r/Entrepreneur Self-Promotion Rules: Complete Guide to Promoting Without Getting Banned (2025)

Last Updated: December 2025

r/Entrepreneur allows self-promotion, but it must be valuable, transparent, and non-spammy. The subreddit (a dedicated community within Reddit focused on a specific topic) has 3+ million members who welcome entrepreneurs sharing their journeys, lessons learned, and business insights—but instantly downvote and report blatant advertising. Success requires understanding the community's specific rules, using designated promotional threads, and following the 90/10 rule (90% value contribution, 10% promotion).

Getting banned from r/Entrepreneur means losing access to one of the largest entrepreneurial communities on the internet—where your ideal customers actively discuss their challenges, seek recommendations, and make purchasing decisions. This guide breaks down the exact self-promotion rules, what gets you banned, and proven strategies for promoting authentically.

Key Terms in This Guide

• r/Entrepreneur: A subreddit (Reddit community) with 3M+ entrepreneurs discussing business building
• 90/10 Rule: Reddit guideline requiring 90% genuine participation vs. 10% promotional content
• Karma: Reddit reputation points earned from upvotes on posts and comments
• Moderators (Mods): Volunteer community managers who enforce subreddit rules
• Shadow Ban: Hidden ban where your posts become invisible without notification
• Self-Promotion: Mentioning your own business, product, or service on Reddit

Table of Contents

• r/Entrepreneur's Official Self-Promotion Rules
• What Posts Are Allowed vs. Banned
• The 90/10 Rule Explained
• Weekly Promotional Threads
• Post Formats That Work
• Common Mistakes That Get You Banned
• Step-by-Step Promotion Strategy
• Tools for r/Entrepreneur Marketing
• r/Entrepreneur vs. Other Business Subreddits
• Real-World Success Stories
• AI Prompt Examples
• FAQ

Related guides:

• Reddit Monitoring Tool – Monitor r/Entrepreneur for relevant discussions automatically
• Reddit Self-Promotion Rules – General Reddit self-promotion guidelines
• How to Promote Your SaaS on Reddit – Complete Reddit marketing strategy
• Best Reddit Marketing Tool for SaaS – Find SaaS keywords across Reddit
• GummySearch Alternative – Best tools for finding Reddit opportunities
• Reddit Comment Services – Managed account posting services

r/Entrepreneur's Official Self-Promotion Rules

r/Entrepreneur's sidebar rules specifically address self-promotion:

Rule 2: No Direct Advertisements

"

"Posts that are direct product pitches, advertisements, or exist solely to promote a business/service will be removed."

What this means in practice:

• Posts that read like ads get removed immediately
• "Check out my new app!" posts = instant removal
• Product links without substantial context = banned
• Affiliate links without disclosure = permanent ban

Rule 3: Add Value to the Community

"

"All posts should be intended to start a discussion, share insights, or provide value to members."

What this means in practice:

• Every post must teach something or spark genuine discussion
• "I made $10k/month" posts need to explain HOW, not just brag
• Questions must show you've done research first
• Success stories must include actionable takeaways

Rule 4: No Low-Effort Posts

"

"Low-effort posts, including idea validation without substance, will be removed."

What this means in practice:

• "Is my idea good?" without details = removed
• Vague questions that could be Googled = removed
• One-line posts = removed
• Duplicate questions asked weekly = removed

The Unofficial Rules (Equally Important)

Beyond official rules, r/Entrepreneur has community norms enforced by moderators and users:

1. Disclose your affiliation – Always mention if you work for/own the product you're discussing
2. Don't spam DMs – Sending unsolicited sales messages to commenters gets you reported
3. Engage with comments – Dropping a post and disappearing signals low-effort promotion
4. Accept criticism gracefully – Defensive responses to feedback damage credibility
5. Contribute before promoting – New accounts that only promote get banned

What Posts Are Allowed vs. Banned

Posts That Are ALLOWED and Encouraged

Posts That Get REMOVED or BANNED

The 90/10 Rule on r/Entrepreneur

The 90/10 rule is Reddit's universal guideline, but r/Entrepreneur moderators enforce it strictly.

How the 90/10 Rule Works

How Moderators Check Your Ratio

When you post something promotional, moderators often:

1. Click your profile
2. Review your last 20-30 posts/comments
3. Calculate how many are promotional vs. helpful
4. Check if your karma comes from genuine participation

Red flags that trigger scrutiny:

• Account younger than 30 days
• Most posts are in promotional subreddits
• Same product/link mentioned repeatedly
• Low karma despite many posts
• Generic comments that could be bots

Calculating Your 90/10 Ratio

Example of a healthy ratio:

Ratio: 4 promotional out of 40+ contributions = 10% ✅

Weekly Promotional Threads

r/Entrepreneur has designated threads where self-promotion is explicitly allowed:

Marketplace Tuesday

When: Every Tuesday Purpose: Direct sales, offers, promotions Rules:

• Can link directly to products/services
• Still requires transparency about what you're selling
• No crypto/MLM/scams
• One post per week per business

Best practices for Marketplace Tuesday:

• Lead with what problem you solve
• Include pricing if applicable
• Mention any special offers for r/Entrepreneur members
• Be available to answer questions

Thank God It's Feedback Friday (TGIF)

When: Every Friday Purpose: Get feedback on products, websites, ideas Rules:

• Specific feedback requests only
• Must describe what feedback you want
• Should show you've validated the idea first
• Be open to honest criticism

Best practices for Feedback Friday:

• Ask specific questions (not "what do you think?")
• Provide context about your target market
• Show your current metrics if applicable
• Thank everyone who provides feedback

How to Find Weekly Threads

1. Sort r/Entrepreneur by "Hot"
2. Look for stickied/pinned posts
3. Search "Marketplace Tuesday" or "Feedback Friday"
4. Set calendar reminders to post when threads go live

Post Formats That Work on r/Entrepreneur

Format 1: The "Lessons Learned" Post

Structure:

Title: I [achieved specific result] in [timeframe]. Here's what I learned.

Hook: One surprising insight or contrarian take

Background: Brief context (2-3 sentences)

The Journey:
- Challenge 1 → How I solved it → What I learned
- Challenge 2 → How I solved it → What I learned
- Challenge 3 → How I solved it → What I learned

Key Takeaways:
- Numbered list of actionable insights

What's Next: Your current focus (naturally mentions your business)

Discussion Question: "What challenges are you facing with [topic]?"

Why it works: Provides massive value while naturally introducing your business as context.

Format 2: The "Failure Story" Post

Structure:

Title: I lost $[amount]/failed at [thing]. Here's what went wrong.

The Mistake: What you did wrong (be specific)

Warning Signs: What you ignored or missed

The Fallout: Real consequences (numbers help)

What I'd Do Differently: Actionable advice

Silver Lining: What you learned/how it led to current success

Discussion: "Anyone else learned this lesson the hard way?"

Why it works: Authenticity builds trust. Redditors love honesty over humble-bragging.

Format 3: The "Resource Guide" Post

Structure:

Title: [Number] [Type of Tools/Resources] for [Specific Use Case]

Introduction: Why this matters (2 sentences)

The List:
1. Tool Name - What it does - Why I recommend it - Price
2. Tool Name - What it does - Why I recommend it - Price
...
(Include your tool as ONE option among many, with disclosure)

Bonus Tips: How to choose the right tool

Discussion: "What tools would you add to this list?"

Why it works: Provides genuine value while positioning your product among alternatives.

Format 4: The "AMA" Post

Structure:

Title: I [specific credential/experience], AMA about [specific topic]

Proof: Why you're qualified (numbers, timeframe, results)

Background: 3-4 sentences about your journey

What I Can Help With: Bullet list of your expertise

What I Won't Discuss: Set boundaries if needed

First Question Prompt: "What would you like to know about [topic]?"

Why it works: Positions you as expert while providing direct value through Q&A.

Common Mistakes That Get You Banned

Mistake 1: Posting Before Participating

The pattern: New account → first post is promotional → banned

The fix: Spend 2-4 weeks commenting helpfully before any promotional post. Build 100+ karma from r/Entrepreneur specifically.

Mistake 2: Fake "Question" Posts

The pattern: "What email marketing tool do you use? (I built one btw, link in comments)"

The fix: If you want to promote your tool, use Format 3 (Resource Guide) transparently, or wait for Marketplace Tuesday.

Mistake 3: Ignoring Comments

The pattern: Post promotional content → disappear → never respond

The fix: Stay engaged for at least 24 hours. Respond to every comment. Thank critics for feedback.

Mistake 4: Being Defensive

The pattern: Someone criticizes → you argue → thread becomes hostile → reported

The fix: Thank critics, acknowledge valid points, explain your perspective calmly. Defensiveness signals insecurity.

Mistake 5: Spamming DMs

The pattern: Someone comments → you DM them your sales pitch → they report you

The fix: Only DM if someone explicitly asks for more information. Never send unsolicited pitches.

Mistake 6: Cross-Posting Promotions

The pattern: Same promotional post across r/Entrepreneur, r/startups, r/smallbusiness simultaneously

The fix: Customize each post for each community. Space out cross-posts by days, not hours.

Step-by-Step r/Entrepreneur Promotion Strategy

Week 1-2: Build Credibility

Daily actions:

• Browse r/Entrepreneur for 15-20 minutes
• Comment helpfully on 3-5 posts (no product mentions)
• Upvote quality content
• Answer questions in your expertise area

Goals:

• 50+ karma from r/Entrepreneur
• 20+ genuine comments
• Zero promotional activity

Week 3: Study and Prepare

Actions:

• Sort by "Top" of all time
• Save 5-10 successful promotional posts as templates
• Draft your value-first post using proven formats
• Identify which weekly thread fits your goal

Preparation checklist:

• Post is 500+ words
• Includes specific numbers/results
• Focuses on lessons, not product features
• Mentions business as context, not hero
• Ends with discussion question
• Has clear formatting (headers, bullets)

Week 4: Execute

For story-based promotion:

1. Post Tuesday-Thursday, 8-11 AM EST
2. Monitor comments for first 4 hours
3. Respond to every comment
4. Thank critics gracefully
5. Follow up with engaged users (if appropriate)

For direct promotion:

1. Wait for Marketplace Tuesday or Feedback Friday
2. Post within first hour of thread creation
3. Follow thread-specific format
4. Be available all day to answer questions

Ongoing: Maintain Presence

Weekly maintenance:

• 3-5 helpful comments (no promotion)
• 1 promotional activity max (post or comment)
• Engage with responses to previous posts
• Build relationships with regular contributors

Tools for r/Entrepreneur Marketing

Manually monitoring r/Entrepreneur for opportunities is time-consuming. These tools help:

For Monitoring r/Entrepreneur

For Post Scheduling and Analytics

For Comment Quality

Full disclosure: ReplyAgent.ai is our product. We built it specifically to help entrepreneurs engage authentically on Reddit without getting banned—by providing managed accounts, AI comment generation, and monitoring tools that maintain the 90/10 ratio automatically.

r/Entrepreneur vs. Other Business Subreddits

Understanding the differences helps you choose where to promote:

Best strategy: Build presence on r/Entrepreneur first (most flexible), then expand to niche subreddits matching your business.

Real-World Success Stories

Case Study 1: SaaS Founder ($12K MRR from r/Entrepreneur)

A B2B project management tool founder spent 6 weeks building credibility before any promotion:

• Week 1-3: 45 helpful comments answering productivity questions (zero product mentions)
• Week 4: Posted a "Lessons Learned" story about failing at his first startup
• Week 5: Shared a resource guide including his tool as ONE of 15 options (with disclosure)
• Week 6: Posted in Marketplace Tuesday with a special offer

Results: 847 upvotes on the lessons post, 23 trial signups from resource guide, 8 paying customers ($12K MRR impact). Zero bans or warnings.

Case Study 2: E-commerce Brand (3,200 Website Visits)

An eco-friendly products brand used the failure story format:

• Post title: "I lost $15K on my first product launch. Here's every mistake I made."
• Content: Detailed breakdown of pricing errors, supplier issues, and marketing failures
• Product mention: One sentence at the end explaining how this led to current business
• Engagement: Responded to 67 comments over 48 hours

Results: 1,200+ upvotes, featured in r/Entrepreneur "Top of Month", 3,200 website visits, 89 email signups, 12 direct sales. Post still drives traffic 6 months later.

What These Cases Have in Common

1. Built credibility BEFORE promoting (minimum 2-4 weeks)
2. Led with genuine value (lessons, mistakes, insights)
3. Mentioned business as context, not main focus
4. Engaged heavily with all comments
5. Disclosed affiliation transparently

AI Prompt Examples for r/Entrepreneur

Use these prompts with AI tools like ChatGPT to draft r/Entrepreneur-friendly content:

Prompt 1: Lessons Learned Post

Write a Reddit post for r/Entrepreneur about [your topic]. Structure:
1. Hook: One surprising insight
2. Background: Brief context (2-3 sentences)
3. 3-4 key challenges and how I solved them
4. Lessons learned (numbered list)
5. Brief mention of my current business as context
6. Discussion question at the end

Tone: Authentic, humble, specific with numbers. No marketing language.
Length: 500-800 words.

Prompt 2: Resource Guide Post

Create a resource guide post for r/Entrepreneur listing [number] tools for [use case].
Include:
- Tool name, what it does, pricing, why it's useful
- My tool as ONE option among many (with disclosure)
- Criteria for choosing the right tool
- Discussion question asking for additions

Tone: Helpful curator, not salesperson. Be objective about all tools including mine.

Prompt 3: Feedback Request for TGIF Thread

Write a feedback request for r/Entrepreneur's Feedback Friday thread about [my product].
Include:
- What my product does (2 sentences)
- Target audience
- Current stage/metrics
- 3 specific questions I want feedback on
- Link to product

Tone: Genuine curiosity, open to criticism, not defensive.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I post about my business if I'm new to r/Entrepreneur?

Not immediately. Build credibility first—spend 2-4 weeks commenting helpfully before promotional posts. New accounts that immediately promote get banned. Aim for 100+ karma from r/Entrepreneur specifically before any promotion.

How often can I mention my business?

Follow the 90/10 rule: for every 9 value-adding contributions, 1 can be promotional. In practice, this means 1-2 promotional posts/comments per week maximum, assuming you're actively participating otherwise.

What if my post gets removed?

Don't repost immediately. Read the removal reason, adjust your post, and try again in 1-2 weeks. If unclear, message moderators politely asking for clarification. Reposting without changes leads to bans.

Can I share my blog posts on r/Entrepreneur?

Only if they provide genuine value and you're an active community member. Text posts summarizing key insights (with blog link at end) work better than link-only posts. Never post the same blog across multiple subreddits simultaneously.

Is it worth the effort to market on r/Entrepreneur?

For B2B products, SaaS, and business services—absolutely. r/Entrepreneur members are entrepreneurs actively seeking solutions. One well-received post can drive hundreds of qualified visitors. But it requires authentic participation, not shortcuts.

Key Takeaways

1. r/Entrepreneur allows self-promotion but requires value, transparency, and community participation
2. Follow the 90/10 rule – 90% helpful contributions, 10% promotional
3. Use weekly threads – Marketplace Tuesday and Feedback Friday have relaxed rules
4. Lead with value – Teach something, share lessons, provide actionable insights
5. Build credibility first – 2-4 weeks of genuine participation before promoting
6. Disclose your affiliation – Always mention your connection to products you discuss
7. Engage with comments – Respond to everyone, thank critics, be humble

The entrepreneurs who succeed on r/Entrepreneur are those who genuinely participate in the community—sharing their knowledge, helping others, and occasionally mentioning their business as context for their journey. That's not just good marketing advice; it's how you build real relationships that drive long-term business growth.

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