Reddit, one of the most used websites today, is a social media platform where users can share links and text posts and allow others to view these. The site refers to itself as the “front page of the internet.” Posts may contain pictures and videos related to news and discussion threads depending on the topic discussed in the community.
It takes an entirely different approach than other social media sites. Reddit has micro-cultures and micro-communities of its own. This website’s trends and terms also create a different niche, making it unique and easy to use. If properly utilized, it can be a good place for business advertisements.
The Use Of Subreddit
Reddit divides the website into various communities known as subreddits. These subreddits have pages dedicated to a specific question, topic, interest, fanbase, or belief.
Some of the most popular subreddits, according to their number of subscribers, include themes about:
- Announcements (/r/announcements)
- Funny content (/r/funny)
- Common questions (/r/AskReddit)
- Gaming (/r/gaming)
- Cute and cuddly pictures (/r/aww)
- Music (/r/Music)
- Random pictures (/r/pics)
- Science (/r/science)
- World News (/r/worldnews)
- Random videos (/r/videos)
Users can subscribe to any topic they want, and their Reddit homepage will only show issues from these subscribed communities. Users can share content from any subreddit on any other social media application. Reddit video downloader apps are also available for anyone who wants to save videos found on these subreddits.
Marketing On Reddit
Reddit is the 7th most visited social media website worldwide as of 2022 with 430 million users. The unique setup of this social media platform also makes it an excellent avenue for businesses looking to promote their products and services to reach their target demographic. Being divided into different communities, promotions by industries are easier and come with more focus on the audience they want to go to. This reason is why large companies such as Audi, Toyota, and Spotify are now dominating the market and primarily operate on this website to promote their businesses.
Any business owner can start promoting themselves on Reddit once they familiarize themselves with the basics of this website.
How to Post on Reddit
Reddit is available on Android and iOS smartphones, computers, and laptops. To start, the user must first create an account to log in. They can now begin posting by following these steps;
- Open your preferred web browser, download the app from the app store, and navigate to Reddit.
- Find the community or subreddit where you want to post. You can get there by typing “reddit.com/r/subredditname” into your browser or searching for the subreddit in the search box.
- Click Create Post in the right community sidebar.
- Next is to choose the type of post you want to make: Post, Images & Videos, Link, or Poll.
- Complete the rest of your post after adding your title.
- Finally, press the Post button.
Following Rules and Guidelines
Users on Reddit may freely post and use the website, but these actions should still operate by Reddit’s Content Policy. Every subreddit community also has the autonomy to set rules and guidelines that bots or moderators can enforce.
Following these rules and procedures is essential to avoid getting banned or for the moderators not to deny the post. Before submitting anything, it’s always a good idea to quickly review the rules.
Creating Your Reddit Community
Creating a subreddit for any purpose is easy and free–for personal reasons or for your business. Setting up your subreddit allows you to provide other people with a way to post their l and discuss your chosen subject.
To do this, follow these steps:
- Head to Reddit, edit, and click create and fill in the information.
- Request a subreddit name. This one-word subreddit name you want to use should be short and memorable, as it will be part of the URL users use to access your subreddit title.
- Add a description. This box is where you can put what visitors can expect to find on your subreddit.
- Add a sidebar. The information you enter here will appear in the subreddit’s sidebar in the right-hand column. To make your text stand out, consult the formatting help page.
- Set your submission text. This text will appear when someone tries to add a link or discussion to your subreddit. You can use it to remind posters of your posting rules or to remind them to include a specific piece of information.
- This part is optional, but Reddit provides tools for uploading your header images and customizing colors, fonts, and layouts with CSS styling. You can do it yourself by visiting your subreddit page and clicking the edit the stylesheet link at the bottom of the page.
The other options on this page each have brief instructions. Read them thoroughly and select the options that best describe how you want your subreddit to function. The default settings are the most commonly used or recommended. Your subreddit will be up and running in seconds after you hit create. Users will be able to post links immediately.
It is important to remember that the user’s Reddit account must exist for at least 30 days and reach a specific amount of “karma points” to create a subreddit. You can earn these karma points by asking and answering questions, commenting on posts, joining larger subreddits, and engaging with the audience.
Building a Campaign with Reddit Ads
One of the many features of Reddit is having niches and communities where you can find subscribers of the same topics. This feature is excellent if you plan to run ads for a target audience. These subreddits would make your offer of products or services more directly to the people you plan to reach.
Business and tech sites will recommend business owners to use social media to their advantage, and Reddit provides opportunities for them. It provides marketers with two types of ads: display posts and promotion.
- Promoted posts are ads that are available as either link ads or text ads. Both of these looks very similar to the usual general content. The only difference is that these posts are labeled “Sponsored.”
- Link ads are simple to build and feature links to your website or a specific product page. A headline is required for link ads, which must be created using Reddit’s self-serve advertising platform.
- Text ads redirect to some other Reddit page that you can use as a landing page for your company. These ads can point to a product forum, a page with more information about your product, or any internal page you want.
- Display posts are more traditional and similar to ads on other social media platforms, presenting themselves as banners or rich media ads. However, this costs more, and the usual run base is around USD$30,000.
Why Reddit Is Tricky for Marketers
Reddit is good for marketing and promoting businesses. Still, it can be hard to use in promoting products and services due to its tough stance on self-promotion. Many posts will likely fall against communities’ and the website’s strict guidelines. Reddit thrived on a sense of community and expected that users would not take kindly to those who promote products without contributing anything to the community.
It does not mean that the website is against businesses. Conversations about hundreds of brands and products thrive well on Reddit communities, and discussions about their experiences or contributions are helpful in the marketing business. If you want to consider promoting your product or service, it would be best to familiarize yourself with the community and the rules of the website first.
Pros and Cons of Reddit Marketing
Marketing your business on a large social media platform has good and bad sides. This reason is why you must first consider if you want to promote your product on this website.
The good thing is that Reddit is free, easy, and has a million users. The application is also beginner-friendly for those who need help or business tips. It also allows you to pick your target audience and can help you create a flourishing niche for your business. The ranking system also effectively foresaw how the general users accept your ads.
However, promoting products and services on Reddit also comes with a downside. As a social media site with millions of users, it can be difficult to get above the noise and make people notice your business. The users of this website – also known as Redditors – are always seeking new content, which is why you need to provide them with fresh ideas about your business. Discussions can also make or break your business; if it is good, it may lead to an excellent opportunity for your product. But if it is terrible, the criticisms from users can be harsh and may affect the image of your business.
Top Brands Currently Marketing their Business on Reddit
Audi
The subreddit” Ask Me Anything” (r/AMA) was a popular thread when Reddit introduced the streaming feature to Reddit. In response, Audi created a web series featuring celebrities as they answer questions from subscribers while speeding in Audi’s latest car. This tactic reached communities of Redditors interested in celebrity interviews and those who are into cars simultaneously.
Toyota
The company’s approach was slow and steady. They first discussed a community of Redditors who are into fast cars and then told a story of racing and competing before endorsing their product. This approach is excellent as they weren’t too straightforward, but they chose the right target audience.
Maker’s Mark
This bourbon company chose an entirely different strategy. They posted on the ads subreddit (r/ads) and made a playful joke on Snoo, their mascot, to engage with the audience. The Reddit community well-received this.
Spotify
This music streaming platform is lucky because they already have a large target audience (r/Music). Spotify’s move was to ask several questions about songs and the feelings attached to them. The line of questioning was intriguing to Redditors, who linked different emotions to different themes. They eventually compiled a playlist of over 10,000 submissions. They then turned this into several Reddit-inspired playlists on their website.
Nordstrom
This company’s approach is not to run ads but to engage in customer feedback and respond to complaints. Though the community may be small, its direct engagement with its hundreds of subscribers is considered a smart move in marketing.
Conclusion
Reddit allows users to share texts, photos, and videos like any other social media platform. It also enables business owners to promote their products in this community of people online. It has advantages over other websites, but it is also essential to consider the rules and guidelines in the same way top brands use Reddit for marketing.
Above all, be respectful and mindful of other Redditors, which may provide the opportunity to promote your business well.
