Why Reddit Is Great for Marketing (and How to Do It Right)

Reddit calls itself “the front page of the internet.” At the time of writing this, it’s the #6 most visited site in the United States and the #16 most visited in the world. And yet, many businesses aren’t on the platform.

Reddit is a content aggregation platform that acts as a hub for the internet. It was created in 2005, but has only recently seen more public acknowledgment.

The platform is segmented into hyper-targeted communities, called “subreddits,” that are centered around certain topics. For example, there is a subreddit for everything from movies to productivity to bread stapled to trees. Really, everything. This is great for marketers, because there’s almost certainly a captive audience in your business niche. The platform features an upvote/downvote engagement system, rather than a “like” system. These upvotes and downvotes accumulate to form your “karma” score, which can be considered your credibility on the platform. Reddit is built on community, discussion, and engaging with other users (also called redditors).

This is one reason why many businesses aren’t on Reddit: they’re afraid of discussion. A common mindset is that no discussion is better than negative discussion, but this is all wrong. People are going to talk about your business. Word of mouth is still one of the most efficient marketing techniques, and Reddit gives people a platform to talk.

However, redditors hate blatant advertising. If all you do is spam your website and promote your business, you will get downvoted and your business’ reputation will suffer. Reddit also features paid advertising akin to Facebook or Twitter, but it’s still lacking in functionality compared to other platforms. While ads are also typically not well-received, they can see great results depending on the business.

But the key to success on Reddit is not advertising, it’s content. Redditors love content (I mean, who doesn’t?). Posting informative, funny, or interesting content is the best way to gain brand awareness — and ultimately conversions — on Reddit. In addition, you should be engaging with users. Answering questions related to your niche positions your business as a thought leader. Responding to other users makes your business seem more personal. Your brand awareness and perception go up, as well. Marketing on Reddit is all about other people, not yourself.

Seem daunting? It is. But Reddit practically requiring quality posts and comments is a good thing. It makes you think about the value you’re providing with your content. Gone are the days of mindless self-promotion. Content is key.