You get banned for promoting on Reddit and forums
Every time you post about your product on Reddit or Hacker News, it gets downvoted or removed. Communities hate self-promotion and you can't figure out how to participate authentically. Reddit's own guidelines suggest a 10:1 ratio of helpful content to self-promotion, and most subreddit mods are even stricter. Hacker News is famously allergic to marketing speak. But these platforms can be goldmines when done right — many successful indie products got their first 100 users from a single authentic HN or Reddit post. The key is that the community needs to discover your value, not have it pushed on them. Companies like Ahrefs generate significant traffic from Reddit by answering SEO questions thoroughly and only mentioning their tool when genuinely relevant.
TL;DR
"You get banned for promoting on Reddit and forums" is a common acquisition problem. Key signs include posts flagged or removed for self-promotion within hours and comments get downvoted to -5 or worse when you mention your product. Start by trying: Spend 4-6 weeks helping people with genuine answers before mentioning your product even once.
Overview
If you're dealing with “you get banned for promoting on reddit and forums”, you're not alone. This is one of the most common acquisition challenges that solo founders and indie hackers face. Below you'll find the warning signs to watch for, root causes to investigate, and quick wins you can try today.
Signs you have this problem
- Posts flagged or removed for self-promotion within hours
- Comments get downvoted to -5 or worse when you mention your product
- Account banned or shadow-banned from key subreddits
- Show HN posts get under 5 points and disappear from the front page
- Forum members publicly call you out as a spammer (this follows your brand)
Why this happens
- Promoting without giving value first — communities can smell a marketer from a mile away
- No established reputation or post history in the community
- Posts are thinly veiled ads disguised as 'hey I found this cool tool' (people see through this instantly)
- Joining communities only when you need something — this shows in your post history
- Not understanding community norms, tone, and what kind of content gets celebrated vs. punished
Quick wins to try
Spend 4-6 weeks helping people with genuine answers before mentioning your product even once
Answer questions thoroughly, even if it means recommending competitors — Ahrefs does this and it builds massive trust
Share your building journey with real numbers on Indie Hackers — 'I hit $1k MRR, here's how' always gets traction
Create genuinely useful resources (templates, guides, data) the community can benefit from with zero strings attached
When to prioritize this
When your ICP actively uses Reddit, HN, or niche forums and you can commit to 30+ minutes of genuine participation daily for at least 6 weeks. If you need results in under a month, this isn't your channel.
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