Currently $5.4K MRR, 185 users at $29/month, ~25% trial conversion.
Revenue progression: Month 1: $360 Month 3: $1,200 Month 6: $2,300 Month 11: $5,400
Growth is mostly organic (SEO for "Reddit marketing without bans" + sharing on X). Near-zero churn because people get actual results. Mistakes that cost months:
Not tracking from ban 1 (started after ban 6, wasted 3 months)
Chasing large subreddits instead of focused smaller ones Posting same content cross-subreddit same day (banned in 4 subs simultaneously) Ignoring rest periods (thought daily activity showed consistency, actually flagged as spam)
Key insight: Reddit doesn't ban promotional content. It bans patterns that look like spam. The content quality is almost irrelevant if your posting rhythm triggers automated detection.
Tech stack: Next.js, Supabase, Reddit API (carefully rate-limited), custom scraping for historical post analysis.
Full data and roadmaps: https://mediafa.st
Happy to answer questions about the tracking methodology or specific patterns.