5 Ways On How To Use Reddit

Reddit at a glance

Community-driven approach

The concept is simple: Subreddits are dedicated to specific topics and users can share posts. Those can be commented, and users can vote whether they like (upvote) or dislike (downvote) the input. The same voting system is in place for comments. Inappropriate or off-topic comments are hidden when the community takes action. Like this, the community decides which posts are most popular on the platform.

Outside of their user activity as a regular user ("Redditor"), users can voluntarily support the platform as a moderator and guide a subreddit of their choice. Rules for moderators are outlined in Reddit’s Content Policy or Moderator Code of Conduct.

85% of Redditors agree that people post things that are honest and truthful. This is why 90% of users have a high trust in Reddit to learn about new products and brands.

Impact on SEO

In previous articles, we’ve looked into the connection between social media and high rankings on search engines like Google. With more and more users seeking real, authentic reviews and advice online and on social media, Google now shows suitable posts in forums and discussion boards on top of the search page, for instance Reddit, Quora or GuteFrage. This means that Reddit posts are more visible, which makes the platform more interesting for brands.

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Here are 5 ways brands can use Reddit

1. Create your own subreddit

First things first: By creating your own subreddit, brands can take part and drive conversations on niche topics. Like this, companies can position themselves as industry experts and talk to B2C audiences with a strong interest in their product, their innovations and their developments. Secondly, it showcases that your company is modern and digital – two things that are valued particularly by the younger generation.

A few years ago, the magazine Glamour for instance started a cross-channel campaign that included a subreddit r/showerthoughts, connecting users over the "oddities within the familiar". Xbox on the other hand didn't create its own subreddit, but sometimes refers to the subreddit r/xbox360 so customers can connect with the community and ask them for advice.

2. Showcase your company culture with employer branding content

It will leave an impression with the younger generation if they see a brand they’re interested in engaging in an authentic and fun way online: Being active on Reddit increases your brands' coolness factor and makes you stand out amongst competitors. A strong tactic in the “war of talents”! One example is an Air Traffic Controller responding to questions in light of his employer announcing they would be hiring in the upcoming week.

3. Open a dialogue with your community with AMA

The acronym AMA stands for “ask me anything” and is one of the most popular formats on Reddit. Users explain their background or where they’re currently at in their life and encourage the community to ask them questions, which they will respond to in an unfiltered and honest manner.

Given its popularity, Reddit now improved how brands can host AMAs: As of May 2024, it’s possible to schedule and promote AMAs in advance, include guest collaborators and inform participants of the official closing time of an AMA. What’s also new is that brands can sort questions by answered vs. unanswered to ensure no question is overlooked by accident. CEOs, managers and executives have joined this format in the past and given interesting insights into their jobs - including Bill Gates, Barack Obama or Elon Musk (at the time, as the CEO of SpaceX).

4. Reach more Redditors by setting up ads

Brands can run ads on Reddit and increase their visibility amongst relevant target audiences. The advantage: Reddit isn’t overrun with ads and has a more authentic and personal touch and feel. In the meantime, Instagram users have been complaining that they feel bombarded by paid ads and sponsored content.

5. Use Reddit as an e-commerce platform

If one of your business goals is to sell products online, Reddit can help. In 2022, “Reddit” has been added more than 1.2 billion times to Google searches on product information. Reddit is not necessarily known as an e-commerce platform yet but has been working on improving advertising and conversions. Now, you can run ads with the objective to increase product sales, making Reddit an interesting additional way to reach potential customers.

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