[Hot] How to Use Reddit to Market Your Brand
Facebook. LinkedIn. Instagram. Twitter. Digital marketers commonly refer to these "major networks" as the cornerstone of social media marketing. All of these sites offer unique advantages for businesses willing to spend the time and/or money to build a respectable following.
Yet only of these sites, Facebook, attracts more traffic than Reddit, which once billed itself as "the front page of the Internet"--and for good reason.
According to Alexa, Reddit is the fourth most popular site on the web (behind Google, YouTube, and Facebook, respectively). And of the top four sites, Reddit attracts the most "Daily Time on Site," the most "Daily Pageviews Per Visitor," and the most "% of Traffic From Search."
Reddit's strength is its hundreds of thousands of subreddits, targeted communities that obsess over every conceivable topic, from SEO to raw denim--two of our favorites. It's influence is indisputable--for better or worse. And its users are among the most articulate and engaged of any social media platform.
So why do so few digital marketers focus on Reddit?
Fair or not, the site and its rulers are considered unruly, esoteric, and hard to reach. And the interface is not necessarily intuitive or attractive. As Wired reported a few days ago, on the eve of Reddit's redesign, "the text-heavy website is about as visually appealing as an overflowing email inbox."
Yet, as Nate Shivar notes, "The fact that so many advertisers ignore Reddit represents a huge opportunity." Shivar is talking specifically about paid advertising here but the same can be said about organic marketing. Shivar adds: "Reddit is a wide-open platform for advertisers willing to spend time doing Reddit advertising correctly."
Have you thought about using Reddit to promote your brand?
Reddit is not for everyone. But with the right approach the platform may yield significant benefits. Before you dive in, however, consider the following points.
Reddit Advertising is Tricky
Reddit does offer paid advertising, but as Shivar notes, "Compared to Google AdWords or Facebook Ads no one knows how to advertise on Reddit. And often the advertisers who think they know how to advertise on Reddit don’t actually know how to do it well (and often end up hurting their brands in the process)."
Shivar links to an article from The Atlantic, which notes, "In the already ad-hating landscape of the Internet, no user is more likely to loathe unsophisticated targeted advertising more than Redditors."
The article also offers this choice quote Reddit's founder, Alexis Ohanian: "When I think about Reddit, I don't necessarily think it's anti-advertising -- it's anti-stupid advertising, it's anti-bad advertising."
So what is stupid or bad advertising on Reddit? In short, stupid or bad Reddit advertising is advertising that does not understand the community or speak to the community's needs.
This answer speaks to the larger question of Reddit marketing, and how a new brand should go about trying to engage with the community.
This process can be time-consuming, like organic SEO--and like organic SEO it requires deep respect for the users, intimate knowledge of the topic, and engaging, relevant content.
Respect the Users and the Community
More than any social media platform, Reddit facilitates engagement--communicating with people and treating potential "customers" as human beings, with unique needs.
When you address a Redditor on a person-to-person level you begin to create a durable bond--a relationship. In this sense, "social engagement," is micro-communication: the replies, messages, and interactions that reveal your own agreement, involvement, or commitment with other Redditors.
As Shivar writes, "Treat each subreddit like a coffee-shop meetup or open-door workshop. Just because you may be interested or have something interesting to share doesn’t mean that you immediately barge in with submissions and opinions. Respect and learn from the community."
Of course, this engagement takes time. The r/rawdenim/ community is often visited by the owner of one of the biggest raw denim brands, Naked and Famous. Bahzad, as he signs his name, often comments every single day. Many brand owners might not have the time or dedication for this sort of engagement.
Intimate Knowledge
If you have a business you likely have precisely the sort of knowledge valued on Reddit--insider's knowledge. Sharing your knowledge is one of the best ways to engage Reddit. Once you engage the community, and Redditors trust you as a devoted user--and not some brand shill--they will be more likely to follow your advice--and your links, if you offer them.
As noted in the comment section of this article, Reddit links, although technically labeled "NOFOLLOW," can offer tremendous advantages: "If your definition is a backlink that brings targeted traffic who in turn might link/share your work or convert to achieve a goal like selling a product or service, then Redditt can provide high quality back links."
Engaging, Relevant Content
Reddit users are like any other Internet user: They value engaging, relevant content. When posting to a subreddit, then, consider your words as you might any article for publication on your website or blog.
For more on this topic, which we have covered exhaustively on this blog, read: "Is Your Content Relevant?"
When writing for Reddit, of course, the key is engagement: do not talk to users; talk with users. As such, do not try to market your services. Instead, offer information about the topic at hand, and plug your brand as subtly as possible. Your presence as an engaged community member is the best way to inspire organic traffic to your site.
Social Media Marketing with Stepman's SEO
Stepman's SEO combines traditional marketing methods and organic SEO--with an emphasis on natural website optimization--to design thoughtful, inspiring, and effective social media marketing campaigns.
Yet only of these sites, Facebook, attracts more traffic than Reddit, which once billed itself as "the front page of the Internet"--and for good reason.
According to Alexa, Reddit is the fourth most popular site on the web (behind Google, YouTube, and Facebook, respectively). And of the top four sites, Reddit attracts the most "Daily Time on Site," the most "Daily Pageviews Per Visitor," and the most "% of Traffic From Search."
Reddit's strength is its hundreds of thousands of subreddits, targeted communities that obsess over every conceivable topic, from SEO to raw denim--two of our favorites. It's influence is indisputable--for better or worse. And its users are among the most articulate and engaged of any social media platform.
So why do so few digital marketers focus on Reddit?
Fair or not, the site and its rulers are considered unruly, esoteric, and hard to reach. And the interface is not necessarily intuitive or attractive. As Wired reported a few days ago, on the eve of Reddit's redesign, "the text-heavy website is about as visually appealing as an overflowing email inbox."
Yet, as Nate Shivar notes, "The fact that so many advertisers ignore Reddit represents a huge opportunity." Shivar is talking specifically about paid advertising here but the same can be said about organic marketing. Shivar adds: "Reddit is a wide-open platform for advertisers willing to spend time doing Reddit advertising correctly."
Have you thought about using Reddit to promote your brand?
Reddit is not for everyone. But with the right approach the platform may yield significant benefits. Before you dive in, however, consider the following points.
 |
| Wired's wonderful illustration for its recent article on Reddit's redesign. |
Reddit Advertising is Tricky
Reddit does offer paid advertising, but as Shivar notes, "Compared to Google AdWords or Facebook Ads no one knows how to advertise on Reddit. And often the advertisers who think they know how to advertise on Reddit don’t actually know how to do it well (and often end up hurting their brands in the process)."
Shivar links to an article from The Atlantic, which notes, "In the already ad-hating landscape of the Internet, no user is more likely to loathe unsophisticated targeted advertising more than Redditors."
The article also offers this choice quote Reddit's founder, Alexis Ohanian: "When I think about Reddit, I don't necessarily think it's anti-advertising -- it's anti-stupid advertising, it's anti-bad advertising."
So what is stupid or bad advertising on Reddit? In short, stupid or bad Reddit advertising is advertising that does not understand the community or speak to the community's needs.
This answer speaks to the larger question of Reddit marketing, and how a new brand should go about trying to engage with the community.
This process can be time-consuming, like organic SEO--and like organic SEO it requires deep respect for the users, intimate knowledge of the topic, and engaging, relevant content.
Respect the Users and the Community
More than any social media platform, Reddit facilitates engagement--communicating with people and treating potential "customers" as human beings, with unique needs.
When you address a Redditor on a person-to-person level you begin to create a durable bond--a relationship. In this sense, "social engagement," is micro-communication: the replies, messages, and interactions that reveal your own agreement, involvement, or commitment with other Redditors.
As Shivar writes, "Treat each subreddit like a coffee-shop meetup or open-door workshop. Just because you may be interested or have something interesting to share doesn’t mean that you immediately barge in with submissions and opinions. Respect and learn from the community."
Of course, this engagement takes time. The r/rawdenim/ community is often visited by the owner of one of the biggest raw denim brands, Naked and Famous. Bahzad, as he signs his name, often comments every single day. Many brand owners might not have the time or dedication for this sort of engagement.
Intimate Knowledge
If you have a business you likely have precisely the sort of knowledge valued on Reddit--insider's knowledge. Sharing your knowledge is one of the best ways to engage Reddit. Once you engage the community, and Redditors trust you as a devoted user--and not some brand shill--they will be more likely to follow your advice--and your links, if you offer them.
As noted in the comment section of this article, Reddit links, although technically labeled "NOFOLLOW," can offer tremendous advantages: "If your definition is a backlink that brings targeted traffic who in turn might link/share your work or convert to achieve a goal like selling a product or service, then Redditt can provide high quality back links."
Engaging, Relevant Content
Reddit users are like any other Internet user: They value engaging, relevant content. When posting to a subreddit, then, consider your words as you might any article for publication on your website or blog.
For more on this topic, which we have covered exhaustively on this blog, read: "Is Your Content Relevant?"
When writing for Reddit, of course, the key is engagement: do not talk to users; talk with users. As such, do not try to market your services. Instead, offer information about the topic at hand, and plug your brand as subtly as possible. Your presence as an engaged community member is the best way to inspire organic traffic to your site.
Social Media Marketing with Stepman's SEO
Stepman's SEO combines traditional marketing methods and organic SEO--with an emphasis on natural website optimization--to design thoughtful, inspiring, and effective social media marketing campaigns.