How to Gain Karma on Reddit

Know what karma is., Understand the different types of karma., Comment on new posts., Avoid making negative or poor-quality posts., Post relevant and discussion-worthy content., Engage people who comment on your posts., Take advantage of karma...

9 Steps 3 min read Medium

Step-by-Step Guide

  1. Step 1: Know what karma is.

    Karma refers to points received from upvotes, which are the Reddit equivalents of "likes" on Facebook.

    You receive approximately one point of karma for each upvote, and you lose about one point of karma for each downvote., You can receive different types of karma from the following types of posts:
    Post Karma
    - Posting an external link or creating a text-only post and then receiving upvotes will grant you "post" karma.

    Comment Karma
    - Posting a comment on an existing post or link and receiving upvotes will result in "comment" karma. , One of the easiest ways to give your comments visibility when you're starting out is to leave a thought-provoking comment or image on other users' existing posts.

    This method is less likely to earn you large amounts of karma all at once, but it will serve to build up your karma score over time while simultaneously establishing you as a dedicated user. , Your links and comments should add something of value to Reddit's overall content base.

    Posts that fall outside of Reddit's commonly accepted posting rules (also known as "reddiquette") tend to receive downvotes.You'll also want to refrain from violating Reddit's terms of use, since doing so will at the very least result in downvotes.

    It's okay to criticize, so long as the criticism is presented in a civil manner.

    The exception to this rule is comedic posting, though even these posts must err on the side of civility. , Reddit is a community based around idealistic discussion and expansion of any given topic.

    Posting well-researched, well-thought-out content may not rake in upvotes, but it will serve to show other users that you're worth listening to.

    The more users who consider you a valuable resource, the larger your future posts' audience--and, therefore, potential for upvotes--will be. , When you facilitate a conversation, continuing it will both add to the conversation and net you upvotes based on your responses.

    It's important to be respectful of others' opinions while doing so.

    It's okay (and encouraged) to disagree with others, so long as you present an educated counter-argument in a respectful manner.

    Ignore negative or provocative comments, as responding to them--even if you're in the right--will likely result in downvotes. , A "karma bomb" is created when you respond to a prospective top comment soon after it is posted.

    If the comment does indeed receive a large number of upvotes, your response will likely receive upvotes due to its proximity.

    For this strategy to work, you'll need to gauge the likelihood of a comment receiving mass positive reception, which will take time and practice.

    This is a high-risk, high-reward tactic: if the comment receives negative attention and the resulting downvotes, you'll also probably receive downvotes. , Since Reddit presents links in the form of the title you add, the context provided for the title will often set up the tone for the discussion.

    Consider using humor in these titles (e.g., puns or irony).

    Witty or surprising posts tend to receive upvotes. , As with any social media platform, users enjoy visual media.

    Using a creative or informative title in conjunction with an engaging visual is a good way to capture users' interest and earn upvotes.
  2. Step 2: Understand the different types of karma.

  3. Step 3: Comment on new posts.

  4. Step 4: Avoid making negative or poor-quality posts.

  5. Step 5: Post relevant and discussion-worthy content.

  6. Step 6: Engage people who comment on your posts.

  7. Step 7: Take advantage of karma bombs.

  8. Step 8: Use creative titles for your links.

  9. Step 9: Post links to photos or videos.

Detailed Guide

Karma refers to points received from upvotes, which are the Reddit equivalents of "likes" on Facebook.

You receive approximately one point of karma for each upvote, and you lose about one point of karma for each downvote., You can receive different types of karma from the following types of posts:
Post Karma
- Posting an external link or creating a text-only post and then receiving upvotes will grant you "post" karma.

Comment Karma
- Posting a comment on an existing post or link and receiving upvotes will result in "comment" karma. , One of the easiest ways to give your comments visibility when you're starting out is to leave a thought-provoking comment or image on other users' existing posts.

This method is less likely to earn you large amounts of karma all at once, but it will serve to build up your karma score over time while simultaneously establishing you as a dedicated user. , Your links and comments should add something of value to Reddit's overall content base.

Posts that fall outside of Reddit's commonly accepted posting rules (also known as "reddiquette") tend to receive downvotes.You'll also want to refrain from violating Reddit's terms of use, since doing so will at the very least result in downvotes.

It's okay to criticize, so long as the criticism is presented in a civil manner.

The exception to this rule is comedic posting, though even these posts must err on the side of civility. , Reddit is a community based around idealistic discussion and expansion of any given topic.

Posting well-researched, well-thought-out content may not rake in upvotes, but it will serve to show other users that you're worth listening to.

The more users who consider you a valuable resource, the larger your future posts' audience--and, therefore, potential for upvotes--will be. , When you facilitate a conversation, continuing it will both add to the conversation and net you upvotes based on your responses.

It's important to be respectful of others' opinions while doing so.

It's okay (and encouraged) to disagree with others, so long as you present an educated counter-argument in a respectful manner.

Ignore negative or provocative comments, as responding to them--even if you're in the right--will likely result in downvotes. , A "karma bomb" is created when you respond to a prospective top comment soon after it is posted.

If the comment does indeed receive a large number of upvotes, your response will likely receive upvotes due to its proximity.

For this strategy to work, you'll need to gauge the likelihood of a comment receiving mass positive reception, which will take time and practice.

This is a high-risk, high-reward tactic: if the comment receives negative attention and the resulting downvotes, you'll also probably receive downvotes. , Since Reddit presents links in the form of the title you add, the context provided for the title will often set up the tone for the discussion.

Consider using humor in these titles (e.g., puns or irony).

Witty or surprising posts tend to receive upvotes. , As with any social media platform, users enjoy visual media.

Using a creative or informative title in conjunction with an engaging visual is a good way to capture users' interest and earn upvotes.

About the Author

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Jason Reyes

Specializes in breaking down complex hobbies topics into simple steps.

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