How to find potential customers on Reddit, step by step

Short answer: find the subreddits your buyers use, search them for buyer phrases with Reddit's operators, sort by New, and set a free alert for your best terms. Then check each thread before you reply. The whole method costs nothing but time.

The example posts and replies on this page are illustrations of common post types, not real customer leads.

Step 1: find the right subreddits

Look for three kinds of community:

• Topic: where your product is the subject, such as r/Coffee for a roaster.
• Buyer life: where your buyers spend time, such as r/weddingplanning or r/beyondthebump.
• Asking: where people ask for things, such as r/GiftIdeas, r/HelpMeFind and r/BuyItForLife.

To find more, search Reddit for your product, see which communities appear most, and ask in r/findareddit. Our store type pages list communities for 12 kinds of store.

Step 2: use search operators

Plain keyword search returns a lot of noise. Reddit supports operators that narrow it down:

Then sort by New and set the time filter to the past week. Operators can behave a little differently across Reddit's apps and site versions, so test them on the desktop site first.

Step 3: search Reddit through Google

Google often finds threads Reddit's search misses. Try these:

• site:reddit.com "where can I buy" [product]
• site:reddit.com "any recommendations" [product]
• site:reddit.com/r/GiftIdeas [occasion]

Open Tools and choose Past week, otherwise you will get threads from years ago.

Step 4: set free alerts

F5Bot emails you when a phrase appears on Reddit. Use exact phrases such as "recommend a candle" instead of single words, or your inbox fills up. See the full tools comparison.

Step 5: qualify the thread

Before replying, spend 30 seconds on these checks:

1. Age: is it from the last few days?
2. Answered: has the person already said they picked something?
3. Fit: do your price, shipping and timing match what they asked for?
4. Person: does their history look like a real buyer rather than a marketer?
5. Rules: does this community allow you to mention your store?

Step 6: reply in the thread

Answer the question first, then mention your product, and say it is yours. One good example:

"For sensitive skin, look for fragrance free and a short ingredient list. I make a tallow balm with 4 ingredients, so I'm biased, but it might suit you. Happy to share the list if it helps."

Our Reddit lead generation plan covers account setup, the rules and how to measure results.

Where Lead Harbour fits

Steps 1 to 5 take the most time. Lead Harbour does those for you across Reddit and other public communities, starting from your store link, and drafts the reply for step 6. You still send it yourself. Try it free on your store.

Common questions

How do I find customers on Reddit for free?

Use Reddit search with operators such as title: and subreddit:, sort by New, search through Google with site:reddit.com, and set free alerts with F5Bot.

Which subreddits are best for finding buyers?

It depends on your product. Look for topic communities, communities your buyers spend time in, and asking communities such as r/GiftIdeas, r/HelpMeFind and r/BuyItForLife.

Can I message people on Reddit about my product?

It is safer to reply in the thread. Unwanted private messages feel like spam and can get your account reported.