I spend an embarrassing period of time on Reddit. As a content material strategist for B2B SaaS corporations, Reddit advertising must be the very last thing on my thoughts — Redditors have a sixth sense for advertising and a hair-trigger for downvotes.
My Reddit homepage is a mishmash of every little thing that pursuits me: Deep dives into challenge administration instruments. Heated debates in regards to the newest Severance episode. Spending hours on Reddit every single day, I began questioning — how do you attain folks like me?
So I dug in. Seems, the manufacturers that win on Reddit take part. Right here’s easy methods to use Reddit for advertising with out getting roasted within the feedback.
Desk of Contents
What’s Reddit advertising?
Reddit advertising means constructing real connections inside Reddit’s huge community of communities, known as subreddits.
Conventional social media ways do not work right here. To succeed, it’s good to be an actual neighborhood member first — a model rep second. Not the opposite means round.
The platform runs on genuine discussions and shared pursuits throughout 1000’s of specialised communities. A Reddit advertising technique takes consistency, experience, and precise worth. Most significantly, it calls for persistence — constructing belief and recognition inside Reddit communities takes time, however creates lasting relationships along with your viewers.
Why does Reddit advertising matter?
Reddit’s attain retains increasing. The platform now sees over 100 million daily active users, a 39% soar from final 12 months.
That is lots of people coming to Reddit every single day to analysis merchandise, resolve issues, and interact in significant discussions.
What makes these numbers notably fascinating is the intent behind Reddit utilization. When folks come to Reddit, they‘re actively in search of data or options. They learn product opinions from actual customers, ask detailed questions on companies, and belief the neighborhood’s unfiltered opinions greater than polished advertising content material.
The platform’s construction of topic-specific communities creates pure viewers segments. Every subreddit represents a gaggle of individuals united by shared pursuits, making discovering and connecting along with your target market simpler. These communities usually develop into the primary cease for folks researching purchases or in search of suggestions.
This habits creates distinctive alternatives for manufacturers who perceive easy methods to take part appropriately. Whereas Reddit customers could also be marketing-averse, they’re extremely receptive to real experience and genuine neighborhood participation.
Why Reddit is So Tough for Entrepreneurs
Reddit focuses on neighborhood constructing and on-line dialogue somewhat than highlighting particular person profiles or particular content material. Posts and remark threads, known as subreddits, transfer up and down on feeds primarily based on person upvotes and downvotes.
As you may count on, upvotes are like Fb likes which sign Reddit algorithms to maneuver content material up. Downvotes do the other by shifting much less partaking content material down.
Posts that have interaction a whole bunch of others will get moved up and seen by extra customers. In the meantime, content material that bores or annoys many customers will get moved down the place it may not even be seen. This causes customers to see a feed that is perhaps extra partaking. However, this may additionally imply that non-promoted branded materials that appears like a generic commercial may get downvoted or marked as spam.
One other factor that makes Reddit difficult is you could’t simply seek for official firm profiles or official enterprise pages.
Sure. That is sort of scary.
There’s a search filter for “Customers and Communities,” however you may primarily see outcomes for probably the most lively subreddits — which may very well be created by anybody.
That is very totally different from Fb, Twitter, and LinkedIn, the place you possibly can simply seek for folks and confirm enterprise pages.
If a buyer is in search of data on a product and searches for a model, they could see unofficial neighborhood pages that host extra particular subreddits in regards to the firm. Nonetheless, nearly all of this content material is normally created by followers or prospects.
This is an instance of what occurs if you search McDonald’s on Reddit:
Though you see plenty of communities associated to McDonald’s, none of them say they’re official or run by the restaurant chain.
Whereas they aren’t brand-affiliated, these communities can nonetheless be useful to customers and even corporations. A prospect looking out Reddit to be taught extra a couple of particular product may discover nice customer-posted chatter in regards to the merchandise they’re contemplating.
Players, for instance, flock to the platform to debate new launches, professional suggestions, and points they is perhaps having whereas taking part in a well-liked online game like Sims 4.
Equally, customers may create a subreddit or neighborhood a couple of restaurant, like Burger King, to speak in regards to the bizarre or fascinating issues they’ve seen on the chain.
Since threads present constructive and unfavorable suggestions, customers may even acknowledge that constructive suggestions is extra official for the reason that product can be destroyed by person feedback if it have been dangerous high quality.
Frequent Reddit Advertising Methods
Reddit could be a difficult place to navigate just because it’s so totally different from different social platforms. Listed here are 5 methods that’ll show you how to learn to use Reddit for advertising.
Construct a neighborhood via genuine participation.
This implies persistently partaking in subreddit discussions, answering questions, and sharing experience with out pushing your product. To do that, I like to recommend discovering related subreddits the place your target market spends time after which changing into an everyday, useful presence in these communities.
I’ve watched manufacturers try this a whole bunch of the way on Reddit. Those that succeed, like Notion, use neighborhood ambassadors who prioritize being useful over being promotional.
Their ambassador, Mr. Wildenfree, recurrently participates in productiveness and software program subreddits.
He gives detailed recommendation, creates product suggestions threads, and acts as a bridge between customers and the Notion staff.
His Notion Licensed Ambassador standing provides credibility, but it surely’s his constant, useful presence that makes the model extra approachable.
Right here‘s what makes this technique work, primarily based on profitable patterns I’ve noticed:
- Lengthy-term dedication issues greater than fast wins. Construct at the least six months of constant participation to achieve actual traction. Group belief builds slowly.
- Deal with fixing issues first, selling second. Essentially the most revered model representatives on Reddit reply with detailed, useful data — even when it means recommending a competitor‘s product when it’s a greater match.
- Share insider data generously. Technical staff members who recurrently take part in related subreddits have a tendency to achieve extra traction once they provide deep experience about their trade somewhat than simply their product.
- Doc and analyze what works. Every subreddit has its personal tradition and unwritten guidelines. Profitable manufacturers clearly research and adapt to those community-specific norms.
Host knowledgeable AMAs.
Ask Me Something (AMA) threads are stay occasions the place an influencer, government, or firm employees member creates a put up introducing themselves and welcoming Redditors to ask questions.
Profitable AMAs want three core components: an knowledgeable who can share distinctive insights, real, unscripted responses, and devoted time for significant neighborhood engagement. With out all three, you threat becoming a member of Reddit’s graveyard of company AMAs that felt extra like press releases than conversations.
Such a promotion is finest when you’ve gotten an influencer or fascinating particular person affiliated along with your model who can reply questions shortly and in a fascinating means. Nonetheless, it may be tough to attract consideration to most of these promotions if you do not have an fascinating host in thoughts.
Whenever you do have an fascinating host, although, it really works extraordinarily nicely. Movie studio Lionsgate, for instance, hosted actor Keanu Reeves on r/films.
He spent hours responding thoughtfully to questions on every little thing from enjoyable experiences together with his co-stars to his favourite kung-fu coaching.
His genuine responses about each private {and professional} subjects drew over 297K upvotes and 33k feedback.
It’s also possible to coordinate AMAs with a number of specialists. I just like the one OpenAI hosted with 5 staff members together with their CEO, Chief Product Officer, and Chief Scientist.
Every knowledgeable targeted on totally different elements of AI improvement, making a complete dialogue with the neighborhood.
Deal with storytelling alternatives. A software program founder may share sincere tales about failed options that formed their product imaginative and prescient. A chef may reveal kitchen disasters that led to signature dishes.
Redditors worth transparency over polish. They will have interaction extra with imperfect however sincere responses than with company messaging.
Create and nurture branded subreddits.
Making a branded subreddit is about constructing a responsive neighborhood the place customers can discover assist and share experiences. I’ve seen this work nicely with tech corporations who make their assist staff accessible via Reddit.
Take OpenPhone’s subreddit, for instance.
Their neighborhood web page is each a data base and assist channel, with clear group and lively moderator participation.
What stands out is how they deal with difficult conditions, like when a person not too long ago posted about service discontinuation.
OpenPhone’s assist staff responded promptly and personally, acknowledging the inconvenience and providing alternate options.
Transparency transformed a doubtlessly unfavorable expertise right into a showcase of their customer support values.
Right here‘s what I’ve realized about sustaining engagement in a branded subreddit:
- Pin vital assets on the prime. OpenPhone retains its assist heart, tutorials, and standing web page simply accessible in its sidebar.
- Create themed dialogue threads. Weekly threads like “Characteristic Request Friday” or “Tech Help Tuesday” encourage common participation.
- Allow put up flairs. Classes like “Announcement,” “Assist,” and “Dialogue” make the neighborhood extra navigable.
- Spotlight neighborhood wins. When customers share success tales or useful suggestions, acknowledge them with Reddit awards or particular person flairs.
- Monitor mentions throughout Reddit. Customers usually talk about your model in different subreddits — have interaction there too, however at all times establish your self as an organization consultant.
An important rule? By no means delete unfavorable suggestions. As an alternative, deal with issues overtly and professionally. Your neighborhood will respect honesty greater than perfection.
Create high-value content material.
Sharing insights that assist others succeed. I’ve discovered the best-performing posts provide real learnings somewhat than thinly veiled promotion.
For instance, the founding father of the form-building instrument, Tally, Marie Martens, does this completely on r/SaaS. By detailing Tally’s journey to $150K MRR, she offers actionable insights about product improvement and enterprise technique.
SaaS founders need actual numbers, sincere insights about what labored (and what did not), and sensible ideas they will apply to their companies. Her put up delivers on all fronts: clear metrics, clear strategic selections like selecting simplicity over characteristic bloat, and particular values that drove their success.
What’s equally necessary is how she stayed lively within the feedback, answering detailed questions on pricing selections and product improvement decisions.
Ongoing engagement turned a fantastic put up right into a wealthy useful resource of founder insights.
When creating content material for any subreddit, I deal with these ideas:
- Share actual experiences, not concept. Your precise journey, full with errors and corrections, is extra precious than generic recommendation.
- Embrace particular numbers and outcomes. Discover how Marie did not simply say they grew—she shared precise person counts and income figures.
- Clarify your thought course of. Clarify why you made sure selections and what you realized from them.
- Deal with transferable insights. Whereas your precise scenario is perhaps distinctive, extract ideas others can apply to their very own challenges.
- Doc your journey alongside the best way. Essentially the most precious posts usually come from holding notes about your challenges and options as they occur.
Perceive what your goal neighborhood struggles with and share experiences that deal with these ache factors. All the time begin by asking: What distinctive insights can we share that may genuinely assist resolve issues this neighborhood faces?
Use paid adverts.
Take into account selling your posts if you wish to get your content material entrance and heart shortly. Promoted posts keep prioritized greater up in subreddits and goal particular person teams. Like different social platforms, these posts show a “promoted” icon, so customers know they did not organically rise to the highest.
Selling your posts lets you preserve them prioritized greater up in subreddits in addition to goal them to particular teams of customers.
Like promoted posts on Fb and different platforms, there might be an icon on the put up that claims it‘s promoted. So, though the posts might be greater up, customers will nonetheless know that it didn’t get to the highest of the thread they’re studying by itself.
This is an instance of what certainly one of these posts appears like:
Reddit’s concentrating on choices are extra refined than most entrepreneurs notice. Past primary demographics and areas, you possibly can goal by:
- Communities: Choose particular subreddits the place your viewers hangs out
- Pursuits: Attain customers primarily based on their engagement patterns
- System sort: Goal cell or desktop customers
- Time of day: Schedule adverts when your viewers is most lively
The platform additionally gives curiosity class combos. I’ve seen this work notably nicely when concentrating on customers who comply with each expertise and productiveness subreddits, or combining gaming with leisure pursuits.
My rule of thumb: Use paid promotion to amplify content material that‘s already confirmed to work organically. If a put up performs nicely naturally in a single subreddit, it’s value testing as a promoted put up in associated communities.
3 Reddit Advertising Technique Tricks to Keep away from Getting Roasted
Perceive the tradition.
Every subreddit operates like its personal micro-community with distinctive unwritten guidelines, inside jokes, and most well-liked posting types. Understanding these nuances is essential earlier than attempting to take part or market inside them.
Failing to know these nuances can result in downvoted posts, unfavorable engagement, and even bans.
Reddit has its personal language that newcomers must be taught. Frequent acronyms embody:
- OP (authentic poster)
- AFAIK (so far as I do know)
- TIL (as we speak I realized)
- CMV (change my view)
- TLDR (too lengthy, did not learn)
- AITA (Am I the Asshole)
Past these platform-wide phrases, particular person subreddits usually develop their very own particular terminology. For instance, r/wallstreetbets makes use of completely totally different language than r/advertising.
Utilizing the unsuitable terminology could make your put up really feel misplaced, decreasing credibility and engagement.
Examine the highest posts from the previous month in your goal subreddit. Word what will get upvoted, how folks format their posts, and which subjects generate engagement. Finally, adapting to every subreddit’s tradition is the important thing to constructing credibility and engagement on Reddit.
Examine subreddit guidelines.
Subreddit guidelines are non-negotiable pointers that decide whether or not your content material stays up or will get eliminated. Each subreddit has its personal particular algorithm listed within the sidebar, and breaking them can result in deleted posts, momentary suspensions, and even everlasting bans.
Some guidelines are simple: r/purses bans dialogue of shopping for replicas.
Different guidelines may be extra nuanced, like r/science requiring all posts to reference peer-reviewed analysis, or r/gaming’s strict coverage on self-promotion.
Many subreddits comply with a casual “10:1 rule” — which means you need to contribute ten non-promotional posts for each one promotional put up. Breaking these guidelines not solely will get your content material eliminated however can lead to everlasting bans from the neighborhood.
Studying and following every subreddit‘s guidelines protects your model’s repute and reveals respect for the neighborhood you are attempting to achieve.
Deal with controversial subjects head-on.
Reddit customers have distinctive reminiscence in relation to public figures’ previous statements and actions.
Skilled wrestler Ronda Rousey realized this the laborious means throughout her AMA, which shortly grew to become a case research in how to not deal with controversial subjects on Reddit.
When Rousey launched her AMA to advertise a Kickstarter marketing campaign for her comedian ebook, customers instantly questioned why somebody of her wealth wanted crowdfunding.
Additionally they introduced up her extraordinarily controversial tweets.
Moderately than addressing these issues, she averted responding to any difficult questions, selecting to reply solely protected, promotional subjects.
The AMA went horribly unsuitable for her.
The highest-voted questions — many addressing her controversial previous statements — remained conspicuously unanswered, drowning out any constructive promotional impression.
For AMAs to succeed, transparency is important. The neighborhood responds higher to sincere acknowledgment of previous controversies than makes an attempt to sidestep tough questions. When planning an AMA, be ready to handle difficult subjects immediately—or rethink whether or not Reddit is the appropriate platform in your marketing campaign.
Navigating Reddit
The great thing about Reddit advertising is that it rewards what nice advertising ought to prioritize: belief, authenticity, and actual connections along with your viewers. Whereas paid promoting choices like sponsoring a put up are increasing, natural neighborhood engagement stays probably the most highly effective approach to construct a long-lasting presence on Reddit.
My recommendation? Begin small. Decide one or two subreddits the place your experience can actually add worth. Learn the principles, research the tradition, and take part genuinely.
The platform could appear daunting at first, however that exclusivity is strictly what makes it a goldmine for genuine engagement and natural attain.
Editor’s word: This put up was initially printed in August 2019 and has been up to date for comprehensiveness.
