Reddit is one of the most popular and powerful websites on the planet. It is the 18th most visited website in the world, with an estimated 56 million daily active users. It is definitely the most unique social media platform out there for the reason that it is almost entirely curated by its users.
Reddit is divided up into subreddits. These are communities of various sizes that can be created by any user, at any time. There are, of course, a few safety rules in place that apply to every subreddit. Mainly concerning protecting individuals from harm. But, outside of this, a subreddit can be about almost anything. There are currently over 3 million subreddits on the website. Covering a huge range of topics.
Reddit attracts people from all walks of life. And, because of this, it is an extremely powerful tool for marketing. Hundreds of popular brands and celebrities have used Reddit to increase their exposure and strengthen their popularity. And, in this guide, we will show you how you can do the same.
Creating Your Account
The first step to utilizing Reddit properly is creating and authenticating your account. One of the primary rules of Reddit is to avoid spam. And, to this end, Reddit usually bans unusual accounts or accounts that might be spam bots. So you need to ensure your account won’t be mistaken for a bot.
To this end you will want to join and engage with a few different subreddits. We suggest joining communities that compliment your brand. If you are selling sporting gear, follow pages dedicated to different sports. If you are selling an energy drink then you should join various gaming pages.
Sponsored Posts
The most obvious way that you can use Reddit to promote your brand is with sponsored posts. This is a paid service that can reach a huge audience. When people browse reddit they will see a curated feed of posts from the subreddits they follow, or from the most popular pages. Occasionally a sponsored post will be placed in their feed. Since Reddit is a free site, almost every user will get these posts.
This is definitely the most efficient way of gaining exposure for your brand. But it isn’t always the most popular. It is no secret that a lot of people are growing exhausted with the constant bombardment of advertisements online. With many people using ad blockers. So it is always a good idea to use the other methods we are going to list in tandem with sponsored posts.
AMA
One of the most popular subreddits is /AMA. This stands for Ask Me Anything. The idea is simple. A user will introduce themselves and encourage users to, obviously, ask them anything. This subreddit is extremely popular with celebrities, authors, artists, and politicians. It is the digital equivalent of a public forum.
This is the best way to get people involved with your brand. It gives them the chance to learn more about your product in an informal setting. And it allows you to demonstrate that you care about the voices of your customers. Don’t shy away from tough questions either. Answering them will prove to people that you are serious about making your brand a successful one.
Marketing research has shown that people are more likely to buy a product if they have a connection with the person selling it. So you can use an AMA session to also highlight yourself as well as your brand or product. You do have to be careful to not say anything too risky or controversial.
Market Research
Reddit is the ultimate wellspring for customer research. Unlike other social media platforms, Reddit allows users to better focus their criticisms and concerns about issues affecting their day to day life. And this makes it far easier for you to conduct market research.
If you give someone a survey relating to the product or service you are trying to provide, chances are you won’t get a fully representative response. A lot of people will either over exaggerate or simply give half hearted responses. But, on a public subreddit, people will post without external influence. Meaning what they post is often much more reliable.
Let us continue using sporting goods as an example. If you are selling climbing gear, you will want to browse the various climbing subreddits. You will undoubtedly find people talking about the various brands they use. Discussing the pros and cons. And voicing the things they look for in a quality product.
All of this information is as good as gold to you. Without spending any money you have gained valuable insights that can elevate your brand or product from good to amazing. Understanding your target audience is a vital part of any successful business. And Reddit allows you to gain a deeper understanding of said demographic.
