Post to Adjacent Subreddits With Looser Rules

Post to Adjacent Subreddits With Looser Rules is a reddit & forums tactic for getting your first users: When the perfect community forbids promotion, find related subreddits (such as entrepreneurship or startups) that share much of the same audience but actually allow sharing.

It's a strong fit for teams of almost any kind, and works especially well for any founder blocked by strict subs. As a reddit & forums play, plan for low effort and expect results to arrive at a steady pace, all grounded in 1 linked primary source.

Reddit & forumsLow effortMedium

Why does reddit & forums work for this?

You reach a slice of the same audience without fighting a no-promo wall.

The exact steps (4)

The full step-by-step this founder ran, what they posted, where, and in what order, plus the watch-outs, is part of the library.

Unlock the steps · $29 oncePlus all 3,000+ tactics and the new ones we add weekly.

Sources

Works for
Any / universal

Frequently asked

How is the "Post to Adjacent Subreddits With Looser Rules" tactic verified?
It is drawn from 1 primary source — a real founder write-up or interview, not generic advice. It is linked in the Sources section above so you can read the original account yourself.
How much effort is it and how fast are results?
It is low effort, and results tend to be medium.
Where can I see the exact step-by-step?
The full step-by-step a founder ran, documented via Source — IndieHackers, is in the paid library.

Related tactics

Reddit & forumsMedium effort· Fast

Ride 'Rising' Posts in Mid-Size Subreddits With Link-Free Comments

Sort by 'Rising' (not Hot or New) in subreddits of 50k-500k members to find posts that just cleared the spam filter and are gaining momentum, then drop a genuinely funny or helpful comment with no link so it rides the post to the front page.

Read the steps →
Reddit & forumsLow effort· Fast

Get First Users by Posting in a 'Design Feedback' Thread

Soft-launch by asking a relevant subreddit for honest feedback on your homepage; the link rides along and curious readers convert without it feeling like an ad.

Read the steps →
Reddit & forumsMedium effort· Slow

Run a 5-Value-Posts-to-1-Link Ratio on Reddit

Build a reputation in a subreddit by posting several genuinely valuable link-free posts before dropping a single post that links to your product.

Read the steps →
Reddit & forumsLow effort· Fast

Set Up Keyword Radar for Your Niche

Instead of manually scrolling subreddits, you let automated alerts notify you the moment someone mentions your topic, competitors, or brand name so you can reply while the thread is still warm.

Read the steps →
Reddit & forumsLow effort· Fast

Model the Posts That Already Win

Studying the top-performing posts in your target communities and adapting their structure for your own content across related communities.

Read the steps →
Reddit & forumsLow effort· Fast

Post in Feedback Flairs and Weekly Threads

Many subs have sanctioned outlets for self-promo, dedicated feedback flairs or recurring weekly threads, where posting is allowed and won't get you banned.

Read the steps →

Get all 3,000+ tactics in one place

Filter by your product and channel, follow the exact steps, and get the new tactics we add every week. One payment, yours for good.