I spend an embarrassing period of time on Reddit. As a content material strategist for B2B SaaS corporations, Reddit advertising and marketing must be the very last thing on my thoughts — Redditors have a sixth sense for advertising and marketing and a hair-trigger for downvotes.
My Reddit homepage is a mishmash of all the things that pursuits me: Deep dives into challenge administration instruments. Heated debates in regards to the newest Severance episode. Spending hours on Reddit on daily basis, I began questioning — how do you attain individuals like me?
So I dug in. Seems, the manufacturers that win on Reddit take part. Right here’s the right way to use Reddit for advertising and marketing with out getting roasted within the feedback.
Desk of Contents
What’s Reddit advertising and marketing?
Reddit advertising and marketing 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 is advisable be an actual group member first — a model rep second. Not the opposite manner round.
The platform runs on genuine discussions and shared pursuits throughout hundreds of specialised communities. A Reddit advertising and marketing 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 together with your viewers.
Why does Reddit advertising and marketing matter?
Reddit’s attain retains increasing. The platform now sees over 100 million day by day lively customers, a 39% soar from final yr.
That is lots of people coming to Reddit on daily basis to analysis merchandise, resolve issues, and interact in significant discussions.
What makes these numbers notably attention-grabbing is the intent behind Reddit utilization. When individuals come to Reddit, they‘re actively searching for info or options. They learn product evaluations from actual customers, ask detailed questions on companies, and belief the group’s unfiltered opinions greater than polished advertising and marketing content material.
The platform’s construction of topic-specific communities creates pure viewers segments. Every subreddit represents a bunch of individuals united by shared pursuits, making discovering and connecting together with your target market simpler. These communities typically turn into the primary cease for individuals researching purchases or searching for suggestions.
This conduct creates distinctive alternatives for manufacturers who perceive the right way to take part appropriately. Whereas Reddit customers could also be marketing-averse, they’re extremely receptive to real experience and genuine group participation.
Why Reddit is So Tough for Entrepreneurs
Reddit focuses on group constructing and on-line dialogue relatively 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 consumer upvotes and downvotes.
As you would possibly 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 won’t even be seen. This causes customers to see a feed that could be extra partaking. However, this could additionally imply that non-promoted branded materials that looks 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 legit firm profiles or official enterprise pages.
Sure. That is form of scary.
There’s a search filter for “Customers and Communities,” however you will primarily see outcomes for probably the most lively subreddits — which may very well be created by anybody.
That is very completely different from Fb, Twitter, and LinkedIn, the place you may simply seek for individuals and confirm enterprise pages.
If a buyer is in search of info on a product and searches for a model, they could see unofficial group pages that host extra particular subreddits in regards to the firm. Nonetheless, nearly all of this content material is often created by followers or clients.
This is an instance of what occurs if you search McDonald’s on Reddit:
Though you see a lot 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 would possibly 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 ideas, and points they could be having whereas enjoying a preferred online game like Sims 4.
Equally, customers would possibly create a subreddit or group a couple of restaurant, like Burger King, to speak in regards to the bizarre or attention-grabbing issues they’ve seen on the chain.
Since threads present constructive and damaging suggestions, customers would possibly even acknowledge that constructive suggestions is extra legit because the product could be destroyed by consumer feedback if it had been dangerous high quality.
Widespread Reddit Advertising Methods
Reddit is usually a tough place to navigate just because it’s so completely different from different social platforms. Listed here are 5 methods that’ll allow you to discover ways to use Reddit for advertising and marketing.
Construct a group by way of 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 a daily, useful presence in these communities.
I’ve watched manufacturers try this a whole bunch of how on Reddit. Those that succeed, like Notion, use group ambassadors who prioritize being useful over being promotional.
Their ambassador, Mr. Wildenfree, recurrently participates in productiveness and software program subreddits.
He presents detailed recommendation, creates product suggestions threads, and acts as a bridge between customers and the Notion staff.
His Notion Licensed Ambassador standing provides credibility, however it’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 a minimum of six months of constant participation to achieve actual traction. Group belief builds slowly.
- Give attention to fixing issues first, selling second. Essentially the most revered model representatives on Reddit reply with detailed, useful info — 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 after they supply deep experience about their trade relatively 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 professional AMAs.
Ask Me Something (AMA) threads are dwell occasions the place an influencer, government, or firm employees member creates a put up introducing themselves and alluring Redditors to ask questions.
Profitable AMAs want three core components: an professional who can share distinctive insights, real, unscripted responses, and devoted time for significant group engagement. With out all three, you danger becoming a member of Reddit’s graveyard of company AMAs that felt extra like press releases than conversations.
One of these promotion is greatest when you’ve gotten an influencer or attention-grabbing individual affiliated together with your model who can reply questions shortly and in an enticing manner. Nonetheless, it may be troublesome to attract consideration to all these promotions if you do not have an attention-grabbing host in thoughts.
If you do have an attention-grabbing host, although, it really works extraordinarily effectively. Movie studio Lionsgate, for instance, hosted actor Keanu Reeves on r/motion pictures.
He spent hours responding thoughtfully to questions on all the things from enjoyable experiences along 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 professional centered on completely different elements of AI improvement, making a complete dialogue with the group.
Give attention to storytelling alternatives. A software program founder would possibly 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 group the place customers can discover assist and share experiences. I’ve seen this work effectively with tech corporations who make their help staff accessible by way of Reddit.
Take OpenPhone’s subreddit, for instance.
Their group web page is each a data base and help channel, with clear group and lively moderator participation.
What stands out is how they deal with difficult conditions, like when a consumer just lately posted about service discontinuation.
OpenPhone’s help staff responded promptly and personally, acknowledging the inconvenience and providing alternate options.
Transparency transformed a probably damaging 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 essential sources on the prime. OpenPhone retains its assist middle, tutorials, and standing web page simply accessible in its sidebar.
- Create themed dialogue threads. Weekly threads like “Function Request Friday” or “Tech Help Tuesday” encourage common participation.
- Allow put up flairs. Classes like “Announcement,” “Assist,” and “Dialogue” make the group extra navigable.
- Spotlight group wins. When customers share success tales or useful ideas, acknowledge them with Reddit awards or particular consumer flairs.
- Monitor mentions throughout Reddit. Customers typically focus on your model in different subreddits — have interaction there too, however at all times determine your self as an organization consultant.
Crucial rule? By no means delete damaging suggestions. As an alternative, deal with considerations brazenly and professionally. Your group will respect honesty greater than perfection.
Create high-value content material.
Sharing insights that assist others succeed. I’ve discovered the best-performing posts supply real learnings relatively than thinly veiled promotion.
For instance, the founding father of the form-building software, 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 rules they’ll apply to their companies. Her put up delivers on all fronts: clear metrics, clear strategic choices 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 choices and product improvement decisions.
Ongoing engagement turned an important put up right into a wealthy useful resource of founder insights.
When creating content material for any subreddit, I concentrate on these rules:
- Share actual experiences, not concept. Your precise journey, full with errors and corrections, is extra beneficial than generic recommendation.
- Embrace particular numbers and outcomes. Discover how Marie did not simply say they grew—she shared actual consumer counts and income figures.
- Clarify your thought course of. Clarify why you made sure choices and what you realized from them.
- Give attention to transferable insights. Whereas your actual scenario could be distinctive, extract rules others can apply to their very own challenges.
- Doc your journey alongside the best way. Essentially the most beneficial posts typically come from maintaining notes about your challenges and options as they occur.
Perceive what your goal group struggles with and share experiences that deal with these ache factors. All the time begin by asking: What distinctive insights can we share that might genuinely assist resolve issues this group faces?
Use paid adverts.
Think about selling your posts if you wish to get your content material entrance and middle shortly. Promoted posts keep prioritized increased up in subreddits and goal particular consumer 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 increased 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 increased 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 one in every of these posts appears to be like like:
Reddit’s focusing on choices are extra refined than most entrepreneurs understand. Past fundamental demographics and places, you may goal by:
- Communities: Choose particular subreddits the place your viewers hangs out
- Pursuits: Attain customers primarily based on their engagement patterns
- Machine sort: Goal cell or desktop customers
- Time of day: Schedule adverts when your viewers is most lively
The platform additionally presents curiosity class combos. I’ve seen this work notably effectively when focusing on customers who comply with each know-how 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 effectively 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 popular posting kinds. Understanding these nuances is essential earlier than attempting to take part or market inside them.
Failing to understand these nuances can result in downvoted posts, damaging engagement, and even bans.
Reddit has its personal language that newcomers must be taught. Widespread acronyms embrace:
- OP (authentic poster)
- AFAIK (so far as I do know)
- TIL (at the moment 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 typically develop their very own particular terminology. For instance, r/wallstreetbets makes use of totally completely different language than r/advertising and marketing.
Utilizing the mistaken terminology could make your put up really feel misplaced, decreasing credibility and engagement.
Research the highest posts from the previous month in your goal subreddit. Notice what will get upvoted, how individuals 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.
Research subreddit guidelines.
Subreddit guidelines are non-negotiable tips 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, non permanent suspensions, and even everlasting bans.
Some guidelines are easy: r/purses bans dialogue of shopping for replicas.
Different guidelines might 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 an off-the-cuff “10:1 rule” — which means it is best to contribute ten non-promotional posts for each one promotional put up. Breaking these guidelines not solely will get your content material eliminated however may end up in everlasting bans from the group.
Studying and following every subreddit‘s guidelines protects your model’s fame and exhibits respect for the group you are attempting to succeed in.
Handle controversial subjects head-on.
Reddit customers have distinctive reminiscence with regards to public figures’ previous statements and actions.
Skilled wrestler Ronda Rousey realized this the exhausting manner 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 guide, customers instantly questioned why somebody of her wealth wanted crowdfunding.
Additionally they introduced up her extraordinarily controversial tweets.
Somewhat than addressing these considerations, she prevented responding to any difficult questions, selecting to reply solely secure, promotional subjects.
The AMA went horribly mistaken for her.
The highest-voted questions — many addressing her controversial previous statements — remained conspicuously unanswered, drowning out any constructive promotional affect.
For AMAs to succeed, transparency is important. The group responds higher to sincere acknowledgment of previous controversies than makes an attempt to sidestep troublesome questions. When planning an AMA, be ready to deal with difficult subjects instantly—or rethink whether or not Reddit is the appropriate platform on your marketing campaign.
Navigating Reddit
The great thing about Reddit advertising and marketing is that it rewards what nice advertising and marketing ought to prioritize: belief, authenticity, and actual connections together with your viewers. Whereas paid promoting choices like sponsoring a put up are increasing, natural group engagement stays probably the most highly effective solution to construct an enduring presence on Reddit.
My recommendation? Begin small. Choose one or two subreddits the place your experience can actually add worth. Learn the foundations, research the tradition, and take part genuinely.
The platform could seem daunting at first, however that exclusivity is precisely 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.
