What's worked after 18 months running brand Reddit for CPG/DTC

We've run brand Reddit for CPG/DTC clients for about a year and a half, so let's get the obvious question out of the way. It wasn't a growth hack, but rather it was just consistent and sometimes kind of boring. It involves an owned sub as home base, plus genuinely showing up and being useful in category subs, over and over. And at the same time, no fake reviews, and no engagement bait.

The part we didn't expect going in is that the same presence now feeds AI search, so being helpful on Reddit ends up doing double duty. The growth compounds, but it's slow, so if you're on the fence about it as a channel, that's the honest trade to weigh going in.

What's your category, and have you tried this yet?