As a marketer, small business owner, or creator, you might be tempted to brush Reddit off as the domain of internet trolls and cat memes.
And while there is a fair bit of that on the platform, you can gain a huge amount of value from getting active in Reddit’s hundreds of thousands of niche communities.
With more than 82 million daily active users and 16 billion posts and comments (as of May 2024), the social media platform can be a powerhouse for brand reach and growth — but only if you know how to use it.
If you've ever felt a pang of curiosity (or confusion) about this behemoth of a platform, you're in the right place.
Whether you're a seasoned marketer, a social media pro, or someone who thinks Reddit sounds like a color, this guide is for you.
Reddit is a forum-style website where members share content and discuss specific topics and interests. Other Redditors then upvote or downvote the content based on how relevant, interesting, and helpful it is. The platform is the self-proclaimed “front page of the internet.”
Let’s unpack that with an analogy.
Picture this: the internet has an enormous, bustling town square where folks gather to share news and expertise, ask questions, or chatter about a juicy bit of gossip.
It looks chaotic, but it’s not really — that giant square is divided into hundreds of thousands of smaller squares, each one dedicated to a particular interest. These smaller squares are called subreddits. (Here’s a fun map of Reddit to illustrate the topic distribution.)
All those people in the town square congregate in the subreddits that spark the most interest for them. For example, the cyclists roll their bikes over to one corner (called ‘r/cycling’), the gaming enthusiasts gather in r/gamers, and the social media managers scroll stroll over to r/socialmedia.
For the folks more interested in a more specific niche, they’ll find their section too — think r/CyclingFashion, r/CozyGamers, or maybe r/InstagramMarketing.
Even dividing the millions of Redditors into subreddits can still mean there are thousands of users in each one. How do these communities decide what topics are under discussion that day and whose voice is heard?
It all comes down to a system of threads, which subreddit members can create to start a new discussion and upvote. The more comments and upvotes a particular thread and its responses receive, the more prominently they will appear on the subreddit’s home page.
Whether you’re looking to build your own brand or your company’s, Reddit is worth exploring. Not just because of the sheer volume of users active there but also because of the power of niche communities.
Given the vastness of the Redi-verse (sorry, I had to), I can almost guarantee you’ll be able to find a Reddit community (or several!) that perfectly aligns with your brand and target audience.
To continue the analogy above, rather than wandering around the town like a town crier, hoping to grab attention, why not meet your ideal audience in their cozy little space in the square?
Let’s take a closer look at the benefits of Reddit for marketers, business owners, and creators.
To create your own Reddit account, go to Reddit.com, click “Log in” or “Sign Up” in the top right corner and follow the prompts. Choose a username that reflects your expertise. Most redditors prefer to stick with their assigned anonymous usernames and cartoon avatars, but if you’re looking to establish yourself as a leader, it could be worth testing the waters with your own name and photo, if you feel comfortable.
Pro tip: Even if your ultimate goal is prompting your company, it’s worth creating an account as a person, not a brand. Overly sale-sy and traditional marketing content won’t be received well on the platform. Reddit users value authenticity above all else.
Use the search bar to find subreddits related to your industry. For example, if you’re in the health and wellness industry, subreddits like r/Fitness or r/Meditation might be a good fit.
I’d recommend starting with a broad term like the ones above, and then checking out the homepage of each subreddit for ‘Related subreddits’ (usually found on the bottom right of well-organized pages).
As you explore subreddits, search for ones that would attract your ideal customer or target audience, but also look for ones that are fairly active. Some old subreddits can lie dormant for months — and no matter how perfectly they align with your brand, aren’t really worth joining.
Step 3: Lurk before you leap
Whether you’re looking to use Reddit as a marketing tool or not, I’d recommend any new user get the lay of the land before they start interacting. Spend some time lurking (read: observing without jumping into the fray) to get a feel for the culture, humor, and etiquette of different subreddits.
Each subreddit has its own set of rules, found in the sidebar. These rules can be as simple as “no spam” or as specific as “no memes on Mondays.”
Break the rules, and you risk getting banned by the folks who run and help maintain the subreddits (called ‘moderators’ or ‘admins’).
When you feel comfortable enough to start posting in your subreddit/s of choice, I’d recommend getting your feet wet by responding to comments, answering questions, and sharing advice.
The most important thing to remember when posting (whether creating your own or responding in the comments) is that Redditors come to the platform to connect with people, not brands.
As such, they abhor blatant self-promotion or advertising. Instead of getting your marketing jazz hands out, focus on providing value.
Answer questions, share insights, and participate in discussions. Your goal is to build trust and be seen as a thought leader within the subreddit.
The only exception to this is the designated ‘self-promotion’ slots allowed in some subreddits. Here’s an example of how this is handled within r/CozyGamers:
It’s a great idea to take advantage of these opportunities, but I’d suggest you spend a few weeks engaging and building trust within the community to really see the value of sharing your work.
Feeling a little out of your depth when it comes to leaving comments and creating posts? My best advice is to save some examples of popular posts you thought were great and copy their structure and formatting.