What is Reddit? It’s a social media platform. Right?
Well actually it’s a … news site? I mean, they don’t break stories and no journalists work there. So, I guess it’s not a news site, it’s more like a news and content aggregator. Or maybe it’s …
Look, Reddit is just a place people go to talk about stuff, OK?
They don’t make trendy dance videos.
They don’t promote their glamorous vacations.
They might share photos of their pets and get into heated political debates, but typically only in forums designed for those purposes.
It’s those forums that make Reddit a unique platform. In many ways, Reddit is a throwback to what the internet used to be before social media. Back when it was more rudimentary and less governed. Back when online advertising wasn’t nearly as prevalent or sophisticated as it is today,
That’s what makes marketing on Reddit tricky. Brands can and have found success on Reddit, but achieving this success requires a customized marketing strategy.
Posting Reddit ads with the same language and format as other social media marketing posts might not generate the results you want. But knowing the skills of community engagement can help you connect better with the Redditors.
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What Is Reddit? How Does it Work?
Reddit is known as “the front page of the internet”. Much like the front page of a physical newspaper, you can go to Reddit and see the major news stories and what people are talking about. You can customize your feed to reflect your interests or click on the Popular tab and peruse what’s there.
If you used the internet in the late 1990s/early 2000s, this format is familiar to you. If you’re of a certain age, you can remember firing up your internet browser, waiting for it to load, and then — eventually — seeing your homepage on AOL or Yahoo with stories about Jennifer Aniston marrying Brad Pitt or David Arquette winning the WCW World Heavyweight Championship.
Ahh. Simpler times.
Today’s world seems much more complex to many of us, and maybe that’s why Reddit purposely eschews a sleek, ultra-modern aesthetic. Reddit is simple, easy to use and prioritizes text over images (though not exclusively).
Redditors — registered users of the site — join the subreddits that interest them. A subreddit is a forum dedicated to a specific topic. They’re styled as “r/” and then the topic. Some of the most popular subreddits include r/funny, r/AskReddit, r/gaming and r/todayilearned.
But Redditors aren’t Luddites and Reddit’s creators and engineers certainly aren’t. There’s obviously still an algorithm — it’s the 2020s, algorithms are everywhere.
The algorithm shows Redditors content they’ve engaged with before or similar content. So, if a Redditor has recently spent some time perusing r/electricvehicles and you’re involved in marketing an EV model, it makes sense to put an ad on that Redditor’s screen. And Reddit can do that for you.
Why Should I Use Reddit in My Marketing Strategy?
Reddit can be a critically valuable platform for a multichannel marketing strategy. There are benefits to marketing on Reddit that are peculiar to its platform.
Advantages
Some of the key advantages of using Reddit include:
- Massive audience: According to similarweb, reddit.com was the 10th most-visited website in October 2024. That’s 10th in the entire world. It received 3.5 billion visits and was the 5th most-visited site in the U.S. So, yeah, it’s quite popular.
- Different audience: Not only is Reddit immensely popular, it also attracts an audience who might not spend a lot of time on other social media platforms and websites. Many Redditors are active in niche communities; they have a few subreddits they peruse regularly and that’s it for their daily scrolling. If you don’t employ a Reddit marketing strategy, there’s potentially a huge portion of your target audience you won’t reach.
- Different ways to interact — AMAs: Reddit has standard ads and sponsored content, but it offers more organic ways for brands to interact with users. One way is truly unique: Ask Me Anything (AMA). AMAs are when a celebrity, politician, expert in a given field or even a brand accepts questions from Redditors about a variety of topics and answers them.
- Redditors have clear interests: As mentioned with the EV example, it’s quite easy to target Redditors based on their participation in relevant subreddits. Redditors tell you what they’re interested in with the subreddits they follow.
- Simplicity: Another benefit of the lo-fi approach of Reddit is that it’s simple to use and to understand.
- Cost effective: Reddit can offer great rewards on ad spend. You don’t need to make a flashy, expensive video ad to get traction on Reddit. You can simply invite Redditors to ask questions about your brand and answer them.
Disadvantages
No digital marketing strategy is fool-proof and no social media platform is without its drawbacks. Some potential disadvantages of using Reddit include:
- Difficulty standing out above the noise: Because Reddit receives so many visits, there’s a lot of action going on. Reddit users have a reputation for being ravenous for fresh content. You have to be timely and attention-grabbing with your Reddit marketing strategy if you’re going to achieve significant community engagement.
- Unsuitable for formal or serious content: Reddit content isn’t formal and it’s often quite unserious. For laid-back, down-to-earth and comedic content and conversation ads, Reddit is great. But for sensitive issues, Reddit is a potentially dangerous platform.
- Potential backlash: Any platform that allows comments enables users to voice negative opinions. On Reddit, though, users have more power because of the downvote button. If someone with a Reddit account likes your post, they can upvote it. But if they don’t, they can — and will — downvote it. If other users see a lot of downvotes on your Reddit post, your marketing strategy can turn into a laughingstock real quick.
The Advantage … and Disadvantage of Reddit
There’s one other aspect of Reddit we should cover. It deserves its own category because it could be a positive or a negative.
- Reddit’s relationship with Google and ChatGPT: These are relatively new and developing issues. Reddit has a relationship with Google. Over the past year or so, Reddit has experienced a huge increase in organic traffic and subreddits feature prominently on Google search engine results pages (SERPs). This means if there’s a popular subreddit dedicated to your product or service, posts from that forum will probably show up on SERPs. Which is great … if those Reddit posts are positive. Similarly, ChatGPT reads Reddit. ChatGPT doesn’t necessarily fact-check or vet results, either. So if someone asks ChatGPT if your brand is good, ChatGPT will check Reddit and if the posts there are negative, your brand reputation is in trouble.
What Are the Rules of Reddit Marketing?
Every platform has its rules. What are Reddit’s?
- Organic marketing: Reddit offers paid and organic ad formats. To employ an organic marketing strategy, you simply post within subreddits just as any other Redditor would. This costs nothing, but it also has the most potential to be overtaken by negative reactions.
- Reddit ads: A promoted post is highly visible to users and you can target your preferred audience. Start by creating a Reddit Ads account, enter your basic campaign details, decide if you want to use automated ad creation, define your target audience and you’re off to the races. You can also turn organic posts into sponsored posts later on if they prove popular.
- AMAs: AMAs usually take place r/IAmA or a dedicated subreddit. Redditors ask relevant questions and these conversations can generate significant community engagement.
Examples of Successful Reddit Marketing Strategies
Learning about effective social media marketing campaigns can help you learn how to craft your own effective strategy. Here are a few examples of brands that have executed memorable Reddit marketing strategies:
Automakers: Audi, Nissan
Several auto manufacturers have found success in marketing on Reddit. Nissan was an early adopter of Reddit marketing, with their CEO participating in an AMA in 2015. Audi’s campaign was a little unusual for Reddit in that it was heavily visual — celebrities answered questions while speeding around a test track in an Audi.
Publications: The Economist, Washington Post
British publication The Economist increased engagement with AMAs and by hosting conversations at u/theeconomist. One particularly popular AMA featured its obituary writer. The Washington Post has been very active on Reddit for years, engaging in relevant subreddits and using u/washingtonpost to foster communication between their writers and the Reddit audience.
Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation
Bill Gates has participated in several AMAs and never misses a chance to promote the private foundation he founded with his now ex-wife, Melinda. He has been successful in using a light touch, respecting Redditors’ reputation for antipathy toward hard sells.
Mint Mobile
Mint Mobile has also succeeded in its Reddit marketing with a light touch. The mobile provider regularly uses r/mintmobile to promote brand awareness, answer FAQs and post fun, engaging and — most importantly — authentic content.
Always Explore Different Ways To Communicate Your Brand
While your brand voice should come through in all your communications, it’s important to remember that each medium — and each social media platform — has its own context and vibe. It’s often beneficial to discover how your brand fits into each platform’s ecosystem.
Don’t be afraid to explore how your brand can thrive on Reddit or any other platform. Your strategy might just be the next great Reddit marketing success story!
