A SaaS founder generates 30% of his demos from Reddit using tactics most people are afraid to talk about—vote manipulation, multiple fake accounts, and sneaking links into posts days after publishing. His methods work.
They're also against Reddit's rules and could get you permanently banned.
Here's the uncomfortable truth: gray hat tactics deliver short-term results but come with long-term risks.
Let me show you what he's doing, why it's dangerous, and the white hat alternatives that work without risking your account.
📍 What It Is
Gray Hat vs. White Hat Reddit Marketing: Understanding the full spectrum of Reddit tactics—from clean, sustainable strategies (white hat) to manipulative techniques that work but violate platform rules (gray hat)—so you can make informed decisions about risk vs. reward for your business.
🎯 Why This Matters
Gray hat tactics work - Vote manipulation and fake accounts DO generate results in the short term
But the risks are real - Permanent bans, subreddit blacklisting, reputation damage
You need to know both - Understanding what others do helps you compete without crossing lines
White hat alternatives exist - For almost every gray hat tactic, there's a legitimate version
Sustainability matters - Getting banned after 3 months of success means starting over from zero
⚙️ How It Works
The Gray Hat Playbook (What He Does + The Risks):
Tactic #1: Reddit SEO Commenting
What He Does: Searches Google for keywords in his niche, finds Reddit posts that rank, then comments on those old posts (sometimes with his link, sometimes without). Moderators rarely monitor old posts, so less risk of getting banned.
The Results: Dozens of impressions per comment over months, but low conversion since comments on viral posts get buried at the bottom.
The Risk: ⚠️ Low risk if genuine. Higher risk if spammy.
White Hat Alternative: ✅ Same tactic, but focus on ADDING VALUE in your comment. Answer questions thoroughly, then add: "I built a tool for this (no affiliation pitch) if you want to check it out: [link]." Make your comment so useful that people upvote it naturally, moving it higher.
Tactic #2: The Open Question Strategy
What He Does: Posts questions like "What's the best LinkedIn tool?" People respond with recommendations. He then comments: "I'm the creator of [tool]; I wanted to compare it with competitors." People click and sign up.
The Results: Works well because it's soft selling and people are already in "recommendation mode."
The Risk: ⚠️ Low to medium risk if genuine. Feels slightly manipulative if the question is just bait.
White Hat Alternative: ✅ Ask genuinely curious questions where you actually want to learn from responses. If people mention competitors, engage honestly: "Great options! I build [tool] which takes a different approach to X. Happy to show you if you're curious." The question should stand alone as valuable even without your product mention.
Tactic #3: Post Editing (Sneaking Links Later)
What He Does: Posts valuable content without links initially. After a few days when the post has traction and mods aren't watching, he edits it to add his company link.
The Results: Avoids immediate mod detection while getting the link in front of an engaged audience.
The Risk: 🚨 HIGH RISK. This is manipulation. If caught, you'll be banned. Reddit tracks post edits. Mods can see what you changed.
White Hat Alternative: ✅ Include your link from the start, but make it a small part of a genuinely valuable post. If your content is truly helpful, most mods will allow it. Example: Write a detailed guide, then end with: "I built [tool] to solve this exact problem. Link here if interested." If mods remove it, respect their decision and adjust your approach.
Tactic #4: Vote Manipulation
What He Does: "Having upvotes from the start when you post will help you gain a lot more visibility. You see where I'm going with this; I won't say more."
Translation: He's buying upvotes or using multiple accounts to upvote his own posts immediately after posting.
The Results: Posts with early upvotes get more visibility in the algorithm, increasing chances of going viral.
The Risk: 🚨 EXTREMELY HIGH RISK. Vote manipulation is explicitly against Reddit's Terms of Service. You WILL get caught eventually. Reddit's anti-spam algorithms are sophisticated. Consequences: Shadowban (your posts become invisible), permanent account ban, IP ban, subreddit-wide bans.
White Hat Alternative: ✅ Create genuinely valuable content that earns upvotes naturally. Post at optimal times when your target subreddit is most active. Engage in comments immediately to boost engagement signals. Build relationships with community members who will naturally upvote your helpful posts. There is NO legitimate shortcut here.
Tactic #5: Multiple Accounts for Different Approaches
What He Does: "I recommend having multiple accounts: one just for commenting, one for a more aggressive approach, and one for a softer approach."
The Results: If one account gets banned, the others survive. Can test different personas without cross-contamination.
The Risk: 🚨 HIGH RISK. Multiple accounts to evade bans or manipulate votes violates Reddit TOS. If Reddit connects them (same IP, similar posting patterns), all accounts get banned simultaneously.
White Hat Alternative: ✅ Use ONE authentic account. Build genuine reputation over time. If you need to test approaches, do it sequentially on the same account—try a softer approach for a month, then adjust based on results. Real community members have one identity and stand behind it.
Tactic #6: Comparison Article SEO
What He Does: Writes posts like "I tested alternatives to [Competitor]. Here are the pros and cons." These rank in Google and LLMs long-term.
The Results: Long-term organic traffic from people searching for competitor alternatives.
The Risk: ⚠️ Low risk if genuinely helpful and honest.
White Hat Alternative: ✅ This is already pretty white hat IF done honestly. Write genuinely useful comparisons. Don't trash competitors unfairly. Include your product but acknowledge where competitors are better. Reddit users and Google both reward honest, comprehensive content.
Tactic #7: Reposting Across Subreddits
What He Does: When a post performs well in one subreddit, he reposts it across all relevant subreddits (SaaS, SaaS Marketing, B2B Marketing, Cold Email, etc.).
The Results: One good post multiplied across 5-10 subreddits = significantly more reach.
The Risk: ⚠️ Medium risk. Some subreddits consider this spam. If you post identical content to 10 subs in one day, you'll get flagged.
White Hat Alternative: ✅ Customize each post for the specific subreddit. Change the angle, the examples, or the emphasis. Space out your posts (one per day, not all at once). Make each post feel native to its community, not copy-pasted spam.
Tactic #8: Reddit Ads for Restricted Subreddits
What He Does: For subreddits where posting is difficult (r/LeadGeneration, r/YCombinator), he runs Reddit ads instead.
The Results: "Ads work really well" according to him.
The Risk: ⚠️ Zero risk. This is completely legitimate.
White Hat Alternative: ✅ This IS white hat. Reddit ads are a legitimate paid channel. If you can't organically post in a subreddit due to strict rules, advertising is the proper alternative.
🏆 Real Example
Founder: SaaS founder (promotes lead gen tool gojiberry.ai)
Results: 30% of demos come from Reddit, 70% from his tool
What He Actually Does:
A mix of white hat and gray hat:
✅ White hat: SEO commenting, comparison articles, Reddit ads
🚨 Gray hat: Vote manipulation ("you see where I'm going with this"), multiple accounts, post editing to sneak links
The Short-Term Success:
His tactics work. 30% of his demo bookings come from Reddit. That's real revenue. The gray hat tactics accelerate results—posts with early upvotes do get more visibility, multiple accounts do provide backup if one gets banned.
The Long-Term Risk:
What he doesn't mention:
How long until his accounts get banned?
What happens when Reddit connects his multiple accounts?
How much time does he waste managing multiple personas?
What happens if his main account gets shadowbanned and he doesn't realize for weeks?
The Honest Assessment:
His white hat tactics (SEO commenting, comparison articles, ads) are sustainable and could work for years.
His gray hat tactics (vote manipulation, multiple accounts) are ticking time bombs. They work until they don't. And when Reddit catches you, there's no appeal process. You're done.
You have two options:
Option 1: Gray Hat (Fast Results, High Risk)
Use vote manipulation, multiple accounts, post editing
Get results in weeks
Live with constant risk of losing everything
Sleep poorly knowing you're one detection away from permanent ban
Option 2: White Hat (Slower Start, Sustainable)
Build one authentic account
Create genuinely valuable content
Let upvotes come naturally
Sleep well knowing your account is safe
I'm not here to judge. Some businesses need fast results and are willing to risk it. Others want to build sustainable channels.
Just go in with eyes open: gray hat tactics work until they don't, and when they stop working, they stop permanently.
💡 Your Turn Audit your current Reddit approach. Are you using any gray hat tactics? Write down the honest answer. Then decide: is the short-term gain worth the long-term risk for your business?
Reply with your honest assessment—no judgment, I just want to know what's actually happening out there.