What Are Upvotes and Downvotes?
Upvotes and downvotes are Reddit's core voting mechanism. Every post and comment can be upvoted (to signal approval or quality) or downvoted (to signal disapproval or low quality). The net score — upvotes minus downvotes — determines content visibility and ranking.
Content with more upvotes rises to the top of subreddit feeds and comment threads, while heavily downvoted content gets buried. This democratic system means the community collectively decides what content is worth seeing.
Why It Matters for Marketers
The voting system is what makes Reddit fundamentally different from other platforms. You can't buy your way to the top with engagement pods or follower counts — content quality is decided by the community.
Promotional content that doesn't add value gets downvoted into oblivion. Helpful, genuine contributions get upvoted and gain visibility. This means marketers must focus on creating real value rather than traditional promotional tactics.
Understanding what gets upvoted in your target subreddits — the format, tone, and topics — is crucial for crafting content that resonates.
Examples
- A detailed answer to "What tools do you use for X?" that genuinely helps people will get upvoted, even if it mentions your product.
- A thinly disguised ad posted as a "question" will get downvoted and called out by the community.
- Posts that reach 100+ upvotes often appear on subreddit "hot" pages, dramatically increasing visibility.
How RedShip Helps
RedShip identifies high-engagement threads where people are actively seeking recommendations. By jumping into conversations early — when a post is gaining upvotes — you can contribute valuable answers that ride the wave of visibility as the thread grows.