TL;DR. Reddit and YouTube carry disproportionate weight in AI citation, especially on consideration and transaction prompts. Two routes: community engagement on Reddit (slow, durable, ban-risk if done wrong) and creator outreach on YouTube (faster, easier to scale, requires budget or great story). Both need authenticity. No shortcuts.
Why these two matter more than teams expect
AI engines over-index on real-human content. Reddit and YouTube are the largest sources of that content that are also structured enough to chunk:
- Reddit threads are Q&A-shaped, perfect for RAG
- YouTube transcripts are long-form, indexed, and cited directly
On consideration prompts ("best X", "X vs Y"), AI engines often pull Reddit threads or YouTube comparison videos before Forbes articles.
Reddit: community engagement rules
Reddit bans promotional accounts aggressively. The rule: contribute 10x more than you mention your brand. Specifically, the 10:1 or 20:1 ratio (10–20 helpful unrelated comments for every comment that mentions your brand).
Step 1: Identify the 3–5 subreddits that matter for your category. Open the Rankscale Citations tab. Filter by Reddit. Note which subreddits get cited. These are the ones to engage in. Also search Reddit directly for your category keywords.
Step 2: Build a Reddit presence over 60–90 days. Create a personal account tied to a real identity (not "BrandMarketing2024"). Comment daily on unrelated helpful topics (build karma to 500+). Answer questions in your category with value first, brand mention rare.
Step 3: Engage when your brand is relevant. When a thread asks "best X for Y" in your category: respond as a named human, with credentials. Name your affiliation up front ("Disclosure: I work at [brand]"). Give a balanced answer: when your brand fits, when it does not. Link only if the thread explicitly asks for links.
What gets you banned
- New accounts posting only about their brand
- Fake accounts ("Totally random user who loves [brand]")
- Upvote manipulation from team accounts
- Posting the same thing across subreddits (spam detection)
What works
- A founder account that comments in their category regularly, named, honest, self-disclosing
- Earning moderator recognition (becoming a trusted contributor in one subreddit)
- AMA (Ask Me Anything) sessions in relevant subreddits after building trust
Moderator outreach
"Hi, I am [Name] from [brand]. We work in [category]. I have been following r/[subreddit] for a while. Is there a protocol for AMAs or product discussion here? I want to respect community norms."
Most moderators respond. Some allow AMAs or product threads under specific rules. Follow them exactly.
YouTube: creator outreach
Creators drive the video content that gets cited. Two routes:
Route 1: Sponsored content with disclosed sponsorship. Pay a creator in your category to review your product. Rules: the review must be honest (scripted positive-only reviews fail FTC disclosure and hurt trust). Creator must disclose the sponsorship. AI engines still cite honestly-reviewed sponsored content; they deprioritize undisclosed sponsored content.
Route 2: Earned coverage. Reach out to creators who review tools in your category. No payment, but offer: free extended access to your tool, interview access (founder, customers, behind-the-scenes), original data (custom research they can use), exclusive feature previews.
How to pick creators
| Metric | Target |
|---|---|
| Subscribers | 10K–200K for best engagement-to-effort ratio |
| Videos per month | 1–4 (active channel) |
| Topic specificity | Narrow category match, not general tech |
| Engagement rate | >3% comments-to-views |
| Recent video age | Latest within 30 days |
Mega-creators (1M+ subs) charge more and have lower conversion weight than category-specific 50K–100K creators.
The pitch to a creator
"Hi [Name], your video on [specific video title] helped [specific insight]. I am [Name], [role] at [brand]. We make [one-line]. Would you consider reviewing us on the channel? I can provide [extended access / founder interview / unique data set]. Fully honest review, no scripting. Reply if interested, happy to share a demo link."
Short. Specific reference to their existing work. Clear offer. Honest framing.
The rhythm that works
Reddit: daily presence, 10–20 helpful comments for every brand mention, 60–90 days before seeing citation pickup.
YouTube: 2–5 creator outreach emails per week, 3-month pipeline to first sponsored video live.
Do this now:
Open the Rankscale Citations tab. Filter by reddit.com and youtube.com. List the top 3 subreddits and top 3 YouTube channels cited on your prompt group. Those are your outreach list for the next 90 days.
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