Are you an aficionado who jumped on the Reddit bandwagon a long time ago? Nonetheless, still curious about the additional goodies it has to offer? Or maybe a newcomer willing to optimize your experience on the networking service as soon as possible? What does Karma mean on Reddit? No matter what, we are pretty sure that getting karma on Reddit will be of interest to you. As a matter of fact, karma is the direct reflection of one’s success on the platform. Let’s find out together what it’s all about, how to get Karma on Reddit and see the best ways to increase it.
What Is Reddit Karma?
What’s Karma on Reddit? The already 16-going-on-17 social exchange platform has never got tired of innovating. Since its creation in 2005 by two roommates at the University of Virginia, it has kept diversifying the “forumer experience” of its subscribers. Or we should instead call it the “reader experience,” Reddit meaning nothing but ‘read it’ after all. This is a point deserving some attention. Indeed, the platform did suffer from many controversies in the past. One of the obvious reasons was the presence of lower-quality posts in some of its columns. The karma system was thus introduced to sort things out and highlight forum content that was worth reading.
So, what exactly is karma on Reddit? Simply put, it’s a score attributed to Reddit accounts according to their activities on the website. It’s mainly based on a mechanism of upvote and downvote. You probably know that every post on Reddit has two arrows next to it, one upward-pointing and one downward-pointing. The first one is a kind of like. When users click on it, this means that they like or agree with the post. The second one illustrates dislike. So, logically, users click on it when they dislike or disagree with the post. It’s tempting to conclude that the more upvotes one receives, the more karma one earns.
Although this assumption is not inaccurate, the overall system is a little more complex. It’s a combination of several factors, including visibility, content quality, personal tastes, and so on. Plus, there’s not always a 1:1 ratio between upvotes and karma, so you don’t necessarily get one karma point for each upvote. Don’t worry much about that; instead, focus on the qualitative tips we will share below.
How to Get Karma on Reddit
So how does the Karma Police work, not in the Radioheadian sense, but in the Reddit context? You may find each user’s karmic score (so to speak) on their profile. It combines the votes gotten through both posts and comments. So, in fact, there are two kinds of karma on Reddit:
- The Reddit post karma represents the score obtained thanks to the upvotes on your posts. You can get Reddit upvotes by being active and interacting with other users or, you can simply buy Reddit upvotes to increase your chance.
- The Reddit comment karma represents the score obtained thanks to the upvotes on your comments.
The two of them together indicate how well one is doing on the platform. In other words, the Reddit community perceives users with higher scores more positively. Likewise, low scores are never a good omen for one’s image on Reddit. Let’s see what you can do to increase your karma and, thus, your online reputation.
Be an Active Poster and Commentator
Being as active as possible is the obvious Reddit rule number one when it comes to collecting upvotes. The chance to gain anything while remaining still is zilch. So, make sure to share interesting and valuable content with the community on a regular basis. You can do it either by posting your own original material or links to/excerpts of other articles. Pics are also welcome. Keep in mind that Reddit is organized in subgroups called subreddits. Each of them has its particular centers of interest and priorities. The ideal strategy is to post about topics likely to nurture discussions and collective brainstorming.
Speaking of interactivity, posting is far from enough. You should also take the time to comment on other people’s contributions. Pay attention to them and engage in somewhat sustainable conversations. Even better if you make an effort to foresee the potential virality of some posts and comment on them. Don’t underestimate either the importance of a simple “thank you” or “howdy” when necessary. You can be sure that your fellow users will appreciate such gestures and probably reward them with an upvote.
By the way, content quality always goes hand in hand with language quality. While casual language with a pinch of slang is tolerable, offensive and crude remarks are not. So don’t cross the red line. Opt for a community-friendly and respectable style. Yes, even when you disagree with something.
Be Timely
Timing is almost everything on socially-oriented networks like Reddit. Indeed, the activity level doesn’t remain the same at every moment of the day. So being productive during peak hours is naturally synonym with more visibility and hopefully earning more karma on Reddit. Alright, but what exactly is good timing on that talkative platform? Usually speaking, the “Sunday, Monday, happy days” mindset is also valid. Indeed, early Monday mornings (6 to 8 a.m.) and lazier weekend mornings (9 a.m. to 12 p.m.) are commonly recommended schedules. That being said, it can be even wiser also to keep track of specific habits. Each of the subgroups you are affiliated with is likely to have its own tendencies, also in terms of time.
Be Flexible in Size
Say what? Well, this is an aspect that some restless Redditors tend to overlook. They believe they can earn scores only within large subreddits with thousands of subscribers. Wrong. Although aiming at becoming a part of larger subcommunities is an understandable ambition, one shouldn’t disdain smaller ones for all that. Be open-minded enough to connect with various groups regardless of their size. After all, you never know from whom and where upvotes and success will come, right?
Be Virtually Vain
At least in a manner of speaking. Indeed, you would better take this title with a grain of salt and not confuse it with a real form of philosophy. We are talking about Reddit Rate Me, also known as r/Rateme by the insiders. Let’s slip a little warning note and say that this feature requires a sufficient dose of self-esteem. Why? Because the rating game consists in posting a picture of yourself and getting feedback from other users. If you feel like taking a chance on it, grab your selfie camera and let the show begin. Who knows, this may open doors for new connection opportunities and getting more karma on Reddit.
Be Mutually Generous
Here’s the bonus of the day: subreddits specifically dedicated to karma distribution. There are indeed some groups created for the unique purpose of making their members earn extra karma. R/FreeKarma4U is one of the well-known examples. The content in those subreddits doesn’t matter much. You just post and get upvotes. The tacit rule here is reciprocity. All group members have to be equally generous toward one another. So don’t just wait to collect points from others without returning the favor.
Let’s add that those groups are not illegal and generally respect the platform’s rules of conduct. They also have their own rules.
Now, allow us to make a little suggestion. Those “karma increasers” can undoubtedly be a useful complement to your score. However, counting only on them may not be the best idea in the long run. If you aim for real credibility and authority on Reddit, you should concentrate your efforts mainly on the mainstream system.
Be Rule-Loving
Online experiences are easier and way more enjoyable when everyone shows respect to the other people around. Let’s be realistic enough to say that sabotaging and offensive behavior won’t result in more karma on Reddit. So please do your best to always comply with the community guidelines and rules. If you have any doubts or questions, don’t hesitate to check the Reddit Help page or the r/help subreddit. No matter what haters may say, the platform and its users often display good examples of solidarity. Newcomers are more likely to find the assistance they are looking for.
What Is Reddit Premium?
Here’s a question that we frequently receive from people interested in gaining more karma on Reddit. Basically, Reddit Premium is a kind of upgraded account. Users can gain access to this VIP version for a monthly fee of $5.99 (or $49.99 per year). It offers a premium member badge to your profile, more control over notifications and content management, along almost ad-free navigation. Besides, it includes a virtual currency system called Reddit Coin. Premium members can give coins to their favorite Redditors or use them as contest prizes. You can give Reddit Gold, Silver, or Platinum to your favorite Redditors.
Now, are there any benefits in terms of karma? Not directly. Neither Reddit coins nor any other premium feature can make you earn karma points. That being said, being a premium member may increase your popularity on the platform. As a consequence, people would become more likely to follow and upvote your posts.
Reddit Karma Takeaways
As you could judge for yourself throughout the article, getting high karma on Reddit should be a priority for every user. Sure thing, it doesn’t replace real cash or any other material good. At least not directly. However, it sets the foundation of your reputation on the platform and keeps confirming, even enhancing it over time. Imagine the long-term impact on your brand or project. It is worth it, even just for your online social circle. Who would refuse appreciation, right?
So take action right now and start sharing uplifting content on Reddit. Choose the right time, topics, and groups while always remaining in harmony with the community guidelines. Most importantly, have fun.
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