So, you have created your community and set everything up – what you now need are community members! Growing a new community is a challenging and lengthy process but if done well, it can be extremely rewarding. To make things a bit less difficult, we have compiled a few tips to help your community gain those first members and begin to grow.

A: Provide your users with content

If you build it, they might come, but probably not before you make the community feel welcoming. Experience shows that for many, especially new redditors, posting into an empty community can feel daunting. Redditors often take over a year to submit their first post. However, commenting on existing posts can be a lot less scary. So before promoting your community to others, make sure you’ve provided them with content they can enjoy and engage with.

B: Utilize Crossposts

If done thoughtfully, crossposting can be a good way to get users to notice your community. It’s common for Redditors to be members of an English-speaking community without realizing a similar community exists in their native language. Crossposting into those communities can be a good way to get new members. Also, look for opportunities to crosspost into other communities in [LANGUAGE] if your community’s content is relevant. Lastly, to ensure your crosspost will be welcome, always be mindful of the rules of the communities you are crossposting into.

C: Contact other communities

Speaking to the moderators of communities relevant to yours, whether those communities are [LANGUAGE] or English, can be a useful promotional tool. Many communities have sidebars where they share other communities – Ask the moderators if they would consider adding your community to the list. Sometimes moderators will allow you to make a post promoting your community – Again, reach out via modmail and see if this would be ok for you to do. You may be pleasantly surprised by the helpfulness of other moderation teams when you reach out with a polite request.. After all, most of them have been in your position before.

D: Mention your subreddit where relevant

Occasionally, the topic of your new community might come up in another, more established community. If that happens, don’t be afraid to shout out your community. Redditors will be thankful to find a community that is relevant to their interests. Just don’t overdo it, as to not be perceived as spamming.

E: Be patient!

It is very rare for a new subreddit to grow very quickly, especially localized communities. Remember to be patient, and try not to be disappointed if things take a while to kick off. This can even be a good thing! A rapidly growing community can be a lot to handle, whereas a slow but steady influx of members gives you time to adapt by recruiting new moderators, evolving your rules, and setting up automations as needed. Measured, intentional growth often leads to the strongest foundations and the healthiest of communities - so, keep going. You’re doing great.

What are your tips for promoting a new sub? Tell us in the comments.