Reddit is a place on the internet where people from all around the world can come together to share their ideas and discuss issues based on a specific interest. One of the ways Reddit allows this is through the creation of subreddits, which focus on specific issues within a certain topic. Anyone can create a subreddit, but not all of them become popular.
If you’re not sure how to create a new subreddit community, we’re here to tell you how you can do it. You’ll learn how to manage it and even promote it. You can also find the answers to some questions related to Reddit.
How to Create a New Subreddit Community?
Log In or Create an Account
There’s no way to create a subreddit without an account, which is why you need to register first. You only need to visit Reddit and you can create an account within seconds. Unlike most websites, you don’t even need an email address for a Reddit account.
Once you create your Reddit account, you can move forward to the next step, creating the subreddit itself.
Creating Your Subreddit
Now that you have a Reddit account, all you need to do is to create a community. It doesn’t take a long time to create, and you can always modify some of the settings in the future. Here’s how you would create the new subreddit.
- Log into your Reddit account.
- Locate the “Create a Community” button, usually located at the right of the Reddit homepage.
For old Reddit, the option is labeled “Create a Subreddit,” but the steps are generally the same. On mobile devices, you only need to tap on your avatar and then select “Create a Community.”
After this, you’ll need to give the subreddit a name and assign it a topic. We’ll cover this below.
Choose a Name and Topic
Here, you’ll be presented with a menu allowing you to name your new community, give it a description within 500 characters, and more. Most importantly, you’ll need to name your new subreddit. It has to be unique and shouldn’t contain registered trademarks.
Subreddit names are permanent, and you won’t be able to change them in the future. If you make a mistake, you will have to create a new community from the ground up.
In the description, you can inform visitors what this subreddit is for, what’s allowed, and what’s not. For visitors it’s the first thing they’ll see, so make sure you put in all the critical information they need to know before joining.
After giving it a name, you can start customizing the subreddit and making rules. Some of the things you’ll also see on the menu are:
- Sidebar
This is what will appear on the sidebar when Redditors visit your subreddit and look at the posts there. The sidebar can contain text and links you want them to see and visit. You can also put some rules to follow there so that Redditors will always be reminded of what is allowed in your community.
- Submission Text
This is what each Redditor who joins your subreddit will see before they submit posts. It can be rules and admonishments to stay on topic, as well as who to contact if they need assistance.
- Other Options
These other choices range from cosmetic to language and include post types and more. Experiment with them and find what you think is right for your subreddit.
Moderating Your Subreddit
As the creator of your subreddit, you’re a moderator by default. You can be the only moderator for your subreddit or recruit some friends for the job. Either way, as a moderator, you have some powers that normal Redditors in your subreddit don’t have.
Some of these powers are:
- Adjust the Subreddit’s Settings
Moderators are in control of many settings behind the scenes. From the color of the subreddit to the filters, they can change these settings as they require.
- Change the Rules
As moderators, they have the power to change the rules as they see fit. These changes will of course be made public to all members of the subreddit later.
- Give Special Permissions
Moderators are allowed to grant some Redditors the power to post in private and restricted subreddits. In public ones, they can grant posting permission to select members, depending on the subreddit’s nature.
- Check the Stats
The number of subscribers and other statistical information is open for moderators to consult.
- Ban, Mute, and Kick
Of course, moderators have the right to mute and even ban Redditors who break rules. They can do so as they see fit.
- Remove Spam
Sometimes, malicious Redditors like to spam posts and comments. It’s up to the moderator to delete them and clean the subreddit up.
- Use the Mod Mail
Moderators have access to a private mail system to communicate with other moderators easily. If you’re the only one, then you probably have no use for it.
Promoting Your New Subreddit
No one likes a cold and barren subreddit, and we’re sure you’ll want your subreddit to be active and full of activity. Unless you’re just using it for private groups, you’ll want to promote your subreddit and do so carefully. If you allow spam links from your subreddit, you might get shadowbanned.
- Submit your Subreddit to Subreddits that Allow for Promotion
That sounded like a mouthful! There are subreddits that let you promote your own on their pages, such as /r/obscuresubreddits and /r/shamelessplug. You might net a few new subscribers that way. In addition, the more links to your subreddit out there, the more page authority you have.
Having some page authority tends to allow your subreddit to appear more often in a Google Search. That’ll help you grow.
- Collaborate with Similar Subreddits
If your topic is particularly popular, there may be already similar subreddits on the same topic. You can subscribe to those and ask the moderators if they’re willing to link your subreddit on their sidebars. In addition, you can do the same for theirs.
This mutual collaboration will drive traffic to both yours and the other subreddits, allowing all of you to grow. Having some extra traffic will always come in handy for growth.
- Link Your Subreddit During Conversations with Others
When you’re in a larger subreddit with related topics like yours, you can ask others if they want to join. Give them a link to your subreddit and ask them if they’re interested. As long as you don’t spam the other subreddit with these requests, you should be fine.
If you make too many requests like this, the larger subreddit’s moderators have the right to ban you for spam. This would hurt your reputation and likely reduce the number of prospective subscribers.
Customizing Your New Subreddit
To customize your subreddit after creation, you can follow these steps:
- Go to your subreddit.
- Locate the Admin Box at the bottom of the right sidebar.
- Select “Community Settings.”
- Start customizing.
Earlier, we mentioned that you can modify lots of features, such as color and more. You can even take a look at the stylesheet and then make modifications as you see fit.
If you want to add a new theme for your subreddit, you can download and install one. One of the most popular themes is Naut.
As themes differ in installation method, you should go to their official pages and follow those instructions instead.
Additional Subreddit FAQs
Why Can’t I Create a Subreddit?
Unless your account is at least 30 days old or you have enough positive karma (points you gain from upvotes from the community), you can’t create a subreddit. You need to wait for your account to pass the 30-day mark or become active more to gain positive karma. After this, you should be able to create a subreddit of your own.
How Much Karma Do I Need to Create a Subreddit?
The exact number isn’t clear, but some users speculate it to be 50. Regardless, you just have to be active on Reddit and gain lots of upvotes and replies. You’ll amass lots of karma eventually.
When Can I Create a Subreddit?
You can create a subreddit any time after your account has been established for at least 30 days and you have enough positive karma.
Join My New Subreddit, Please?
Creating a new subreddit community is rather simple, but you have a lot of control over how it looks. Now that you know how to make one, you can start promoting it later and get some like-minded Redditors to subscribe. With the right steps, it can grow into a vibrant community.
What’s your subreddit called, if you already have one? Are you a moderator for one you made? Let us know in the comments section below.
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