Russ posted on Reddit for 2 months straight. Forty posts.
Some flopped with 20 upvotes.
One exploded to 1.2 million views and 5,000 upvotes.
He celebrated the viral moment—until he checked his analytics.
Zero traffic to his website.
That viral post had no link.
Meanwhile, a "boring" story post with only 80,000 views drove 1,500 website visits and actual signups.
The lesson?
Views don't pay the bills. Strategic post formats with direct links do.
Here's what he learned testing question posts, news posts, controversial posts, and story posts—and why one format crushed everything else.
📍 What It Is
The Post Format Testing Strategy: Systematically testing different Reddit post types (questions, news, controversial content, personal stories) to discover which formats drive actual business results—not just vanity metrics like views and upvotes—then doubling down on what converts.
⚙️ What He Tested Over 2 Months
Russ runs Bluedot, an AI Chrome extension for recording Google Meet calls. He needed traffic for his B2B SaaS. Over 2 months, he posted 40+ times testing different formats.
Target subreddits: r/entrepreneur, r/SaaS, r/WorkFromHome, r/antiwork
Test #1: Question Posts
Post: "How do you feel about recording every company meeting? Ray Dalio's been doing it for 20 years. [subtle link to Bluedot]"
Results:
65 upvotes
74 comments
Low traffic to website
Test #2: News Posts
Post: "Your morning reminder that Nvidia is a $1.8 trillion company with a fully remote team. Everyone said we had to go back to the office. [link to Bluedot]"
Results:
1,500 upvotes
98 comments
Decent traffic, low conversion
Test #3: Controversial Posts
Post: "My manager was secretly recording our 1-on-1s and accidentally sent me the summary. What should I do?" [Screenshot showing Bluedot logo, but NO link in post]
Results:
5,000 upvotes
522 comments
1.2 MILLION views
Zero website traffic (no link)
Side effect: People Googled "bluedot.hq.com" after seeing the screenshot, creating organic search spikes.
Test #4: Story Posts
Post: "Our first big check: Just received $7,000 after 8 months of work" [Story about closing first major client + screenshot of payment + direct link to Bluedot in context]
Results:
75 upvotes (much less than others)
80,000 views (15x less than controversial post)
1,500 website visits (infinite more than controversial post)
Actual signups and customers
The Winner: Story posts drove the most business results despite lower vanity metrics.
🎯 Why Story Posts Convert & How to Execute Them
After testing four formats, story posts consistently drove the best conversions. Here's why they work and how to replicate them.
Why Story Posts Win:
Personal narrative creates trust - "Here's my journey" feels authentic to fellow entrepreneurs, removes the salesy barrier
Screenshot proof adds credibility - Real payment confirmation or meeting summaries show the product actually works, not just marketing claims
Direct link feels natural - After a success story, "here's what we're building" makes sense; the link isn't forced or hidden
Built-in motivation to click - Readers think "How did they do it?" and "I want similar results," creating genuine curiosity
The math that matters: 80K views → 1,500 visits = 1.9% click-through rate (insanely high for Reddit). Compare to: 1.2M views with no link = 0 visits.
How to Execute Story Posts:
Structure:
Hook with specific milestone: "$7K check after 8 months"
Tell the story: How you got there, challenges faced
Include proof: Screenshot, data, evidence
Natural product mention: "A little about us: [direct link]"
Invite discussion: "Happy to answer questions!"
Timing: Post when US East Coast wakes up (8-10am ET). Reddit traffic is 70-80% from the US. European timezone posts rarely achieve the same reach.
Link Placement: Include the direct link in the post body where it's contextual. Don't hide it in your bio—Reddit users don't check profiles like they do on Twitter or LinkedIn.
Choose the Right Subreddits: r/entrepreneur and r/SaaS work perfectly for business milestone stories. r/startups works for early-stage wins. Industry-specific subs work if your story relates to that vertical.
What to Track: Stop celebrating views and upvotes. Measure: Website visits → Signups → Customers → Revenue. Story posts win on metrics that actually matter for business.
Strategic Framework by Post Type:
Question posts → Early engagement, testing topics
News posts → Building awareness, warming up subreddits
Controversial posts → Brand awareness at scale (but need strategic screenshot or link)
Story posts → Actual conversions, traffic, signups, customers
Different formats serve different purposes. But if you're measuring business results, story posts with proof win every time.
💡 Your Turn Write down your most recent business milestone (first customer, revenue goal hit, product launch). Can you turn it into a Reddit story post with proof? Test it this week in one relevant subreddit.