Reddit Terminology Glossary: Marketing Guide for Brands

Reddit isn't just another social platform. It's a community with its own language, culture, and unwritten rules. Brands that don't understand Reddit terminology often make embarrassing mistakes. They use corporate speak in casual communities, misunderstand voting mechanics, or accidentally violate community guidelines. These mistakes can result in downvotes, bans, and damaged brand reputation. Mastering Reddit terminology isn't about memorizing slang. It's about understanding how this platform works and communicating authentically with its 430+ million monthly users.

These fundamental terms form the backbone of how Reddit operates: Subreddit (r/): Individual communities focused on specific topics. Each has unique rules and culture. Example: r/marketing has 250k members discussing marketing strategies. Upvote/Downvote: Reddit's voting system. Users click up arrows to promote content, down arrows to demote it. Your content's visibility depends entirely on this community voting. Karma: Points earned from upvotes on your posts and comments. Higher karma signals credibility to the community. Most marketers need 100+ karma before posting promotional content. Post/Thread: The main content piece that starts a discussion. Can be text, image, video, or link. Comment: Replies to posts or other comments. Often where real engagement happens. OP (Original Poster): The person who created the post you're discussing. Crosspost: Sharing a post from one subreddit to another relevant community. Flair: Tags that categorize posts or identify users. Many subreddits require specific flair for different content types.

Understanding Reddit's user ecosystem helps you identify who you're talking to: Lurkers: Users who read but rarely post or comment. They make up about 90% of Reddit users but still influence voting patterns. Power Users: Highly active contributors with significant karma and influence. Getting their attention can amplify your reach dramatically. Moderators (Mods): Volunteers who enforce subreddit rules. They can remove your content or ban you instantly. Building good relationships with mods is essential for consistent marketing success. Throwaway Account: Temporary accounts for sensitive posts. Users often indicate this in their username. Alt Account: Secondary accounts users maintain for different purposes or anonymity. Trolls: Users who post inflammatory content to provoke reactions. Don't engage with them. Shill: Someone suspected of promoting products for money without disclosure. Being labeled a shill can destroy your marketing efforts on Reddit.

Reddit has specific language for describing content quality and user behavior: Quality Content Terms:

• OC (Original Content): User-created content, highly valued by communities

• Repost: Content posted again, often generates negative reactions

• Copypasta: Text frequently copied and pasted, usually spam or memes

• Effortpost: High-quality, detailed posts with significant research or insight Engagement Patterns:

• Circle jerk: When users repeatedly agree without adding value

• Echo chamber: Subreddits where only one viewpoint gets upvoted

• Hivemind: Reddit's tendency for groupthink on certain topics

• Bandwagon: Jumping on popular trends or opinions Voting Behavior:

• Brigading: Coordinated voting from external groups (against Reddit rules)

• Vote fuzzing: Reddit artificially adjusts vote counts to prevent gaming

• Controversial: Posts with similar numbers of upvotes and downvotes

• Gilded: Posts that received Reddit Gold or other awards Understanding these terms helps you gauge community sentiment and create content that resonates.

These terms directly affect how brands can operate on Reddit: Self-Promotion Rules:

• 9:1 Rule: For every promotional post, contribute 9 non-promotional posts

• Spam: Excessive self-promotion without community engagement

• Astroturfing: Fake grassroots marketing disguised as organic content

• Native Advertising: Promotional content that matches the platform's format Community Management:

• Reddiquette: Informal rules for good Reddit behavior

• Shadowban: When your posts are hidden from others without notification

• Automod: Automated moderation that removes content based on keywords or user history

• Sticky Post: Moderator-pinned posts that stay at the top of subreddits Content Performance:

• Hot: Currently trending posts with high engagement

• Rising: Posts gaining momentum quickly

• Top: Highest-voted posts in a timeframe

• New: Most recently posted content Authenticity Markers:

• Verified: Official accounts confirmed by moderators

• AMA (Ask Me Anything): Q&A format posts, popular for brand engagement

• Proof: Evidence supporting claims, especially important for AMAs Brands using these formats correctly see 3x higher engagement than traditional promotional posts.

Reddit's culture includes unique expressions that signal insider knowledge: Meme Culture:

• Dank memes: High-quality, current memes that resonate with communities

• Meta: Self-referential content about Reddit itself

• Wholesome: Genuinely positive, heartwarming content

• Cringe: Awkward or embarrassing content (avoid being labeled this) Community Dynamics:

• Based: Content that's authentic or represents unpopular but true opinions

• Karen: Entitled customer behavior (don't be one)

• Normie: Mainstream users who don't understand Reddit culture

• Gatekeeping: Excluding others from communities or interests Reaction Terms:

• This: Simple agreement (often gets downvoted for not adding value)

• Username checks out: When someone's username relates perfectly to their comment

• Came here to say this: Indicates duplicate thoughts

• Edit: Thanks for the gold: Common response to receiving awards Warning Signs:

• Delete this: Community strongly disagrees with your content

• Yikes: Content is problematic or embarrassing

• Big if true: Skepticism about your claims

• Sus (suspicious): Community doubts your authenticity Brands that naturally use these terms show cultural awareness, but forced usage backfires spectacularly.

These language mistakes immediately identify you as an outsider: Corporate Speak Failures:

• Using "leverage" or "synergy" in casual conversations

• Calling users "customers" instead of "community members"

• Ending posts with corporate signatures or legal disclaimers

• Using hashtags (Reddit doesn't use them) Platform Confusion:

• Calling subreddits "groups" or "pages"

• Asking people to "like" instead of "upvote"

• Referring to "followers" instead of "subscribers"

• Using "DM" instead of "PM" (private message) Cultural Misunderstandings:

• Ignoring the 9:1 self-promotion guideline

• Not understanding when content is considered spam

• Missing sarcasm or inside jokes completely

• Taking obvious trolling seriously Real Example: A major tech company posted in r/technology asking users to "leverage their platform ecosystem for maximum synergy." The post received 2,000 downvotes and became a meme about corporate disconnection. Recovery Strategy:

• Acknowledge mistakes genuinely

• Learn from community feedback

• Adjust your language to match each subreddit's tone

• Focus on providing value rather than promoting Remember: Authenticity matters more than perfect terminology. Genuine attempts to engage properly get forgiven. Obvious corporate manipulation gets destroyed.