{"id":85534,"date":"2017-01-10T11:27:00","date_gmt":"2017-01-10T17:27:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.premiumbeat.com\/blog\/?p=85534"},"modified":"2017-01-10T11:27:57","modified_gmt":"2017-01-10T17:27:57","slug":"publishing-videos-on-reddit","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.premiumbeat.com\/blog\/publishing-videos-on-reddit\/","title":{"rendered":"Everything You Need to Know Before Posting Your Videos on Reddit"},"content":{"rendered":"

The allure of Reddit’s\u00a0front page may be great, but reaching it\u00a0is easier said than done. Here’s everything\u00a0you must consider before posting your videos.<\/h2>\n

Cover image via Shutterstock<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n

The Reddit community <\/a>is as vast as it is fickle<\/strong>. Having a video of your creation climb across its various subreddits<\/strong> can garner thousands of views, likes, and comments<\/strong> and can turn even the most unassuming videos into viral hits. However, on the flip side, the community\u00a0is built to be an aggregator and forum<\/strong> for found content, not shameless self-promotion \u2014 and there are several<\/strong> built-in failsafes to keep it that way<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

Before we get into the recommended\u00a0posting strategies\u00a0and etiquette<\/strong>, let’s take a look at what makes Reddit unique.<\/p>\n

Reddit By The Numbers<\/h3>\n

\"Everything<\/p>\n

By Reddit’s own metrics (featured\u00a0above<\/a>), the site averages almost one million unique page views<\/strong> a day. The site currently sits as the\u00a0Alexa-ranked 24th most-visited site<\/a> on the internet across the globe. However, despite its popularity, it still retains\u00a0its close-knit aesthetics\u00a0<\/strong>and serves\u00a0more as a community bulletin board<\/strong> than social media platform. This means, if you are looking to post your own videos, you’ll need to learn how the community works<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

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Understanding the Community<\/h3>\n

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\nImage via Alpha Coders<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n

This is actually a bit of a misnomer <\/strong>\u2014\u00a0<\/strong>while Reddit as a whole can be understood as a community<\/strong> (which it is), it is actually (and more accurately) a conglomeration<\/strong> of hundreds of thousands of smaller more specific, niche communities<\/strong> housed within.<\/p>\n

If you look from a front-page down perspective<\/strong>, it really is quite amazing how each individual community can be wholly unique, yet still retain so many of the same nuances<\/strong>\u00a0that define the entire congregation.<\/p>\n

Reddit entries are organized into areas of interest called “subreddits.” Originally, the front page was the “main-reddit,” and other areas were “subreddits.” There is now no longer a single main-reddit. Instead, there are now 50 “default subreddits” dealing with topics such as books, television, and music, and thousands of additional non-default subreddits. \u2014 from the Reddit Wikipedia page<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Within the subreddits<\/strong>, you can find communities organized by locale, professions, hobbies, and interests<\/strong> common and bizarre. Depending on your inclinations, you “subscribe” to various subreddits and build your own unique main-page<\/strong> and Reddit experience.\u00a0For example, if you are interested in\u00a0filmmaking and videography<\/strong>, you can subscribe to \/r\/filmmakers<\/a>\u00a0and \/r\/videography<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Finding subreddits in which you share interests and knowledge<\/strong> is\u00a0an important first step for you\u00a0to make connections and start building your karma<\/strong> (more on that later).<\/p>\n

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Speaking the Language<\/h3>\n

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\nImage via Digital Trends<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n

Reddit comments and submissions are occasionally abbreviated and peppered with terms that are understood within (and in many cases also outside) the Reddit community, ranging from OP (for “original poster,” the user who posted the submission being commented upon) to NSFW<\/a> (for “not safe for work”). \u2014 from the Reddit Wikipedia page<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

If you are completely unfamiliar with Reddit, you may want to spend some time browsing the front page and various subreddits<\/strong> in which you may be interested to get a gist of how people post. However, to be extra helpful, the subreddit \/r\/TheoryOfReddit<\/a>\u00a0has a partial glossary of many of the terms and acronyms<\/a>.<\/p>\n

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Practicing Proper\u00a0Reddiquette<\/h3>\n

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\nImage via Techwyse<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n

Along with understanding the communities and speaking the language, it’s important to learn and practice proper etiquette (or reddiquette<\/em>)<\/strong>. Again, you’re in luck, as Redditors have compiled and laid out a\u00a0canonical list<\/a> of “Please do” and “Please don’t” rules to follow.<\/p>\n

With the eventual goal\u00a0of\u00a0sharing your own videos as posted content<\/strong>, it’s important to note the following:<\/p>\n

Feel free to post links to your own content<\/strong> (within reason). But if that’s all you ever post, or it always seems to get voted down, take a good hard look in the mirror \u2014 you just might be a spammer. A widely used rule of thumb is the 9:1 ratio, i.e. only 1 out of every 10 of your submissions should be your own content.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

The 9:1 ratio is the real kicker<\/strong>, and if you’ve tried to post your own content before only to be down-voted and possibly heckled<\/strong>, it’s the rule that can quickly get you into trouble. Which leads us to how to avoid such problems<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

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Building Your Karma<\/h3>\n

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\nImage via\u00a0\/user\/algae12<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n

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Why should I try to accumulate karma?\u00a0<\/strong>Why should you try to score points in a video game? Why should your favorite sports team try to win the championship? Or, to look at things from a less competitive and more altruistic perspective, read what philosophers have said about the matter<\/a>\u00a0\u2014 namely, don’t set out to accumulate karma; just set out to be a good person, and let your karma simply be a reminder of your legacy. Note: reddit makes no guarantees about attaining Nirvana. \u2014 Excerpt from Reddit FAQ<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

Despite how\u00a0Reddit may attempt to soften it, “Karma” is the underlining currency of the Reddit community<\/strong> and determines the success of a post by dictating how high up it will be placed on any given page or post<\/strong>. It is also crucial in regard to your username and what\/where you are allowed to post<\/strong> and how your account will be judged by others.<\/p>\n

For example, to post in the hugely popular<\/strong> (and tightly moderated) \/r\/videos<\/a> subreddit, you must have a score of 10 link and 10 comment karma<\/strong>. If you try to post without accumulating, you’ll get this message.<\/p>\n

Hello \/u\/username,<\/p>\n

Thank you for your submission. Unfortunately your account does not have enough karma to submit things to \/r\/videos<\/a> at this time.<\/p>\n

\/r\/videos<\/a> requires users to have a minimum of 10 link and<\/strong> 10 comment karma. We suggest that you comment in some popular threads and make submissions to other subreddits to build up your karma and then come back.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

This is\u00a0one of the failsafes to keep spammers and bots<\/strong> from pestering the boards with links to unauthentic websites and posts<\/strong>. So, to build your karma, you’ll need to go back to those smaller subreddits<\/strong> (like the ones mentioned before) to post and comment<\/strong> as you see fit.<\/p>\n

Again, this isn’t meant to deter you from sharing your work per se, it’s actually meant to force you to engage and share meaningfully within subreddits<\/strong> of your interest. You can think of it\u00a0as a training grounds to practice and learn what types of posts and titles<\/strong> work best for you.<\/p>\n

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What\/When\/Where\u00a0to Post<\/h3>\n

Outside of sharing your own videos, you’ll want to post relevant links to pages, images, and videos<\/strong> related to your various subreddits for a while. While there is no exact science or formula<\/strong> behind what, when, and why certain posts do well and earn good karma<\/strong>, there will always be those who try. Here are some findings from blogger (and Redditor) Randy Olsen<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Where to Post<\/strong><\/h3>\n

\"Everything<\/p>\n

While this may seem obvious, it’s actually quite interesting. In general, posts on the larger subreddits receive more upvotes than on the smaller ones<\/strong>. While communities will vary in how supportive they may be, it comes down to a cross between a high relevancy\/interest<\/strong> in a post and perhaps pure luck<\/strong>. Also, if you’re shooting for the stars, the larger subreddits will be exponentially more likely<\/strong> (or, conversely, less likely) to take off based on sheer volume potential<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

When to Post<\/strong><\/h3>\n

\"Everything<\/p>\n

While Reddit has now become a global phenomenon<\/strong>, it still leans heavy toward its audiences in the US and Europe<\/strong>. If you follow the trends, your best windows for posting would be on weekdays for the early US crowds<\/strong> (7AM-8AM EST) and avoiding nights and weekends<\/strong>. However, if you feel you know your communities, certain “down-time” posts<\/strong> can become quite popular as well.<\/p>\n

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What\u00a0to Title Your Post<\/strong><\/h3>\n

\"Everything<\/p>\n

Similarly covered in the language and reddiquette, titling your Reddit posts<\/strong> can be paramount to its eventual karma success<\/strong>. As you can see in the word cloud above, while titling is endlessly diverse, there are some major themes which you can tap<\/strong> into.<\/p>\n

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Posting Your Video<\/h3>\n

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\nImage via YouTube<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n

Once you’ve successfully navigated Reddit\u00a0for a while and built up your karma<\/strong>, you should be able to post your own videos and unique content<\/strong>\u00a0sparingly. Hopefully you will by then fully understand the intricacies<\/strong> of doing so, but the basics will remain the same<\/strong> for posting a video.<\/p>\n

Upload to Youtube<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Yes, if you see fit, you can host your video on other sites like Vimeo<\/a> or others, but the vast majority of video content is shared on YouTube<\/strong>. In fact, from Randy Olsen’s same research, YouTube is actually the number one link domain shared on Reddit<\/a> by a pretty wide margin. If you’re serious about going viral<\/strong> and reaching the front page, YouTube would be your safest bet<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

Create Your Post<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Like the research above, the highest likelihood of your post taking off would lean in favor of posting on one of the major subreddits<\/strong>. Some of the most trafficked suitable for video<\/strong> would be \/r\/funny<\/a>, \/r\/science<\/a>, and obviously \/r\/videos<\/a>. You can also view a realtime list of the top subreddits<\/a> to search for the right one for you.<\/p>\n

Monitor Your Post<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Once your post is up and your video is out there for the whole Reddit community<\/strong> to view, it can be important for you to stay engaged to monitor and reply<\/strong> when necessary. This is not always the case, but in general reflects good practice<\/strong> as a way to explain (or perhaps justify) what it is you posted and why you think it is of interest<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

Things to Consider<\/h3>\n

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\nImage via\u00a0\/user\/doyoulikebread<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n

Posting to Reddit can be quite intimidating<\/strong> for those who have not been active and immersed within the community for several years. Although posts seem to go viral out of the blue, it really depends on the climate, quality of the content, and many elements<\/strong> of right place at the right time<\/em>-ness. Short of picking the brains of the\u00a0234 million unique monthly users<\/strong>, here are some things to consider.<\/p>\n