Reddit is a whole different experience when compared to platforms like TikTok, Instagram, or Twitter. If businesses are not familiar with the platform, it’s worth investing the time to dive in and learn how it works and how it can benefit them. With over 52 million daily active users and up to USD 10 billion in value, Reddits ranks as the 16th most popular social media platform, even calling itself “the front page of the internet.”
Even better, Reddit is often where viral content first takes off. It’s also where celebrities and fascinating people do “Ask Me Anything” sessions, and communities gather to discuss anything. If you can think of something, there’s likely a subreddit for it.
This means that once businesses can get past the tricky interface, learn how to share content and understand its quirks, Reddit can offer a great deal of value for marketing purposes.
So keep reading to find out more!
Table of Contents
Everything you need to know about Reddit
How businesses can use Reddit for marketing and growth
Final words
Everything you need to know about Reddit
Reddit is a popular online platform where millions gather to share ideas, ask questions, and participate in discussions across thousands of communities called subreddits. Each subreddit revolves around a specific topic, ranging from general interests like movies and fitness to niche hobbies like collecting rare books or specific tech trends.
If businesses use the platform thoughtfully, Reddit can be a powerful tool for businesses to reach highly targeted audiences. However, because Redditors value genuine interaction, companies must approach the platform carefully and with well-planned strategies.
How Reddit works
At its core, Reddit is a massive forum where users can post content (links, images, videos, or just text), and others can comment or vote on it. This voting system helps rank content—posts with many upvotes gain karma and rise to the top, while those with downvotes lose karma and disappear. Subreddits have their own set of rules and moderators to ensure discussions stay on topic.
How to farm Reddit karma quickly
Reddit works differently than most platforms since it’s all about anonymity, and having multiple accounts is common. So, how does Reddit build credibility? Through its karma system. The more karma businesses earn, the more seriously Reddit takes them. However, before building it on the platform, they must understand the two types of karma (post and comment karma).
Post karma comes from upvotes on shared posts, while users can earn comment karma through upvotes on their comments. Staying active in the comments section (both on shared posts and others) is one of the best ways to build karma. Conversely, businesses can lose karma if their posts or comments get enough downvotes.
Remember that earning karma isn’t a quick process. It takes time and a lot of meaningful contributions to be credible on Reddit. That said, here are a few tips to get started:
- Businesses should focus on niche subreddits where they’re knowledgeable or passionate. They can check the “New Tab” for questions they can answer.
- Participate in r/AskReddit by asking or answering questions to boost post and comment karma.
- Make Reddit part of daily routines. When users find something interesting while browsing, they should share it in relevant, active subreddits to gradually build their karma.
Learning the language of Reddit
Redditors are often fluent in “internet speak” and Reddit-specific lingo. As businesses spend time on the platform, they’ll naturally pick up on the terms and abbreviations most Redditors use. But to help them get started, here’s a quick look at some of the most popular Reddit terms brands will come across.
- Upvote: A positive vote showing that a post or comment adds value to the discussion or subreddit.
- Downvote: A negative vote indicating a post or comment is unhelpful, irrelevant, or overly promotional.
- Mod (moderator): These users help enforce rules in a subreddit. They have special permissions to ban or remove users, posts, and comments to keep things running smoothly.
- Reddit Gold: A premium membership with extra features, which businesses can buy or gift to others as a reward for valuable contributions.
- X-post (cross post): When users share a post from one subreddit to another, they include “X-post from [original subreddit]” in the title to show it’s coming from somewhere else.
- OP (original poster): This term describes the original sharer of the posting users are commenting on.
- Lurking: People browsing a subreddit without actually contributing or posting anything. Many users browse Reddit this way.
- TL;DR (too long; didn’t read): A summary of a long post. It’s a quick way to share the main points without the reader going through everything.
- OC (original content): This term refers to content a user created rather than reposting from somewhere else.
- Repost: Sharing something that’s already posted in the same subreddit. It’s a good idea to do some research first to avoid this.
- Throwaway account: A temporary or secondary account not meant for long-term use. People create these for specific situations or to stay anonymous.
- IRL (in real life): This term refers to experiences outside Reddit or the internet—basically, the offline world.
Note: While this is not a comprehensive list, businesses can refer to it while learning more about Reddit.
How businesses can use Reddit for marketing and growth
1. Use Reddit ads
Recent data shows that Redditors tend to dive deeper into research, make purchase decisions nine times faster, and spend 15% more than users on other social platforms. Hence, advertising on Reddit is a safe and effective way to promote products.
With Reddit ads, businesses can target users based on the subreddits they follow, which means they can reach highly specific, passionate audiences. However, Reddit ads work on a cost-per-impression (CPM) model instead of the CPC (cost-per-click) model retailers might be familiar with from platforms like Google or Facebook.
2. Customer service and community management
Whether your business is small or large, it’s a good idea to monitor Reddit for mentions and respond when needed. People often use Reddit to ask for purchase advice, share complaints, and discuss companies (things businesses want to be aware of). So, retailers must have a solid community management plan to help them engage with Reddit users more effectively, which can boost their brand’s visibility and even lead to more sales.
3. Do AMA sessions
Hosting an AMA (Ask Me Anything) on Reddit is a great way for businesses to raise their profiles and build their brand. They can post in r/AMA or jump into a relevant conversation and introduce themselves with, “I’m the CEO of ________. Ask me anything.”
Anyone can do an AMA, from regular folks like car salesmen to high-profile figures like Steve Wozniak, Apple’s co-founder. As long as businesses position themselves as someone with valuable insights, Redditors will ask interesting questions, which can lead to meaningful engagement.
4. Hire local or remote talent
Reddit can be a great place to find and hire talent like other social networks. Businesses looking for someone local for a full-time role can post the job in their city or region’s subreddit (e.g., r/Toronto if they’re hiring in Toronto). Alternatively, if they’re looking for specific skills, they can post in subreddits related to that field (e.g., r/copywriting if they want a copywriter). It’s a simple and effective way to reach the right people.
5. Run contests in subreddits
Hosting a contest is another fantastic way to engage a subreddit while adding value to the community. But before businesses run a contest or giveaway, they should contact the subreddit’s mods (find them in the sidebar) to get their approval and discuss the details. For prizes, brands can offer their products, Reddit Gold, or even a mix of both to make it more exciting for participants.
6. Promote deals in the right subreddits
There’s a subreddit for just about everything, including deals. So, if businesses offer a discount code or have a sale, they can share it in communities like r/deals, where bargain hunters are always looking for great offers.
7. Market research and feedback
In some subreddits, businesses can ask members for feedback on a website or product ideas. However, they must stay transparent, especially in non-business subreddits, and be cautious if they’re new to the platform.
Note: If businesses are unsure where to go, they should stick with business-focused communities like r/Entrepreneur, where asking for feedback is more common and welcomed.
Final words
Trying Reddit for the first time may be more confusing than helpful. There’s a good chance businesses won’t find anything useful or know how to navigate it. However, once they subscribe to a few subreddits, start contributing, and figure out how to find relevant discussions, Reddit will quickly become a valuable resource.
Businesses can ask questions, learn something new daily, and even share posts promoting their businesses that might make it to the front page. Remember that while Reddit may not always make sense at first (each subreddit has its rules and inside jokes), that’s what makes the platform a unique and fun place for creative marketing.
