I spend an embarrassing period of time on Reddit. As a content material strategist for B2B SaaS firms, Reddit advertising ought to 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 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 day by day, 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 find out how 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 techniques 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 hundreds of specialised communities. A Reddit advertising technique takes consistency, experience, and precise worth. Most significantly, it calls for endurance — 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% bounce from final 12 months.
That is lots of people coming to Reddit day by day to analysis merchandise, resolve issues, and interact in significant discussions.
What makes these numbers significantly attention-grabbing is the intent behind Reddit utilization. When individuals come to Reddit, they‘re actively in search of info or options. They learn product critiques 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 audience simpler. These communities typically develop into the primary cease for individuals researching purchases or in search of suggestions.
This habits creates distinctive alternatives for manufacturers who perceive find out how 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 Difficult for Entrepreneurs
Reddit focuses on neighborhood 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 person upvotes and downvotes.
As you would possibly anticipate, upvotes are like Fb likes which sign Reddit algorithms to maneuver content material up. Downvotes do the other by transferring much less participating content material down.
Posts that interact lots of 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 is perhaps extra participating. However, this will additionally imply that non-promoted branded materials that appears like a generic commercial might get downvoted or marked as spam.
One other factor that makes Reddit difficult is that you may’t simply seek for reputable 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 might be created by anybody.
That is very totally different from Fb, Twitter, and LinkedIn, the place you possibly can 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 may see unofficial neighborhood pages that host extra particular subreddits in regards to the firm. Nonetheless, virtually all of this content material is often created by followers or prospects.
Here is an instance of what occurs whenever you search McDonald’s on Reddit:
Though you see numerous 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 firms. A prospect looking out Reddit to be taught extra a few 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 suggestions, and points they is perhaps having whereas taking part in a well-liked online game like Sims 4.
Equally, customers would possibly create a subreddit or neighborhood a few restaurant, like Burger King, to speak in regards to the bizarre or attention-grabbing issues they’ve seen on the chain.
Since threads present optimistic and adverse suggestions, customers would possibly even acknowledge that optimistic suggestions is extra reputable because the product can be destroyed by person feedback if it have been dangerous high quality.
Widespread Reddit Advertising Methods
Reddit generally is a difficult place to navigate just because it’s so totally different from different social platforms. Listed below are 5 methods that’ll show you how to learn to use Reddit for advertising.
Construct a neighborhood via genuine participation.
This implies persistently participating 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 audience spends time after which turning into an everyday, useful presence in these communities.
I’ve watched manufacturers try this lots of of how on Reddit. Those that succeed, like Notion, use neighborhood ambassadors who prioritize being useful over being promotional.
Their ambassador, Mr. Wildenfree, commonly participates in productiveness and software program subreddits.
He provides 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 not less than 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 info — even when it means recommending a competitor‘s product when it’s a greater match.
- Share insider information generously. Technical staff members who commonly take part in related subreddits have a tendency to achieve extra traction once 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 reside occasions the place an influencer, govt, or firm workers member creates a put up introducing themselves and welcoming 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 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.
The sort of promotion is finest when you could have an influencer or attention-grabbing individual affiliated along with your model who can reply questions shortly and in an attractive means. Nonetheless, it may be tough to attract consideration to most of these promotions if you do not have an attention-grabbing host in thoughts.
Whenever you do have an attention-grabbing host, although, it really works extraordinarily nicely. 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 together with his co-stars to his favourite kung-fu coaching.
His genuine responses about each private {and professional} matters drew over 297K upvotes and 33k feedback.
You may also coordinate AMAs with a number of consultants. I just like the one OpenAI hosted with 5 staff members together with their CEO, Chief Product Officer, and Chief Scientist.
Every professional targeted on totally different features of AI growth, making a complete dialogue with the neighborhood.
Deal with storytelling alternatives. A software program founder would possibly share trustworthy tales about failed options that formed their product imaginative and prescient. A chef might reveal kitchen disasters that led to signature dishes.
Redditors worth transparency over polish. They’re going to interact extra with imperfect however trustworthy 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 firms who make their help staff accessible via Reddit.
Take OpenPhone’s subreddit, for instance.
Their neighborhood web page is each a information base and help channel, with clear group and lively moderator participation.
What stands out is how they deal with difficult conditions, like when a person lately posted about service discontinuation.
OpenPhone’s help staff responded promptly and personally, acknowledging the inconvenience and providing alternate options.
Transparency transformed a doubtlessly adverse 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 high. 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 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 typically talk about your model in different subreddits — interact there too, however all the time establish your self as an organization consultant.
An important rule? By no means delete adverse suggestions. As an alternative, handle considerations brazenly 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 supply real learnings relatively 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 supplies actionable insights about product growth and enterprise technique.
SaaS founders need actual numbers, trustworthy insights about what labored (and what did not), and sensible ideas 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 vital is how she stayed lively within the feedback, answering detailed questions on pricing choices and product growth decisions.
Ongoing engagement turned an incredible put up right into a wealthy useful resource of founder insights.
When creating content material for any subreddit, I concentrate on these ideas:
- Share actual experiences, not principle. Your precise journey, full with errors and corrections, is extra precious than generic recommendation.
- Embody 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 choices and what you realized from them.
- Deal with transferable insights. Whereas your precise state of affairs 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 typically come from retaining notes about your challenges and options as they occur.
Perceive what your goal neighborhood struggles with and share experiences that handle these ache factors. All the time begin by asking: What distinctive insights can we share that will genuinely assist resolve issues this neighborhood faces?
Use paid adverts.
Think about promoting 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 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 maintain 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.
Here is an instance of what one among these posts seems like:
Reddit’s concentrating on choices are extra subtle than most entrepreneurs understand. Past primary demographics and places, 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 cellular or desktop customers
- Time of day: Schedule adverts when your viewers is most lively
The platform additionally provides curiosity class combos. I’ve seen this work significantly nicely when concentrating on customers who observe 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 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 understand these nuances can result in downvoted posts, adverse engagement, and even bans.
Reddit has its personal language that newcomers must be taught. Widespread acronyms embody:
- OP (unique 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 typically develop their very own particular terminology. For instance, r/wallstreetbets makes use of solely totally different language than r/advertising.
Utilizing the improper terminology could make your put up really feel misplaced, lowering credibility and engagement.
Examine the highest posts from the previous month in your goal subreddit. Notice what will get upvoted, how individuals format their posts, and which matters 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, non permanent suspensions, and even everlasting bans.
Some guidelines are easy: r/purses bans dialogue of shopping for replicas.
Different guidelines will 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 observe a casual “10:1 rule” — that means you must 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 neighborhood.
Studying and following every subreddit‘s guidelines protects your model’s repute and exhibits respect for the neighborhood you are attempting to achieve.
Handle controversial matters head-on.
Reddit customers have distinctive reminiscence in the case of public figures’ previous statements and actions.
Skilled wrestler Ronda Rousey realized this the exhausting means throughout her AMA, which shortly turned a case research in how to not deal with controversial matters on Reddit.
When Rousey launched her AMA to advertise a Kickstarter marketing campaign for her comedian e book, customers instantly questioned why somebody of her wealth wanted crowdfunding.
Additionally they introduced up her extraordinarily controversial tweets.
Slightly than addressing these considerations, she prevented responding to any difficult questions, selecting to reply solely protected, promotional matters.
The AMA went horribly improper for her.
The highest-voted questions — many addressing her controversial previous statements — remained conspicuously unanswered, drowning out any optimistic promotional impression.
For AMAs to succeed, transparency is important. The neighborhood responds higher to trustworthy acknowledgment of previous controversies than makes an attempt to sidestep tough questions. When planning an AMA, be ready to deal with difficult matters immediately—or rethink whether or not Reddit is the proper 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 technique 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 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 observe: This put up was initially printed in August 2019 and has been up to date for comprehensiveness.
