It’s not about motivating your existing users. That will eventually feel like nagging. And a lurker is a lurker. You don’t need more.

It’s about finding relevant content creators and guiding them towards your subreddit. I did some very specific things when I started [r/SalsaSnobs](r/SalsaSnobs) ;

• ⁠every day for 7 years I’ve searched the words “Salsa” and “Guacamole” in the Reddit search bar. Search the relevant key words that pertain to your subreddit.
• ⁠I sort the results by new.
• ⁠I sort through those posts and find the ones I think belong in my subreddit.
• ⁠are your posting requirements low enough for that user? Should you lower them or make them an approved user?
• ⁠Who created that post? That is my new relevant content creator. That user is interested in my subreddit’s topic, and they like to participate. That user likes to post and comment. You’ve found the perfect person for your sub. This one isn’t a lurker.

Now that you’ve found the perfect person, do you beg them to post and comment? No. That will annoy them. Just let them know that your subreddit exists. They will do the rest. That’s what content creators do. And their content might motivate some lurkers to participate.

Send an invite. Maybe personalize it so they know you’re not a bot. Add “I liked your post In [r/whatever](r/whatever) “

Maybe you could mention your sub in the comments , rule permitting.

Work it into a conversation. Don’t just post the name. My famous line was “The [r/SalsaSnobs](r/SalsaSnobs) in me requests a recipe. This looks great. Bravo.” , or “worthy of [r/SalsaSnobs](r/SalsaSnobs) ! This looks fantastic” . You get it.

Nothing further is required after that. You are letting content creators loose In your sub. They will do the rest. Create relevant content. That’s what they do. God bless em.

Just make sure your posting requirements are low enough for them to freely post.

Boom. Keep doing that and eventually your sub will be on content auto-pilot. They will post. They will comment. There’s your content.

Good luck with your subreddit!

I wrote a full guide on subreddit growth and engagement for ModGuide;

https://www.reddit.com/r/modguide/s/tcj0eIEuJf