Reddit can be brutal to new users trying to promote anything. Most posts with links from fresh accounts get filtered or buried before anyone sees them.
But Adam didn’t start from scratch, he started with a Reddit account that already had five years of history and 42k combined karma.
This case study breaks down how Adam bought a high-karma Reddit account from rupvote.com, warmed it up correctly, and used it to promote a niche affiliate offer. The result? Over 9,000 targeted clicks and a profitable campaign.
The Reddit Account Adam Bought from Rupvote
Adam purchased his account directly from rupvote’s account store. The account came with:
- 41k post karma
- 1.6k+ comment karma
- 5 years of account age
- A clean posting history with no bans or shadowbans
- Active participation in meme-based and image-driven subreddits
The total cost was $149. For Adam, it was a small investment compared to the potential upside of bypassing Reddit’s trust hurdles.
Why you should consider getting yourself a high-karma Reddit account:
- Bypass Reddit’s trust barrier: Start posting in minutes instead of spending months farming karma.
- Avoid auto-filters and shadowbans: Aged accounts are less likely to be flagged for links or repeat posts
- Access restricted subreddits instantly: Many top subreddits block new or low-karma users by default
- Increase visibility and engagement: Posts from trusted accounts get more upvotes, clicks, and discussion
- Use Reddit as a real traffic source: Perfect for promoting landing pages, tools, affiliate offers, and blog posts
Warming Up the Account the Right Way
Instead of jumping straight into promotion, Adam followed a step-by-step warm-up strategy recommended by the Rupvote team:
- Step 1: Logged into the account using his real IP address (he didn’t use Reddit before) to avoid triggering suspicious activity
- Step 2: Waited at least 6 hours before posting anything
- Step 3: Made 3–6 posts across small, low-moderated subreddits without any links or promotion
- Step 4: Uploaded 2–3 SFW images to the profile to build organic credibility
- Step 5: Slowly increased posting frequency across 3 days before linking out
- Step 6: Kept the account’s old karma-farming posts until he had posted at least 10 of his own
This warm-up process created a natural activity pattern and ensured moderators didn’t see any red flags when reviewing his posts.
Choosing the Right Affiliate Product
Adam didn’t want to waste a high-quality Reddit account on low-converting links. So before posting anything, he focused on finding an affiliate product that:
- Solved a real problem discussed on Reddit
- Had a clean landing page that wouldn’t get flagged
- Offered a decent commission and allowed direct linking
After browsing several affiliate networks, Adam chose a VPN product. It was a perfect fit: VPNs are regularly discussed across Reddit, especially in subreddits related to privacy, torrenting, streaming, and tech.
Instead of dropping a generic link and hoping for clicks, Adam took it further:
He created a public Google Sheet comparing 25+ VPN services based on expert reviews, pricing, server coverage, refund policies, ownership, and logging policies.
This detailed breakdown served two purposes:
- It built trust with Reddit users, especially in communities like r/VPN, r/VPNTorrents, r/Privacy, and r/NetflixViaVPN.
- It naturally funneled clicks to the VPN affiliate links he embedded in the sheet.
This subtle approach gave the post an informational value, not just a sales pitch.
Because the content was useful and transparent, it got upvoted and shared without raising flags or getting removed.
Where Adam Posted (and Why)
Once the account was warmed up and the VPN comparison sheet was ready, Adam moved on to choosing the right subreddits. He focused on finding communities that:
- Allowed informational posts and external links
- Had active discussions around privacy, streaming, or digital tools
- Were not overly moderated or hostile to affiliate-related content
Here’s a look at the types of subreddits he targeted:
| Subreddit Type | Examples (Redacted) | Why It Worked |
|---|---|---|
| VPN & Privacy | r/VPN*, r/privacy* | Naturally aligned with the product offering |
| Streaming & Access | r/netflixviaVPN*, r/hulu* | Users were seeking ways to unblock content |
| Regional Discussion | r/Philippines*, r/India* | Often face local censorship or geo-blocking |
| Tech Help | r/techsupport*, r/buildapc* | People ask for security or access solutions |
| Budget Tools | r/frugal*, r/cheapstuff* | Posts highlighting VPN discounts performed well |
Instead of spamming links, Adam followed a post structure like this:
Title:
I compared 20+ VPNs to see which ones actually work with Netflix, here’s what I foundPost Body:
I spent a few days comparing prices, speeds, logs, refund policies, and Netflix access. Here’s the sheet if anyone wants to check it: [Google Sheet link]. I’m still testing a few of these, but hope it helps.
Otherwise, he just places a screenshot of the comparison table, and then puts the Post Body above into a comment.
This post format came across as helpful and non-promotional, which increased upvotes and saved the post from being removed. He also varied the post text and titles slightly to avoid Reddit’s spam detection filters.
Within two weeks, Adam had posted to 12 different subreddits using different versions of the sheet, leading to a steady flow of traffic to his affiliate links.
Results: Traffic, Clicks, and Revenue
Adam tracked every click using UTM parameters and monitored performance through Google Analytics and the affiliate dashboard.
Over the course of 4 weeks, here’s what the campaign delivered:
- Total visits to the Google Sheet: 18,400
- Click-throughs to affiliate links: 9,120
- Confirmed conversions (VPN subscriptions): 276
- Estimated commission earned: $1,920.60
- Total investment (Reddit account + tools): $149 + $40 = $189
- Net profit: $1,731.60
Most of the traffic came in the first 10 days after posting, but because the sheet continued to get shared in comments and saved by users, it had a long tail of traffic with minimal effort.
He also noticed that certain subreddits had much better performance than others.
For example:
- r/NetflixViaVPN brought in the highest CTR (click-through rate)
- r/Privacy had the highest dwell time on the sheet
- r/Philippines generated the most comments and reposts
Even after accounting for time and effort, Adam considered the ROI exceptional—especially for a campaign with no paid ads.
What Adam Learned (and Would Do Differently)
The campaign was a success, but Adam didn’t walk away without takeaways. Here’s what he learned:
1. Reddit Doesn’t Hate Promotion – It Hates Bad Promotion
What worked wasn’t the Reddit account alone, but the value-first approach.
The Google Sheet gave users something genuinely helpful. The affiliate links were secondary. This positioning made all the difference in earning upvotes instead of bans.
2. Some Subreddits Outperform Others
Subreddits like r/VPN and r/Privacy are heavily moderated and unpredictable. But niche subs with active discussions and lighter moderation—like r/NetflixViaVPN or r/Philippines—delivered better ROI with less friction.
He now filters subs based on removal risk vs. click potential.
3. Warming Up the Account Matters
If Adam had skipped the warm-up steps, the account might have been flagged immediately.
Slowly building trust and posting natural content helped maintain the account’s reputation and lifespan.
4. Don’t Rely on One Link
Some users were hesitant to click on an external Google Sheet.
In his next campaign, Adam plans to A/B test using a Beacons.bio page with direct comparisons, or even post raw charts as Reddit image albums to increase reach.
5. Upvote Velocity Matters
Even helpful posts need initial traction. Adam tested using Rupvote’s upvote service to give his posts a 20–30 upvote boost in the first hour. This made a measurable difference in visibility and click volume, especially in medium-size subreddits.
How You Can Do the Same (Checklist + Tools Used)
If you want to replicate Adam’s results or even improve on them, here’s a breakdown of what you need to get started.
Step-by-Step Checklist
1. Buy a high-Karma Reddit account
- Use a trusted marketplace like Rupvote.com
- Look for accounts with 10k+ post karma and at least 2 years of age
- Check for clean history (no bans, consistent posting behavior)
2. Warm up the account (Do NOT Skip This)
- Log in with a mobile residential IP.
- Wait 5–6 hours before posting
- Make 10+ SFW posts in non-moderated subreddits
- Avoid deleting old karma posts until your own history is built
- Slowly increase activity over 3–5 days
3. Choose a product that solves a real Reddit problem
- VPNs, AI tools, side hustle platforms, dating sites, privacy apps
- Avoid sketchy landing pages, Redditors sniff out garbage fast
4. Create helpful, clickable content
- Use comparison tables, Google Sheets, or visual summaries
- Make the post look like you’re contributing, not selling
- Avoid using Bit.ly or shady redirects
5. Post with variation
- Change your titles, intros, and link format every few posts
- Don’t hit the same subreddit twice in a row
- Use a tool like Spoofer Bot if reposting similar images
6. Boost early traction (Optional but effective)
- Use upvote services (like Rupvote’s drip feed)
- Ask a few friends to comment early or engage naturally
- Post during high-traffic times for each subreddit
Adam’s campaign proves that Reddit isn’t just for memes and opinions, it can be a traffic engine for affiliate marketers who understand the platform.
And with the right account, warm-up, and strategy, anyone can do it without sounding like a spammer.
Affiliate Products That Work Well on Reddit
Not all affiliate offers survive Reddit’s scrutiny. Here are battle-tested product types (and specific affiliate programs) that are Reddit-friendly, especially when promoted with value-added content.
| Product Type | Example Programs | Best Subreddits | Why It Works |
|---|---|---|---|
| VPNs | Surfshark, NordVPN, AtlasVPN (CJ, Impact) | r/VPN, r/NetflixViaVPN, r/privacy | Huge demand for privacy & geo-access |
| AI Tools | Jasper, Writesonic, Notion AI, etc. | r/SideProject, r/EntrepreneurRideAlong | Redditors love new productivity tools |
| Website Builders | Webflow, Framer, Carrd (PartnerStack) | r/web_design, r/NoCode, r/startups | Founders and creatives look for site tools |
| Stock Tools | TradingView, Seeking Alpha, Moomoo | r/investing, r/stocks, r/pennystocks | Finance users seek analytics + offers |
| Crypto Platforms | Binance, OKX, Ledger, Crypto.com | r/cryptocurrency, r/Bitcoin, r/ethfinance | Affiliate links are common if disclosed |
| Software Tools | Grammarly, Loom, Canva Pro, Surfshark Alert | r/Productivity, r/Freelance, r/Students | Reddit loves tools that save time or money |
| Gaming Add-ons | Green Man Gaming, Humble Bundle, Gaming VPN | r/GameDeals, r/Steam, r/pcgaming | Deals are well-received if posted natively |
Tip:
Before promoting any of these, search the subreddit with the keyword + “site:reddit.com” to see:
- What type of posts are allowed
- What’s been removed or upvoted
- How people are framing the product
When in doubt, lead with a comparison, tutorial, or personal review—not a direct sales pitch.
