HowTheyGotUsersHowTheyGotUsers

Use the Soft Self-Promo Comment Formula

Use the Soft Self-Promo Comment Formula is a reddit & forums tactic for getting your first users: Structure each comment so the bulk is real experience and value, with the promo as a small, suggestively-worded tag at the end.

It's a strong fit for teams of almost any kind, and works especially well for Founders nervous about self-promotion. 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?

Value-heavy, low-pressure phrasing avoids the downvotes that bury obvious ads.

The exact steps (5)

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 "Use the Soft Self-Promo Comment Formula" 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· Slow

Warm the Reddit Account for a Week Before Mentioning Your Product

Spend roughly a week posting and commenting helpfully on Reddit before promoting anything, so the account doesn't look like it was created purely to advertise.

Read the steps →
Reddit & forumsHigh effort· Medium

Scale Reddit Across Multiple Accounts and Proxies to Dodge Bans

He documents scaling the strategy by spreading activity across multiple Reddit accounts behind proxies, while tracking which comments survive and which get removed, to grow traffic without tripping bans.

Read the steps →
Reddit & forumsMedium effort· Medium

Reverse-Engineer Top Self-Promo Posts Before You Post on Reddit

Instead of guessing, study the subreddit's all-time and monthly top posts to find the self-promotional ones that got loved, then copy their exact framing and structure for your own post.

Read the steps →
Reddit & forumsMedium effort· Slow

Warm a Fresh Reddit Account Before You Ever Promote

A brand-new account with 1 karma gets auto-blocked by mod bots, so the workable path is to first earn karma by commenting in subreddits that have no posting requirements before going anywhere near self-promotion.

Read the steps →
Reddit & forumsMedium effort· Medium

Search Reddit for 'Problem Words,' Not Your Category

Find buyers by searching the frustration phrases people actually type ('how do I automate...', 'is there a tool that...', 'frustrated with...', 'looking for recommendations') instead of your product category.

Read the steps →
Reddit & forumsLow effort· Slow

Name Your Reddit Account After Your Product URL

Register a Reddit handle that spells out your product name with its domain ending attached, so every helpful comment quietly tells readers exactly where to go.

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.

Unlock for $29 onceBrowse by channel