Reddit has been a mainstay of internet culture for two decades, spawning countless memes and offering wildly popular niche communities. But compared to industry giants like Google and Facebook, Reddit has long been an afterthought for marketers.
Then, in 2024, two things happened: Reddit became a publicly traded company, gaining more visibility , and its monthly visitors tripled, thanks in large part to a change in Google’s algorithm that prioritized the type of human-created content that Reddit specializes in.
With Reddit’s newfound dominance in search engines, the platform has gone from niche to impossible to ignore for marketers. However, while Reddit can be a treasure trove for brands, proceed with caution: Redditors are relentless with marketing and will not hesitate to call you out (and punish your brand) if you seem too commercial.
To get the most out of Reddit marketing, make sure you learn how it works before you dive in.
How to use Reddit
Upon entering the site's main page, users will find a list of posts - a collection that includes text posts, links, images, and videos.
When you're not logged into a Reddit account, the front page is made up of the site's default subreddits: a list of about 50 topics including music, videos, news, and GIFs, among others.
After creating an account, users will be automatically “subscribed” to this list of default subreddits. They can then unsubscribe from default subreddits they do not wish to see and subscribe to additional subreddits to customize their homepage with content of interest.
Additionally, users can comment on posts after creating an account. Commenting is one of Reddit's core features and the primary way users interact with each other, aside from private messages.
Comments, like posts, can be voted on by users and are sorted accordingly. The comment with the most votes appears at the top of the comments section and is known as the top comment.
Why use Reddit if you are building a brand
Whether you're looking to build your own brand or that of your company, Reddit is worth exploring. Not only because of the volume of active users, but also because of the power of its niche communities.
Given the vastness of the Reddit universe (sorry, I had to say that), I can almost guarantee that you'll be able to find a Reddit community (or several!) that align perfectly with your brand and target audience.
To continue the analogy above, instead of wandering around the plaza like a town crier hoping to grab attention, why not meet your ideal audience
Let’s take a closer look at the benefits of Reddit for marketers, business owners, and creators.
Hyper-Relevant Communities : With over 100,000 active subreddits, you can find niche groups that align perfectly with your brand’s target audience.
Trends and insights : Reddit is a goldmine for market research. It’s where many trends begin and where consumers openly share their opinions.
More traffic to your website : We haven’t yet touched on the fact that, thanks to a Google algorithm update in 2024, Reddit answers appear directly in the top search results, meaning that being active on Reddit can help you reach people outside of the platform as well.
How to post correctly on Reddit
Be honest
Honesty is key when posting on Reddit.
Being honest means that you're not just trying to drive people to your site (even though that's your ultimate goal). You're posting on a subreddit with the intention of improving the community and becoming an active member of it.
These should be your motivations when posting on Reddit. They will help you maintain a genuine approach and present yourself as a person, rather than a marketer. And when you post on Reddit from that perspective, the difference is noticeable.
Be passionate
Passion is another way Reddit users can tell genuine participants from disguised sellers.
Users show passion by sharing links to content and titling it in a colloquial way.
For example, instead of writing a headline about how your new mongolia business email list detergent outperforms competitors, you could focus on the impact your product makes, such as: “This detergent makes my clothes smell amazing without harming the environment . ”
It's important not to make it sound like an infomercial, though. As we mentioned before, each subreddit has its own tone and personality.
So really, the best and only way to show passion on a subreddit is to be genuinely passionate about the topic.
Be transparent
Transparency is key to using Reddit correctly. This means being honest about who you are and what you're doing.
We mentioned that Reddit users don't like the platform being treated as a mere marketing channel. This is because they don't tolerate posts disguised as advertisements.
However, if you create quality content and offer something valuable to the community, users may welcome you with open arms.
Contribute value
In addition to being honest, passionate, and transparent, it's important that your posts add value to a subreddit.
That value can come from solving a common problem, showcasing high-quality work, or providing a unique perspective on a topic.
Value is most effective when your content has a broader appeal. For example, on r/smartphones, you'll likely have more success with a post about a common smartphone issue, rather than one focused solely on the iPhone 4S.
That doesn't mean that a post about 4S can't succeed, because it could. But it wouldn't be as relevant as a more general post.
Check the facts
Whenever you post on Reddit, it's essential to verify the facts you include in your content.
This involves adding sources for statistics, showing the calculations behind the numbers, and explaining how you came to a conclusion.
Other members of the subreddit will likely review the data and figures you provide. If you don't want them to point out errors, make sure your content is impeccable.
While this may take extra time, the results can be significant. Reddit prioritizes quality content, and if your ideas are based on incorrect information, your post and account could be challenged.
Offer help
Offering help is one of the best strategies to promote your business on Reddit. It works because you solve problems for other users while showing that your business can improve their lives.
If you can't solve a problem directly, at least provide useful information for users to solve it.
A good example would be an infographic on how to stay motivated, posted on r/motivation. It's simple, straightforward, and offers valuable solutions for people interested in the topic.
While it may not be the largest community on Reddit, it is a qualified audience that can drive relevant traffic to your site.
Create content for a subreddit